I used the Find feature and located this thread on Lighted Nocks, which was excellent reading.

But I'm wondering about Arrow Wraps. When I had a Bow 30+ years ago, the Arrows were alumium and had Brite Anodized Colors. Now that the Carbon Arrows I purchased are Black with color only on the Vanes, it has me wondering if I'd ever locate one in the woods/swamps/fields that I typically Hunt.

Spotted the Wraps at some of the Archery Supply Sites and was a bit surprised at the cost for a 1"x4" strip. And some are apparently not self-adhesive!

Soooo..., I was wondering , "How `bout self-adhesive Shelf Liner for Arrow Wraps???"

Anyone tried it?

Well, I've never used Shelf Liner for a wrap, but I can see where it might work! Here's a suggestion.

Wrap one and shoot it with your other unwrapped arrows and see if the arrow flight or point of impact has been significantly changed.

My only thought is that Shelf Liner might be heavier than adhesive arrow wrap. This could have an adverse effect on your arrow flight.

The wraps are expensive aren't they? I just go ahead and use the arrows the way they are, but use red and bright yellow fletches. There's nothing saying you can't use the old school idea of dipping the back of the arrow in some nice bright color, or using an airbrush do sumpin fancy.

Let us know if you find cheaper wraps!

I certainly understand wanting to make the arrows stand out. Black shafts really do blend in well with the forest floor and you have to have something to make them visible.

I have used the pre-cut wraps and they work well, but they are expensive.

What I have taken to doing the past couple of years is the following.

Cover any fletching with loosly wrapped newspaper and tape it in place. Mask off the rest of the arrow shaft with a piece of newspaper, leaving approximately 6 inches of bare shaft.

Chuck a field point into a cordless drill and screw the masked arrow onto the shaft. Using your favorite bright color spray paint (I use white) spray the exposed shaft while rotating the arrow with the drill. This allows you to put an even coat onto the arrow shaft.

Voila', an easily seen arrow.

I cut my own wraps from Highway Reflective vinyl. Avery and 3M makes the stuff. It's available at a good sign shop.

I use a paper cutter to cut the wraps.

Roll the wrapped shafts firmly on a hard surface to activate the glue.

Thanks guys. My buddy Ralph and I were talking about it a couple of hours ago and he mentioned "Spray Painting" them too.

After I posted the thread this morning. I noticed all kinds of Wild Color "Duct Tape" at the store. Some of it looked very similar to the "Wraps" I'd seen on-line. As I stood looking at it, I was wondering how bad it would hose-up the balance as Shof mentioned.

So, I can see where the Paint might be the way to go for me. It does not need to be "pretty" for me, just Findable. Our Southeastern Woods has the ground covered with Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Greens and Browns, especially when the leaves begin falling.

However, the "Reflective Vinyl" also sounds very interesting. Especially for a late afternoon Hunt as the light fades.

I really do not want to "step" onto a Broadhead or leave one in the Woods/Swamps/Fields where someone else could do it too.
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I'd asked Tim at Glauber's about it and he said, "Just don't miss!!!"

In wrap all of mine, for visibility reasons.

Look at onestringer.com

They sell wraps at very reasonable prices

Couple of things you should check out when using the heavier material for wraps is your FOC, and changing your dynamic spine. Anytime you add weight to the rear you change the tune of your arrow to some degree by stiffening it up. While in most cases this is only a very little bit, depending on your draw weight, and lenght of your arrow you could induce tuning issues.

It's not a huge deal but the better the arrow files the better it penetrates. When building up some arrows similar to what your looking at, my FOC changed quite a bit for the particular carbon arrows I was using. I was working with them to try and keep somewhere in the 12% range which more or less keeps them more nose heavy.

I added a strip of the 3M Reflective tape and it dropped them to around 9%. While this is still decent, with the 70# draw weight, and the 29" arrows, I could clearly see the arrow struggling to stabilize on it's way to the target.

What my friend and I have worked on is maintaining visibility, while at the same time keeping our FOC up around the 12-15% levels. What we have ended up with has proven to be easily found and very effective using 100 or 125gr heads.

