So I'm planning on going bowhunting for the first time ever. I was given a PSE compound bow 50 - 70# that I just sighted in Sunday. Feel pretty comfortable with it but plan on running a couple hundred arrows through it before hunting over thanksgiving.

I'm planning to hunt the Nile unit for elk/deer with an experienced bowhunter and look forward to learning a lot. I'm fairly reserved to being a spotter/packer on this trip but want to be ready if I get my chance. I'm reading as much as I can find and just picked up a few videos to watch as well.

What I'm looking for here is any advice you care to share with a newbie regarding arrow and broadhead choice, general bowhunting tips, specific elk hunting tips, and/or any general information on the area I'll be hunting. PM me if there's any specific area information or tips that you want to keep private.

Thanks in advance guys!

Dan

Hard to go wrong with Easton XX75 shafts. As far as broadheads go you will get 10 different answers from 10 different people, and each of them will go to the mat with their opinions, too. In "my" opinion, go old school with a two-bladed broadhead like Zwickey and forget the techno-trash replacible blade heads. Two blades equal greater penitration and they don't break off on ribs or scapula. Spin test them for trueness and I would suggest using swedged shafts instead of tapered inserts to keep the weight around 125 to 135 grains.

I used to kill shi%.

Dan check out Bowsite.org
I'm not a bowhunter but I've spent way too much time on that site.

I have gotten a few people into the sport. My one piece of advice is to pick and tune your broad heads and then shoot them, only, for a month prior to hunting. Any insecurities you have about your broad head flight will be exaggerated when you shoot at an animal. It may take a couple dozen arrows and just as many broad heads to get six acceptable arrows.

Like Sol said big blades for cuttin. check out satilite
Short shots and be shure to pick a spot on the animal and not the animal to aim at. look for a tuffed of hair, 2"behind the sholder ect... if you dont have time to think about the exact spot don't take the shot. The more razor sharp area on your broad head you get into an animal the more damage its going to do with each step. quartering away shots are money.
on deer 25yds standing quartering away 35yrds on Elk 338 win Mag Have fun wish I wasn't to fat to play that game anymore

Thanks for the tips guys - I'm having fun with this so far! Only downside is that it's a whole new endeavor to spend money on. Adam in the new gun/bow department at outdoor emporium has been really cool in helping me get set up and taking my money.

cant go wrong with slick tricks, they fly the same as field points. four blade design, very strong heads aswell. i hit a rock with one 2 years ago and im still using that head, just had to sharpen 1 blade.

i would check out nock point, head over there and shoot abunch of different arrows/broadheads and see what your bow likes. remember its not what you like its what your bow likes.

i have to shoot 4 different arrow/broadhead setups to find what shoots the best out of my bow. my friend is still looking for his bows favorite arrow/broadhead setup. and its been a year.

also one other things, if you chose a bigger sized broadhead (which is not needed, smaller ones still have the same cutting diameter) you will need to resight them in after sighting the bow in with field points. BUT its not a big adjustment, usually they hit close to what the field points are hitting.

with a smaller sized broadhead like sonics, slick tricks, or other they will hit almost perfect with the field points. my slick's hit perfect out to 50yds, i dont shoot farther then that.

Practice judging distance. Over and under is very common. Second, if you are calling, be patient if you know they are around. Seems every year I stand up and watch them run away. I bought a decoy to try since I hunt alone, but I haven't had any luck with it yet. The idea of calling 20 - 30 yards from behind your shooter is probably the best idea, since most of the time the elk I have seen hold up have been less than 50 yards away, either out of site or just out of range.

yes very good point. be patient when calling. i have had multiple times a day when the elk would hold up just out of range. the 2 times i had elk within 20yds were the 2 times i didnt even know they were in that close.

last year was my first year elk hunting in about 5 years. and i made alot of mistakes. they happen but man it sucks when they do.

Oceansun, shoot as much as you can.
Just starting out you need to decide which weight broadhead your going to use before you even buy arrows, whether you shoot carbon or alum.
Get the best arrows you can afford
The arrows you buy all depend on what poundage you pull, what your draw length is and what weight your broadhead is.
Once you settle on what arrows you shoot you need to spend the time and get that bow tuned to near perfection as you can get.
If your bow isn't tuned it doesn't matter what you shoot, you'll get poor flight and poor penetration.
A tuned bow with tuned arrows will shoot any broadhead accurate and you will know if your not tuned properly when you shoot that broadhead.