Hunting Land – Having Respect for Land Owners

Most bow hunter’s today hunt on private property.  Over the past few years it has gotten increasingly tougher to gain permission from a land owner to hunt his property.  Finding good deer producing property can be a feat all by its self, and sometimes as tough as finding a needle in a haystack, but the more diligent you are the more luck you will have.  You should by no means take it upon yourself to hunt any given land without permission, or on the idea that no one will see you.  Trespassing is a criminal offense; you can be arrested, prosecuted, fined and even jailed.  Not to mention losing all future hunting privileges.  Getting permission to hunt any particular land is both the law and a courtesy to the land owner.

Land owners will have many reasons for not allowing hunting on their property, for example, some may have had bad experiences with other hunters and no longer wish to allow hunting, others may have hunters already hunting his property and don’t want to over kill the wildlife or over populate with too many hunters.  My husband and I have heard these reasons and many others, but in our quest for land to hunt, we have also encountered many land owners who are very forgiving and willing to have their land hunted.

Once you have found that “perfect” spot for hunting and you wish to ask permission, it helps to contact the landowner well in advance of your hunt. And best done when you are wearing street clothing and you have a little time to get to know the owner, and the owner has a chance to get to know those hunting his land.  Be very clear with the owner as to how many companions you will have with you when you enter his property.

When you have acquired permission, you need to keep in mind some rules and regulations.   These are simple and very common sense rules that simply give land owners the respect they deserve.

• Contact the landowner well in advance of your hunt. Obtain permission for companions who may come with you, and check with the landowner each time you plan to visit.
• Follow the landowner’s restrictions on when and where you may hunt.
• Leave gates open or closed as you find them (or as requested by landowner).
• Drive only on existing roads approved for use.
• Don’t walk across newly planted fields or areas with crops ready to harvest.
• Don’t litter, build campfires without permission, or drive spikes or nails into trees that may someday may be harvested for timber.
• Leave livestock undisturbed.
• Use portable tree stands or portable ground blinds rather than permanent structures, which are unsightly, may damage trees, and eventually become unusable because of weathering.
• Don’t leave the remains of field dressing in places where it would be easy to view or smell. Bury, hide, or pack them out. Be especially diligent about this if the landowner has pets that might find a gut pile and drag parts of it home.
• Show your appreciation to the landowner by offering to share your game, buying a small gift, or saying thanks in some other way.

Treat the landowner’s property as if it were your own. Maintaining a friendly relationship will ensure that you have a place to hunt from one season to the next.

Sally Rutten and her husband run the popular website TheBowBarn.com We invite you to come in and browse our selection of compound bows and archery accessories. check out what Bows are hot for 2010,  And join the many others that have already taken advantage of the great pricing and down home friendly service.

I’m wondering why is it so hard to get …

I’m wondering why is it so hard to get the Diamond Bows in? Does anyone have an answer to this?

Compound Bows; Informational Guide

So you’re ready for your first compound bow, or maybe your looking to upgrade the compound bow you have. The following are tips and how to’s you should consider.

Buying a compound bow is a worthwhile investment for any archer so follow these steps to buy the right compound bow for you.

First off, determine the purpose you are going to be using the bow for, will it be target shooting, hunting or maybe both. If you plan to do both you will need to make some compromises.
Keep these two things in mind: Hunting bows are shorter with heavier draw weights, because you may only shoot one or two shots in a given day, whereas target bows are generally longer and have a lighter draw weight, for the purpose of shooting several times in a short period. When the power of the shot is important, then a hunting bow is what you want.

