Thousands of years ago, before the modern bows, e.g. compound bows, become the most preferred choice for hunters, most hunters relied on the traditional recurve bow to hunt the game. Yes, it could easily take down the deer, elk as well as other big games you can think of. Sadly, most hunters tend to look down up the recurve bow today, not knowing that it still makes a great bow for harvesting the deer. If you also have your share of doubts on the traditional recurve bow, the tips shared in this article will change your perspective of this bow once and for all.
Let me begin by giving you a personal story…
Back in 2011, when I was a beginner bowhunter, I received a takedown recurve bow as a birthday gift from a friend and a mentor. This presented me to do something I’ve always longed to do – hunt the deer the traditional way. So I visited my hunting spot for around 3-4 times in the same year, waited in my trusted for close to 5 hours on each visit (in the lousy weather), but luck wasn’t on my side. Not that I didn’t see any deer. Instead, they would appear at around 60 yards from my stand, and that translated to 40 yards out of range as my optimal accuracy distance was around 20 yards then. But things changed in November 2011, when I finally struck down my first deer with my recurve bow – a feeling that still runs fresh in my memory. Years have passed since then, and my experience with the recurve bow has only gotten better. Below, I’ll share with you FOUR surefire tips that will help you bag that 8-pointer, monster buck effortlessly.
Here we go:
#1. Observe Dead Silence
One thing I learned the hard way when using a recurve bow is that its bows tend to fly much, much slower unlike in compound bow. And this has some huge effects on the deer you are hoping to hit. That is, the slow speed of the arrow might alert your target deer of an incoming arrow, enabling it to “jump” the string and result in a miss. In worse cases, it might end in a poorly hit deer.
So, how do you keep up with the slow speed of your recurve bow?
It’s quite simple. The market offers you a wide range of accessories for silencing your bow, like the string silencer, that you should consider using to remain as quite as possible.
Additionally, you should consider tuning your bow and arrows to make your arrows fly as silent and smooth as possible.
#2. A Recurve Bow Too Calls For Real Practice!
Just like the compound bow, I’ll advise you to prepare for your hunting day by practicing shooting with your recurve as much as possible. This would mainly play a huge role in preparing those hunters who prefer to shoot instinctively rather than using devices such as sights. The best way to practice with your recurve bow is taking shots in various potential field positions. In fact, you should consider taking your active sessions to your hunting zone to align you with the real shooting scene. You should also familiarize yourself with firing shots with your bow held at different angles as it might be required of you when the actual shooting day comes.
While still at it, your recurve bow practice sessions should not only help improve your skills but also determine your limit. Though the bow is capable of taking on deer as far as 40 yards, many hunters find it pretty hard to make shots at this distance.
Take my advice: if you can’t keep your shots in an 8-inch target at a given distance, do not try to shoot your target at that range.
#3. Remaining Concealed Will Increase Your Odds of Success
Another thing I’d advise you to take seriously when waiting for your deer put there, with your recurve bow in hand, is keeping yourself totally hidden.
This arises from the fact that the effective range of this tradition bow is way less than that of the compound bow. To decrease the chances of the deer spotting you, consider wearing camouflage from head to toe and eliminate/mask scent that might make the game sense your presence. Also, don’t forget the basics of staying upwind and staying still in your waiting stand.
#4. Hunting With Your Recurve Bow in a Hunting Blind Pays off
And so does hunting from a treestand that’s entirely covered by a blind. This is a helpful tip I learned from my own hunting experience with the traditional bow… that recurves lack the mechanical advantage offered by the pulleys of the compound bow. As a result, you might get difficulties trying to hold your recurve bow at full draw for an extended period of time. Luckily, you can escape this struggle by hunting in thick cover (with small shooting lanes). Hunting from a ground blind tree stand covered by the blind allows you to draw as the game approaches your shooting range and release when it enters your range. As a bonus, concealing yourself in a blind helps cover your movements when drawing your bow, further reducing the chances of the deer noticing your presence.
Bonus Tip:
Remember to pay attention to the type of arrowhead you use alongside your recurve bow. I’ll recommend you to consider using the two-blade, broadheads – they’ve always worked incredibly fine for me. Alternatively, you can count on the three blade broadhead models to get the job done (but you’ll have to do your part).
Beware: Traditional expert hunters advise against using the mechanics and heads that come with large cutting diameters, as these can rob your arrow the energy that would otherwise have been used to achieve a deeper penetration.
Final Thoughts
The recurve bow, or simply the precursor of the modern bow, has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. It enjoyed wide usage from our ancestors who would kill the game from a distance and earn their daily bread.
Though we enjoy the modern bow designs today, the recurve remains a handy hunting equipment, and it will help you take down the big bucks as you’d do with the compound bow. The secret to successfully hunting the deer with your recurve bow involves implementing the simple tips I’ve offered you above.
As with any other hunting equipment, practice is the key to bagging as many deer as possible with your recurve bow.
Good luck!
Author – Jennifer is the founder of BuckWithBow.com, a great blog that focuses on helping you learn how to hunt deer with a bow. As an experienced bow hunter, she will guide you through the Do’s and Don’ts of the bowhunting world and transform you into a better hunter. Whether you are an experienced bow hunter or an absolute beginner, you will find BuckWithBow a gem!
