Montana allowing use of lighted knocks for archery

[Logan T]

Lighted nocks win FWP approval for archery hunting | Local | missoulian.com

Anyone have thoughts or think it's worth updating your knocks to lighted knocks now? I have thought that they were a great idea for years now, and couldn't see why FWP kept them illegal to use this long. My thoughts are they could greatly help with the recovery of game. I don't really see them being used like tracer rounds like the commissioner says in the article.

 

[Kilboars]

Very cool. I just got a lease this year in Montana, good to know I wasn't going to be an outlaw.

My understanding it was something that traditional bow hunters lobby for to keep bowhunting primitive:-/


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[Kilboars]

Now if we can just have our sites lighted up all would be right in the world.


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[Logan T]

Very cool. I just got a lease this year in Montana, good to know I wasn't going to be an outlaw.

My understanding it was something that traditional bow hunters lobby for to keep bowhunting primitive:-/


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So you use them? I guess what I really should have asked in the post was if people who use them or have tried them them think it's worth it. Has anyone found an arrow or critter due to the glowing nock?


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[MuleyFever]

If your hunting within legal shooting light why would you need lighted sights? I have never had an issue with my fiber optic sights. But then again I leave the field when legal shooting time ends.

I think lighted knocks could help a hunter identify the point of impact. That could go a long ways to identifying how you should treat the situation after the shot. I bet a few animals are lost due to a bad shot and the hunter unsure of the hit and moving in to quickly.

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

Lighted nocks would have been handy to me the other day. Took a shot on a bedded deer in shadow and lost sight of the arrow in flight. Got up to the spot, full pass through and light blood trail but I was able to watch the deer run about a kilometer with little more than a limp.
Lighted nock would have been very helpful to know where exactly the shot went I've been feeling sick all week thinking about whether he's going to live or die.

 

[sneaky]

My experience with lighted sights is that once you turn that light on, no matter how dim, you halo your pins and can't see crap. Also, for future reference, it's nocks, not knocks. It was one of those holdover laws, kinda like in Colorado and Idaho, that really makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Kilboars]

So you use them? I guess what I really should have asked in the post was if people who use them or have tried them them think it's worth it. Has anyone found an arrow or critter due to the glowing nock?


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They've never helped me find an animal because it either been a pass through or the arrow came out. I video my hunts so I can replay the footage if I question the shot and its great to see the shot on the video footage afterwards.
There also great to see your impact when practicing long range shots.

They will take away some of your FOC though.

Bowhunting Elk in New Mexico - YouTube


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[Kilboars]

If your hunting within legal shooting light why would you need lighted sights? I have never had an issue with my fiber optic sights. But then again I leave the field when legal shooting time ends.

Hunting from a blind.
Over cast days.
Dark woods.
I like the pretty lights.




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[camping1601]

Once you figure out which nock works with your setup they are definitely worth it. I've used them for around three years here in the east with no real advantage or help from them until this year. I can say with 100% confidence I would have never found my buck (non pass thru) if I didn't see the lighted nock down over the side of the mountain. It was late, dark, and a steep laurel choked hell hole.

In the archery section there's a short discussion on this and some of my opinions on choosing one.

 

[Logan T]

My experience with lighted sights is that once you turn that light on, no matter how dim, you halo your pins and can't see crap. Also, for future reference, it's nocks, not knocks. It was one of those holdover laws, kinda like in Colorado and Idaho, that really makes no sense whatsoever.

Thanks for the being the spelling police. Next time I will make sure I check for any auto corrections before I post.

As far as your experience with them goes, I do appreciate your input. But I thought they turned on due to the energy of leaving the string? I could definitely be wrong there. Never been around them and wasn't sure if they are worth tinkering with.


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[CorbLand]

Thanks for the being the spelling police. Next time I will make sure I check for any auto corrections before I post.

