I’ve been shooting the bow and rifles prepping for hunting season.
As on the old site, bring your hunting stories here and share.
I had to add “TNG” to meet some 15 char limit… 
This year’s concentrations in archery are;
- More frequent practice to improve strength.
- Absolute accuracy at longer ranges.
- Step the kids up to hunting ability, from just target shooting.
In practice to keep my aging muscles capable of pulling modern compound bows, at 70lb, I have been including 4 arrow accuracy groups.
Currently averaging 2.7in groups.
Next step is to move out to 35 yards.
Haven’t fired a shot, haven’t worked the dog…much but I’m setting dates for the upcoming fall hunts and starting to get excited.
I do miss bird hunting.
Nice to see you in the new Hunting Season, my friend!
I really want to try deer hunting this year with a traditional bow (recurve or longbow), I shoot both.
Hoping to get the kids on deer, if they fill the freezer, it will free me to pursue my dreams.
I read some off-season archery hunting articles about increasing personal accuracy via form, practice, equipment. I decided that I needed some freshening up in my archery practice, especially regarding my top line compound bow.
I have always subscribed to the pie-plate size accuracy approach for taking large American game animals, except turkeys. However, to tighten my arrow groups, I pinned 6" target circles to my 20 and 35 yard targets and recommenced practice.
So far I have focused on 20 yards, and am now shooting 4 arrow flights under 2" diameter. I have been amazed how much accuracy is untapped in my old bones, and how much fletching effects accuracy.
This has been fun to turn tedious practice into new accomplishment.
I plan to hunt on my new property in North Carolina this year. Surry County is in the Northwestern game region of the State and the seasons are as posted below. I will be hunting during the regular gun season. I am planing to go the third week of December, after hunting in Pennsylvania in early December.
35 acres of land that now has NOTHING on it. Just finished demolition and site remediation of both major structures that were present when I bought the property, a rather dilapidated cabin and an old storage barn.
Northwestern Deer Season
Archery Sept. 8 – Nov. 2, 2018
Blackpowder Nov. 3 – Nov. 16, 2018
Gun Nov. 17, 2018 – Jan. 1, 2019
That is a long firearms season!
Nice early Archery season, but that will be bug-hell.
Good hunting!
I did stick and string for 30 years until I got ran out of the October woods by noseeums. Then after a long hiatus…and my equipment no longer trustworthy I got a crossbow last year. Darn but that thing is clunky.
I purchased a dozen el cheapo arrers to toss. Culled out 4 flyers…with the rest super accurate. I may just move my broadheads over from my super dooper expensive bolts to the cheap ones. Or not. Either way I’m going to have to recalibrate bekez the field points are heavier than the broadheads. Looks like.
Decisions decisions.
I joined a hunting club with shooting houses last year. Just as well. I discovered that I had knees last year for the first time so my tree climbing days are just about over. I used the heavy crossbow one time last year in my climber…Yuk! I sure miss my Browning compound. Light as a feather, compared.
Above I sketched my siti-ation… Before I got the clunky crossbow I had a look at my old recurve. Then I got out the compound. The stuff is just too darned old to be trusted. Last year I took a look at modern compounds at Bass. After being out of the game for 10 years I could hardly recognize what they were. Looked like toys. And I also considered purchasing a custom recurve.
IF I had it to do all over I would have gone with the custom recurve. They aren’t all that expensive, believe it or not. A fairly local guys turns out some dandies for under $300. Going back to a recurve would be FUN…and I could always hit with those things.
Thanks for opening up this thread. Most fun I have had posting since I got here.
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Yeah, I’m still keeping my 70lb draw strength, and working on my tree climbing strength.
Those things never were a problem until a couple years ago.
I have a crossbow, and it is accurate, but as a real archer I hate it. Note that they make 6lb weight crossbows (mostly for kids) that are short, light, and much better in a treestand or blind.
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I make my own longbows. I have a relatively short one (I know, oxymoron…) ready for hunting.
Decent recurves are not expensive.
Thanks for joining the fun here!
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Glad to be here. It’ll never happen but I know a woodworking guy with a recurve jig. He bought it to may rocking horsie runners. I’ve always thought it’s be neat to have one made of bamboo.
I’ll be looking for you further comments. I live in the great state of Alabama. Our bow season runs form mid-October to February.
Actually, after I put aside my bow I re-discovered my trusty Marlin 30-30. Ha! It’s short, sweet, and gets the job done.
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Thanks. One reason I am waiting until late December is to, hopefully, ensure cold weather. Hopefully, sub-freezing mornings and no higher than the mid 40’s by late morning.
I am used to deer hunting in Pennsylvania Decembers. 
I need to locate a reliable deer processor down in Surry County. Normally I do it myself, but this year, there will be nowhere for me to do it. And Cargill would probably frown on me driving the mobile unit all the way down to North Carolina.
I find that in the backwoods, the corner store usually has a cork board with stick-pins. Finding a card of a local processor there is often the answer.
They usually have a known clientele, so an advance call to ask about their services and introduce yourself will make any harvest processing go more smoothly.
I will be heading down there the second week of September, so I will go ahead and do just that.
Hopefully, I will be able to get a final site selection for the house and garage. Can’t move ahead to architectural design until the site is selected and evaluated. But at least things are moving forward now.
I have a couple of pre-teens to introduce to hunting, so I am picking up an extra hunting blind. I am late getting them into the field and hoisting a couple of 2 seat ladder stands.
I am shooting 3" groups at 20 yards, with a 70# compound shooting broadheads. I had the kids test zero on the kid crossbow and the youth rifle.
I have been moving the trail cameras around and have caught the buck bachelor groups just after dark.
I thought hunting season prep was difficult for me. Add some kids and this is becoming a job.
I’m heading up to Canada tonight with my 1998 Suburban with only 173,000 miles on it. My brother who lives up there, knocked a hole in a beaver dam that was partially built crossing the road to his cabin. Hopefully, the water level will be down so that we can cross over the lake. It’s a spectacular trip of brothers and good friends. Last year, on the way home, my Suburban broke down but I’ve had it repaired. This will be the big test. I sure hope it doesn’t give me any trouble out in the middle of nowhere?
