Bow/equipment failure in backcountry

[Bbell12]

Anyone else worry about your bow or other equipment failing in the backcountry? It’s always in the back of my mind while I’m hunting and it’s something that I’d like to be prepared for if it ever happens. I’d also like to know that I’m prepared for anything that could happen so that I could have some peace of mind.

So, has anyone had any bow/equipment failures while they were hunting in the backcountry? What do you do to mitigate issues and prepare for failures?

I should also add that we always take horses into the backcountry (around 10 miles in) where we set up base camp and hunt from there so keeping an extra bow in the truck doesn’t do me much good.

 

[jmez]

I don't worry about it.

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[Mighty Mouse]

I leave a cable press and a spare string/cable set in the truck just because I already have them and they take up virtually no space. I've never needed them during a hunt, but it gives me a little extra peace of mind knowing they're within a few hour's hike from camp.

 

[BBob]

I packed in (on foot) nearly 5 miles during the night, went to sleep at my destination for a few hours. Up before dawn and ready to chase elk. Somewhere along the way after it was light I realized my sight was hanging at a huge angle. One of the bolts on the leveling adjustment had fallen out. All I could do was estimate where it needed to go and crank down on the remaining bolt (I carry a few Allen wrenches in my kit). Hunted a few days there and packed out to the truck. Truck always has archery repair kit spare parts box just for this. Luckily had a small bolt that fit. Shot it to check sight in and off I went to the next spot. It happens, rarely but it happens so check your gear regularly and carry a kit.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have seen damaged sight from a fall, damaged rest from getting hung in brush. Both needing to be replaced. Damaged string from broadhead which fortunately didn't blow the bow apart, but I don't think it would have help up to a shot. Also a bow pitched from a horse after a rodeo, requiring new cams.

I always carry at least a backup string and a press when I travel to hunt, haven't needed it. Really the number of hunting hours I have seen to see the above incidents it's a pretty small issue, and can be mitigated by paying attention, and having quality stuff. Both the sight and rest weren't exactly high quality even for the time period.

Best solution is to have a backup bow ready to go. Too many things to prepare for. I don't think it's worth hauling a bow into the backcountry, just need to have it accessible within a day or two.

 

[nphunter]

I don’t worry about it personally. I had a friend dry fire a bow while on a late season hunt in Idaho. I put his bow back together with a ratchet strap and some paracord loops around the limbs. Made a makeshift cable guide since he lost his and he was able to shoot well out to 40 yards with the bow. We’ve fixed little things like fibers in pins while hunting too but have never had anything major happen.

If I ever totally had a bow failure I would just run out and buy a new bow at the closest bow shop or classifieds. Maybe even post on here about needing a bow in a pinch. I’ve set up enough bows that it doesn’t take much time to have them shooting great out to 40-50 yards. The most it would cost is one day of the hunt if a person hustled. Even hunting somewhere like the church your still only 4 or 5 hours from Boise or McCall once your to a trail head.

 

[Bbell12]

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like the most practical thing besides taking a few basic tools with me would be to just keep a spare in the truck. Might take an entire day to ride out and back in but would be better than ruining an entire hunting trip.

 

[Samdemarais]

Portable press, serving, extra string, super glue, some extra screws. I am pretty meticulous about checking all screws and using loctite on them before any hunt. Always been relatively close to the truck so no problem bringing that stuff

 

[LeftyWilbury]

Hunting buddy hung his release on a tree when he went to sleep. Woke up the next morning and tried to put it on his wrist, critters had chewed through the strap. He recommends bringing two releases. Seems somewhat reasonable.

I'm lucky/lazy enough that I don't hunt that far in. Bad things happen to my bow there's some Big Sky IPA back at my truck that will fix anything

 

[Billy Goat]

Preventative stuff to go with what @Samdemarais said. I take a contrasting sharpie and mark everything I can think of. Mark the alignment of my rest, the top of bolts and screws, cam position on the limbs. Anything I can think of and it allows you to glance over things and know nothing has come loose. Sometimes that failure comes from a loose bolt, like on a mod.

 

[Samdemarais]

Preventative stuff to go with what @Samdemarais said. I take a contrasting sharpie and mark everything I can think of. Mark the alignment of my rest, the top of bolts and screws, cam position on the limbs. Anything I can think of and it allows you to glance over things and know nothing has come loose. Sometimes that failure comes from a loose bolt, like on a mod.

I fell on my bow pretty hard on my first stalk in the ND badlands this fall, landed right on my sight and packed the whole thing with snow. I have every screw and moving part marked with silver sharpie. I check all the marks and none of them moved. Of course I still shot some arrows to confirm it was all still on. This is super helpful to know nothing has moved.

 

[wapitibob]

Never worried about it and never have taken a spare. If it blows up I'll head to the nearest pawn shop.

 

[Thess87]

Hunted all week on my first elk hunt ever finally got my chance and shot a foot over his back at 20 yards. My rest had worked lose and I had no idea. I locktite everything now.

 

[pirogue]

If I had a horse to ride back to the truck to get a backup, I wouldn’t worry one bit.

 

[ozyclint]

mates longbow on a tahr hunt

 

[KyleR1985]

Hunt with a buddy that has a similar draw length.

keep a spare bow in the truck.

keep super glue, spare release, Allen keys for the major adjustments, loctite and register everything with a sharpie.

I keep a full box of tools and spares in the truck, have never used any of it 20+ years of bow hunting. Most of that is eastern hunting, but the hours walking and packing a bow amd hauling it up amd down trees, and mud, and more mud, and gravel, atv vibration, etc... I’ve had my share of opportunities to break one.

Im the type of guy who pays attention and is somewhat thoughtful with the way I move around. If you’re careless or lack patience, maybe bring spare parts.

 

[Page Master]

Hunt with a buddy that has a similar draw length.

keep a spare bow in the truck.

keep super glue, spare release, Allen keys for the major adjustments, loctite and register everything with a sharpie.

I keep a full box of tools and spares in the truck, have never used any of it 20+ years of bow hunting. Most of that is eastern hunting, but the hours walking and packing a bow amd hauling it up amd down trees, and mud, and more mud, and gravel, atv vibration, etc... I’ve had my share of opportunities to break one.

Im the type of guy who pays attention and is somewhat thoughtful with the way I move around. If you’re careless or lack patience, maybe bring spare parts.

I bring 2 compounds and a stick when I solo hunt.

 

[Naiche]

I had my draw stop fall out and overdrew my bow which led to the cable jumping off the cams. Drove 75 miles to the nearest shop and they fixed it for me. This was years ago but I still feel like a dummy.

 

[Arctic Hunter]

I had the plastic fork on my AAE DOA rest warp from strapping it to my pack in the heat. It shifted on the hike out. Bent it back, retuned, and re-sighted in at the trail head. That’s the last time I ever used anything that wasn’t bomb proof. I don’t carry anything with me. Other than basic stuff I keep in my hip quiver, and more arrows and broadheads, I don’t even really keep anything in the truck.

But I’m not usually too far from my house where I can do whatever I need to.

 

[Hunthigh1]

I Cracked the mount portion on a MBG pure gold bow sight. Realized it was broken when I was mid stalk. That cost me about a day of hunting and unwanted boot miles. The guys at S& S archery saved my ass by leaving the part I needed outside the shop for me to pick up after hours. I remounted and checked 3rd axis at a buddies house at 1 am and was back at it hiking in 5 hours later.

A spotting scope eyepiece mount was loose and filled with condensation from a prior day in wet conditions.