Back up Bow Needed???
Equipment
Just a quick survey only a yes or no is needed. Have you ever been on a hunt and needed a back up bow.
If yes did you have one with you ?
Never needed one, always have one
Mark Watkins just did on a recent sheep hunt!
Yep, shipped it to outfitters house a couple days before I was supposed to be there. Flew from Indianapolis to Tucson. Get to to Tucson, no case or anything else, still sitting in Indy. Back up bow, 5 broad head arrows and back up release sitting at outfitters house, had enough stuff to hunt with in my carry on(optics, clothes, boots, etc). Bags showed 2 days after my hunt started. I haven't needed one due to damage, yet.
Not on a back country hunt but have had to pull out back up bow at the end of season before. Always take a back up bow when I go
Never had one (hunt in state mostly) could have used one before.
Even in state I have one but have never had a reason to use it other than just shooting it for fun. It is a piece of mind though.
never, but if I ever decide to replace the trusty z7, it may earn that role, rather than hope for a re-sale or trade-in... Only issue is, at some point I will be pulling 55lbs instead of 65lbs...
No. There was a guy in bear camp this year that could have used one, would have saved him a trip back to Winnipeg.
I always have a back up bow! Ready to go.
In 2011 on my CO elk hunt I broke the string on my main bow on day one. Had new strings put on, but it took a couple of days. I used my back up bow for two days and did not miss out on time hunting.
Last year in my home state of MI my main bow blew up. I just pulled out my back up bow and kept on hunting. Shot a buck the next weekend at 30 yards with my back up bow.
Yes and yes. 2 of my last 3 hunts someone in my group had equiptment issues. Both had backups and were up and running quickly.
The way I see it, it's cheap insurance to have with you when you think of the money invested in a hunting trip.
Cheap Insurance? I make good money but I don't consider a full modern quality bow setup cheap...
Have never needed one, but always have a back up with me in Africa.
Yes and yes.
My first NB bear hunt. They had permanent treestands made of pine logs. Sat down on the seat and it let go. I wound up on my ass. My bow wound up on the ground with the sight broken off.
Last year in Montana I had a real rodeo coming down off Mt Edith. The horse kept rearing and I somehow stayed on but all I could think about was my bow is toast if I hit the ground. I didn't have a backup then but if I came off I would've needed one.....or an ambulance....or a hearst.
Actually JW had more than 2 times a back up was needed.......
I had a rest malfunction on an Iowa hunt which was the first time I did not have a backup, I fixed that situation by having one before I went home.......
On our recent Africa trip I brought both of them with me. My #1 bow was used for the first two days of that 10 day hunt, but each morning we shot a few arrows and I had something happening that I kept having to adjust my sight. I figured it was something had come loose and just switched to my backup for the rest of the trip and had no more issues and didn't miss any hunting to correct an unexpected bow issue.
We had another buddy that had a cam on his bow literally break and cause a catastrophic bow failure, he had a backup with him and finished the hunt with it.
I will always have a backup, and I will generally try to have it as close to my #1 bow so they shoot very similarly.
My back up bow cost me less than 300 bucks. Killed this buck just fine last year at 30 yards.
Yes and always have one whether out of state or hunting home I leave one in my truck. Shawn
By the way my back up bow is a recurve to my recurve and to my compound. Shawn
It's one thing if you are headed out for an afternoon in a local area. Problem with your bow? Not a big deal.
When you have saved for a few years and drawn a tag for a primo location, you want your week or so of hunting to be as good as it can be. Trying to find a competent bow shop to fix a bow problem can take days. I always travel to "away games" with a backup bow. Only needed it once- tore the fibers of my fiber optic sight on some brush- and was glad that my backup was sighted in and ready to go.
Yes Jack , cheap. When you plunk down coin to hunt in far flung locales, the price of another set up rig is relatively cheap. Most guys I know, myself included, have more than one bow laying around the house.
Forgot about your bow in Africa Bill. That makes a 3rd time a backup was used in as many years.
No. Haven't had a back up in many years.
Ummm, kind of! Had nock slip off the string when I was taking a practice shot elk hunting and I cut one of the string bundles. Was on a stick bow so I just unstrung it and tried talking my wife out of the string on her bow to no avail! Talk about ungrateful! Anyways it was just a day trip up and back hunt. Bought us each a back up string to keep in our backpacks the next day, that was four years ago and haven't needed one in an emergency since!
Well, Somedays you feel stronger than others Somedays you feel the weather is too wet to take your favorite bow out in it.
