Hunting season 2021 bow or cross bow?

[Saltwater60]

At my parents place we see tons of deer in bow or cross bow season. Literally tons of them in my parents driveway eating the apples off the wild trees. I don’t currently bow hunt but I’m thinking of it. My parents property is a long skinny triangle and I’m worried I’ll get a good shot and the deer will run somewhere I can’t retrieve it legally. Most places I can do so but if it runs kiddy corner to the rear the one guy is an asshole and won’t allow me on the property.

Anyone have any experience with this? Also I’m thinking I should go with the crossbow because of arrow speed and better shot placement. When shot with an arrow do deer normally continue on the path they are facing or do they turn and run? I want to be able to say well the deer is facing towards the guys property so I won’t shoot.

 

[Leadslinger5]

It definitely isn’t worth the risk of wounding an animal that you cannot dispatch or retrieve. I would say to do your best to some how get permission to track/ recover only. They normally run to water, if you have creeks or what not near by. Unfortunately for most archers, tracking is pretty much inevitable, unless you have a perfect double lung or heart shot pass through. Even then I have seen them go a few hundred yards on adrenaline. I have about 25 deer under my belt, all but 1 of them was with a bow and they all have done different things after being shot. They are unpredictable in more ways than one!

 

[Hillbilly77]

#1Also I’m thinking I should go with the crossbow because of arrow speed and better shot placement. #2 When shot with an arrow do deer normally continue on the path they are facing or do they turn and run?

#1: This is faulty logic. Arrow speed is only a small factor. Shot placement is paramount. “A slow hit is better than a fast miss.” The best option is whatever you can shoot accurately and consistently. The important thing to remember is that a crossbow is still archery in that slight differences in shooting form, etc. can translate into inconsistent arrow flight.

#2: There is NO WAY to predict this. I’ve seen deer run back the way they came from, run the opposite direction, run in a blind panic with no clear path at all, etc. I even recovered one buck that must’ve gone headlong into a tree because his skull was cracked when I got to him.

 

[Robin]

I agree with these fellows, shot placement is everything. It is a rare deer that can go a hundred yards with a properly placed arrow. My experience is between 20-50 yards.
Robin

 

[Vapor]

I belive it is illegal for someone to bar you from retrieving a game animal that you have taken in a legal manner.


EDIT! I AM 100% WRONG

 

[Robin]

I belive it is illegal for someone to bar you from retrieving a game animal that you have taken in a legal manner.


EDIT! I AM 100% WRONG

Yeah, I used to teach the required bowhunting class, and that question almost always came up. The only thing we could tell them, call a DEC officer and ask him if he would intervene on your behalf in getting you permission. Having officers at our class sometimes and they would say most times their presence on your behalf would work and sometimes it wouldn't. hard to believe that someone would rather have the animal rot than someone get benefit of it. Sometimes self-help, a ninja suit, and a tight lip are the only alternative.
Robin

 

[Chicken Shoot]

You call DEC if the landowner will not let you retrieve the deer. Now .. with that said, the landowner can tell DEC to GFY and that will be the end of it. Having DEC show up has persuaded a landowner or two to allow retrieval.

EDIT: It would probably help if I actually had read all of the responses to this since Robin has it 100% correct. LOL

 

[ManrisFrack]

On average, I'd say my bow kills drop closer than my rifle kills. They seem to run flat out if you hit bone, especially a leg. In my experience they tend to go in the direction they were heading at first. If that takes them out of or away from cover they'll turn in the first few bounds. It's not something you can count on though. I hit one in the liver a few years ago - took him about 20 minutes to expire but only went ten yards.

 

[ikilledkenny]

why not get both?

since crossbow season shorter in NY and you can maximize your hunting season and increase the odds of getting a deer.

i personally prefer crossbow [currently looking to get one], as my shoulder is kind of screwed with motorcycle crashes (besides in PA archery season includes crossbow)

 

[squib]

why not get both?

since crossbow season shorter in NY and you can maximize your hunting season and increase the odds of getting a deer.

i personally prefer crossbow [currently looking to get one], as my shoulder is kind of screwed with motorcycle crashes (besides in PA archery season includes crossbow)

I would suggest a crossbow with a built in crank mechanism. Much easier on the shoulder loading and unloading.

A crossbow basically has the same rules as a muzzeloader except you need less room.

It is illegal to discharge a firearm, crossbow or bow: So that the load or arrow/bolt passes over any part of a public highway. Within 500 feet for a firearm, 250 feet for a crossbow or 150 feet for a bow of any school, playground, or an occupied factory or church.

 

[ikilledkenny]

I would suggest a crossbow with a built in crank mechanism. Much easier on the shoulder loading and unloading.

A crossbow basically has the same rules as a muzzeloader except you need less room.

It is illegal to discharge a firearm, crossbow or bow: So that the load or arrow/bolt passes over any part of a public highway. Within 500 feet for a firearm, 250 feet for a crossbow or 150 feet for a bow of any school, playground, or an occupied factory or church.

Thanks, i am looking at raven or tenpoint, i am almost sold on raven r26 except for its noisy crank system (seems there is a workaround for it).

 

[squib]

Thanks, i am looking at raven or tenpoint, i am almost sold on raven r26 except for its noisy crank system (seems there is a workaround for it).

Have you looked at the Excalibur brand?

 

[ikilledkenny]

Have you looked at the Excalibur brand?

i havent. need to venture into orange county or nj to checkout in store.
dont want to hijack this thread, will post a separate one for recommendations.

 

[Saltwater60]

Thanks guys for the replies. The area the deer eat the apples at is clear and wide open. I can literally sit in their front porch and shoot them for 15 yards away. With a crossbow I think I could certainly get a good shot. The guys property who won’t give me access is 150-200 yards away. There is also a creek and high banks between the property.
I have a bad right shoulder so I will likely go with the cross bow.

 

[Acer-m14]

@Saltwater60
ghillie suit .. hush up .. rambo knife ..

 

[Acer-m14]

watch this a few time to see just what happens from the noise of a bow .. aiming for perfect shot and got lucky and hits neck ..

 

[squib]

Thanks guys for the replies. The area the deer eat the apples at is clear and wide open. I can literally sit in their front porch and shoot them for 15 yards away. With a crossbow I think I could certainly get a good shot. The guys property who won’t give me access is 150-200 yards away. There is also a creek and high banks between the property.
I have a bad right shoulder so I will likely go with the cross bow.

Just be cautious, and know your backstop. Modern Archery equipment, especially crossbows have a high percentage of pass through.

 

[Acer-m14]

just remembered this vid .. just leave a apple trail and make friends and lead them right to the oven lol

 

[Acer-m14]

me in the trailer park .. come to the oven ..

 

[Saltwater60]

Just be cautious, and know your backstop. Modern Archery equipment, especially crossbows have a high percentage of pass through.

Thanks. There is absolutely nothing behind it for 300-400 yards except trees and other vegetation. The guys property is up on a hill 400-500 yards behind but his property starts sooner. No risk of anything like that just don’t want to shoot a bunch of deer, wound them, and not be able to recover them.

 

[Saltwater60]

me in the trailer park .. come to the oven ..

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It’s not quite that bad but I know where they go all bow season and they are at the apple trees every morning and evening. Come gun season the apples are gone and so are the deer.
My parents property has an open field and it’s surrounded by wild apple trees and a creek. Deer visit often for bow season.