I am looking to start archery as a hobby. I have only shot a few times at a shop and really enjoyed it. I will be getting my first bow soon, as funds allow. I would like to ask the experienced archers to share some of their knowledge gained through the years in this thread. What words of wisdom can you offer to the inexperienced members here? What information would you have liked someone to share with you when you were new? Thanks for any help you can provide and sharing your experiences.

enjoy. it is a great hobby and if you ever desire you can use your skill to put food in the freezer.

Always point the sharp pointy stick at the target when at the range, and never ever ever dry fire your bow!

If your going to hunt with your bow................Practice-Practice Then Practice some more Shoot at different distances Shoot from a tree Just Practice Then Practice some more

I'm a fairly recent bowhunter myself, and luckily I have a few brother-in-laws that have been a great help.  The first thing I am going to tell you is that with bowhunting, the majority of things is personal preference.  Figure out what kind of hunting your going to be doing (hiking/stalking, or tree stand/squating).  I hike my petunia off through really thick woods up here in NW Oregon.  Super thick woods with lots of Vegitation.  I spoke with a lot of people about what bow to buy, and everybody has an opinion.  Number one... go to a place that will let you shoot quite a few.  Dual cam and single cam.  I ended up buying a Bowtech/Diamond "Vital Impact".  It was a bow that Bowtech made for Sportsmans Warehouse.  It has a wood handle that is a little wider (I found it a little more comfortable) and its a single cam bow (shoots a hair slower, but felt better when shooting it).  It is also less maintenance ( don't have to make sure the cams are tuned properly).  I bought it a few years after it came out, and saved a few hundred dollars doing it.  I'm a bigger guy (6'4" 260lbs) and I have a 31" draw and its set at 70lbs, but I don't recommend the heavier weight  for everybody.  I shot quite a few bows, the guys at sportsmans were great!  they just set up 5 of them and said " let us know when your done".  It was great!!  I bought my bow a year before I wanted to go hunting, and made sure to launch a few arrows every week till the season came up.  Accessories are a biggie also.  I've had a few sights.  Tru Glow with 5 pins worked great for me, easy to see (I wear glasses). I bought the one that is the  "micro click adjustment"  later, have loved it since.  I used a "hostage" rest, but the bushings wear out fairly fast (if you practice a lot) and that messes with your arrow flight.  I ended up buying a Whisker Biscuit –– I had bought a Rip Cord Code Red "drop-away" style rest, wich was great –– My arrows flew faster than ever–– but my arrows fell off the rest if I moved even a little bit, and it's not worth missing an animal for a few more Feet per Second (FPS) to me.  Go with what is reliable.  Also, it's mechanical, and potentially one more thing to go wrong at the wrong moment, and when it does, that's a whole lot of mess im not gonna be happy with.  Same thing with a good quiver... It has to hold my arrows, all of em... had a few that would randomly drop my arrows, and I can't afford that .  Not when i'm a working dad with 3 kids and a stay at home wife. And not when an animal is so close and I have to wonder where my arrows are. I also bought a metal d-ring loop for my string and quick release (some hate em, some don't).  I bought 2 releases.. The first one released while in the middle of a draw practicing.. Took it back and got a better one that did what I wanted. I believe in buying good gear that will last a long time, but I can't afford to go "all out" like some do.  I buy good arrows, and Muzzy 3 blade 100 Gram Broadheads.  Not the best arrows or broadheads, but I can go into almost any country store around here that sells archery gear, and those boradheads are there.  My family buys them also, so I can "bum" one if I need to.  I recommend  buying a decent case to protect your bow and arrows, and to buy 2 dozen arrows or so when you start, the brand I bought is no longer available, and the new ones fly different, so I had to re-adjust my sights yet again.  Get a good shooting block also, I bought a middle of the road one, and after 2 years it's trashed.  I shoot broadheads for practice, some do some don't, but they fly different than the field tips, and I want to hunt the way I practice.  I also practice with my glasses and a hat on, the same way I hunt. Archery can get very expensive, but it's a sport I love.  It's way different hunting with a bow that with a gun.  I never thought I'd love hunting more, but I do with a bow.   Just like your AR-15's , you can get rediculous with your accessories.  Don't do it.  Go practical, and upgrade as you can afford it.  I dropped about $800 my first purchase (Package Bow With sight and rest and quiver, some arrows, broadheads, a case, a release, and a target) and have spent about another $300 since, but im pretty dialed now I feel.   All in all, listen to advice, but decide for yourself and be happy with it (i've bought a few things that others recomended and wasted some time and money).  It's all about what your comfortable with.  I kjnow that sounds crappy when your not into the sport yet, and you don't yet know what could or couldn't be comfortable.  If you can't hold it and try it, don't waste the money to buy it.  Go somewhere you can touch it and mess with it, some things seem great, but when you mess with them you see where they are weak or won't work for your style of hunting.  Practicality is also key.  Make sure it matters.  Weight is a big deal for me when i'm hiking 20 miles or so sometimes in a day.  Have fun !!!

