I have both. No less then 3 compound bows. Ones an antique made back when that technology was in it's infancy, a real wall hanger, a 4 wheel Zeus from Olympic Archery. The other is my first, an old two wheel AMF Wing. It's seen a lot of hunting. And last an XI bow that I have been tinkering with for a couple of years.
I also have a 150# compound crossbow. Takes every bit of 2 hands to cock it. I have put bolts clean through a '78 Fleetwood Cadillac door at 50yds. Awesome weapon for the silent type. Not really practical for much of anything, but fun to shoot. Don't know the manufacture, but the stock is cast aluminum, kind a heavy. Don't shoot it much because I haven't found a safe backstop that doesn't ruin the bolts. Constantly have to re-fletch.
In my earlier years I use to work at and run an archery shop in Houston.
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"Some people can not live without wilderness"-Aldo Leopold
Use to hunt "Alleys" in the back waters along the Intercoastal waters of TX. Takes special tackle to hunt them, think big and then go bigger.
You should be shooting a bow of 60# min preferable 70-80#. Jug'em, do not attach your line to your bow, you'll loose it! Use 150# braided nylon line and attach it to milk jugs.
Shoot solid fibergalss arrows and do not use the arrow heads that have the barb made out of wire. I used an arrowhead that had 2 retractable blades on each side that when you unscrewed the head these blades could be retracted. I then epoxied a 2 bladed Zwickey broadhead on to the tip of this fishing broadhead. You have to remember the early indians use to make arrow heads out of this fish's scales. They are dang near bullet proof. You need penetration.
You will notice shooting a heavy bow with a solid fiberglass arrow you will have to change the arrow rest to something that is durable and take a couple of spares with you.
Your arrow will have 2 holes drilled in it. one near the broadhead and another near the nock. You need to attach you line to one hole and then run the line down the arrow shaft and re-attach it to the other hole. This is beause a large fish will break and shatter a fiberglass arrow as they roll. This way you'll be attached.
I use to attach a steel leader from one hole to the other on the arrow and then had a ball swivel that could slide up and down this steel leader the length of the arrow. This allowed me to attach my line with a snap swivel, just made everything easier, especially if you are going to put a second arrow into one of these beasts.
Also take your hunting arrows with you. You will spy other animals that are game. Nutra rats are a blast to hunt and are usaully legal year round. Also armadillo and these pesky critters are excellent eating.
Watch out for snakes and have a good time.
__________________
"Some people can not live without wilderness"-Aldo Leopold
Use to hunt "Alleys" in the back waters along the Intercoastal waters of TX. Takes special tackle to hunt them, think big and then go bigger.
You should be shooting a bow of 60# min preferable 70-80#. Jug'em, do not attach your line to your bow, you'll loose it! Use 150# braided nylon line and attach it to milk jugs.
Shoot solid fibergalss arrows and do not use the arrow heads that have the barb made out of wire. I used an arrowhead that had 2 retractable blades on each side that when you unscrewed the head these blades could be retracted. I then epoxied a 2 bladed Zwickey broadhead on to the tip of this fishing broadhead. You have to remember the early indians use to make arrow heads out of this fish's scales. They are dang near bullet proof. You need penetration.
You will notice shooting a heavy bow with a solid fiberglass arrow you will have to change the arrow rest to something that is durable and take a couple of spares with you.
Your arrow will have 2 holes drilled in it. one near the broadhead and another near the nock. You need to attach you line to one hole and then run the line down the arrow shaft and re-attach it to the other hole. This is beause a large fish will break and shatter a fiberglass arrow as they roll. This way you'll be attached.
I use to attach a steel leader from one hole to the other on the arrow and then had a ball swivel that could slide up and down this steel leader the length of the arrow. This allowed me to attach my line with a snap swivel, just made everything easier, especially if you are going to put a second arrow into one of these beasts.
Also take your hunting arrows with you. You will spy other animals that are game. Nutra rats are a blast to hunt and are usaully legal year round. Also armadillo and these pesky critters are excellent eating.
If ya shopped the bow i.e. Sportsman Guide and the such like $150-$300. Archery tackle i.e. arrows, guards, quiver, tips, sights, target another 100-200 hundred. It's like any other sport, when ya first get into it, it will soak ya.
Another alternative is a friend that has a similar draw length and weight and borrow his eqipment, but beware archer's are touchy about their equipment.
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"Some people can not live without wilderness"-Aldo Leopold
i used to love to bow hunt! its more challenging than a gun hunt.your stalking skills have to be very good! i hardly ever hunted from a stand,stalking was the funnest part.
ive always loved bowhunting and definately plan to start again someday. i have no need for a crossbow as a regular bow can kill anything that walks on this planet.
