Concerning archery gear, shooting and/or hunting? Mine is, I have learned a bunch about carbon arrows.

I learned that what I learned in the 60's is still applicable today, so I try not to mess with it...best I can.

Agree with GEORGE but i have much better understandings of the’why’ of how all these things work to make bows and arrows deliver efficiently

Also learned that there are folks who are kind and generous on this site=boxcall and others

There are others who are helpful without sarcasm

That there are very few topics that could not be researched in the archives to define the question and possibly get the same 45 opinions. Except for frisky, who always has it going —knives, bows or radial whitewalls, he asks good questions and shares his opinions freely, albeit in his personal bias

Through all the chop busting and hee haw this is truly a great group of folks. I prefer vintage Bears. Nybubba

I learned that if I shoot my 35# bow too much my 40# suddenly feels very stout.

Big bucks are still smarter than I.

my family is the single most important thing in my life

I have too many bows! Lance

Lol Lance, the heating guy is done?

I have absorbed lots of information about wood arrows. Enough to make me want to learn more oz

That there's more fake news on this site then any others that's allowed. Bickering and just Frisky nonsense.LOL

Also learned that there's a lot of need for more prayer that others are afraid to stand up for.

I say the more unpopular things now don't I.LOL

You have to decipher if its fake news again.

I also learned that Hec's is a gimmick I believe. Yup I tested a set out. My set up had me close not the other way around they advertise. And were these animals and birds nervous.

Wasn't sure if because of the suit or they knew Cat was on them and they were going to die?LOL

Not this year, but over the last several since I retired, I have concluded that there is nothing close to as important as knowing my Creator.

I have learned that killing a deer isn't why I deer hunt. I questioned it the last few seasons and it came clear this season.

I've learned that no matter how old I get and how much I think I know, I'm always learning something new. And like george said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, lol.

I’ve learned that regular practice with my 31 pound bow makes my 44 pounder shoot so much better for me.

I have learned that once I think I know a lot about whitetails they have a way of showing me how little about them I actually know.

I learned that the harder I try the more Frisky I become.

I learned to enjoy the season of being a young man, and father. I learned that God always provides. With quiting a good job to be able to build bows one day a week, I came close to running out of orders a time or two. A man from Mississippi called me right after Christmas when this whole becoming a bowyer thing started to scare me after I was in with both feet. (I had no orders) He told me God told him to call and give me encouragement and to tell me to continue doing what I'm doing.

I won't lie, I cried.

Since then I have had 6 people call me wanting a bow.

Trying to learn about carbon arrows. Still refuse to give up my flip phone to a smart phone though. Haven't used all its features yet.

God is in control.

When sharpening broadheads, a new file is well worth what 3 rivers charges for it !!!

I learned that owning a bunch of bows and shooting a different one every time I go out in the yard if fun but not productive as far as shooting at game. I'm culling the herd and getting down to 1 recurve and 1 longbow I hope it helps

I learned that the plague of crossgun hunters in archery season who fraudulently pose as bow hunters has sadly become an epidemic !!!

Within the last week, I learned that the Bear latches are even better than I thought they'd be! Without a doubt, the greatest TD system in history!

Joe

I learned or should I say remembered the old saying “beware the one gun man” applies to bows as well, at least for me. Just shot and hunted one bow and arrow setup and have never shot better! I am working toward keeping everything simple like the days of my youth when all I needed was a bow, a few arrows and a sharp knife! Also as one gets older the need to kill isn’t as important as having fun and enjoying ever day in the woods.

Wake up first above the grass...don't sweat the rest. And I have more fun these days hunting and am not bothered by eating tag soup. I paid for it. Guess it comes with age.

In frustration arrows break. A cool mind will allow better shooting, and Wood is Good.

-Bones

This year I learned to refine my interest more. I've noticed to get good at one thing, I had to get rid of a few and focus solely on the one thing. I sold all of my compound archery gear and I'm sticking solely to my thunderhorn longbow. I also learned that selfishness has no place in my life. Giving is so much better than receiving!!

