Cross Bow Vs Compound: Youth Hunt

[Horseman308]

Look, all the ideas about what is truly archery hunting aside, what does your son want to do? What will be most interesting to him to get him to want to go out and hunt? To practice and keep shooting?

There's your answer.

None of us will be hunting for him or taking his shots. None of us.

Typically, a decently fit person can get proficiently accurate with a standard compound bow within a few hours of practice to kill a deer inside 25 yards. A crossbow is probably less, though it's a different skill set. But none of that matters if it's not interesting enough to the person doing it. So, see what he likes most and start there.

 

[RRomig]

Look, all the ideas about what is truly archery hunting aside, what does your son want to do? What will be most interesting to him to get him to want to go out and hunt? To practice and keep shooting?

There's your answer.

None of us will be hunting for him or taking his shots. None of us.

Typically, a decently fit person can get proficiently accurate with a standard compound bow within a few hours of practice to kill a deer inside 25 yards. A crossbow is probably less, though it's a different skill set. But none of that matters if it's not interesting enough to the person doing it. So, see what he likes most and start there.

I agree it’s the boys hunt and he should get to choose. But that choice should be educated. If my son wanted to crossbow hunt I’d still have him learn to use a bow. I have absolutely nothing against crossbow hunting/hunters other than when it’s referred to as bow hunting. Nothing new there as some longbow hunters think recurves are cheating and recurves think compounds are.
I just think it’s a skill worth learning. Heck if I let my 13 year old make all the decisions he would’ve missed out on a lot of fun.

 

[outrider58]

Look, all the ideas about what is truly archery hunting ...

Huh?

 

[Doco Overboard]

I remember when my boy was like 10 years old and I had him to an Archery shop.
He wanted to shoot a recurve and the guy behind the counter laughed.
Then he picked up a 55# bear and made everyone look stupid as owl dung.
About 30 consecutive times at the indoor lanes.
Sometime later I was on the roof sweeping the chimney.
There was 4 arrows stuck vertically through the shingles up there in the middle of the house.
Yes he had been shooting a Pearson recurve instinctively for a while.
Gotta love it. FTW.
Let the kid decide, when they’re determined they’ll surprise you.
If you don’t want to support an arrow company financially for about 7 more years from that age get a crossbow.

 

[Vile Shadow]

Vegetarian: Old Injun word for bad marksman. Lol

Whatever puts food on the table IMHO is the best way to go, especially once the gooberment tries to outlaw meat and the only meat we can get is whatever geese we can shoot. God knows there aint no shortage of those runnin around

 

[outrider58]

Vegetarian: Old Injun word for bad marksman. Lol

Whatever puts food on the table IMHO is the best way to go, especially once the gooberment tries to outlaw meat and the only meat we can get is whatever geese we can shoot. God knows there aint no shortage of those runnin around

A lot of people look at it that way, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Like many here said, it should be up to the young lad. Is he in it just for the meat? Then I say Xbow is easiest to learn. If you can shoot a gun, you can shoot a Xbow, with the understanding that he is still hurling an arrow through the woods and all manner of physics still apply to archery.

If he wants to take on a new skill, then I would steer him towards a vertical bow. That will be a skill he will keep with him the rest of his life.

In the end, it should be up the the young man.

 

[[Kev308]]

I ordered a Diamond Edge 320 today. Sportsman Warehouse had a great deal for $325 but the order wouldn't go through. Hopefully my card won't be charged....twice.

Ended up paying about $450 with expedited shipping from another site, and all the Craigslist ads wouldn't reply back.

Excited for this bow. I probably won't be out there opening day with him, so he'll get a couple weeks practice.

 

[outrider58]

I ordered a Diamond Edge 320 today. Sportsman Warehouse had a great deal for $325 but the order wouldn't go through. Hopefully my card won't be charged....twice.

Ended up paying about $450 with expedited shipping from another site, and all the Craigslist ads wouldn't reply back.

Excited for this bow. I probably won't be out there opening day with him, so he'll get a couple weeks practice.

Nice! Good luck to you both this year!

 

[RRomig]

I ordered a Diamond Edge 320 today. Sportsman Warehouse had a great deal for $325 but the order wouldn't go through. Hopefully my card won't be charged....twice.

Ended up paying about $450 with expedited shipping from another site, and all the Craigslist ads wouldn't reply back.

Excited for this bow. I probably won't be out there opening day with him, so he'll get a couple weeks practice.

