What Upgrade is more important??

[drose]

I am very much a beginner in both Archery and Hunting, but I have put in a lot of time to refine my archery technique and last year really got into the thick of public land I want to hunt (had some really cool experiences, but ended up empty handed). I've been working through the Nock on School of Nock and shoot at least 4 days a week. In the hunting realm, I'll start scouting this July/Aug and improve the honey holes I found last year and continue to read up on tactics to get myself anything that is legal (I want to stock my freezer)

As I look to improve my game I have laid out a few areas to improve upon. In your opinion what would you upgrade first
- Rangefinder (I do not own one - I just walk off the distance to my blind)
- Sight (Bought with cheap $40 sight - only 3 pins left)
- Release (been debating from going to wrist rocket to handheld release to improve my archery game)
- Rest (still rocking whisker biscuit)
- Tree stand (I made a ground blind, is it worth dropping the dinero to get into a tree, some opportunities last year I felt that if I was in a tree I would have had a dead doe)

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Bronc]

Of those items, rangefinder would definitely be on the top of my list.

 

[MT_Wapiti]

I would probably look for a rangefinder first. It's the only piece of equipment that you don't have some functioning version of. If you're comfortable judging yardage and/or with your current "walk-off" method, then maybe look for a treestand. Buying either of these items can get you outfitted a little better and then you can focus on upgrades.

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

Rangefinder. Knowing the distance to your target will you fill your freezer faster than any of the other items you listed.


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[renagde]

I am very much a beginner in both Archery and Hunting, but I have put in a lot of time to refine my archery technique and last year really got into the thick of public land I want to hunt (had some really cool experiences, but ended up empty handed). I've been working through the Nock on School of Nock and shoot at least 4 days a week. In the hunting realm, I'll start scouting this July/Aug and improve the honey holes I found last year and continue to read up on tactics to get myself anything that is legal (I want to stock my freezer)

As I look to improve my game I have laid out a few areas to improve upon. In your opinion what would you upgrade first
- Rangefinder (I do not own one - I just walk off the distance to my blind)
- Sight (Bought with cheap $40 sight - only 3 pins left)
- Release (been debating from going to wrist rocket to handheld release to improve my archery game)
- Rest (still rocking whisker biscuit)
- Tree stand (I made a ground blind, is it worth dropping the dinero to get into a tree, some opportunities last year I felt that if I was in a tree I would have had a dead doe)

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

- Rangefinder

What game are you going after? I'm assuming whitetail since you're talking blinds and treestands. If that's the case, you can get really good at judging distances. Also most shots are taken within 30 or 40 yards so you have more room for error at such short distances. The chance of even being able to pull up your rangefinder and get a accurate range before shooting is pretty slim with deer hunting. Obviously, if you're hunting big game or something where you'll be shooting 50 plus yards a rangefinder is essential.

- Sight

Why upgrade now if it's doing it's job. This also depends how far you want to shoot but I remember starting out I would shoot out to 50 with a 3 pin just by being familiar with my holdovers. (I was a kid and had to much time to shoot)

- Release

A hand held release doesn't get you much return on investment unless you're dealing with target panic.

- Rest

Nothing wrong with a whisker biscuit as long as you can get your bow tuned right and it's shooting straight

- Tree stand

If you're honestly looking for the most bang for your buck to upgrade exclusively with the plan to increase your hunting chances, get a tree stand. Being able to get above your game and seeing them come from a long ways off pays off dividends. Also getting above the brush and having shooting lanes increases your chance of success.

It looks like you got a pretty good start, it's just a matter of putting everything together and closing the deal. Keep practicing and adding gear. I killed many a deer with my 50lb Parker bow with a whisker biscuit, 3 pin sight, wrist release, and no rangefinder. All of my deer were taken from stands, I never did have any luck shooting stuff out of blinds (including turkeys).

 

[Btaylor]

For bowhunting in AR the last thing I would be concerned with is a range finder. You can teach yourself to judge distance by picking things when you are out and about, call the distance then step it off. Going to Walmart, pick a car between you and the store that you think is in the 0-30 yard range, call the distance and step it off on the way in. You could go in to Archers Advantage and talk to the guys there about your bow gear and release. A treestand is not an absolute must but it would be high on my list.

 

[Rob5589]

For the hunting you seem to be doing, a tree stand makes the most sense. Nothing else on your list, except maybe the rf, will help you kill a deer.

 

[Downeaster]

Renegade nailed it.