Once you’ve determined for what purpose you will use your bow you need to determine the correct fit. There are three questions to answer when fitting your compound bow.
1. Do I need a right hand or left hand bow?
2. What draw length do I need?
3. What draw weight should I shoot?
Right hand or left hand?
For most people this is easy to decide, a right handed person chooses a right handed bow and a left handed person chooses a left handed bow. A small minority of people have their dominant eye opposite their dominant hand. This can create problems when aiming. Some people solve this by aiming with their weak eye and closing their dominant one. Others choose a bow to match their dominant eye and accustom themselves to shooting it against their natural “handedness”. A few even lean their heads far enough over the bowstring so as to be able use their dominant eye for aiming.
we suggest closing your dominant eye as that works well in the majority of cases,
To determine your dominant eye make a small triangle with your hands and thumbs (see picture), hold it at arms length, and look through it at an object a few feet or more away. Close one eye and then the other. When one of your eyes closes you will see the view through the triangle shift. The eye you just closed is your dominant eye. The view shifts because your other eye took over when your dominant eye closed.
Draw length
When your bow is fitted at the proper draw length you will be at your most comfortable and accurate position. If the draw is too short your peep will be too far from your eye for a clear view, and your shortened power stroke will cost you speed and energy. Too long a draw and your release hand may not anchor firmly against your cheek, your bow arm will want to hyperextend causing a loss of control, and your bowstring can contact your cheek or clothing destroying the accuracy of your shot.
Here is an easy way to find your draw length, simply stand upright with your hands stretched out (hold naturally, do not hyperextend) and measure your arm span from fingertip to fingertip. Take this measurement in inches and divide by 2.5. This will give a good working draw length for your bow. If you want to try a different draw length most bows are adjustable by changing or rotating a module (a small metal piece) on the cam or cams. However we recommend you stick with the starting draw length, straying to far will lead to instability and reduced accuracy. Use the following chart as a quick reference on choosing your draw length.

Draw Weight
Your ideal draw weight is one you can pull in a smooth, controlled manner under hunting conditions. If you hunt in cold weather which most of us do, the combined effects of cold muscles and adrenaline will reduce your controlled draw weight 10 to 15 pounds from what you can manage indoors or on a warm day. Every year we encounter hunters who failed to reach full draw in the presence of game animals! Don’t make this mistake, the modern compound bow is highly efficient and maximum poundage is not required for even large game animals.
Most men find somewhere between 55 to 65 lbs to be their comfortable maximum, for women it is 35 to 45 pounds. The following chart shows our recommended bow adjustment range for adults. Keep the following tips in mind when using it.
• A bow works slightly more efficiently when set in the upper end of its poundage range. For example if you would like to shoot 60 lbs it is better to choose a 45-60 lb bow then to choose a 55-70 lb one and back it down to 60 lbs.
• When in doubt choose the lower poundage, you will still have plenty of power for hunting and will be sure to stay in control.
• new archers will increase the poundage they can handle by 10 or more pounds with just two weeks of daily practice.
When your ready to make the purchase of a compound bow, or maybe you still have questions,
feel free to visit TheBowBarn.com. At thebowbarn you will feel like family, ask all the questions you like, we want you to feel good about your purchase. Our goal here is to get the right compound bow into the hands of the archer and to help you be successful at hitting the mark. We carry a great selection of compound bows, for men, women, and youth, give us a visit, see you soon.
If you are unfamiliar with the anatomy of a compound bow the following chart maybe of interest.

Sally Rutten and her husband run the popular website TheBowBarn.com We invite you to come in and browse our selection of compound bows and archery accessories.   And join the many others that have already taken advantage of the great pricing and down home friendly service.

Compound Bows; Maintaining Your Investment

Buying a compound is a big investment, it’s not one you want to make every year.
and is certainly not one you have to make every year.
Even if you’re just getting started, there are compound bows that adjust to grow with you, and depending on your age when you start, may be the only bow you need to buy.

Yes, there are those who need the “latest” and “newest” every year or every other year,
but to truly enjoy the sport of archery, you really only need to invest once maybe twice
in a compound bow.

Now like most things worth investing in, it should be worth investing the time to properly take care of, because the key to a successful hunt is a well maintained bow.
So how do you take care of a compound bow?

the first and probably the most important part of taking care of your bow, is purchasing a
bow case. when is the last time you spent a lot of money on something and left it set outside in the elements? In the back of your truck or hanging in your garage is not a good place for this investment. Excessive heat, dampness, dirt and pests, all play a big role in deteriorating your compound bow. Proper storage in either a hard sided case or a soft sided case is very beneficial.

