# Little Bro wants to bowhunt



## Chuckmclean (Nov 10, 2016)

My little bro is gonna turn in February and he has expressed that he wants to learn how to bow hunt. I told him that if he can save up the money and buy a bow and learn to shoot it well enough to kill a deer ethically I will take him. Here's the catch I'm not a bow hunter. So I wanted some suggestions on bow options? He's only 4' 5" but pretty athletic. Not overly strong though. Are there bows that can have the draw weight adjusted incase he hits puberty and grows? Keeping in mind the bow is all gonna be funded by him because my parents are anti hunting hippies


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

We gave my boy a Bear Apprentice 3, found it on Ebay for a cheap price. There is a 15-50lb version and a 20-60lb version. We got the 20lb version. It has a huge amount of draw length adjustment too. Overall, I've been very impressed with the bow and it should last him until he can move into a full fledged adult bow.

PS: He shot his first deer with a bow opening day this year.


-DallanC


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

Most of the bow companies have a bow that fits your description. I went out with a new bee two weeks ago and made the rounds. We found a Hoyt, Bear, Diamond, PSE here in Salt Lake at the various shops. The youth I took preferred (in order from 1st choice to last), Bear, Diamond, Hoyt and PSE. I had him pick by draw preference as 1st choice to last. It was a fun morning. All of them adjusted from 20 to 70 lbs, draw lengths very generous. Cost was pretty close, $200 to $450. All came in a "kit". Diamond was the least expensive (had a sale going on). We went to Wilde Arrow, Salt Lake Archery and Sportsman's Warehouse. Jake's in Orem also would have been a good place to look as they sell a variety of manufacture's products.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

I cannot imagine a child being able to draw a bow sufficient to kill a buck.

Freshman year in college is about when they can start to do that in most cases.

If your kid is built like Achilles or Heracles maybe, but in most cases I would say his archery dream needs to wait while you get him a 243 rifle in the meantime.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

DallanC said:


> We gave my boy a Bear Apprentice 3, found it on Ebay for a cheap price. There is a 15-50lb version and a 20-60lb version. We got the 20lb version. It has a huge amount of draw length adjustment too. Overall, I've been very impressed with the bow and it should last him until he can move into a full fledged adult bow.
> 
> PS: He shot his first deer with a bow opening day this year.
> 
> -DallanC


How old is your kid now, how tall, and how much does he weigh?


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

My kid was shooting a 65# compound when he was 12. I think that is sufficient to kill a buck.


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## dadams41 (Jul 9, 2013)

I would have him watch ebay. That is where I purchased my first bow. Kids grow out of them and that is where they go to sell them. There are always decent ones popping up for good prices. 

As far as being able to pull a bow back and make an ethical shot, he will need practice. so the sooner he can get a bow the better. He should be able to work his way up to a good draw weight. and if he can't do it now, he can always hit the gym and start doing exercises that will help him get to that point. Worst case scenario, he waits a year and gets himself to the point where he is able to do it.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Karl said:


> I cannot imagine a child being able to draw a bow sufficient to kill a buck.
> 
> Freshman year in college is about when they can start to do that in most cases.
> 
> If your kid is built like Achilles or Heracles maybe, but in most cases I would say his archery dream needs to wait while you get him a 243 rifle in the meantime.


You really need to get out more Karl. swbuckmaster has a couple daughters that would put some adults to shame. His oldest was pulling 40 pounds before she was legal hunting age and maybe weighed 70lbs. I am sure he can give you some details but all it takes is practice. pinwheeled her first deer at 40 yards. Then again that was a chipshot for here with how she trains. 
My daughter can pull about 20lbs at age 6 and she doesn't shoot much.


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

I shot my first Buck 55 years ago with a 62 inch 43lb Mercury Hunter28 yards Super Super Sharp Bear Razor Broadhead Port Cedar Wood Shaft. Double Lung. Arrow Blew right through him. Me being a novice, I thought the Arrow bounced off ..Getting Close>> Shot Placement>>When you think your stalking slow>> Slow Down>>PRACTICE>> PRACTICE>> PRACTICE.. No Matter what kinda bow your using.. Also Respect The Game you are Hunting.))--------------->


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

alpinebowman said:


> You really need to get out more Karl. swbuckmaster has a couple daughters that would put some adults to shame. His oldest was pulling 40 pounds before she was legal hunting age and maybe weighed 70lbs. I am sure he can give you some details but all it takes is practice. pinwheeled her first deer at 40 yards. Then again that was a chipshot for here with how she trains.
> My daughter can pull about 20lbs at age 6 and she doesn't shoot much.


