How big an animal can I kill

[Stevie Ray]

With a 45 pound pull bow? I have a 45 pound pull browning with 50% let-off and was thinking if I could kill a bear, mountain lion, alligator, etc. And what type of arrows should I buy? carbon or aluminum? And should I get broadheads? I really want to go on a sort of safari, if you will. I figure theres plenty of game in US, so whats the biggest I can get?

Lots of good advice for you in this thread, but think about this scenario. You've tracked a bear or mountain lion for an hour or two and finally get close enough for a reliable shot ... How close is that guys ... 25 to 50 yards?? You release your arrow ... A sudden gust of wind moves it just slightly off course and you either miss or lightly wound your prey. Of course a bear or mountain lion can cover 25 to 50 yards faster than you can draw notch and aim your next arrow ... The hunter becomes the prey ... :D

I'm messing with you a little bit, so don't take this the wrong way :) . I grew up hunting in Louisiana (some with a bow) and have seen a handful of wild black bear and thankfully no mountain lions. However, if I were going to get serious about hunting either, it would be with a high powered rifle. All the animals you mentioned can be very dangerous when provoked.

Chuck talked a little about deer hunting with a bow. Why not start with deer? I think once you get into it that you'll be surprised at how close you have to be to a deer in the woods for the bow to be effective. Besides ... hunting just gives guys that many more excuses to buy new toys ... :D Guns / knives / 4 wheelers ... etc ... :D :D , while telling the wife that you're putting meat on the table .... :D

[WORKER#9]

And don't shoot bears. If you do, I'll come and shoot you. With home-made dum-dum rounds.
Bears are beautiful, and useful animals. They are endangered, and you want to shoot them. If you want to brag about something, sharpen your skills and go to the Olympics. I'll look up to you then. If you shoot bears, I'll look down on you.

I UNDERSTAND YOU LIKE BEARS, BUT BEARS ARENT ENDANGERED IN THE US. IN CALIFORNIA YOU CAN JUST GET A BEAR TAG AND YOU ARE FREE TO HUNT THEM DURING BEAR SEASON. HUNTING AN ANIMAL DOES NOT MEAN YOU DONT LIKE THE ANIMAL. I TEND TO FIND ALL WILD ANIMALS BEAUTIFUL BUT DO NOT HAVE A MORAL DELIMA WITH HUNTING. #9

[Michael Cook]

:spyder: I've never had more delicious meat than black bear. Soooooo good! but 45 lbs is a practice bow not a bow for bear. One should have quite a few one shot kill deer under his belt before trying anything so stupidly dangerous as shooting at a freaking bear with an underpowered bow and undeveloped skills. Read a comic book or take archery lessons. Don't try to combine the two. :spyder:

[LONE WOLF]

And don't shoot bears. If you do, I'll come and shoot you. With home-made dum-dum rounds.
Bears are beautiful, and useful animals. They are endangered, and you want to shoot them. If you want to brag about something, sharpen your skills and go to the Olympics. I'll look up to you then. If you shoot bears, I'll look down on you.

there is a real bear problem in north jersey. They are most certainly not endangered here.

[mikewww]

Strange thing. Africa has no bears, but plenty of other game which is hunted by some with bows. They feel it is closer to the earth. Even the now-almost- extinct Bushmen have bow hunted for centuries. But they use small bows and small arrows with poisoned tips, relying on tracking to find the animal after it has died.

A cousin of mine has a safari business in Zimbabwe, and hunts anything legal. A government permit to shoot one elephant costs 10 000 US Dollars !

Personally I do not agree with hunting for the sake of killing. I understand the need to cull some animals, but would never help with this myself. In 1964 I shot a dassie (rock-rabbit, coney) with a .22 and have regretted it ever since. The image of the poor, unnecessarily-dead animal still haunts me.