We use at least two or three flo pink and either flo orange or flo yellow fletches for the cock feather. I have yet to find anything in the woods which these blend in with. Tip it off with one of the Nocturnal nocks, and you should have no issues finding them, unless they bury up under thick grass. Even then if you come back after dark and walk out the direction of the shot they are usually visible when you get within a few feet of them.

Here are two different arrows which show a bit of what I mean,

I'm with Mike - I would think something as heavy as duct tape or shelf paper would mess up the balance, spine, or both of the arrow. I would also worry about creating a small "shelf" or step at the transition from bare shaft to tape. May not be a problem if you are shooting a drop away rest. I guess you could shoot it & see.
Personally, I have never had a problem finding basic black carbon shafts using bright green, orange, or yellow fletching. When I shot aluminum I used camo or autumn orange shafts & never had trouble finding those either.

It is surprising how much weight, tape or even paint will add, I quit using the crown dip when I found out how much weight it was putting on. The cheapest way to add wrap is to go to one of the local sign shop or auto vinyl places, its the exact same 3M vinyl they use, but comes in big rolls and you may even find some in the dumpster out back for free.

I really appreciate all the input. Perhaps I'm "over-thinking" the Arrow into the Ground issue.

I meant to stop by a Sherwin-Williams store today and see if they had Day-Glo Paint. Totally forgot about it by the time I had the truck out from under the Snow.
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Hey loboga, Good tip about the Scraps. I can look into that as well.

Hey eliscomin, As you said,"Shoot and See" I sure don't have to do a dozen Arrows to see what happens.

Thanks agin for all of your thoughts.

After trying pretty much everything in the 40+ years I have been bowhunting, I just settled on flouresent chartreuse nocks and bright blue fletching. Those nocks GLOW as long as there is any light and the blue feathers really stand out in the woods. I went through all the other colors of fletching and the reds, oranges and yellows disappear in the autumn leaves. White is great, until it snows and it is a warning color and to visible to most animals. Pink may be OK, but ya know, it just don't look right! The clear green nocks are incredible on their ability to magnify the light, the apricot are good too, but not as good as the chartreuse.

quote:

Originally posted by loboga:
After trying pretty much everything in the 40+ years I have been bowhunting, I just settled on flouresent chartreuse nocks and bright blue fletching. ...

Thank you for that insight. As "pure luck" would have it, those are the exact Nocks that came on the arrows I have.

The Vanes are Red & White, but I can see where the Blue would be different from anything else on the ground. When it is time to put new ones on, I'll sure keep that in mind.

Thanks again.

I used 4" feathers (all white with a white nock) for the better of the last 20 years but switched to Quick fletch this year for the heck of it.

They worked just fine but not as good as my 4" feathers do. I will switch back next year to all white feathers.

If the lighted nocks didn’t cost so much I would use them for sure.


This is what this past seasons arrows looked like.

Thanks Ted. Why do you prefer Fethers over Vanes?

Should have asked about everyones preferance of Vanes or Feathers and "Why?", but it didn't cross my mind.

Feathers take a helix far better than a vane and to me just steer better. JMO but I have tried it all.

They are "not in style anymore" though.

Buy the Arizona Easy Fletcher and build and fix your own arrows....I have never regretted going that rout for 20 years now.

Thanks Ted. I noticed LoboGA also mentioned "Feathers". Another guy had mentioned "trying" different things and that is a good option here for me too.

Forgot to say, Nice Deer! A few of them would put a freezer in good shape.

Feathers are also lighter than vanes for those who are concerned about FOC issues. My personal preference is Crown dips or wraps of White or Flo Orange and matching feathers. I shoot 4X4" feathers exclusively.Tried some quickspin vanes last year but went back to feathers ASAP.

HC,

Crowns, caps, wraps, and nocks are all truly personal preference.

I will tell you that high visibility is a good thing. Use a color that you see well.

If you are just getting back into it. I would keep it simple by using bright fletching and nocks. I would skip the lighted nocks, they are expensive.

My personal preference is yellow and white. But lately have used some fl green and orange.

I cannot shoot red, or plain green, I am not color blind, but I lose the arrows in flight.