Holy non paragraph using sumbitch, batman!  My brain melted a little from reading that.  

Depending on what you are doing with your bow, you have several different options.  I bowhunt.  It is an absolute blast to do and very addicting.  In MN, you are out in the woods before it is cold (both a blessing and a curse) and out before the rut.  The deer are just feeding animals and are not pressured by the rut or by rampaging humans.  I have had deer so close I could have slapped them in the nose before the realized I was a danger to them.  

As previously stated draw weight and length are the two most important things to you at all times.  You can snuggle up to a foriegn rifle, but a new bow requires a little courting and if the draw length is off, your fucked.  Practice becomes king after that.  The more you practice the more comfortable you will become.  Practice in the ways you will be hunting.  In a tree?  Practice from a ladder or from a tree in your backyard.  In a blind? Plop one of those bad boys down and practice from it.  Seated, standing, bent over, upside down it does not matter.  Practice the way you will be hunting.

Your rest is your next piece of equipment you should pay careful attention to.  I hunt from a blind and from a tree stand so with all the movement I use a full capture to hold my arrow.  Being new to bows, I would also suggest this until you become proficient enough you think you can move to drop away.  I tried to move straight to a drop away and became so frustrated with my early foul ups I almost quit archery.  I use an Octane Hostage rest and I haven't looked back since.  Your sights, peep, silencers, stablizers, broadheads and arrows are all user preference and I suggest you don't break the bank getting the Omega of all tools when you are just learning the basics.  Once you have the basics, you can move on to more expensive stuff and it won't be that big of a pinch in the wallet (if your bow is good enough for what you are using it for and not replacing the whole packege).

Have fun.  This can't be overstated.  You are not hunting for the survival of your species.  You may get down on yourself for blowing a shot or by getting busted by the wary doe, but take it as a learning lesson and remember that you are out having fun.  If you are feeling really adventurous, purchase a small game broadhead and bring it while deer hunting.  If a pesky squirell busts you (trust me, once this happens you will hate those little furry alarms with a passion) you can always stick them to a tree or spike a yote to the ground if the opportunity arises.  Good hunting.

I needed to read this part.  My first bow is on the way from the shop, and I'm getting my first hunting license this weekend.  (I'm in the middle of hunters' ed classes, right now.)  

So how often do squirrels bust bow hunters?  Is it pretty regular?  Tips?

I hate those fuzzy little bastards with a passion.  Its not they bust you for a deer, but if they are in your tree or very close, they make one hell of a racket (compared to you sitting quietly an not moving around) which can get deer walking throug hthe area to pay a bit more attention to you.  I have only had problems with squirrels in the warmer weather portion of archery.  I had one that was climbing down the very tree I was in and got a foot away from my head when I turned.  That little fucker startled me so bad that I almost went ass over tea kettle out of the stand.  After that he (or she) chittered at me for most of the afternoon.  Little fucker.  But it is all a part of hunting.  Having a squirrel almost in my lap doesn't even compare the rush I get when a deer wanders 15 yards from me and it doesn't see or smell me.

It isn't pretty regular that they will chitter at you.  I have sat in stands and on the ground and have them go about their business comepletely oblivious to me.  Staying absolutely still in full camo is the best way.  Clothing that does not russle or make noise is a very good plus (Hint:  It works that way with deer to).  My ghillie has netted me two squirrels and a cyote.  I hope to double my number of cyotes (ala 2) this coming spring.

 

They are noisy little bastards when they spot you aren't they?  I always bring my small game head just for such an occaision.  You can always use the practice trying to hit a small moving target right?

If you're going to be shooting in your back yard, in an suburban area, make sure you have a bigger backstop than you need.  

If your aim is for target shooting and not hunting, don't mind when the hunters look at ya wierd.

Have fun with it.  Once you start getting bored with shooting in your back yard, look up a field archery course in your area.  Many places have one within an hours drive of them, depending on where  you are.  A field course is, in a way, like a golf course for archers.  They're pretty fun.  3D(animal targets) courses are interesting too, and you get a nice walk through the woods while you're at it.

I think it would be nice to join a local club and connect with other archers in your area.  Sometimes shooting by yourself can get boring and it's always nice to have others along for the ride.