I’ve spent the last 9 years hunting with a recurve in my home state of Nebraska, as well as Missouri and Idaho. If ever you want to figure out how good or bad you are at pursuing critters on their terms a stickbow will educate you quickly. My 3rd year was my first actual shot opportunity; I shot just over a 3 year old 8 pointer’s back. He jumped, looked around, saw me and trotted away. The next year I finally got the right shot and pinwheeled a yearling doe. It took another 2 years to get in range of the largest whitetail I’ve ever seen, he looked like a 160 muley but with brow tines/eye guards, and I clipped chest hair at 23 yards, then proceeded to center punch a 2x3, I’ve shot more of these oddball spikes with countable trash than anything, at 30 yards. I’ve had the only bow I took with me blow up sitting on the ground next to me, watched over 200 elk vacate a basin on the Idaho/Montana border with a gaggle of Doug Fluties pushing them with the wind at their back and my bow 300 yards away in camp. I’ve had squirrel and muzzleloader hunters walk under my stand and lose their mind when they looked up to see the giant squirrel tossing sticks at them ready to jump on them. Needless to say I’ve hit my complete level of tolerance and have decided it’s time to get serious. I’m consistently within compound range of deer and pronghorn most gun hunters dream about all year, yet the suckers won’t get inside 20, or I can’t get to 20 yards. So my dilemma is what the heck to get. I’m selling a couple custom bows, one is a Black Widow, this weekend to fund the upgrade. The most easily supported bows in my area are Hoyt and Mathews, obviously, along with Darton and Elite. Oh to have deep pockets and a wife who’s Mennonite heritage wasn’t so strong.
The strings were the end of me hunting. I had a nice buck duck a heart shot at 25 yards. If I didn’t see it I would not have believed it. Compound bow, arrow going about 290 ft/sec.
I later shot that same buck at 110 yards with my 243. Bing bangs and boolots for the win.
Man, stick bow is tough! I’ve always shot Mathews. I got the Lift and love it.
I’ve had good luck finding used Mathews on eBay or local classifieds for good deals. I would have a hard time going to buy a new one unless the money wasn’t a problem. There usually isn’t much of a difference from the newest model and a couple year old one. They all shoot good. You will be the biggest impact on weather or not it can kill. Archery is my go to for mule deer and elk and it does suck!
I’m leaning Mathews heavily, local and long term support is a strong factor with them here. I believe they’re about the only bow company that will still product a single part for a 15 year old bow.
I currently shoot a Darton Tritech 33 and have no complaints. I tried the stickbow thing for a few years. ASLs mostly. It’s cool and all but not conducive to my situation.
The humility and patience it take to bow hunt! Maybe I’m just crazy… Bowhunting is the BEST!
I’ve most definitely stuck with it far longer than I should have. Now I’m pushing 50 and playing catchup learning or relearning other platforms.