Survey - for those using lighted nocks..
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
In your opinion....what is the PRIMARY purpose that most bowhunters use lighted nocks? 1.) To help them locate their arrow AFTER they have shot......OR..... 2.) To help them see where their arrow hit the animal.....OR...... 3.) Other ( feel free to list an additional reason).
Finding my arrow after is primary, but I like that I can quickly track it in flight also.
I think it is a little of both, but my primary objective is to find the arrow after the shot. I also like to see the lighted nock on camera as well.
I’d say locating my arrow. Sometimes it zips through them so quick and bounces or does some other goofy thing, that it sometimes appears that I missed or hit somewhere other than where I actually did.
Never really worried about using them to find my arrow although they do help!! I use them to help see the hit that is it for me. Shawn
I looked for an elk for 6 hours this year following blood droplets every 50-100 yards until it got dark. I’m talking hands and knees. I didn’t find the arrow and thought the hit was good. Next day I went back and found the arrow. It deflected and had 1” of blood. Would have saved me half a day if I would have had a lighted nock and found my arrow immediately.
Looks cool in flight and find arrow after the shot
Sometimes you can even locate animal with lighted nock.
Both 1 and 2. I use it to mark the last place I found blood if I'm trailing at night too
Reasons in order:
2-1-other (adds addition weight to my arrow)
I glue 1/8"X1/2" pin in regular nocks to match my arrows weight.
This weight is equal to lighted nock weight.
1. Helps in maintaining weight when sighting in bow
2. Allows me to use a non lighted nock, if not using a lighted nock.
To see where the arrow hit the animal
Both 1 and 2 are equal for me when I use lighted nocks. That said, I only use them on game animals. I carry at least two hog arrows in my quiver with used arrows bought off AT and cheap Walmart heads.
One and two, when I use them which hasn’t been religiously .
To see the arrow hit and make arrow visible for filming
To quickly find my arrow at dark. My 5 arrow TightSpot Quiver has 4 arrows with regular nocks and one with a lighted nock. I pull out the lighted nock arrow for the last half hour.
To find my arrow since I'm shooting $30 broadheads now...
I want to see where the arrow hits even in low light. Old eyes are hell.
To find my arrow after dark, don't use them on morning hunts
“Would have saved me half a day if I would have had a lighted nock and found my arrow immediately.”
I’ll bet you learned a thing or two on that track, though....
I’ve thought about using them because most of the places I hunt whitetails, it Would Not Do to lose a broadhead. Too many people and pets.
To see where the arrow enters the target. I have reflective arrow wraps that light up at night when hit with a light. They come in handy a few times.
I need them to see where the animal has been hit. just turned 59 and the eyes aren't what they used to be.
Just ordered some lighted knocks for the reason of finding my arrow after the shot and better visual of where it hits mostly for the camera to pick it up on screen. Or at least that's what I'm hoping for.
I use them to see where the arrow hit the animal. Really only use them for bear as I have found them to be inconsistent when shooting beyond 50 yards or so. They are great for seeing where the arrow hit when you shoot a bear at 1 or 2am and it's not very light out. I rarely find my arrows anyhow, so that's never been a concern.
Main reason I started using them is to find my arrow. But it is also helpful in verifying where you hit.
I use them primarily to locate after the shot...arrows and BH's are expensive these days!
1 and 2 plus #3, my eyes aren't the best so I use them to help check arrow flight/tuning.
I like watching them fly, even just practicing.
For hunting applications, it's nice to get a solid visual confirmation of where I hit the animal, and helps me find the arrow afterwards.
Good thread Jake.
1: To see the flight of the arrow and validate where the arrow hit the animal/vitals...thus providing valuable information on timing of the next step....tracking.
2: To find the arrow to provide information (full pass through, color and type of blood, gut) confirming what I "thought" I saw about arrow flight
Mark
They make a cool looking flight path. When I ask the hunter how much penetration they have, not one can answer unless a pass thru. I think in those instances the light becomes a detractor. Still, a useful gadget for some.
I never really thought I needed them. Then I saw Charlie's video a few years ago and after talking to several people that use them, I tried them for the first time last season.
Now I think they are great! Let you see better where you are hitting(especially in low light) and help you find arrows. Also, I used one this year to mark my stand location after dark in thick cover. Made it easy to find my climber and gear after retrieving the deer.
To see where the arrow hits.
See where arrow hits, helps with recovering animal, and helps with getting arrow back.
Seeing where it hits. I want to know without a doubt what I hit. I only use them on evening hunts, I see arrow impact fine during the day.
Finding my arrows has rarely been a problem, I just pull them out of the ground after they pass through. But I hunt mostly whitetails from trees.
I want to see where it hits as I don't see a hunting arrow in flight when I shoot an animal.
Helps to ID where I hit or missed the animal. Bad hit, start tracking many hours later.
Also, need to find my arrow afterwards to assist in ID'ing damage to animal.
Fun to watch arrow fly during twilight.
#1 It looks like a scene from Star Wars when I shoot.
To see where the arrow hit
To see where it hits. Although this year I shot a bear on an overcast day and after the shot I watched the bear lay down behind a log and I could see the nock moving. I simply waited until it quit moving then recovered the bear.
Scott
Seeing precise flight of arrow with the added bonus of locating an arrow.
all the above! but going back to red, blue don't show up to well IMO
Mainly to help find the arrow after the shot and also nice to see arrow in flight when videoing.
For those who want to find an arrow, reflective wraps are ridiculously reflective. Make it very easy to find an arrow at night. Just an FYI. and no batteries.
I'm a cheapskate...... to find the arrow. Not much of a problem honesty if shooting from an elevated stand, but huge when ground level. Many times you can't see the arrow at all, just a faint glow from deep under the grass.....
WRT seeing the hit...... if it blows through it's still hard to see IMO..... still easy to see things that aren't there or miss things that were.
Lighted nocks along with Rage broadheads allow bowhunters to fling arrows nilly willy and the lighted nocks let them follow and find their errant shots.
Oh, here we go......................
Does P&Y have a Willy Nilly category? What is minimum? Does it taste like chicken?
Yes TD, Poke and Run has a Willy Nilly category, but you can't enter it unless you can play a banjo and chew tobacco at the same time.......