The next thing you should pay attention to, is the Bow Strings and Cables.
Bowstrings and cables need to be frequently and regularly waxed. This will help keep them strong and from becoming fuzzy and worn.
Inspect your strings and cables after each use and look for signs of “fuzziness”
then give them a wax treatment. Get into the habit of doing this and you will be confident that your bow will withstand hunting in damp conditions and your strings and cables will remain strong.

Other areas to pay attention to is your axles and bushings, for these you want to use a good bow oil, (you’re manual should have this information) give them a few drops after each outing into the brush. Some compound bows don’t require this kind of lubrication
So you want to make sure you check your manual first.

Always, always, always check your bow limbs for cracks, dents, or any sign of ware, before and after you shoot. And then always have a professional look at and fix the problem. Your warranty should cover this. Never try to fix this on your own.
And then check limb bolts and tighten any that are loose, a simple set of Allen wrenches is all you need. Finally wipe down your compound bow of any dirt and grime from the days outing.

By doing this each and every time you use your bow will keep you confident of its ability to perform well, and will help in making your investment last for years to come.

Are you looking to make your first purchase of a compound bow? Or maybe you still have questions? Visit => TheBowBarn.com, we love to help.

Compound Bow Stabilizers – What are They and Do You Need One.

Okay, you bought the compound bow, now you need to accessorise, every accessory you add to your bow serves a primary function. Most of them resulting in better accuracy and precision. A bow stabilizer is no different, understanding its function and how they can help you is the first step in determining if you need or want one.

A bow Stabilizer serves two main functions:

1. Puts a balancing weight on your bow to keep it steady and more stable.
2. It aids in absorbing excessive vibrations and hand shock

Now truly understanding what a Stabilizer is and why its performance is important,
is the first step in determining whether you use one or not. let’s examine the two functions.

What is the makeup of a Stabilizer?

Unlike the first stabilizes on the market, when they were made up of heavy metal tubes. The stabilizers of today are actually made up of carbon or AMS plastics.
Now even though one of the main functions of the stabilizer is weight, the carbon/plastic material remains durable and lightweight enough to perform as well
as metal without causing too much weight to your bow. At the end of the stabilizer tube itself is the weight, the weights main purpose is to counter balance the bow,
thus keeping it stable when being shot. Consequently allowing your arrow to follow a straighter path to its target. The stabilizer is designed so the weight sits at the front of the bow giving you more consistency in aiming. The outcome is better accuracy for the archer, time and time again.

In the tubing just before the weight, in a stabilizer, is a component of vibration absorbing materials, most likely made up of mostly rubber, that is called the dampening device. Its this dampening device that allows the stabilizer to perform its second function, which is reducing the vibration the bow makes when releasing
the arrow. Ultimately, giving you a quieter shooting bow.

A simple bow quiver full of broadhead arrows will serve the same purpose for weight as a stabilizer, if that’s all your looking for is weight. But if you’re looking to reduce vibration or hand shock, then yes a stabilizer is what you want.

There are many different stabilizers on the market today. But again, like most things in archery, you have to determine whether you’re going to be target shooting or hunting with your bow.
Typically target shooting models are much longer (usually 2 – 3 feet) then hunting models which are 6 – 8 inches and only weigh about 3 – 10 ounces.

Another thing to keep in mind, the longer the stabilizer the more steady your bow will be and consequently the more accurate you’ll be. This is why the longer models are used for target shooting or competition shooting. But when it comes to walking the woods during a hunt these can be quit cumbersome.

Hopefully this has helped with any questions you may have on stabilizers and helps narrow your search.

Archery Fitness and Health

Archery is a physically demanding sport. Stretching and strengthening exercises are extremely important in order to avoid possible injuries. By using stretching exercises before participating in archery activities, you will improve your range of movement (flexibility). Strengthening exercises will enable you to improve your balance and stay steady as you aim, and increase your muscle power. Increased muscle power is important because as you develop your skills, you can move on to stronger bow weights.

