Life long rifle hunter--going archery!

[GPWDeer]

Hey guys and gals.

I have hunted with rifles my entire life. I have never archery hunted.

This year I decided to try archery since my wife is expecting a baby right during the normal elk hunt. I want to be done hunting and back home well before the baby is due, so I figured, what better time than now to start hunting archery style!

I have always wanted to do it, but never had the right motivation. Now that I have made the decision, I am getting very excited. I will only be hunting elk with the bow this year. Then maybe mulies or whitetail next year. I have no equipment YET. I have taken the State of Idaho's bowhunter education course online and have setup a "field day" where I will shoot with an instructor in order to get my archery validation for the state.

I am looking to spend $500-700 on everything I need to make the switch. Does anyone have suggestions on what I should look at for a bow package? I would love to buy a year or two old package from someone.

I will be hunting in lightly forested areas with some sagebrush and will likely encounter shots at 30-50 yards. It will difficult to get too much closer.

What should I get as far as clothing. The seasons are mid August to mid September. Meaning it will be rather warm and I sweat.

Thanks.

GPWDeer (hunting with a bow in Idaho)

[MuleyMadness]

Good choice, I like this site check it out...

http://huntersfriend.com/

Brett

Some guy has one for sale in the classifieds section also, PM him to see what it is.

[GPWDeer]

Thanks Bret,

Cool Site. I will have to check it out.

Gregg

[one hunting fool]

Gregg,
good luck i switched last year and have not taken an animal yet. I could have shot a Doe but Naahh not unless its the last day. I bought a Hyot for 250 and seems like every thing else i bet i'm up to 600.00 now and every year i buy a new something or other to put on it. maybe i should have stuck to rifle i never put this much time or money with it. I love it though.

[sagebrush]

HEY..SEE MY ADD IN THE CLASSIFIEDS

[BOHNTR]

Welcome to the wild side. I must warn you though........this stick and string stuff is addicting! I've been hunting with a bow exclusively for 31 consecutive hunting seasons.....and it's just as fun now as the first one.

Here's a suggestion.......if you're dead set on buying a high end bow a few years old to save some money there's a few things you'll need to do. Go to a pro-shop and get everything checked beforehand. (ie., draw length with or without release, comfortable draw weight, type of grip you like on the riser, etc.) Once you've done that you'll know exactly what type of bow you're looking for. There are a few archery only type websites that sell A LOT of bows......you can pm me for those specific sites.

For $500.00-$700.00 you could actually buy a pretty good new bow with accessories from Reflex or Diamond. BOTH manufacturer's make high quality equipment, IMO. Plus, the folks at the pro-shop can order the absolute correct bow in terms of draw length, poundage, arrows, broadheads, etc. Just something to think about.

Either way, welcome to the bowhunting world.......before long we'll be seeing some field photos I'm sure.

[m gardner]

You'll love archery hunting. The seasons are longer and the weather is nicer. Beautiful time to be camping. Also the bucks you scouted all summer will probably still be bached up with their buddies and on the summer range. You can get a nice bow kit for $400.00 dollars or less from most of the major manufacturers. PSE, Bear, Martin, Browning, Parker to name a few. Check out http://www.basspro.com or http://www.cabelas.com to compare some. Add $40.00 for some arrows and you are set. Forty more for a target if you don't live close to a range. Light boots you probably already own. Running shoes if you want to be quiet. Cotton clothes. Learning to move and hide well are more important than the latest camo fashions. A rangefinder isn't a necessity. Learn how to measure the chest of an average buck in your area by bracketing him with your pins. Old trick from a long time ago.
Good luck.
Mark

[Bustin Bucks]

Great choice bowhunting is a blast expecially when you stick something as big as an elk at close range. As far as a bow goes in that range you will be able to get a pretty decent bow i would say to go to your local archery shop and shoot a bunch of different bows and find the one you want. Good luck

[DeadI]

Oh man are you in for a treat. I started bow hunting a couple of years ago, and last year was the first year that I was able to arrow an animal, what a rush, it was not my biggest buck but I would dare say it was the most exciting animal I have taken to date.

I would second the statement by BOHNTR with that price range you can get into a brand new setup that is really good. And make sure you shoot a lot of different bows to find the one that is for you. Good luck to you and we can not wait to see your field photos. Let us know what bow you with.

[m gardner]

I just had my first Ebay experience and came away with a new PSE Mossy Oak X for $280.00. It's about twice that retail. I wanted a cheap backup and couldn't pass it up. Maybe you should check that avenue out. Only bid Pay Pal items and you're safe.

Mark