I need some info on getting started. My daughter wants to hunt for deer and I have no clue. We have a bow but we aren't climbing any trees.

the boogieman finally made his way to the new site. glad you found us.
when i used to hunt, i always stayed on the ground. i also heard that it's now legal to archery hunt from a blind. some have shoot through windows. i don't know the facts but it's something to look into. i'm still thinking of getting one for taking photos.

boogieman, maybe some good vidios on bow hunting or a good archery store that could lend you a hand. I am not a stick hunter but I think that would be my first choice to start learning.

I have been told Practice Practice PRACTICE
before you even hunt for game.

Good luck

thanks Peen. We got the bow, and I have a turkey blind just don't know how well it will work. She can hit the blue on the target @ 20 yards.The tracking part is where I'll have the trouble. I Never did it in the fall with all the leaves. Don'want to leave 1 out there without us finding it.

If I may add a couple things...

... to me the MOST important thing in archery hunting is the ability to JUDGE DISTANCE...

a target that has been paced off to 20 yards (or whatever) and a deer sneaking up and standing at a point that maybe you have not paced off are two different things...

Is that deer 18 yards... 20 yards...maybe 25 yards.. golly what if it's 30 yards....

Being able to judge distance accurately is the key... it makes that "spot" on the target (deer) easier to hit perfectly.

I have known guys that can hit apples every single time if THEY put them on the ground.. just throw one out there and many times its a different story.

As for tracking.. again if the distance was correct and the GOOD target area was hit it's no problem even on leaves.... provide it ain't raining .. I NEVER EVER shoot over 25 yards NO MATTER WHAT...

The deer I have harvested with my bow have actually left a better blood trail than those shot wth my 30/30...
... a blind man could have tracked them and NONE went over 100 yards before falling.. most fell where I could see them fall

and as mentioned PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...  

--Last edited by Dr Trout on 2007-04-12 21:41:01 --

Thank you Doc for your imput. I have a hand held GPS,but there agian practice reading the thing. What kind of sents if any do you use?

90% of my archery hunting I'm in a tree stand.. so to tell the truth I do not worry too much about scent...
why I have even been smoking and had to drop the cig to make the shot

If on the ground I try to use something similar to the surrounding.. pine branches and limbs if in pines..hemlock if in hemlock

I always where rubber boots and DO NOT wear them inside the truck while driving... and my hunting clothes are always in a plastic bag with either hemlock or pine branches... never open to the household smells...

I have also used vanilla on my clothes in open woods or I like to smash teaberries in the area of my blind or ground site...

If on the ground... I also pay CLOSE attenton to the direction of the wind while walking or on stand..

you'll have to explain how a gps will help with the distance between the shooter and the deer while archery hunting ?????

I learned by having someone walk around in the woods at different distances from me while dragging a 100 foot cheap clothes line with 10 yards intervals taped off.. when they stopped I had to guess how far they were before tightening the clothes line to see if I was right or not...  
IT worked BUT it took time to get good...

And judging while in a tree was even harder to learn for me...

BUT shooting from a tree and from on the ground is apples and oranges and a subject for another time...

boogieman....I am also one that does not hunt out of a tree and Doc has mentioned a good way to make a ground blind...

"If on the ground I try to use something similar to the surrounding.. pine branches and limbs if in pines..hemlock if in hemlock"'

I have had great success out of these natural ground blinds, but it takes time to build one.

In my last years of archery hunting I bought one of those easy pop-up blinds and they work great whether for turkey or deer. Just need to practice out of one to be sure you have bow clearance.

Doc also covered what I also feel IS one of the MOST IMPORTANT things in being a successful archer...

"to me the MOST important thing in archery hunting is the ability to JUDGE DISTANCE"...

I used to take a couple old arrows with a blunt tips sighted in at 20 yards and just walk thru the woods. When I would see a mound of dirt, old rotten stump or things like that I would stop try to guess the distance then shoot an arrow. Now take the time to pace the real distance off after you have already tried to guess and see how far off or on you were. After doing this many times you will start to get good at judgeing the distance. I did this just about all summer long when I had the time.

something I do before the rifle season and I found some nice spots to hunt from on the ground I rake the area free of leaves, sticks, branches. this leaves a nice quiet area for me to sit or stand at as not to spook the game.

    you betcha on the earthly smell and acorns.

practice is the key to shooting well.  also practice holding the bow back for long periods of time.  this is a major problem for ground hunters, where you are on eye level with the deer.  you may have to draw the bow way before it is in range to shoot.  if you let the deer get too close or if there is not a lot of cover while the deer is close then you will get busted when you pull the bow back.  so you may have to hold the bow for a minute or 2 or 3 before a good shot presents itself.  while practicing in the yard, randomly throw the arrows around the yard and shot from where they land.  this will force you to judge distance and angle.  not every deer will be perfectly broadside.  you will have to aim away from the middle of the chest if the animal is quartering away sharply.  i got to ask, what do you want to do with the GPS?

Sorry guys I haven't had time to reply. I thought my gps could help me with my tracking. Like I said I'm dumb at this. All your replies have all been helpful. I'm going to try to call her first gobbler to her on Saturday.