Being a traditional archer, seeing the arrow flight is just as important as muscle memory. The visual helps reinforce the shot mechanics.

After all, part of the fun of archery is watching the flight of the arrow.

I have done it all for caps. Wraps, stains, paint, dips.

Lately, I wrap my carbons, not so much for the color, but for the ease of refletching. Trying to get the glue off a carbons to refletch old, torn, and worn feathers is a serious pain.

With my woodies, I just stain the front of the shaft and leave the back plain (lighter colored) or use an alcohol based dye (yellow).

If you really want to lose arrows. Build some woodies and flame them for design, seal with a dull satin finish and fletch with real turkey feathers.

Ask me how I know that...

I thought I would build some camo arrows. I built them all right. The fastest I ever lost a set in my life.

I have to use feathers to shoot traditional off the shelf. Vanes will kick off the shelf and cause erratic arrow flight.

But vanes are quieter and stand up better to rain.

Make sure you put helical on them, especially when shooting broadheads. I don't think I have ever over stabilized an arrow. I have used too much fletching to make the arrows noisy though.

You will give up some in long distance trajectory. But not a factor at the average 20 yard shot for whitetails.

The other thing, you have not talked about broadheads. If I was hunting your country with all the thick brush. I would suggest a three or four blade head pushed completely through a deer. Bigger holes, and two of them for a better blood trail. But that is a whole other subject.

Thanks SDHunter, The great possibility of "me" loosing an Arrow iswhat brought about this thread. Of course I'd dislike the cost, but the idea of having a Broad Head laying out there for someone to stomp on or trip and fall on is something I want to avoid if at all possible.

You are correct that I've not mentioned(or run a Poll) on Broad Heads. It is way too early for me to be selecting a Broad Head. That might be 1-2 years off before I get some repeatable accuracy. Not that I want to knock the Nocks off, but I just believe it will take me awhile to regain some Form.

From what I've read though, there appears to be a whole lot of excellent Broad Heads available. I do not remember seeing anyone say DO NOT waste money on a "________" Broad Head. But, I do see a lot of folks saying they have tried a good many different kinds.

The "____________" would be "Rocket"!

I get a lot of chuckles out of the what broadhead to use threads, everyone is an expert,even if the only big game they ever shot was a yearling whitetail doe! Or the "don't scrimp on broadhead guys that are touting bhs that are $30 EACH or all the other gimmicks and then they go hunt elephants or buffalo and use a $3 Zwickey or Grizzly head. I find it interesting that whitetail require some big expensive mechanical head, but elephants are good with a two blade cut on contact resharpenable head.

Same exact thing you just described happens with Bullets.
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Hey R, What is wrong with a Rocket?

quote:

You are correct that I've not mentioned(or run a Poll) on Broad Heads. It is way too early for me to be selecting a Broad Head. That might be 1-2 years off before I get some repeatable accuracy. Not that I want to knock the Nocks off, but I just believe it will take me awhile to regain some Form.

Don't sell yourself short - Start soon, shoot a dozen or so arrows every day, and by the time bow season rolls around, you will have practiced enough to have a reasonably repeatable routine. "Paper plate" (or maybe grapefruit) accuracy at 20 yards WITH YOUR FIRST ARROW is OK if you have the discipline to restrict your shots - you should do better than that by this fall if you get some coaching on the basics & practice regularly. Practice from a variety of positions. You will likely make nervous mistakes (it is a lot more up close and personal than rifle hunting) & blow some opportunities, but that is part of the fun and it is good learning experience.

Thanks eliscomin! I've used a Revolver(along with my Rifles) for many years and had a lot of up-close shots, some straight down. But, trying to get the Bow Drawn without making any noise, dropping something or just getting goosey is something I imagine is going to take some time for me. I have plenty of Invitations to go "thin the herd", so that is not a problem.

I do want the quiet Draw and Release to be nearly automatic when I do get around to going Deer Hunting with the Bow. And I realize that means lots of practice and perhaps a bit of Tuning.

Thanks again!

HC,

Honestly, with today's modern eqipment, there is no reason why you can't be ready to hunt this fall.

But ultimatley that decision is up to you.