Regards

Mike

[ken]

With a 45 pound pull bow? I have a 45 pound pull browning with 50% let-off and was thinking if I could kill a bear, mountain lion, alligator, etc. And what type of arrows should I buy? carbon or aluminum? And should I get broadheads? I really want to go on a sort of safari, if you will. I figure theres plenty of game in US, so whats the biggest I can get?

So ya want to "kill it" and "grill it" huh?

Well you need to talk to "Ted" Ted Nuggent the (motor city mad man). Go to his site and ask him a hunting/archery question and you will get a "NO BS" answer-

http://www.tnugent.com/about_tnusa/index.shtml


Also check out Cabelas for archery stuff. Order there catalog-it's free-

http://www.cabelas.com/?


Any good compound will take down "big" game, maybe even a T-REX but I doubt if you will come across one! A recurve and a long-bow will also but it takes much more skill.
The newer compounds have draw weighs of 70+ lbs. with 75% let off and will fire an arrow at 300 ft./sec. (bad motor scotters).
Use permium arrows like Easton aluminum. Carbon fiber costs too much!

And should I get broadheads? Do you want to kill it or piss it off? YES-because it offers the quickest and most humane kill. You want to inflict the most tissue damage as possible. One important note: The placement of your shot is critical as you will hardly get a second one! It has to count. Also you will be lucky to get a clear 25 yrd. shot. Anything over that and you better be good!

My advice-

No releases(fingers only)
No sights (open only)
Shots under 25 yrds.
These will all make you a better shooter!

Hunt with a friend. Archery season means archery "only" no side arms or rifles! Your friend will make a good back-up shot!

Hunt your animals-
No tree stands
No scent attractments.

Start will smaller game- turkeys, deer, boar. And don't just kill for the sake of killing. Be prepared to haul your 800+ pound game out of the bush! This is the work part next to butchering it.

Also someone mentioned Fred Bear. This is the guru of bowhuntiing. Look for stuff by him!

Here's wishing you good hunting'
ken

[Piet.S]

Allright, next question. What knife is best for skinning and quartering game. After that we can talk about cooking and our favourite. What beer goes down best with it.

[ken]

Allright, next question. What knife is best for skinning and quartering game. After that we can talk about cooking and our favourite. What beer goes down best with it.

Piet.S
Very good next questions! As far as the knife for use on the game would be the Spyderco Bill Moran! Now for beer there was another thread on that but I like MGD! Cold filtered of course!

ken

[Piet.S]

Now for beer there was another threat on that but I like MGD! Cold filtered of course!

ken

Sure did like that one but only after shooting.

[Stevie Ray]

Piet.S
Very good next questions! As far as the knife for use on the game would be the Spyderco Bill Moran! Now for beer there was another thread on that but I like MGD! Cold filtered of course!

ken

The Moran would be my choice today too .... Back in the day .... when I was hunting and Spyderco was just getting started, I carried a super sharp Buck Folding Hunter ... I cleaned my share of deer with it. I actually still have it ... Great blade, but certainly surpassed by today's designs and especially the FB Moran (which BTW is my favorite FB Spydie).

[ken]

Hello Stevie Ray-

I've never said this but your user name is cool, everytime I see it I think Stevie Ray Vaughn....good music. And my brother's name is Steve!

The Bill Moran is such a simple knife and doesn't look like much but you just can't beat it for game ect. Our friend Jdee, (where is he) also likes this knife and he uses his a fair bit too! Your right about the blade steel as this thing sharpens so easily and gets razorsharp! Bill Moran has bit me a couple of times. I don't really hunt much and the knife is used around this ranch more than anyting else!

Like Jdee say's - Have a knife day
ken

[Stevie Ray]

Hi Ken. The name was an easy choice since my given name is Steven Ray, although I have to admit, I haven't been called Stevie since 1st grade. :D You're right about the edge on the Moran. It is one of the sharpest Spydies out of the box and it's easy to keep that way.

Like you, I've gotten out of the hunting habit. I don't think I've hunted anything (except maybe a cold beer :) ) since the early 90's.