Bow failure
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: jjs
08-Apr-17
Would like to get an estimate on how many had a bow failure while on the hunt and what remedy you use to get back into the hunt. For example, I was putting on a stalk on a mule deer and when withdrawing my arrow while keeping eye on the muley I cut my string with my broadhead (Snuffer) while descending a burn. Fortunately I carried an extra string with my recurve at that time and my hunting bud did the same thing with his BowTec which send him back to camp and back to a nearest sport shop. I usually bring a back up bow, usually a Take Down for easy storage. I do not get much time in the field and want to stay there aa long as I can without screwing around with equipment issues. Enjoy the hunt.
From: LINK
08-Apr-17
Never had anything happen on a hunt. My cable driven rest had the tit pop of the end holding it on the cable at home once. I now shoot a limb driven rest and carry an extra string if I'm leaving the county. Even without an extra string my rest will stay in the upright position to shoot as a fixed rest. Sights are dang near bullet proof so it would about have to be something on the bow itself for me to have troubles and in most cases I carry my old bow for backup in the truck.
From: Paul@thefort
08-Apr-17
I have been bow hunting with compound bow and recurve bow for 40 years, and have never had an issue with bow equipment. I have hunted sheep and goats, elk, pronghorn, deer, turkeys, bear, mt lions in all types of weather and environments and again, no issues with equipment. I do have an equipment case and bow press in the truck and carry an extra recurve string. When compound hunting my recurve bow is my back up.
From: Ucsdryder
08-Apr-17
I snapped the bottom limb of my bow at the range one day. Luckily it just splintered and didn't give when o was at full draw but the what if scared the crap out of me. Nothing while hunting though.
From: Arrowhead
08-Apr-17
Oh No! Where do I start. I had both limbs break at the same time at full draw in a open dot tournament once. I got new limbs. I had a carbon arrow explode upon release at an eight point buck. I got rid of those arrows. I dropped my bow out of a tree stand 20 feet high and it didn't fair well. I built a bow holder that works better. Also back up my truck over a bow and bent the cable guard. I don't sit my bow down at the back of the truck, but lay it on the engine hood. To me it's all part of hunting.
From: jstephens61
08-Apr-17
Snapped 2 risers in the backyard about 45 days apart. Other than that, in 30 years of bowhunting, never had an issue. Took 2 bows to Africa and one never made it out of the case. I too carry a tool kit in the truck, just in case.
From: drycreek
08-Apr-17
Hardly ever been without a backup when on a trip, but if I were, and something catastrophic happened, I would call Elite and cash in on their overnight hunt guarantee.
From: oldgoat
09-Apr-17
Worst I've had,i easily repaired, bent pins on my old girlfriends bow and I did cut string on my recurve too, was just a day hunt for elk luckily, because my wife wouldn't let me have the string off her bow so I spent the rest of the day calling for her. Now we both have a bow stringer and extra string in our packs. My buddy blew up his bow shooting sitting down, that took a while to fix, almost cost him an out of state elk hunt the next week.
From: Rickm
09-Apr-17
Oldgoat, does your wife know you have a girlfriend?
I can't remember ever having an issue with a bow on a trip in 30 plus years other than string creep back in the day when they weren't so stable.
Did have a buddy blow up an Onieda when the bottom limb hit something when he took a shot.
From: bowhunter55
09-Apr-17
Bumped my bow off of my bow hanger from 25' up and the peep sight flew off somewhere. Had to go home(about an hour away and grab my backup bow). Killed a doe that evening.
From: BigOzzie
09-Apr-17
I try to put on a new string every spring, and keep the used one in my gear, all tuned and ready to go. Have had to use the back-up string twice, once for a lost nock off the string, and once when the serving came loose.
oz
From: Woods Walker
09-Apr-17
My biggest bow failure was when I was on my way to a half day morning hunt and when I got halfway there and stopped for gas I realized that the damn bow forgot to get itself in the truck! I had to drive back and get it and believe me I gave it a tongue lashing that it'll never forget!
From: ELKMAN
09-Apr-17
I've had a few in tournaments, but never on a hunt... (just knocked on the desk)
From: LKH
09-Apr-17
Backed over a takedown recurve. Father-in-law had spare and I killed a bull with that. Friend George had a longbow delaminate on Heart Lake north of Dillingham. I had a .338 for a camp gun and he ended up killing a great bou with that. Friend Wayne, a great shot, missed 4 shots at a nice muley in SD before he realized his drop down rest wasn't dropping.
I always bring 2 bows on any trip, but the spare is in camp. Do carry an extra spring.
From: buc i 313
09-Apr-17
Many years ago I had a "Herter's Pro Magnum" It seemed like just a few days or so before a hunt or the season began It would break a limb tip (s) a cable,a string, or crack a limb.
I finally named it "Lucille" after the then Kenny Rodgers song " You picked a Fine Time to Leave me Lucille"
Always carried my re-curve as a back up. Sometimes it served as my primary bow due to above issues.
The bow (Herter's) however was very fast and just blew through game. I still have it hanging in the basement, broken cable and all.
To sentimental to get rid of it . :^}
From: joehunter
09-Apr-17
In 2011 I fell on the first day of my Co elk hunt. Broke the string on my bow. Had my back up bow with me and never lost a hunt. Got new strings on day 3 and then killed my bull later that week with the repaired bow. I would have lost 2 plus days of hunting had I not had a back up with me. I always have a back up bow and from now on a back up rifle. Just bought one last week for just that purpose.
From: Willieboat
09-Apr-17
I have had a limb delaminate shooting at a bull elk...somehow the arrow still hit the spot !
From: Inshart
09-Apr-17
One of my hunting partners had his string begin to fray couple weeks prior to us leaving for WY. Had a new one put on at the pro shop - they assured him it would not stretch.
We got camp all set up and took out our bows - he completely missed the target at 20 yards (big block target). I laid an arrow on his wheel, in line with his string, it was way off.
Didn't have a bow press with us so we ended up going MacGyver on his bow - had to use a ratchet strap to pull the limbs together enough to put three turns on his string. He shot a few times, we checked it and had to add another turn. He shot a nice 6 point the next morning.
From: Scar Finga
10-Apr-17
I fell crossing a very mossy stream in in No. California hunt. It compressed my limbs and the bow blew apart, it also bent my cam string rail over a bit. We did manage to put it back together and straighten the cam. I killed a 125lb boar a few days later. I "ALMOST" always have a back up bow...
Scar.
From: Rocky D
10-Apr-17
I never had a bow failure but had rest failure. This was not on a hunt. I normally take two bows and I pack a whisker biscuit on Backpack hunts in case I an arrow rest problem.
