Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

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chadwick9
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Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby chadwick9 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:53 am

I just started bowhunting this year and love it so far. I was shooting my bow at a friends house and now he is hooked. He's a felon and can't carry a firearm so he went out and bought a bow and license and is gung ho now to get back in the woods. I told him when he can hit the target from 30 5 times in a row that I'd take him. Well now that time has come. Were going out tomorrow. The only problem is I have 1 stand between us. Pushing is really our only option. Have any of you done small drives with a bow, if so what are some things to consider? What would you recommend for hunting tomorrow? I'm thinking just pushing small patches of woods to stir them up and then try to flank them somehow. Worst case I scout new ground along the way and learn something new


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headgear
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby headgear » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:32 am

Not that it can't be done but you would probably have much better luck hunting from the ground.
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:38 am

It is difficult, most of the time the best drives are on accident. Make sure the pusher keeps their distance for the suspected area where the deer is. Example - if the pusher starts at the top of a hill and the deer are half way down the hill, most cases iv been in they run at least `100 plus yards before they stop. So the deer will prolly run directly down the hill and cross the bottom and stop on the other hill side to watch for danger. The stand also has to be located correctly, bc the deer are going to stop and watch where they just bolted from and it prolly wont be for more than 30 secs before they bolt for real! Most of the time I have had them stop broad side 30 yards away. Obviously be ready for the string jump. So, my best advice is to have the pusher bump the deer and then just let it be, hope they come your way, bc it wont matter if they are flying by you when you have a bow in your hands, especially if they know its a human.
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby muddy » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:42 pm

Wait till it's windy otherwise you're wasting your time. One guy still hunts ridiculously slow and pushes deer to the standers. My buddies have done it for awhile with lots of close calls. A week ago we all 3 went and that 3rd guy was the ticket to cover escape routes. My buddy had a buck trot by son close it knocked hos arrow off the bow and I was 5 yards out of position and didn't get a shot off on a solid 150 class 10.

Tonight, by myself, I still hunted in 25-30 mph winds true a narrow ditch and got close to many deer. A big 10 caught me drawing at 10 yards (one more step) and I had a giant 9 point push a doe right over me and stop facing me at full draw at 10 yards again. Insane action and intense rush. Perfect situation it's a great tactic but you gotta go slow. It took me 4 hours to go about 400 yards and the 1st 100 yards was just odd the highway and I was moving quicker

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Dhurtubise
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby Dhurtubise » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:53 pm

I just talked to a local guy here that claims he tracks with a bow. If that can be done, then pushing can done too.

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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby Haus86 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:58 pm

I almost pulled it off with my wife last year. I bumped a bedding area to her and she had a 150" 10 at 20 yards, but of course he stopped behind a bush before he went back to a trot.
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby mauser06 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:58 pm

IMO its not worth the effort...


Deer are spooked..which means they are running or trotting or sneaking by...

If you can get them to stop then they are on high alert..

Now they are on full alert they drop at the sound of the bow...

They take the arrow high in the back bone and are wounded but not fatally...



Is it possible??? Absolutely.

But...I'd hunt off the ground before I did it again...


Yes...my buddies don't bow hunt and my first year they decided to small game hunt my direction...a buck came trotting in...I "bahhed" to stop him...he locked up and I sent it...I can picture the lighted nock now...flying true and perfect...I can see him now dropping as the arrow is in flight...

Sickening..I never wanna wound and not recover another deer....

They weren't pushing or chasing me deer...merely small game hunting my direction..they were a long ways off when I shot him...


Bow hunting from the ground isn't horrible..its tougher no doubt...but its very possible...I'd opt for it over pushing...


And tracking/still hunting/stalking is completely different than pushing deer....you are shooting naturally relaxed deer...not alert spooked running deer....

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BassBoysLLP
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:07 pm

We've done it in the past. Best set up is a gentle push to pinch with a high stem count. If you don't push to hard they hang and observe in the thick before bolting. My group and I have shot a few over the years doing so. Its fun hunting, especially if you have property to burn. We never shot anything big but had numerous close calls.
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Zona
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby Zona » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:27 pm

We do small drives with our bows during gun season for suburban bucks. When the pumpkins hit the woods, they hide close to housing developments. We have a 50 yards safety zone from occupied dwellings here with archery gear. It's definitely not a high probability tactic,

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stash59
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby stash59 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:03 pm

It CAN be done. I've hunted with guys that practiced shooting at bouncing car tires with card board in them for targets. But leave moving targets til you practice and become proficient at it.

If you know of deep ditches or creeks. Set up on trails crossing them. The deer will stop almost every time before entering them. No matter how fast they're moving. They are looking for danger before they commit to going down into the blind spot from the deep ditch/creek.

If you know of existing beds. The pusher can try and stalk these. Set up the stander far enough away to not spook them from the bed. On trails or escape routes. On these deep spots or any other terrain that may make them stop for awhile and look ahead. Like an opening.

Use a range finder ahead of time to determine distances to trails. Keep your shots short and aim low. Allowing for them dropping at the shot.

Another option is to still hunt bedding areas. Paralleling each other about 100 yards apart. Heading into the wind. Or quartering into the wind. The guy on the quartering upwind side should be about 75 yards ahead of the guy on the quartering downwind side. The deer sometimes j-hook in front of the trailing hunter. Trying to wind the lead hunter.

It will be hard without any prior knowledge or prep. But hey it beats sitting on the couch.
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Ryan
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby Ryan » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:22 pm

It definitely can be, we killed one of the largest bucks on the property during a push in bow season, just have to be on your toes the whole time cause there's not much time to draw and shoot

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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby csoult » Fri Nov 20, 2015 12:21 am

There is a group of guys around here that get together and push every saturday during bow season. The have some success doing it too. I am not sure however how many deer they wound every year. Not my style during bow season, rifle season is another story though.
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby Spysar » Fri Nov 20, 2015 12:55 am

I ve done it many times successfully. It s a great way if you know how to do it.

Pushers walk slow and gently get the deer moving. The deer are concentrating on the pushers always looking back. Not hard to get a shot.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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headgear
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby headgear » Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:44 am

I think something to consider here is your friend is new to bow hunting, maybe not the ideal time to try and make a push until you know he is going to know when to take the shot and when you shouldn't. It's a whole new world compared to rifle hunting.
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Re: Pushing with a bow. Can it be done?

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Fri Nov 20, 2015 8:13 am

Agree with Spy. We call it nugding. Use wind to your advantage and know the deer's exit route and where they bed. It quite effective if done correctly. Bleats can stop moving deer that trot and find a good spot to blend in. A lot of times even the guys nudging will get good shots. Your literally creeping through bedding areas, like still hunting.

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