Stretching is important before and after shooting a bow. The following stretching exercises will prevent damage to muscles, tendons and joints, and increase flexibility. Always remember not to hold your breath while doing any of these exercises. As each exercise is done your muscles will require more oxygen, so breathing and heart rate will increase. The following exercises can be used before and after you participate in an archery activity:

Loosening upper arm and chest muscles: Interlock your fingers with palms out. Extend arms above head, keeping fingers interlocked. Stretch upwards and hold for 10 seconds.

Loosening back muscles: Cross arms in front of chest and place behind shoulders. Slowly stretch hands towards middle of back, as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds.

Loosening chest, top of shoulders, and lower arm muscles: Bend one arm over head and down back, bend other arm around and up back. Grasp finger tips and hold for 10 seconds. Then reverse arms and hold for 10 seconds.

Loosening shoulders and back muscles: Lock fingers together, extend arms and twist slowly as far as possible to the right and hold for 10 seconds. Then twist slowly to the left and hold for 10 seconds. Do this move SLOWLY, sudden twisting can injure backbone joints.

Loosening neck and upper shoulder muscles: From a normal standing position with arms at sides, raise up both shoulders towards neck as high as you can, then move shoulders forward, then back. Do this exercise for 10 seconds.

Loosening back and shoulder muscles: Use a length of rubber banding (resistance band). Grasp each end, raise arms to shoulder height and extend- keeping elbows straight- outwards and backwards by squeezing shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat about 6 times.

Loosening shoulder muscles: Again use rubber banding. Grasp each end, raise one arm above head and the other arm level with shoulder. Pull down with arm and hold for 10 seconds, repeat 6 times. Then switch arm position and repeat exercise.

Loosening chest and shoulder muscles: Again using rubber banding, grasp each end behind back. Hold arms at shoulder level, then pull arms forward to stretch the banding. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 6 times.

Loosening shooting muscles: Using the rubber banding, tie it in a loop and imitate the shooting draw. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 6 times. Repeat exercise with opposite arm, to balance muscle movement.

When using strength training, the muscle groups used in archery where strength is needed are:

Upper Back and Shoulder Muscles – to draw the bow

Upper and Lower Shoulder Muscles – to control the bow

Arm Muscles – to extend the bow arm

Finger muscles – to hold the bowstring

Upper and Lower Leg Muscles – to control balance

Lower Back and Waist Muscles – to control a steady stance

To exercise these muscles you should use specific movement exercises. A resistance band, as used in the stretching exercises, is a great way to build strength. You can always tie a resistance band to a closed door handle, standing with one close to the door, grab the band with the opposite arm and stretch across the body. Another great exercise for gaining arm strength is again tying the band to a closed door. Stand with your back facing the door, grasp the band at the end- holding it over the shoulder, and stretch arm outwards. Remember when doing any exercise to keep your back straight by holding in your stomach muscles, and keep knees slightly bent.

To strengthen leg muscles, all you need is your own body weight. Standing with feet should length apart, squat downwards in controlled movements. Make sure that when you squat down, your knees are not extending your ankles- if they are, you should bring your stance in a little closer. Another great leg exercise is the half-squat. For this exercise, stand with feet together, keeping knees slightly bent, push your pelvis towards the opposite wall, squat downwards putting your weight into your heels.

For the lower leg muscles, stand with feet together, with one leg slighty behind the other, and hands on your hips. Always remember to keep stomach muscles in tight, for a straight back, and keep your knees slightly bent. Now, with one leg, bend backwards towards your back at the knee. Concentrate on squeezing the leg muscles as you bring the leg up and down, keep your toes pointed towards the opposite wall, briefly touching them on the floor before bringing curling leg up again. Do about 10 of these – in two sets, and then switch legs.

You should always stretch before an archery activity, and before any muscle strengthening exercises, as to avoid any possible injury. If you do the strengthening and stretching exercises regularly, you will increase your flexibility and your muscle strength. For more examples on specific movement exercises, a simple search on the internet will provide you with plenty of different exercises. Just remember that archery is a physical sport and being in fit condition will help you to participate safely.

Youth Bows; Finding The Correct Fit

You’ve decided to introduce your youth to the great sport of archery, and the wonderful outdoors.  The first thing you want to do is get them fitted with the right compound bow.  In order for a youth to be successful, the compound bow you purchase should be specifically sized to the child that will shoot it.  The following are steps you should take before making your purchase.

