Forum Member SlowBow

[Waiting4Fall]

Q- What state do you live in?

A- I was born and raised in Maryland, been here all my life.

Q- How many years have you been bowhunting?

A- I'm something of an odd case. My family had no one who hunted. We fished a lot when I was a kid. I was always drawn to the outdoors and the woods as a child. Even messed around with taxidermy in my teens. I didn't start hunting until I was 27. A friend took me rabbit hunting and even though I didn't even get a shot, I was HOOKED. Instantly, I knew what had been misisng in my life.

I had no mentor, and taught myself how to hunt. I hunted for several years with firearms, small game, deer and turkey, and then graduated to bowhunting a few years later.

Q- What is your favorite animal to bowhunt & why?

A- Deer, hands down. I messed around bowhunting turkey, but realized I really like to eat them too, not just hunt them. Almost got one with the bow once, but on public land I'm outgunned with the bow. Maybe I'll give it a go for the birds again one day.

Q- What is your favorite wildlife management area to hunt & why?

A- I really have no favorite. I hunt all the areas within an hours drive or so of my home frequently. I let the sign and wind dictate where I head to on a hunt. Some of the larger areas I hunt don't heat up until after our early black powder season happens, and the deer get pushed off the front of the area in deep where I like to hunt.

Q- If you could go on any D.I.Y./PUBLIC LAND bow hunt, what would it be & why?
A- That's a good question. I really don't know. I've done some DIY backcountry hunting in Virginia, that was a blast. But I don't get out of State too much, starting to more as I get older. The Kaibab forest was interesting. We hiked it while we were at the Grand Canyon. Bunch of elk sign in there. Maybe something like that.

Q- What is the most useful bowhunting tip you can think of, to share with a new bowhunter?

A- The most useful? Continue to practice throughout the season. Lot's of folks practice hard for a month or so before the season opens, then stop target shooting after it opens. DON'T DO THAT. Keep the practice up a few nights a week the whole season through. If you want a break from shooting, do it in the late spring and early summer. I'm sure that not shooting for six weeks while sitting in a stand waiting for deer has been responsible for many a miss when that buck does step into the shooting lane.