After shooting split finger, instinctive for 55 years, this year I learned fixed crawl. It has greatly improved my shooting and confidence.

After Years of hearing "Darwin" Jokes... I have learned that Man Evolved from a 4 Toed Tree Frog ;)...

"The Worth of a Man is Not determined by what he kills in the Fall...Regardless of what Weapon he Chooses"...

There are No Bible Verses Concerning hunting with a 300 Win Mag...

and In the End...God and Family are Most Important and Prayers Work...

...4finger

I learned to carve a bow out of a stave and found that I love it and will continue, thanks to several wonderful folks on this site.

This year wasn't necessarily a year where I learned something new, but it was definitely a year that really put new emphasis on things I already knew.

By far the thing that stood out the most was how nocturnal really big mature buck can be, and yes even during the rut.

How good at eluding hunters deer are, even in hard hunted areas. was once again impressed this year how they seem to just disappear, but really they are still there.

And take the "there are no deer" comments with a grain of salt. Best to go check it out for Myself. It's amazing how often I see on the internet, or hear somebody comment about no deer or "the place is a desert" only to check it out for myself and find deer.

Thanks to Hurricane Harvey, I'm learning about priorities and patience.

Some shooters still look for the magic bow, one that will make them shoot better.

I love wild meat and i have learned to not worry about filling my freezer and enjoy the hunt because if we hunt xtra smart the animals will come along!I used my powder sprayer alot more and it payed off.

What did I learn? I learned on Halloween that waking my wife up that morning while wearing a killer clown mask is NOT a good idea!!!!

I don't shoot enough, make enough arrows, or spend enough time getting them fletched.

It is now possible to shoot one wicked and twisting arrow and hit the same deer more than once with the same shot. All things are possible. I cant run up and down the hills as fast I once did.

I learned that its much easier to buy bows than it is to sell them. That I hate shots under 10 yards. That I really enjoy teaching new folks how to shoot a bow. That I will wear a safety harness that is well made and fits without griping.

I learned that a well made Bob Lee take-down longbow with a lot of mass to the riser improves my shooting dramatically. I also learned that a 40# one-piece longbow can be more difficult for me to shoot consistently than a 50# of the same.

That if you're not hunting "pinball wizard deer" (deaf, dumb and blind)the deer still wins most of the time!

I have learned a new appreciation for Vintage bows; especially Red Wings. Sandy

I learned that our buck to doe ratio has gotten so much better that bucks are actually checking scrapes in daylight now. Haven’t done that since I’ve been huntin this property since 1986. Needless to say that I’m going to start a mock scrape tomorrow and put a horizontal rub post by it. Just to see what happens. Also I learned back in summer to always let down a good bit when practicing. Helps keep mental control of your shot. Easy to lose that and then things go to pot fast.

Sure has been alot learned just to be 13 days in this year.just joking.I have noticed the older I get I dont sweat the small stuff much as I once did.Ive also learned put God first and everything else will fall right in place.I knew this all along but it sure is easy to let things get in the way,but I'm getting better at it.Concerning archery I've learned a well tuned bow and arrow flys faster and penetrates alot more and helps cover up some of my less them perfect shots.

I'm still better off spending my time raising a garden, instead of spending my time trying to make a selfbow. At the end I have vegetables to eat instead of another walking cane. But I enjoy seeing the bow builders here. Good luck.

I learned that I need to expand my comfort zone for taking a shot at a deer. I've watched quite a few deer out of MY range and never thought much about it, but this year I had to let a nice buck go because I just wasn't comfortable, but he was not far out of my comfort zone. Had I practiced enough at a little longer range I could have made that shot. Funny thing is I don't normally care whether I take a buck or not. I only kill a deer because I love venison and I usually just take the first decent sized deer that comes in range, but this year, for whatever reason, I would have liked to take that buck and couldn't because he was just a tad too far.

I've also learned just how Kind some of the folks on this site can be. God Bless you all. ;~)

Getting older with more aches and pains but with will power I can still shoot pretty decent.

My lesson for this year, don't quit.