Bows are sized based on the draw weight and draw length.

1. Determine the draw length

• Have your child extend their arms out to the side with palms facing in, with a tape measure, measure the child’s

arm span to the tip of the middle finger, in inches.

• Divide the arm span length by 2.5 this will be the child’s draw length.

2.  Determine the draw weight

• Draw weight can vary considerably, if possible have the child try out different bows at different draw weights to see what he can comfortably draw back.  Typically – a child under 70lbs should look at a draw weight of about 10 and 15lbs, a child 70 – 100lbs should look at a draw weight no higher then 25lbs.  Children over a 100lbs should not exceed 35lb draw weights.

The steps are simple, but are very important in getting your youth started off on the right foot, which gives them a good building block for their passion for archery.

By the way, do you want more information on introducing your youth to archery?  Visit TheBowBarn.com,You will find hunter education information and the compound bows and accessories your looking for.

The Traditional Recurve

There’s been a lot of hype or debate if you will over the years as to which is better – the traditional recurve or the compound bow?
Of all the articles that I have read it basically boils down to personal preference. Those of you that started out with a Traditional bow and now shoot a Compound can make a fair comparison; you’ve had a taste of both. But for those just getting started in archery, whether it is hunting or target shooting, have some homework to do.

Now to honestly do them both justices, you should spend some time shooting them both.
When you’ve done this and have decided that a recurve is what you want, my tips below
will help narrow the search as to what Traditional Recuve you should buy.

There are few factors to consider when choosing a recurve bow, they are far simpler then
a compound. A primary contributing factor is that a recurve bow has no “let off” which
means the archer is not required to hold the full draw weight in the release position.

Draw weight of a recurve bow is rated at a 28 inch draw. So consequently a 30lb draw weight requires a 30lb pull to hold it back 28 inches. A good rule of thumb here is
2.5lb’s is required to pull back each additional inch of draw. For example, to pull back 29 inches would require a 32.5 draw weight, 30 inch a 35lb draw weight and so on.
The same is true for a lesser draw weight, 2.5lb’s less, ex: 27.5lb’s will be required to pull back 27 inch.

When it comes to recurves most men prefer a 55lb bow and women a 30lb bow.

Another important factor is your draw length – again, not as critical as with a compound bow. But, important none the less. The thing to keep in mind is, the maximum draw weight a shooter can comfortably achieve is directly affected by the draw length.

Another rule of thumb, an archers draw length is typically 1 inch less then it is with a compound bow.

You can roughly figure your draw length for a recurve by making a fist with your bow hand and touching it against a wall out to the side of your body, while facing forward have someone measure the distance from the wall to the corner of your mouth.
Again, this is not exact but better then a guess.

Compound Bows have a much larger mass weight then recurves. Recurves only weight about 1 or 2 lbs, so if weight is a factor, then recurves win hands down. And when carrying through the woods, much more comfortable.

So there you have it, how to size a recurve. Do you want to learn more about recurves?
Visit us at TheBowBarn.com we have a great selection of recurves to choose from and we’d be happy to  help
you choose the right recurve for you.

Taking a Stand on Treestands

In all the years I’ve participated in hunting excursions, there is one thing that always amazes me, and that’s the lack of attention to safety an archer gives when hanging or using their treestand.

If you’re going to invest the money in a treestand to get you high off the ground, above your prey and give you that extra edge on your game, then why wouldn’t you invest the proper time in getting that treestand set up right or better yet, invest further in protective equipment such as a fall restraint device?

It was in the mid 1970′s that hunters really started taking to treestands, but it wasn’t until the mid 1990′s that the market really exploded. And by the 2000′s the cost of treestands had gone down, and now today it’s not uncommon for a hunter to have more then one.

Good statistics on treestand accidents are hard to find, but many state wildlife agencies claim there is one statistic for sure, and that’s, one in three treestand hunters will fall at some point during their hunting careers.

We all like to feel invincible, but we are not, your treestand should be treated with the same respect as your firearm, because in a sense they can both be dangerous and life threatening.