The fact is, that when I have gone far away from home (like Africa or Newfoundland) and there was no way that I was going to get caught by a freak accident without the one piece of equipment that counts, I sure as heck take a second bow. The only time that I used it was the very first time that I went to Africa and my elbow was hurting me a lot......and for some reason one bow was more manageable than the other. Nevertheless, 2 longbows are barely a bigger package or weigh more than one. The only concern is if your luggage gets lost the impact on your wallet just doubled.
Yes. A couple times after an evening hunt I'd pull my bow out of the case in the morning and I had a broken sight pin. So I took the backup. I always have my backup in the case in the truck. You never know when you are walking out in the dark through the brush what might happen. I've since put a different sight on with stronger pins so hopefully won't need it again. I also use my backup when it rains because I use plastic vane fletched arrows with it. My primary bow has feather fletched arrows.
No, No. Never had a backup or needed one in 31 years of bowhunting.
Yes and yes and I like having back up to the backup also . Man cant have to many bows !
I have a backup bow but never bring it with me. I figure I can have my wife overnight it if I am ever in a pinch.
Yes, Yes. May not always have it "with me", but always have it accessible (i.e., in the main camp where it could be flown out, or hike back to get it.) Have used a back up in Africa, and on a polar bear / muskox hunt where the jarring of the sled literally broke an arrow rest in half.
Yes and yes. Saved my hunt a couple of times!
If you like to hunt then YES. I work about 200 days in a row, April to mid-October. Then I bowhunt. A few years back I borrowed by back up bow to my brother. I thought I have never needed a backup, so he could use it. Halloween comes along and a practice session my BH are hitting 6" to the right. Turns out I had a cracked limb by the limb bolt. WITHOUT a bow for over a week during the best week of the year. That was the last time I did NOT have a backup bow ready to hunt.
Yes and yes.
And one of my early western trips, one backup was almost not enough. I was getting in one last local hunter shoot (pre-3D days) at the local club the weekend before I was leaving for CO, and my compound broke a limb!
Got my backup recurve (also sighted in with same arrows) from the truck and shot a half dozen more targets, and it broke in half at the grip! No previous trouble with either, and they were both good brands.
The club shoots were Saturday shoots back then, and I hurried over to the local archery shop and picked out the compound from his stock that seemed to fit me best, and hurried back the few miles to the club and began the sighting in process before the shoot ended.
Made that trip with just the new "main" bow, but have always had a backup along since for OOS trips to hunt, and usually for any OOS archery shoots as well. That Ole Reliable bow isn't usually worth as much as a trade-in as it is for peace of mind on a trip. Think of it like your belly gun...better to ave it and not need it.....
Yes and I had it with me.
No and, No.
Have brought one in the past, but no more.
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It's interesting to see how many of the instances where a back up bow were "needed" were because of a rest or sight issue. I may not have a backup bow with me on a hunt but ALWAYS have a Whisker Biscuit and extra sight.
Yep.... Always have one and only needed it for about two weeks when my bow blew up. Killed three coyotes in those two weeks... Ed F
I have a few bows so I guess I technically own a backup, but never take a second bow with me and have never needed one. Up here bow season and rifle season are the same and a rifle is usually along for every trip anyway if for nothing else than a camp gun. In the lower 48 I always figured I could burn a half day to get to the closest bow shop and be ready to rock in a few hours time setting up a new one if something crazy happened.
I have needed one, but didn't have one then. And I hunted with a fellow whose bow had the cable come off the cam, with disastrous result. He lost a day looking for a bowshop. My situation results in the early termination of a hunting trip, as I was 150 miles from a Mathews dealer.
Yes one time for me and twice I loaned my bow to other guys. My bows and all my equipment on them are the same. I do have a set of modules with me so I can make my bow from 27to 31 inches
I hope not, 'cause I just sold mine.
I have went away from taking a backup bow, but after seeing Mark's sheep thread it has me rethinking this.
Matt
Yes and yes.......
I have had to get out the back up bow twice now in the past 4 years.
Mark
yes and used and didnt bring one and was screwed.
NO. The only time my backup bow was used was when my gun toting brother decided to try bowhunting a caribou. He ended up killing the biggest bull of the hunt.
I ALWAYS take along an extra wrench, sight and rest.
If the string blows off or I need something significant it might cost me a day of hunting getting to store.
In a dozen trips I have had ZERO trouble with my equipment. Not even a sight adjustment necessary.
Hopefully 2015 keeps the same record.
Yes have
No never used
Typically don't bring backup with me on trips, but now maybe...
I had a pull up rope break last year, about 30ft. to the ground. Snapped of the sight and buggared the rest. I walked back to the truck and was back in the stand just as first light broke. Better safe than sorry. Shawn