 

[willfrye027]

Absolutely tree stand. Almost every single public land whitetail ive shot at with a bow has (tried) to jump the string. I would not shoot past 25 yards with a compound because they will have time to move too much at that point. Its not hard to judge distances within 25 yards--either he's close or he's not. Your trajectory is going to be very flat from 5-25 yards and using a rangefinder will just slow you down and cause you to make extra movements or miss your shot opportunity.

Treestand allows you to draw your bow undetected. It also can help mitigate scent issues, open up more shot angles, and force you to stay put. Tree stand all the way.

 

[Thunder head]

The statement "walk of the distance to my blind" leads me to believe you already have a blind.

Id go with the treestand first.
You can step of the distances. You can even mark the yardages with something.

But more important. Having multiple stands / blinds will enable you to hunt different wind directions. This will increase your odds greatly.

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

Tree Stand would be your best bang for your buck and hunting success. I assume you are looking to cut costs so my advice to keep an eye out on Facebook Marketplace for a Summit Viper SD, that is the aluminum one, as you can find lightly used ones for $125-$150 easily and save a lot of money. With the money saved you could pick up a serviceable rangefinder as well, depending on your budget.

If you don't have straightish trees then you will look into a lightweight hang on set and that will cost you probably double the money but you will be more flexible.

 

[Spence14]

A good climbing stand has always been one of my best friends when it comes to public land deer hunting. It allows you to hunt anywhere you want throughout the season with only shelling out the cash for one stand. Next on the list would be the rangefinder... Then, the more you dive into hunting, the more you can dive into the rabbit hole of archery equipment to upgrade.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

My first thought is rangefinder but thinking of all the deer I’ve shot with my bow the furthest was 35 yards 95% are shot with my top pin 25 and under, tree stand would be a game changer for you for sure I’d say a climber or stand and sticks for mobile hunting. I was using a climber for years but just switched to sticks and hang on and it’s a game changer for me, pack it all in at once you can pick any tree and hunting pressured public you can’t get away with sitting in the same tree more than a couple times I usually don’t do it at all.

 

[Scoot]

Absolutely a tree stand. Don't climb a tree without a safety harness and appropriate safety gear though. Good lock!

 

[MTSabo]

I killed quite a few whitetail before i ever owned a rangefinder. Always had a tree stand though.

 

[Billy Goat]

My first thought is rangefinder but thinking of all the deer I’ve shot with my bow the furthest was 35 yards 95% are shot with my top pin 25 and under, tree stand would be a game changer for you for sure I’d say a climber or stand and sticks for mobile hunting. I was using a climber for years but just switched to sticks and hang on and it’s a game changer for me, pack it all in at once you can pick any tree and hunting pressured public you can’t get away with sitting in the same tree more than a couple times I usually don’t do it at all.

This is about what I would have typed. Only thing different is instead of shooting 4 days a week I would probably shoot 3 and try to dedicate time every week to scouting right now. Should be able to to find evidence of where deer were late season. I think largly it's easier to learn to shoot then it is to learn to hunt. So I would focus energy on trying to learn your quarry. If you want to fill your freezer.

 

[Planopurist]

The most return on your investment would be the tree stand, but depending on your hunting scenarios/environment, a rangefinder could be valuable. I hunt from blind and tree stand. They both have advantages in different scenarios. I thing ground blinds conceal movement and scent better. Treestands are more versatile and generally provide superior vision. It just depends.

You can learn to judge distance well enough, particularly inside of 30 yards. At this distance, margin of error is very high.

One thing not on your list that I’m a big fan of is Ozonics. You can kill deer without it and should be playing the wind anyway, but I have no doubt that it increases your margin for error.


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[Don Qui Puncher]

This is about what I would have typed. Only thing different is instead of shooting 4 days a week I would probably shoot 3 and try to dedicate time every week to scouting right now. Should be able to to find evidence of where deer were late season. I think largly it's easier to learn to shoot then it is to learn to hunt. So I would focus energy on trying to learn your quarry. If you want to fill your freezer.

Scouting should be another thread and as far as I’m concerned it’s the MOST important, your 100% right though you can have all the fancy gear shoot dimes at 50 but if you haven’t figured out where they are and what they are doing then all that stuff is useless. I mean some guys get lucky during the rut and catch a cruiser but to consistently put animals on the ground one needs to scout their asses off. Once I find a good area I pick a tree mark it on my gps and don’t come back till I hunt it which is usually 4-5 months away. Spring scouting is critical.

 

[FlyGuy]

Rangefinder would be 1st, then start upgrading the rest of your list. The classifieds section here can get you set up with everything on your list for minimal cost.


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[TomM]

Treestand x10. Keep pacing of landmarks, get a rangefinder next year.