Bottom line is this, put a scary sharp broadhead in the right place and you will have venison.

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
HC,

Honestly, with today's modern eqipment, there is no reason why you can't be ready to hunt this fall.

But ultimatley that decision is up to you.

Bottom line is this, put a scary sharp broadhead in the right place and you will have venison.

I agree with you SD. Shoot a dozen arrows several times a week (at least) and you'll be ready for the upcoming hunting season.

After that, it's a matter of gaining experience, and more importantly, LEARNING from that experience.

Learning to shoot a bow is a TINY part of being a bowhunter, I know some people that are nearly olympic levels archers and have a very difficult time killing anything. Better to start out on something other than big game(small game, fish, birds) and learn some chops before flinging arrows at large animals.

quote:

Originally posted by loboga:
Learning to shoot a bow is a TINY part of being a bowhunter, I know some people that are nearly olympic levels archers and have a very difficult time killing anything. Better to start out on something other than big game(small game, fish, birds) and learn some chops before flinging arrows at large animals.

I agree, the mechanics of shooting a bow IS a small part of becoming a bowhunter. But speaking as someone who's been there, done that, shooting a deer in comparison to squirrels, rabbits, fish and birds is a bit easier.

Shooting an animal at 20 - 30 yards that has a vital organ area the size of a cantalope is a lot easier than shooting a racquet ball size vitals area on a jackrabbit. Granted, you might find more rabbits than deer, but I find it much easier to shoot a deer than skewer a bunny!

Due to the refraction of light when shooting at targets beneath the surface of the water, I don't see where shooting fish is going to teach any beginning bowhunter anything.

And shooting birds? Again, a small vitals area on a target that rarely sits still. Once again, deer are easier.

If HotCore wants to hunt deer, let him hunt deer. He can surely sit in a tree or ground blind and learn to pattern deer. Each time he misses an opportunity to draw an arrow, hopefully he learns something. And if he's lucky, and puts 2 & 2 together, he'll put an arrow through the heart lung area of a whitetail doe.

And once that happens, a hunter is born...

It worked for me, it worked for my son, and it'll work for Hot Core....

I agree that shooting is a small part of being a bowhunter. But there are plenty of guys who hunt with bows, that are not bowhunters. If that makes any sense to you guys.

As much as HC and I disagree on a certain topic. I would put my money on him to put himself in position to fill freezer.

quote:

Originally posted by loboga:
Learning to shoot a bow is a TINY part of being a bowhunter, I know some people that are nearly olympic levels archers and have a very difficult time killing anything. Better to start out on something other than big game(small game, fish, birds) and learn some chops before flinging arrows at large animals.

I disagree - I started shooting cheap fiberglass longbows as a kid, graduated to slightly less cheap fiberglass recurves, through expensive recurves, then compounds. I shot a few rabbits, birds & carp with archery equipment as a youngster, but all of that contributed very little to my deer hunting. I picked up a reasonable amount of skill over the years (a lot it hunting small & big game with rifles & shotguns)- learned a lot from & with hunting buddies along the way, but I really didn't become much of a bowhunter until I went out & started deer hunting.
HotCore has hunted with firearms, probably more than long enough to have the necessary woodsmanship, know how & ethics. All he needs is a little specific archery skill, & the best way to get that (after learning shooting basics) is to get out there & hunt.

Thanks for all the Positive thoughts. And SDHunter, since we do tend to disagree about some things, your posts are very special and I really appreciate them. Goes for all of you who are trying to help me as well as the rest of us Rookie Bowyers.

When I had my first Bow(`78&`79), I practiced with it a good bit. It was nice to come home after work and go spend some time shooting the Bow. Now, it is just to extend the "potential" for Hunting opportunities.

I'm really not concerned about getting in amongst the Deer, because I can do that. However, handling a Bow in those situations, with movements totally different from a Rifle, Revolver or Shotgun will be the stuff I'm concerned about.

