Every fall, it happens.
Bow season ends. You didn't kill anything. Maybe you barely saw deer. Maybe you had opportunities and missed. You start thinking about all the money you spent on your bow, arrows, gear and tags.
Then the thought creeps in:
Maybe I should just sell my bow.
Don't.
In Episode 87 of the First Generation Bowhunter Podcast, Adam Buchanan talks about dealing with failure as a bowhunter and figuring out what actually went wrong before giving up on bowhunting.
Because chances are, your bow isn't the problem.
Watch Episode 87
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In This Episode
Adam breaks down some of the most common reasons a new bowhunter might struggle, including:
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Dealing with an unsuccessful bowhunting season
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Learning from missed shots
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Understanding scent and wind
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Knowing your bow sight inside and out
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Going back to 20 yards and rebuilding your shot process
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Getting comfortable with new equipment
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Ranking your hunting arrows
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Nock tuning arrows that aren't flying correctly
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Knowing when your equipment needs maintenance
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Learning from other hunters
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Putting enough time into the field
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Balancing hunting with family and other hobbies
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Understanding deer movement
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Why buying a new bow probably won't fix the problem
Before You Quit Bowhunting, Figure Out What Happened
It's easy to come home from an unsuccessful season and decide bowhunting just isn't working.
A better question is:
Why didn't it work?
Start by honestly recapping your hunts.
Did you see animals?
Were you hunting alone?
Did you have opportunities?
Did deer consistently wind you?
Did you miss shots?
Were you hunting an area that actually held animals?
Did you stay long enough?
Sometimes another hunter can immediately recognize something you're missing.
Adam learned this by talking through unsuccessful hunts with other people. Something that felt like a completely blown opportunity to him might have looked very different to someone with more experience.
A deer bouncing away doesn't necessarily mean the hunt is over. You may be able to reposition and keep hunting.
Talking through those situations is one of the fastest ways to improve.
If You're Missing, Go Back to the Basics
Missing an animal doesn't automatically mean you're bad at archery.
Especially when you're new.
Getting within bow range of your first deer is an entirely different experience from shooting foam in your backyard.
Your heart rate goes up. You shake. Your brain suddenly forgets things you've done hundreds of times at the range.
That's normal.
Adam missed several animals before connecting when he started bowhunting.
But repeated misses are also worth investigating.
Start with your equipment and shot process.
Can you operate your sight without thinking about it?
Do you know your ranges?
Are you comfortable with your rest?
Can you execute the same shot process when you're nervous?
If you've recently changed equipment, don't assume you're ready simply because you've shot it a few times.
Adam discusses switching to an Axcel AccuHunter sight and a Hamskea limb-driven rest. Even with years of archery experience, those changes meant going back to 20 yards and rebuilding familiarity with his setup.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Sometimes getting better means going backward for a minute.
Know Your Bow Before You Hunt With It
Your hunting setup should feel automatic.
You don't want to be standing within range of a deer trying to remember how your sight works or thinking through a new piece of equipment.
That familiarity only comes through repetition.
Shoot your bow.
Learn your sight.
Understand your rest.
Know your arrows.
Practice your shot process until operating the equipment becomes the easy part.
When an animal finally steps into range, you'll have enough other things happening in your head.
Rank Your Hunting Arrows
One of the more detailed tips in this episode is something many new bowhunters may never have considered: rank your arrows.
Even arrows from the same dozen don't necessarily shoot exactly the same.
Adam numbers his arrows and tracks how each performs over multiple shots.
One simple method is to shoot each arrow five times at a small target from 20 yards and score every shot. Over time, you'll start seeing which arrows consistently group well and which ones don't.
Your best-performing arrows become your hunting arrows.
An arrow that consistently performs poorly deserves more investigation before it goes into your hunting quiver.
Try Nock Tuning Before Giving Up on an Arrow
A poorly performing arrow isn't necessarily garbage.
Try nock tuning it.
Nock tuning involves rotating the nock to change the orientation of the arrow relative to the bow and then shooting it again.
A small adjustment can sometimes noticeably change how an arrow flies.
Adam has seen arrows that ranked poorly get a second, third or even fourth chance simply by adjusting the nock and testing them again.
It's inexpensive.
It's easy to experiment with.
And you're getting additional shooting reps while learning more about your equipment.
That's progress.
Don't Ignore Scent and Wind
You can have a perfectly tuned bow and still struggle if animals consistently smell you before you ever get an opportunity.
Adam learned early that scent mattered much more at bowhunting distances than he initially realized.
That included something as simple as washing hunting clothing in regular scented laundry detergent.
Bowhunters are trying to get extremely close to animals with incredible noses. You probably won't completely eliminate human scent, but you can avoid making the situation worse.
Use unscented hunting laundry products, pay attention to your wind and think about how your scent is traveling through the area you're hunting.
