Archery & Bowhunting News & Info
In Utah, permits for archery elk hunting are slated to go on sale July 27. All of the permits for archery buck deer hunting are sold, but the elk permits are in unlimited supply.
The archery alk and deer hunts begin Aug. 20. Bowhunters should already have their preparations well under way.
When do you start getting ready for archery hunting season? What do you to do to prepare?… Read the rest »
Randy King of NewWest.com wrote an interesting piece about hunting with a traditional longbow. He writes:
It took me a long time to realize why I shot a longbow and not some fancy new compound. Then the answer just hit me – I want to escape from the modern; I wanted some perspective.
Whether you prefer a longbow, a recurve bow, a compound bow, or even a crossbow, the article is a good read. Read the whole thing here.
What do you prefer to hunt with? And why?… Read the rest »
The New York Bowhunters have posted a “Critical Red Alert” on their website to alert bowhunters in New York about the state’s proposed five-year deer management plan.
According to New York Bowhunters, the proposed draft will result in a net loss of tags for special season hunters, will insert a youth firearm season and then a muzzleloading season in the middle of the archery-only season, and would place most of the deer management burdens on the special season hunters without asking regular season hunters to contribute to the cause.… Read the rest »
I don’t mind ladder stands for gun hunting, but for bow hunting I tend to frown on them. I feel that when bowhunting you should be a minimalist.
What do you think? Should bowhunters be minimalists? Or should we load up with all the modern high-tech gear we can afford (and carry)?… Read the rest »
Flooding along the Missouri River north and west of Bismarck has prompted the State Game and Fish Department to put an experimental deer herd reduction hunt on hold.
The agency was going to start issuing up to 200 special antlerless licenses on Aug.1, but Department officials have postponed that process due to uncertainties over habitat condition and deer availability after floodwaters recede.
“This experimental season was designed to reduce deer numbers on private land in a relatively small area,” Randy Kreil, Game and Fish wildlife division chief said. “We had good support from landowners who were committed to hosting hunters, but most of them are dealing with flooding issues. Our agency and the landowners feel it’s better to wait a year and hope that normal conditions will return.”
The experimental season was set up so Game and Fish could match interested hunters with participating landowners. Randomly selected hunters would need … Read the rest »
In West Virgina, the 2009 and 2010 managed deer hunts at Stonewall Jackson Resort State Park were so successful at reducing the deer population — particularly the number of breeding-age does — that there will not be any managed deer hunt there this year.
Park superintendent Sam England said, “The bottom line is that we’re not seeing nearly as many deer here as we have in the past. We believe there’s no need for a hunt this year.” England went on to comment that in previous managed hunts at the park, more than one-third of the hunters were successful in taking a deer.
Find out more at the W.Va. Gazette-Mail.… Read the rest »
At least 7 Arkansas cities will hold an urban archery deer season this fall. The cities that have announced in-city deer hunts so far: Bull Shoals, Cherokee Village, Fairfield Bay, Heber Springs, Horseshoe Bend, Hot Springs Village, and Lakeview.
The urban archery season will run Sept. 6 through Nov. 11, and for the entire month of January 2012.
Hunters wishing to participate must attend a free bowhunters education course July 23 and an orientation/proficiency test Aug. 27.
An Arkansas Game & Fish Commission representative emphasized that these hunts are intended as population-control hunts to reduce the urban deer population in the participating cities. As such, hunters are required to take a doe as their first deer. Hunters also must donate their first deer to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry, a 501(C)3 charitable organization. The normal 3-point rule does not apply in the urban hunts, and there are no bag limits.… Read the rest »
Wisconsin’s 2011 archery deer hunting season will run from Sept. 17th through Nov. 17th, and from Nov. 28th through Jan. 8, 2012.
The state’s complete hunting season schedule and hunting regulations are available from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.… Read the rest »
Missouri offers numerous managed deer hunts for archery, crossbow, muzzleloading and modern firearms from mid-September through January. These hunts achieve deer management goals while also providing additional hunting opportunity. Hunters are selected by a weighted random drawing system. Deer taken at a managed deer hunt do not count toward the regular season bag limit.
Hunters can apply for anytime between July 1 and Aug. 15, 2011, and those selected can find out the results of the drawing anytime after Sept. 14.
The regular archery season for deer hunting in Missouri runs from Sept. 15 through Nov. 11, 2011, and Nov. 23, 2011, through Jan. 15, 2012. Permissible methods include a longbow, compound bow or recurve bow of any draw weight; handheld string releasing devices, illuminated sights, scopes and quick point sights. Crossbows are not permitted, except for those who have a medical exemption.
For more information, visit Missouri’s Department of Conservation… Read the rest »
Oregon has a new rule that requires hunters age 17 and under to wear a fluorescent orange exterior garment or hat when hunting game mammals or upland game birds — but archery, turkey and migratory bird hunters are exempt from the hunter orange requirement.
The new requirement takes effect on Aug. 1, 2011.
Details of the regulation include:
The state of Hawaii is issuing goat hunting permits for bowhunting and muzzleloader hunting of goats on weekends and state holidays on Kauai between July 23 and Oct. 30.
Hunters must have a valid hunting license and must sign an animal control permit. Permit holders will be allowed to take home 2 goats per day.
The state’s Department of Land & Natural Resources issues the permits as a means to control the goat population there. Interested hunters can contact the department’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife for permits and information.… Read the rest »
New Hampshire will issue up to 4,000 special permits to allow hunters to take more antlerless deer in the southeastern part of the state, in an effort to sustain the health of the state’s deer population by reducing its numbers.
Bowhunters will be allowed to use the permits from Oct. 1 through Dec. 15 this year. Hunters can buy one or two deer tags for $13 each, and applicants must hold a current N.H. hunting or archery license.… Read the rest »
A chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will be holding a “Big Bull Shootoff,” a shooting sports event especially for hunters. The Shootoff will be held Aug. 26-28, 2011, and will include a 3D archery course in addition to the main rifle competition.
The Shootoff will be held at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M. The NRA Whittington Center is one of the country’s premier shooting sports facilities, offering many competitive, educational and recreational activities in all shooting disciplines. The center hosted more than 115,000 visitors in 2010.
The entire event is a fundraiser to support RMEF’s mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 256 different conservation and education projects in New Mexico with a combined value of more than $19.3 million.
In addition to these featured competitions, other attractions will include sporting clays, five-stand … Read the rest »
Rifle Hunter Tyler Freel writes about his first experiencing hunting a black bear with a longbow in Alaska.
Tyler decided back in February that he wanted to kill a bear with a bow, and he set himself a goal to fill at 2 of his 3 bear tags using a bow. He began practicing with a 60-lb. maple longbow that he made himself. He ended up using a commercial bow, as his homemade bow snapped after 3 months worth of practicing daily for at least an hour.
Hunting with a compound bow is next on Tyler’s list, he says. Here’s Tyler’s description of the shot:
I knew right away he was a big one. He came in slow, studying the surroundings, huffing the air, following the same path the grizzlies came down. He waddled over to the bait barrel, then walked right under my treestand.
He turned and moved back
There’s an interesting account in the Portland Examiner about an elk hunter who found himself in the center of a 3-bull triangle when 3 bull elk responded to his cow call:
A love triangle is not so bad when you are talking about calling in bull elk… If an Oregon bow hunter is fortunate enough to find himself in the midst of one this season, remembering the following story may help him connect.
Read the rest…