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In the how old are you thread Grape talked about how important arrow recovery was. For myself and many of you it was because our funds to buy more arrows was very limited. Later on I became concerned about broadheads doing damage to tractor tires, critters stepping on a broadhead, and yes being able to reuse the arrow and/or broadhead. They can be difficult to find at times. Just last year I shot a doe and the arrow recovery should have been easy. By the time I gutted the doe it was dark so I went back the next morning. I was on the ground when I shot and the angle was slightly down hill to a dry run that she was in when I shot. So there was a hill on the other side that the arrow should have been sticking out of. It wasn't visible. I studied the shot and I had a rake along so I started raking. The arrow might have gone where a large old busted off tree trunk landed so I started breaking off branches and raking there. I started to work more and more up hill thinking the pass thru could have deflected the arrow upward. I found one spec of blood. Raked around there, nothing. Then I looked 10 yards farther uphill and there it was laying clearly visible on top of the leaves.
Over the years I have lost a few arrows in the woods, probably less than a handfull. There are probably a couple that buried themselves in the grass and weeds downrange of my broadhead target area too.
I've "donated" plenty of arrows to the woods and 3D courses.
I have a number of arrows posted on the wall of my cabin. Each has a story.
The first is from an unknown hunter. I found it about 2010 sticking almost perfectly upright less than five yards from one of my stands. Whose arrow is it? Did the guy miss? From five yards? How did he get that far into my property without being picked up on a trail cam? I'll probably never know the answers.
For about 25 years, Larry Whiffen hunted with me. Once, we recovered one of his bucks but never found the arrow. Sometime later I stumbled across it half-way between his stand and the point of recovery. If he ever gets back up to WI from TN I'll see if he still wants it, he might not get it though!
And then there's a few more arrows, all mine or Bonnie's. Those stories are for another time.
Its been awhile since I lost an arrow, 2 years ago, in Iowa, I launched one, up hill, over the back, and never found that one,,,,,,,, Shooting from the tree no problem, but the ground is another story,,,,,,,, I like lighted nocks, that is for sure......
When shooting the old xx75 I have those fluffy feather wraps around the fletching, now that is old school, but they work well, and easier to find the arrow.......
I shoot so close, its not been a problem, but always want to find that arrow, and check it,,,,, in farm country, by a farmers field, I will do my best, not to lose one, if I can help it
one day 2 years ago, I was walking in the woods, and found a blue noc lit up, on the ground, and the arrow,,,,,, no one around, I just marked it, left it alone, figuring someone may be coming back, to there hit spot,,,,,,,, I wonder if it is still there,,,,,,
I also found a arrow in a popple tree one day, in the spring, that was cool, dug that one out
Wooden arrows and feathers become part of the soil after time.
Back in the 1960s I was a member of the Blackhawk Bowhunters Of Madison archery club. We had a range out in the country west of Middleton on Rocky Dell Road. I think it was in the 1970s when the club moved the range to down near Verona. I've often thought there must be what is left of 100's of arrows lying in those woods. A broadhead collector armed with a metal detector would have a field day in those woods! (...although by now most of the heads would be deteriorated and perhaps worthless,...but maybe a few aluminum and stainless steel models could be ressurected.)
I think it's especially important to do all you can to retrieve your arrow if you are hunting on someone else's land, such as adjacent to a farmer's field, to avoid damage to equipment and livestock. I have also thought that it is best to use broadheads made of carbon steel rather than stainless steel, so that eventually they will rust away if you aren't able to find it.
That's what I don't like about hunting from the ground. Most times that arrow is gone when you shoot and miss. I used lighted nocks last year, but they make me flinch when that light hits my eye sight? I focus so hard on my spot that when the light of the nock gets into my vision, I flinch.
Two years ago i shot at a deer and thought I connected. It was right at dusk and couldn't tell where I hit. Had hair on the ground but couldn't find the arrow. Waited until morning, to go out and look. Went right to the hair on the ground and 10-15 yards beyond that was my arrow in the dirt. Just a little hair on the broad head but nothing on the shaft of the arrow. Turns out I went over the back. I know this because we found the deer on camera 2 weeks later. Because of that I went to lighted knocks. I really had to practice a lot with them because I found myself wanting to watch the arrows flight. Once I shot with the lighted knocks for a while it became second nature and I am now able to shoot and not have them effect anything.
Lost good hunting land years ago because someone didn't recover their arrow and it ended up in the farm tractor tire. Ended hunting for everyone there.
I've found a few arrows for other people with my metal detector. The one I couldn't find was from the last buck I got. I thought it was a complete pass through but apparently he carried it about 15 yards before it came out. A guy who hunts with me found it the following spring.
I think finding your arrow is extremely important. Especially in a farm field. I do a lot of Turkey hunting & those arrows do crazy things sometimes. I too use a metal detector & use arrows with some aluminum in them. FMJ's or ACC'c work well. I have paid for the detector just in arrows & broadheads not to mention piece of mind. I have a cheap detector that has a no motion all metal setting. Most detectors have to be moving to pic up a signal. This one you can just jam it into a berry bush & it will pick it up. Using a carbon arrow & searching for just the broad would be tough. I can pick up my arrow a foot away. I just used it on Monday to find an arrow I shot through a Tom. All I have to do is sharpen it & ready for the next season. Arrows can skip a long way so it is important to mark the direction. They don't always skip straight but at least you will be close. I will attach a pic from a couple years ago where I shot a Tom in the woods & I thought the arrow burrowed under the leaves. I went and got my detector & found it. It had skipped up & is in the tree above the detector.
I need to get a cheep detector. There are a few brand new arrows by my target that I have never found. I always thought about getting one, but I am going to pick one up next time I come across one.
I've got a good friend who's a dairy farmer. Some time ago he had a cow die after ingesting remnants of an aluminum arrow broken up while baling hay. Somebody lost it in one of his fields.
Those holsteins are his livelihood. Needless to say, NOBODY is allowed to bowhunt his property anymore.
My cheap detector is a Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter. Also works great for finding dropped nuts & bolts, not to mention coins & rings. It was around 100 bucks. Being an old guy I also have an 800 dollar Garrett that I don't use too often. I guess it is like the saying goes "He who dies with the most toys wins"
I started wrapping a 3/4" wide band of reflective tape between my nock and Blazers back when Colorado didn't allow lighted nocks. I still do that to this day. Highly reflective and you don't have to worry about batteries going dead.