Your bow can't help you if the deer knows you're there before you ever draw it.
Inspect Your Equipment Before Replacing It
Equipment does wear out.
Adam discusses having issues with a QAD arrow rest that had seen hundreds, potentially more than a thousand, shots.
Instead of deciding the entire bow needed to be replaced, he looked at the individual component.
That's an important distinction.
If something isn't working correctly, diagnose it.
Check your rest.
Check your sight.
Check your arrows.
Check your tune.
Check your strings.
Have a good bow shop inspect the setup.
There is a huge difference between replacing a worn component and deciding you need an entirely new bow.
You bought your bow for a reason.
Give it a chance.
Bowhunting Is a Numbers Game
Sometimes the answer isn't equipment at all.
You simply haven't spent enough time hunting yet.
If you've hunted five times without killing something, that doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.
Adam remembers stretches where he went five or six hunts without even seeing animals.
Maybe the weather wasn't right.
Maybe the deer weren't moving.
Maybe he arrived too late.
Maybe he left too early.
Maybe he wasn't patient enough.
Bowhunting requires opportunities, and opportunities require time.
The more time you spend in the field, the more situations you'll experience. The more situations you experience, the faster you'll start recognizing patterns.
Make Room in Your Life for Bowhunting
There's another reality that doesn't get discussed as much.
Bowhunting takes time.
That time has to come from somewhere.
Family, work, kids, relationships and other hobbies don't disappear because hunting season starts.
If you're trying to maintain several time-consuming hobbies while also becoming a successful bowhunter, something may eventually need to give.
Communicate early with your family about when you plan to hunt and why that time matters to you.
At the same time, recognize that spending an entire Saturday on one hobby and disappearing for another full day to hunt can create understandable pressure at home.
Finding enough time to become a better bowhunter doesn't mean ignoring everything else.
It means being intentional about how you use your time.
Don't Buy a New Bow Yet
If you struggled this season, buying a new bow probably isn't the answer.
And selling the one you already own definitely doesn't need to be your first move.
Slow down.
Look at your equipment.
Look at your arrows.
Look at your scent control.
Look at where you're hunting.
Look at how much time you've actually spent in the field.
Talk through your hunts with somebody.
Keep shooting.
Keep asking questions.
Keep learning.
Bowhunting has an enormous learning curve, especially when you didn't grow up with somebody teaching you how to do it.
That's exactly why First Generation Bowhunter exists.
Don't sell your bow.
Not yet.
Gear Discussed in Episode 87
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Hoyt RX-1 compound bow
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Axcel AccuHunter bow sight
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Black Gold bow sight
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Hamskea limb-driven arrow rest
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QAD arrow rest
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Gold Tip Pierce Platinum 4mm arrows
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Unscented hunting laundry detergent
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Scent-control products
FAQ's
Should I quit bowhunting if I didn't kill anything this season?
No. An unsuccessful season is an opportunity to figure out what you can improve. Look at how often you hunted, where you hunted, your equipment, shooting ability, scent and wind management, and the opportunities you had before deciding bowhunting isn't for you.
Should I buy a new bow if I'm missing deer?
Probably not. First determine whether the misses are caused by nerves, shot execution, sight setup, arrow flight, tuning or unfamiliar equipment. A new bow won't automatically solve those problems.
Why can I shoot targets well but miss deer?
Shooting at an animal creates pressure you don't experience while casually shooting targets. Adrenaline, excitement and nerves can change your shot process. Experience helps, which is one reason new bowhunters shouldn't immediately give up after a few misses.
What does it mean to rank your arrows?
Arrow ranking means tracking the performance of individual arrows and identifying which ones consistently shoot the best. You can number your arrows, shoot each one multiple times and score the results to determine which arrows you trust most for hunting.
What is nock tuning an arrow?
Nock tuning involves rotating the nock and testing the arrow again to see whether the new orientation improves arrow flight and grouping. It can be a simple way to troubleshoot an arrow that isn't grouping with the rest of your setup.
How important is scent control for bowhunting?
Scent and wind are extremely important because bowhunters typically need to get close to animals. Scent-control products can't guarantee an animal won't smell you, but eliminating unnecessary odors and understanding wind direction can improve your chances.
How often do you need to hunt before becoming successful?
There isn't a set number. Bowhunting success depends on the area, animal movement, weather, hunting pressure, experience and many other factors. Spending more quality time in the field gives you more opportunities to learn and increases your chances of eventually getting within bow range.
Listen to First Generation Bowhunter
First Generation Bowhunter is built for hunters who didn't grow up knowing all the answers.
Hosted by Adam Buchanan, the podcast follows the learning curve of becoming a bowhunter through real hunting stories, mistakes, gear discussions and conversations designed to help new hunters learn faster.
If you're struggling through your own first-generation bowhunting journey, you're not alone. Keep shooting, keep learning and give yourself time to figure it out.
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