Put a photo on LW. First one was sideways but George thankfully turned it, and the other two were OK. One more technology step gained, but have a long ways to go.

I learnt that I like hunting stabs on vintage bows.

I learned that:

1. Almost all archery shooting ailments can be corrected by reviewing good shooting form or by reviewing arrow tuning.

2. Those old bows from the 60s and 70s are good performers and shoot better than I do, though I still like fancy woods.

3. I should have bought 'Shooting the Stickbow' and Al Henderson's 'Understanding Winning Archery' a few years ago.

Are you listening George?

I learned retirement don't give you more time to hunt..preparation does. retired now and only hunted about 5 days.

I learned I still like shooting my recurves every day, and being in the woods as much as I did 48 years ago.

I learned from a Maine Game Warden that you shouldn't be shooting at deer under 10 yds. with a bow. It doesn't give the arrow time enough to straighten out. You should be taking 20-30 yd. shots.

Learned from 2 New Hampshire Game Wardens that nobody hunts from the ground with a bow. Iffen you do, you might be mistook for a poacher.

Also learned, a self respecting Leather Waller will post a picture of his grand son shooting a bow and arrow that he made from materials he found in the back yard. Just like a lot of us did when we were kids starting out. Thank You Longcruise! bvd

I learned if I reguarly shoot 25 or 30 yards, I can expect to hit what I am aiming at 25 or 30 yards away. In short: stickbows are way more than 15 yard weapons.

Hunting- That Mature Bucks will J hook a location and scent check high traffic doe areas. Hunting in the J hook area yields few deer sightings but the ones you see will be mature Bucks. :)

Gear- Trust what is already trusted. Sounds simple but no need to spend time and money on gimmicks.

Shooting- Ive learned a lot this year. Get a Coach and shoot as long of a bow as you can.

There are a lot of good people on the L’Wall.

What I learned - Aim low from elevated stands. Searching for the perfect bow is more fun than finding it. Aim low from elevated stands. It's smarter to practice and hunt with the same bow all year than to test new rigs and set ups, but it's not near as much fun! I enjoy trad archery more every year. Aim low from elevated stands. Just because I can shoot one bow better than another, doesn't mean I want to or will. Aim low from elevated stands.

I learned not to pass up easy chip shots to fill the freezer because its early in the season, thinking I'll wait for a decent buck first, then take a big healthy doe later.

I just received an archery catalogue and there is so much new stuff in there I don't have and really need. I didn't know that I could buy a pink string with a leather pouch on each end to protect my bow tips for just $29.99 plus shipping or a string streaching attatchment for a $209.98 string jig for just $74.99 plus shipping. Don't get me started on all the jigs and do-dads that I never bought to make a good wood arrow. Over the years not having the latest in equipment has kept me from becoming a world class shooter that I could have been. Don't make the same mistakes I did by being tight with your money,

James

I learned that that I'll need to stay active and work out year round to be ready for hunting season. Bowhunting is a physical sport and an older guy like me needs to keep in shape to fully enjoy the experience.

I've learned I am truly blessed to have bowhunted 61 of my 76 years. 2018, God willing will be 62 & shared with kids & G-kids in the sport..

You DO have your priorities in the right order Mr Law! And they are standing right in front of you!

JamesV - I know what you mean, but I still like it that people are thinking about and making geegaws for Trad Archery.

I have learned that I can still get to the top of Buffalo Mountain, albeit more slowly than in the olden days.

That owning my own hunting property is a huge blessing. That hunting with my son is a dream come true. That missed shots are always due to a lapse in concentration leading to looking at the entire deer rather than that very small spot on the rib cage.

Know what I say about a miss? I had the thrill without the kill..

"That missed shots are always due to a lapse in concentration leading to looking at the entire deer rather than that very small spot on the rib cage."

100% accurate! (Assuming your form is embedded in your muscle memory). My accuracy on any given day is a direct result of my level and intensity of concentration.

"Aim small, miss small".....INDEED!

totally agree but ya know, we all lack that concentration at some time or another.. My concentration was OK at 50 yds this day (red feathers) but then I've blown a 20 yarder too.

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