As far as your experience with them goes, I do appreciate your input. But I thought they turned on due to the energy of leaving the string? I could definitely be wrong there. Never been around them and wasn't sure if they are worth tinkering with.


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Lighted nocks are turned on by the string. However, lighted sights are not, which is what he is referring too. Took me a couple times reading the post for it to make any sense.


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[Kilboars]

Thanks for the being the spelling police. Next time I will make sure I check for any auto corrections before I post.

As far as your experience with them goes, I do appreciate your input. But I thought they turned on due to the energy of leaving the string? I could definitely be wrong there. Never been around them and wasn't sure if they are worth tinkering with.


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I read his post that way first myself but he's talking about lighted SIGHTS.

As far as the spelling goes I use the voice texting a lot myself so bitch out Apple if they're not into the bow hunting lingo.


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[Logan T]

Lighted nocks are turned on by the string. However, lighted sights are not, which is what he is referring too. Took me a couple times reading the post for it to make any sense.


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Good call


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[freebird134]

I've used them on whitetail and they are cool. But heavy. My mule deer and elk arrows are built to have high foc and lighted nocks weigh too much for me to use.


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[KJH]

I love lighted knocks for two reasons-

1) You can get a good feeling for where your arrow hits.

2) Recovery- If you don't get a pass-thru having a light attached to your quarry helps you see where they went in the dark.

I have lighted sights but don't ever use them because it just takes over the point of aim within my FOV. My eyes have trouble finding the spot where I want to put the lighted pin... no matter how low I set it. I thought they would be awesome, but now I think they are totally useless for me.

 

[Logan T]

I love lighted knocks for two reasons-

1) You can get a good feeling for where your arrow hits.

2) Recovery- If you don't get a pass-thru having a light attached to your quarry helps you see where they went in the dark.

I have lighted sights but don't ever use them because it just takes over the point of aim within my FOV. My eyes have trouble finding the spot where I want to put the lighted pin... no matter how low I set it. I thought they would be awesome, but now I think they are totally useless for me.

Thanks for the reply. That's mainly what I was wondering was if anyone has had it help them locate a downed animal in the dark. I definitely see the plus side of them, but never knew anyone with real world experience with them. I know (have always thought anyway) that they could have helped with a bull a friend of mine shot, as the arrow stayed with the elk but it rained half hour after he shot it and we walked past the bull in the dark twice. Wasn't sure about their reliability either.... sounds like I'll have to post up a couple questions in the archery sub forum if I decide to try them.


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[fngTony]

They are fairly new in Colorado. I've got all kinds of grief from old school guys but they do have advantages. Helps recognize shot placement. Aids in recovery, especially at 3d shoots. My con's with them is, expensive, some don't fit right. I took a deer with one and if it wasn't for the lighted knock I would have spook it and good chance I would have lost the deer too. Sure that should never happen but it does. Haven't noticed any flight issues, sure that depends on your overall set up.

I like pink. They light up red and are usually the last color in stock.

 

[fngTony]

To elaborate on how it helped me. Doe was broadside turned as I released became a neck shot. I thought I missed because of watching her turn and disappear. When approaching I saw the knock, she turned took it then fell down hill out of sight from my shot possition. I could have found her without it but it saved time and sunset was maybe an hour away.

 

[charvey9]

I don't have any problem with people using them, but I view lighted knocks as a novelty. Without any other changes to arrow build, they reduce FOC by adding weight to the wrong end. If anything, they are likely to reduce arrow performance.

Do they make it easier to recover your arrow? Sure. Easier to recover game? I don't think so. If you get a pass through, you may save a little time kicking through the nearby brush to find the arrow. Even if the shot is not a pass through, I have never recovered an animal with a completely intact arrow sticking out. It either works itself free or snaps the shaft while the animal runs away. Again, that makes it easier to recover your arrow, but the odds of it being attached to your kill are pretty slim.

In low light situations you will have a better idea of where your arrow hit. However, knowing exactly where your arrow hit should not be a factor in the effort applied to recover game.