I had that last Bow for those two years and never took it Hunting, plenty of Arrow Flinging, but no time spent in the Woods/Swamps with the Bow. I'm comfortable that with a lot of Practice combined with Tips I get from you all that I'll eventually get around to Hunting.
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Have any of you tried the small Chemical Luminous(Fish Bobber) Thingys inserted just ahead of the Nock? I understand they will Glow for 5-7hrs. Noticed they are right at $1 each(4 for $3.96). I imagine a person could place a small piece of Foam Rubber in front of the Nock and slide the Luminous Thingy in behind it. Then reinsert the Nock and it would be glowing with the Translucent Nocks.

Seems like a good alternative to the $$$High$$$ Battery powered Nocks. But, that is pure speculation.

Personally, I think you're overthinking this whole bowhunting deal. Good equipment is necessary for sure, but having great equipment and the latest and greatest gadget isn't as important as getting close to deer undetected.

A decent bow, sight, rest, release (if that's the route you're going), a quiver, six arrows and a half dozen broadheads is about all that's needed. Everything else is just fluff.

Lighted nocks are really cool and look great on video, but they are absolutely unneeded by the average hunter. Will they help to keep from losing an arrow? Sure, but if you've practiced enough and you simply fletch them brightly, you won't lose many anyway.

There's enough gimmicks in the hunting world, there's no need to clutter up your mind with a lot of unneccessary items. Keep it simple until you've gotten a few deer on the ground.

Unfortunately this seems to be the trend, don't put any effort into working your skills up from the bottom, just start out flinging arrows at big game animals(because they are a bigger target) and you will LEARN to become a bowhunter. I just met a young guy who was told the same thing at the pro shop when he bought his bow, this season he shot EIGHT deer, he recovered NONE of them, but I guess he will learn eventually, not sure how many animals he will have to have run off with arrows in them first though. Same thing in NM a couple seasons ago, three young guys shot three elk, found none of them and went home early. Lots of folk hunt for years with a rifle(and bow) and learn nothing of ethics, or tracking skills or when to take the shot. Hunting small game can help with all that and it dosn't discourage a new hunter when all their animals run off. Anyone that can go out and kill a limit of squirrels with a bow, will find deer a lot easier than someone that starts on deer. I've guided a lot of hunter that have more money than experience and it isn't good for anyone, them, the animals they are practiceing on, other hunters or the guides.

quote:

Originally posted by Shof:
Personally, I think you're overthinking this whole bowhunting deal. ...

I've been "thinking" I was over-thinking some of this stuff. I agree. Snow on the ground and a form of Cabin Fever may be contributors to that.

The Illuminated Nocks are more courisity for me right now than anything. I've seen a few shot on You Tube and those were quite nice to watch in flight. Easy to see the "misses" too.
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Hey LoboGA, I do understand about starting Slow and working my way up. Not sure I could afford enough Arrows to try Killing Birds though. might need a Budget like obummer.

Am planning on using some small Plastic Jars for randomly placed Targets. With a bit of luck and a lot of practice, I hope to stick some Arrows through them, or at least close by.

loboga,

I agree with you. That is a whole other thread, don't even get me started.

But everyone has to start at the bottom sometime.

HC,
Yes it supposed to be fun. Like I tell my kids when they get frustrated shooting their bows, or anything they are suppose to be enjoying for that matter. If you aren't having fun, do something else.

There is something I find very therapeutic about going out and shooting some arrows.

Even more fun is "stump" shooting. Roving around out in the woods or fields and picking various targets to shoot my blunt and judos at.
Clods of dirt, yucca plants, tuft of discolored grass will all suffice. The closest arrow gets to pick the next target.

One of my fondest memories of an Alskan trip I took in 2002. Was "stump" shooting all the way (5-6 miles) back to camp with a couple a good friends. Man did we have a grand time walking back to camp.

One of the reasons that I recommend starting with small game, fish etc. is that something can be hunted all year. If I don't hunt for even a few weeks, I feel like I don't belong in the woods. Squirrels, groundhogs, coyotes, starlings, pigeons, carp, something can be hunted all the time. One of the reasons that I feel I am better than average on moving targets, is the fact that I have shot at thousands of moving targets over the years. Birds don't have to be flying to shoot at them and don't forget turkeys are birds, if you can get off a shot at turkey, deer aren't far off.