Congrats to you both. My nephew has that bow. Great bow with a ton of adjustments for his growing years. Good luck

 

[Bountied]

I ordered a Diamond Edge 320 today. Sportsman Warehouse had a great deal for $325 but the order wouldn't go through. Hopefully my card won't be charged....twice.

Ended up paying about $450 with expedited shipping from another site, and all the Craigslist ads wouldn't reply back.

Excited for this bow. I probably won't be out there opening day with him, so he'll get a couple weeks practice.

Nice

 

[Doco Overboard]

Good to hear.
And people think the countries youth are headed in the wrong direction.
Not when they have a good compound in their hands is what I say.
Let me know when he needs some more arrows so I can contribute to the cause.

 

[[Kev308]]

Good to hear.
And people think the countries youth are headed in the wrong direction.
Not when they have a good compound in their hands is what I say.
Let me know when he needs some more arrows so I can contribute to the cause.

Thank You Doco. That is very generous!

 

[[Kev308]]

I ordered a Diamond Edge 320 today. Sportsman Warehouse had a great deal for $325 but the order wouldn't go through. Hopefully my card won't be charged....twice.

Ended up paying about $450 with expedited shipping from another site, and all the Craigslist ads wouldn't reply back.

Excited for this bow. I probably won't be out there opening day with him, so he'll get a couple weeks practice.

Order was unexpectedly cancelled with no explanation. This is turning into a PITA. Now I guess im going to Bass Pro and paying $475+

 

[[Kev308]]

Ended up buying a Bear Cruzer G3 for my son and bought a Bear Brave for my daughter so she wouldn't feel left out.

Cruzer G3

From the original Bear Cruzer and Cruzer Lite to the first-choice Cruzer G2, the Cruzer name plate has always carried immense respect across the archery industry. The legacy continues with the new Bear Archery Cruzer G3. The G3 compound bow brings more performance, adjustability, and...

www.beararchery.com

Brave

For more than 80 years, Bear Archery has been America's No. 1 brand in youth and institutional archery. The Bear Brave Bow is the perfect introductory bow for young children following the example of Mom and Dad. With a 26" axle-to-axle and up to 25 lb. peak draw weight, the Brave youth compound...

www.beararchery.com

 

[[Kev308]]

Hunting on public land…it was getting close to dark. I thought I saw something move far away thru the trees. I looked through the binoculars and saw a deer’s ass. I told my son to give a buck grunt. A huge doe looked towards us. This had to be the queen of the forest it was so big. He gives another grunt. “OMG it’s coming towards us! Don’t move!”

She got within 35 yards but we got busted. Wind was good, got a little carried away with the calling, and she had our position pinned down.

The boy had a great time and so did I. Closest I’ve come to getting a deer too.
The fact we even saw a deer made my day.

 

[outrider58]

Hunting on public land…it was getting close to dark. I thought I saw something move far away thru the trees. I looked through the binoculars and saw a deer’s ass. I told my son to give a buck grunt. A huge doe looked towards us. This had to be the queen of the forest it was so big. He gives another grunt. “OMG it’s coming towards us! Don’t move!”

She got within 35 yards but we got busted. Wind was good, got a little carried away with the calling, and she had our position pinned down.

The boy had a great time and so did I. Closest I’ve come to getting a deer too.
The fact we even saw a deer made my day. View attachment 433558 View attachment 433559

The hook has been set. Lol

 

[outrider58]

Prepare for many encounters with few successes. That's bow hunting, especially on public land.
My first bow kill was on public land. Don't loose heart.
The secret to calling deer is, if they are coming to you, stop calling. Second to their nose, a deer's biggest defense is it's ears. They will pin you down. Let them search around for what they heard. Don't try to force things. Don't educate them

 

[[Kev308]]

Prepare for many encounters with few successes. That's bow hunting, especially on public land.
My first bow kill was on public land. Don't loose heart.
The secret to calling deer is, if they are coming to you, stop calling. Second to their nose, a deer's biggest defense is it's ears. They will pin you down. Let them search around for what they heard. Don't try to force things. Don't educate them

That’s what I figured too. She knew exactly where it came from and didn’t take her eyes off of our spot the entire walk up.

 

[live2hunt72]

I’m kind of in the same boat and have my son shooting a compound but until he can pull at least 40, we take out a crossbow I picked up. He wants to join when I go bowhunting, so this allows him to join me in the woods.