Here are some tips you should seriously consider when you want to use a treestand for hunting.

1. Have an alternate Plan

When you scout an area for placement of a treestand, plan for ground

hunting as well, if the weather conditions are high winds, rain, snow

or ice you probably don’t want to be climbing a treestand.

2. Know your limits as a climber

Hunters should know what they are capable of when it comes to

maneuverability and try not to exceed that limit. If climbing a stick

ladder to a hang-on stand or using a climbing stand is difficult, you

probably shouldn’t be using that type of stand

3. The bigger the platform the better

You have to remember, you will be standing and possibly turning

to shoot while in this treestand, you want the platform to be wide

enough to accommodate these moves without stepping off the

edge. There are plenty of stands on the market with platforms

measuring 24 inches wide by 34 inches deep, would you rather stand

on that, at 20 feet above the ground, or a platform measuring 14 inches

wide and 17 inches deep?

4. Make sure your platform is level

Never place a stand that is leaning forward or cocked to either side,

this will set you off balance, especially after you’ve been sitting for

a time and you go to stand up.

5. Use a lifeline and/or safety harness

Your safety harness should be attached to the tree from the time you

leave the ground until you come back down. For those hunters

using stick ladders or scew in/strap on steps, you should include a lifeline

as parts of you’re set up. A lifeline is a safety rope strong enough

to support the hunters weight that extends from the ground up above

the treestand. One feature of a lifeline is a prussic knot attachment

that allows the hunter to clip a safety harness in and slide the knot

up and down the lifeline while climbing the tree. For instructions on

how to tie a prussic knot go to www.animatedknots.com

Don’t become a statistic, take the proper time to install your treestand correctly,

wear a full body harness and think about your safety and your family.

With all that said, I’d like to invite you to browse the selection of treestands

and safety harnesses at TheBowBarn.com, we have many styles to choose from and some I’m sure will be perfect just for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sally_Rutten

Bow Sights; The Fixed Pin Sight

After purchasing your bow, the next item on your list will probably be a Bow sight.
There are a lot of different options available, one being the Fixed Pin Sight.

The Fixed Pin Sight is the most common and the more popular choice among Bowhunters.

A Fixed Pin Sight usually has 3 – 5 individual pins, and each pin can be set for a particular distance. The top pin for the closest distance and the bottom pin for the furthest distance. Once set they remain fixed in a particular position.

The set up and adjustments on a fixed pin sight are pretty simple, but at the same time
requires a little trial and error to get the perfect setting. For the archer who is willing to takes the time to set each pin just right will be rewarded with excellent results.

Most archers will set the fixed pin sight at easy to remember distances like 5 or 10 yards.
and once set, shooting a particular distance is a piece of cake, ex: if your target is 30 yards you simply sight the bow by placing your preset 30 yard pin on the intended target.

The challenging part comes when shooting an unknown distance, here you will need to estimate the distance to the target. There are many variables that come into play here,
uneven ground, an elevated position and dense foliage. It’s not an easy skill to master,
but one every archer needs to know.

Lets say for instance your target is 35 yards away, your 30 yard pin will shoot to high
and your 40 yard pin will shoot to low. So the archer must learn to split the difference
and shoot somewhere between the pins, this is commonly known as gap shooting.

Some archers choose to take all the guess work out of it and simply add more pins,
by doing this, allows you to set your pins at various yardage increments.

So for example, in addition to the common settings of 20, 30, or 40 yards on the fixed pin sight you can
set additional pins at 15, 25, and 35 yards.
The downside to this is, one, you have to remember all the presets when it comes time to shoot, and two, the more pins the more your target is obscured behind the pins.

And then there are those that prefer using just one pin, by setting one pin, at lets say
30 yards you must learn to compensate for the high and low that your arrow will shoot.

Fortunately, to add or remove pins from a fixed pin sight is quit easy, which gives the archer some room for experiment with different variations.

Whether you choose a $40 sight or a $100 sight, the fixed pin is an excellent choice for bowhunters and target shooters.

At TheBowBarn.com we recommend the a Fixed Pin Sight for most applications, we carry a wide selection of archery sites. Help yourself to our inventory anytime.