+100. McKenzie can outshoot alot of guys here with a rifle too... with a gun taller than she is.

-DallanC


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## Chuckmclean (Nov 10, 2016)

Karl said:


> I cannot imagine a child being able to draw a bow sufficient to kill a buck.
> 
> Freshman year in college is about when they can start to do that in most cases.
> 
> If your kid is built like Achilles or Heracles maybe, but in most cases I would say his archery dream needs to wait while you get him a 243 rifle in the meantime.


I figure next year we are gonna go with a rifle hunt, considering I don't know Jack about shooting a bow so it's gonna be a learning experience for both of us. But I figure the sooner he starts practicing the better.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Chuckmclean said:


> I figure next year we are gonna go with a rifle hunt, considering I don't know Jack about shooting a bow so it's gonna be a learning experience for both of us. But I figure the sooner he starts practicing the better.


My advice is get him to someone that knows what they are doing. Getting someone that actually understands what it takes to be an archer and not just the guy that hunts with a bow is the key to getting your son on the right path. I wish I had done the same as I still have crap habits I taught myself for a lot of years. I am a better teacher than doer know as I know what should happen but my brain still hasn't kicked my habits. 
If he starts know there is no reason he couldn't be ready to go by next fall. The great thing about the youth is you can get him his rifle tag and still go out on the archery hunt with it so you could at least get him in the field with a bow in his hand and work on getting him into his effective range. If that doesn't happen he will at least have something to work towards for the next year.
It is a great discipline to learn and I hope he will enjoy it as much as I do.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Loke said:


> My kid was shooting a 65# compound when he was 12. I think that is sufficient to kill a buck.


That's not what I asked.

I asked for height and weight.

There are little Achilles' and Heracles' all over the planet.

Question is who is who.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

alpinebowman said:


> You really need to get out more Karl. swbuckmaster has a couple daughters that would put some adults to shame. His oldest was pulling 40 pounds before she was legal hunting age and maybe weighed 70lbs. I am sure he can give you some details but all it takes is practice. pinwheeled her first deer at 40 yards. Then again that was a chipshot for here with how she trains.
> My daughter can pull about 20lbs at age 6 and she doesn't shoot much.


What is the legal requirement in Utah anyway? Nobody mentioned that.

Compound bows make this easier, but bad habits are formed when you start with a compound bow.

Makes way more sense to start a kid on a classic 243 scoped rifle.


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Anecdotal info is fun and lends itself to lots of fun bar talk over a beer.

But without data (height, weight, draw weight, etc.) it is not really very useful.

I hang out at Iggy's in Sandy if anyone wants to drink and shoot the breeze.


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## kdog (May 4, 2015)

legal limit is 40 pounds in Utah. I was pulling that by the age of 12 and I was a skinny kid. still am at 165 pounds and 6 ft tall in my 40s. Accruacy is the key. The native americans were killing animals with far less that we use today very successfully.


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## Chuckmclean (Nov 10, 2016)

Do yall think the bowhunter education course is worth him taking? I know it's not required for him to hunt in Utah.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Karl said:


> That's not what I asked.
> 
> I asked for height and weight.
> 
> ...


Can't do what?









Makenzies height and weight at age 10 was maybe 3 foot 8 and 55 lbs when she could shoot HER 40 lb bow all day long. She's also shots it left handed becsuse she's actually right handed left eye dominate.

My older daughter lindsay shot her first buck at 41 yards age 12. She shot a 350 grain arrow faster then any bow I shot out of high school so it's possible, especially if a girl can do it.





My youngest would have killed a buck this year with her bow but we had other plans in august. Here is a clip of her shooting 40 lbs several years ago. 





More recent clip from this year





Her 55 yard groups









Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I know a guy who took his kid back east and he killed his first white tail when he was probably 6 with a 23 lb bow. 

It doesn't take much to kill a buck if Indians did it with stick bows and rock tipped wooden arrows. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Karl (Aug 14, 2016)

Thanks @kdog for the info on draw weight requirements.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Karl said:


> Anecdotal info is fun and lends itself to lots of fun bar talk over a beer.
> 
> But without data (height, weight, draw weight, etc.) it is not really very useful.
> 
> I hang out at Iggy's in Sandy if anyone wants to drink and shoot the breeze.


That's right down the road from me! What time and days of the week are usually there? I think it could be fun to meet you sometime. Are you as strange in person as you are online?


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