What's In Your Quiver? (with a Viking accent)

You know, I find it interesting what bowhunters use and why they use it.  When hunting with a new group of individuals, along with asking about their bows and broadheads, I like to check out how big of a quiver they carry.  I have seen everything from three arrows to twelve.  Hmmm.  How many times do they think they'll get a shot at a deer in one sitting?  Almost always, each arrow has their version of the perfect broadhead.

I on the other hand, am an opportunist.  I never hunt one thing, and I like to be prepared.  If an animal is in season, and there is a use for it, I will take it.

Let's flashback to a bear hunt I took in the North Carolina mountains several years ago.  When bowhunting I always scan the field with the rangefinder once I get settled.  I want to know where the animal is without having to guess or provide a chance to be seen with the extra movement of grabbing the rangefinder while the animal is in front of me.

Well the very first evening, about 200 yards away, I saw a bear.  She cut the corner of the field and never entered range.  Again, I consider myself an opportunistic hunter, so remember that as this story ends.  I waited in the stand a while longer, and just before shooting light would disappear, is when I saw my target.  It was black and on the small size as it left the cover of the brush and entered the field.   It was headed straight toward the tree I was set up in.  If it made it to the 50 yard mark, I decided I would take my shot.

Skunked in 2008.

I waited patiently, and as it stepped toward the large golden leaf I had ranged earlier, I drew back the arrow and string.  I was confident from 50 yards, but like I said, this one was on the small size.  With a release of my breath, then a twitch of my finger on the trigger release, the arrow sailed to its mark.  The 100 grain G5 Small Game Head hit true, and after only a few seconds of rolling around, I had my trophy.  Not a bear mind you.  But a trophy, of sorts.  My SGH had just found the vitals of a skunk. I used the proper equipment for the challenge at hand, all because I had in my quiver, six arrows.  Three were equipped with G5 Montec 100 grain broadheads, two contained G5 SGHs, and one was tipped with a blunt head judo point.


So when you are in the stand or field for your next hunt, consider saving one or more of those arrows for a surprise encounter with a different type of game animal you may pride yourself in taking.

If you liked this story, see some of my other posts:

Bill Howard's Outdoors: Getting Skunked on a Bear Hunt

Bill Howard's Outdoors: Early Withdrawal

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.