string color matter?
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
I have seen some really bright strings on bows of late and I wondered how big a difference it makes from a concealment standpoint if your rigging is drab vs. fluorescent.
If the animal can see the color of my string, its much too late for it to decide if they like the color or not
You better get a new one bou
From a concealment standpoint it doesn’t matter at all. From a performance standpoint a the florecent material is holding more and heavier die so the string will be heavier then a standard color or say black. In the real world it’s measurement probably even worth worrying about. Buy the color you want and makes you happy.
The more bling bling you have on your bow the more the deer will think your cool.
They will see, hear, or smell you first...
I just don't want to overlook the small stuff. Maybe a bit OCD here. But hey, I also melt my string wax, boil cedar twigs, mix the liquid wax and the cedar oils together, and allow to congeal before waxing string. This all in order to control string scent. It is the little things that may matter.
So the big question here is whether the deer will see or smell your string first? Gotta admit I can't answer that. But I can say that I've had an 8 pack of deer walk by me at about 7 yards while wearing full blaze orange jacket. And I was on the ground. So I don't think they'll see a bright string up in a tree.
I would pay attention to it. Never can be to careful. Certainly don't want to do all that work and 100s of miles to get within range on public land and have a animal blow out because they caught movement due to a bright string. I shoot orange and black on one of my current set ups, and yellow and black on the other. Not Flo. colors. Figured orange and yellow both occur naturally in nature at pretty high rate, and it gives a little flavor to the bow...
This whole neon color thing is BS. For years camo companies been saying blend in, hide from your quarry. Now it's accent neon green, reds, orange. High fashion with camo so you look good while wearing it to the grocery store lol what a joke. If realtree is adding bright neons to thier camo aren't they admitting there is no need to buy and wear camo?
I look at it like this. If an animal was close enough to pick out my string color, it should also pick up the movement of the string as I send an arrow into their chest.
I use a camo string on my pink bow to balance things out
Haven't had a problem that I know of with animals and haven't had any issues finding my bow when I set it down either!
The last bow I bought I got in white. One of my buddies was laughing saying it was only good for hunting in snow......you know because there is no white in nature.
Lol bloodtrail. Love my blood red strings ;)
Sure makes those Greybarks easier to spot if you lean them up against a tree.
As noted, it's my understanding that the bright colored strings have more dye and end up heavier. Black is lightest, brown close second. I've been told by pro string makers that any colors besides these can slow ~3fps. That's not a huge amount, but guys do everything they can to increase speed, so it's worth noting.
I agree with Bou, it's the details that matter. I spray my bow drab flat camo. I don't want neon strings on mine.
I'm not sure the color of a bowstring, bow or the arrows matter as much as movement in the stand and a quiet well-tuned bow does.
My wife has taken some pretty impressive animals using a Pink "Bliss" and a Purple "Storm" compound while shooting Victory's Pink arrows.
Then again, I could be totally wrong.
They can't even see the string at 88 yards.
Only if you have an older model year bow. By purchasing the new bow each year you retain the manufacturer's one year cloak of invisibility in addition to all the other cool marketing terms.
Ha! (Brotsky) I'm not sure wether Bou is trolling or serious?? ahh I'll go with trolling
Only thing I think it matters for is turkeys with no blind and expected close shots... any non natural bright color (red probably the worst as a guess) may attract their eyeballs to you then they study you then may pick you off. Just a thought.
The feedback is good and I appreciate the different perspectives. I was probably over thinking this thing. In the end I don't even use camo moleskin on my drop away rest so how big a deal can string color really be?
It's only January and this is where we are ? Gonna be a looooong year !
If they are looking at your string your hunts already over and it’s not going to end well.
Hmmm, neon moleskin - Now there's a business opportunity!
If you only go after the old critters with bad eyes, you can get away with neon fletchings, string and possibly even Jaq's hot pink bow (still not sure about that one)...
But you may have to shoot them at 88 yards or more if they are young and still have good eyesight!
As some have stated above ,it WILL NOT EFFECT hunting.. I do like to customize my bows and have a little fun with it. Some don't care to that's a personal decision. I just like to do some stuff to make them look different. Here's one of mine with custom dipped,and custom grip plates,now it's complimented by green vapor trails as well. Just don't have a pic with them on handy.
'Bou- Can you believe this? I'm just amazed, nobody mentioned Tampax.
I shoot flo red strings. Doesn’t matter for big game. Turkey on the other hand might be different.
But big game the bow riser and arrows block view of the string anyways
Once when I was deer hunting in college, I had a spike bull walking toward me. Thought it would be cool to slap him on the flank as he walked by, then thought better of it and waved him off at 2 or 3 steps away.
Oh yeah, I was wearing a flo orange vest and blue jeans with no special detergents used when washing clothes. You wear camo so other hunters can't see you...
Bou, if you need to talk you came to the right place. A psychiatrist would just call you crazy. "Were here for you".
Shot one of my biggest bucks with a borrowed left hand target bow with Electric purple riser and white and silver limbs. The string was electric orange. It is more about movement then seeing colors for deer or most other critters. Shawn
Tiffany and some of the other gals use pink, not sure why you couldn't and get away with it!
"I'm probably overthinking this thing"? Ya think? It's just a deer!
I've had people constantly give me "advice" because i run neon orange strings and cables on my hoyt. I also run neon orange vanes and wraps on my arrow and i've been asked about being busted because of these bright colors. I find it comical actually; if i get busted it's not because i have neon orange strings and vanes! The wraps make finding arrows much easier after the shot and i like my bow to have a little custom to it. Youre not getting busted because of your string color! Now take a bright, reflective color Target bow out to hunt any maybe.....
I know a guy who used blue strings so that when deer looked Up at him his sting would blend in with the sky and not be seen. Seemed to make sense unless it was a cloudy day.
Cool dip on the bow Splitlimb, best not set the bow down and walk to far away LOL you may not be able to find it.
I don't think string color matters much, do what you like and kill something.
Can't believe this thread is still alive.
I've called bull elk in to within feet of my hunters wearing full blaze orange suits and hats.
Bou, I concede. You win. This, mommies and daddies, boys and girls, is a sure sign of late January. I am however, amazed, the great Tampax string debate has not surfaced.
All threads can be useful. Just the other night I smeared Preparation H on my strings and cables. It masks the wax smell and dulls the colors. Would have never thought of it without reading Bowsite.
Flo pink strings and Fletch for me. I like it and my girls do too.
I've always wondered that when it comes to some of the fancier camo clothing like Under armour that has flourescent yellow highlights. I've shot numerous deer with a bright blaze orange vest so I'm guessing it doesn't matter so much. Turkeys might see it.