MODULE 18 - ARCHERY BASICS

When it comes to hunting elk, archery hunting has many advantages. But that doesn’t mean that it comes without some trade-offs. However, if you are willing to put in the time, the benefits of hunting elk with bow and arrow can far outweigh the struggles.

Most states provide archery elk seasons that fall right during the peak of the rut. Additionally, many states have quite liberal season lengths for archers. Weather is often more mild during September and early October, the timeframe in which many archery seasons fall. But, there are some disadvantages…

It’s been said that archery hunting begins where rifle hunting ends. This means that if you are able to get within 300 yards of an elk with a rifle, your hunt is often over at that point. However, when it comes to bowhunting, the hunting really just begins once you get inside that 300 yard range. And you’ll need to get much, much closer to the elk than 300 yards to be successful. There are also many obstacles in archery hunting that can often be neglected or easily overcome with a rifle. Lastly, it takes far more time to become proficient with a bow and arrow than it does to become proficient with a rifle. Don’t take that to mean that you can just pick up a rifle and go shoot an elk…rifle shooting also takes practice, and time should absolutely be spent practicing with a rifle before going hunting. But I would venture to say that most hunters could probably hit a pie plate with a rifle from 100 yards far more consistently than they could hit a pie plate with an arrow from 30 yards.

And similar to setting up a rifle, making sure you start off with a well set-up bow is vital to ensuring that you are getting the most out of your weapon. Otherwise, no amount of practice or adjusting will be able to overcome some of the issues that will arise if your bow and arrows aren’t properly set up and tuned.

While a good archery pro shop will be able to help you with all of these items, if you’re like me, you want to be in control and know that your setup is going to perform. Setting up a bow from scratch can also be fun – especially if you know what you’re doing. Learning to set up your weapon can increase your confidence in the weapon, and confidence is a big part of success when it comes to hunting with a bow and arrow.

So, if you’re ready to jump in and learn the ins and outs of setting up a bow and getting it ready for elk season, click NEXT CHAPTER below…