loud vanes

[dougedwards]

Anyone who is concerned about the audible sound that emits from the bow at release should really try standing near the target behind some protection as arrows are shot by and into the target. I recently did this with a forum member who was concerned about a loud clicking noise that was coming from his arrow rest. What I heard was a very faint slap at 30 yards away followed by a tremendous BUZZZZZZZZZ as the arrows flew by me. And these arrows were tipped with points. The level of sound that was coming from the arrow was at least four times as loud as the noise of the bow at release. This was suprising to me.

Also I have noticed that when I am shooting beyond 35 yards I tend to aim toward the middle of my deer target instead of in the lower portion of the vital area. This isn't a conscious attempt but as the target becomes smaller I am instinctively less apt to pinpoint my shots which isn't good especially knowing that the animal will hear the arrow coming even if it doesn't hear the bow. With this in mind it seems that there is even more reason to aim at the lower portion of the deer when shooting at longer ranges. Anyone have any input? I am trying to tweek things now right before the Virginia Oct 2 opening day.

Doug

[mike3132]

Shots less than 25 yards the deer don't have time to react unless they are on alert. Modern bows shoot fast enough the arrow arrives before they can react. Longer shots the deer do how time to start there escape and go down and up so aiming lower is a good thing. I set my bow to hit the lower part of the bullseye on the target for this reason. Plus most people will have a tendency to shoot high from a tree stand due to the angle. Feathers are louder than vanes, small vanes like blazers are even more quiter. Mike

[realhunter]

www.midwestwhitetail.com/publish/posts/129/how-to-handle-string-jumpers.html

[dougedwards]

That was some really good information from midwestwhitetail. My experience does not jive with some of the submitted info concerning the whitetail's ability to jump the string. I have found 25 yards to be the most problematic distance as far as string jumping is concerned. It is close enough for the whitetail to hear the sound of release as something that is close and impending and far enough away to give the animal time to squat before the arrow arrives.

I didn't have a recognition of how loud even blazer vanes are as the arrow cuts through the air. This might indicate that even if the bow were completely silent at release that the whitetail will be audibly alerted to the arrow flight long before it arrives. I am planning to hunt from a tree stand located in a large clear cut where deer sometimes take a route which could be as much as 50 yards from the stand. I am very adept at this distance but now am questioning whether I should take the shot under the best of circumstances.

Doug

[realhunter]

Doug

Here is another good lesson... Start at six minutes in....

www.midwestwhitetail.com/gallery/17/media/1622/mw0918-hard-lessons.html

[dougedwards]

Holy Mackeral!!!! Those guys only looked for that first buck for two hours??? I would have had a posse out there for two weeks to retrieve a buck like that one.

Doug

[realhunter]

Yeah, when there is no trail to follow and you don't have access to a dog it gets discouraging. the buck survived and they got trail cam pics a couple months later....

[dougedwards]

I agree with the little boy. Hard to believe that a broadhead through the neck wouldn't be a fatal wound but most any bow hunter has experienced a lost deer when it seemed like a decent hit. Those are some hardy animals when not hit in the vital area.

Doug