Broadheads...

A few days ago I was discussing mechanicals and fixed blades with a friend from Utah, ( where they are legal vs here where they aren't.) talked about the advantages and disadvantage to each and mainly why Idaho hasn't jumped on board with the mechanicals and lighted nocks like the other 48 states, I think Oregon and Idaho are the only two states where mechanicals are still illegal correct me if I'm wrong. But it seemed like the mechanical heads have made large advances and our big question was why they aren't legal here? He suggested it's the commission who consists of the same guys for the last x amount of years who don't want to accept new technologies and it just got me thinking why we have not legalized them? Would like to hear everyone's thoughts

I just started hunting with a bow, so I really don't have enough experience to have an opinion on mechanical versus fixed, but I have yet to meet anyone that uses mechanicals or does anything but cackle with laughter and rip a bunch of jokes about whitetail hunters anytime I bring them up. I can't speak to mechanicals efficacy but anti mechanical-anti lighted nocks seems to be a pretty standard paradigm amongst hunters in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, ect.

One of my hunting buddies is from Utah. He has shot two elk with mechanical broadheads and was not impressed. The second elk was finally killed 2 days later by shear happenstance of a hunting companion. When the elk was dead he gutted it and called to say, "You're not going to believe this but I found your arrow in the elk." He said the broadhead never opened. I personally(Just my 2 cents worth) would give them a try if made legal using different arrow weight and speed combinations. I wonder if they have a best preforming combination. I say that because anything with moving parts seems to have an efficiency range. Lighted nocks I am a huge fan of. I wish they were legal here. They give you NO advantage during the hunt but a large advantage for retrieval. I also would like to see revisited the "electronic device" rules for arrows. There are several good tracking devices that older hunters could make very good use of. The man who taught me to bowhunt has since given it up because he has a hard time seeing a marginal blood trail anymore. He hates being dependent on others. Even if it were only for the visually impaired I would be all for it. It's hard to see people give up what they love. Even if the device falls away at least it gives them a good direction to follow or far enough that a good blood trail could be found. It would help the color blind as well.

It's always easy to blame a Broadhead for poor archery skills. The spitfire 125s I use have outperformed every fixed head I've used on bulls over the last 40 years. As I mentioned on another thread, last two years I know of 11 bulls shot, 3 recovered; all fixed heads and "perfect shots".

It isn't the Broadhead.

Mechanical devices can fail.

In MT mechanical BH are legal. Lighted nocks are not. The idea behind that is they don't want to start allowing electronic devices on bows. However, the MT Bowhunter Association last voted in favor of Lighted nocks. I am in favor of them myself.

As for the BH I switched from mechanical to fixed this past year. I was tired of the Rage slipping out of their o ring. Glad I made he move.

WapitiBob said:

It's always easy to blame a Broadhead for poor archery skills. The spitfire 125s I use have outperformed every fixed head I've used on bulls over the last 40 years. As I mentioned on another thread, last two years I know of 11 bulls shot, 3 recovered; all fixed heads and "perfect shots".

It isn't the Broadhead.

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It's always easy to blame the Broadhead for poor tracking skills. I've never lost an elk hit with a 125 Montec G5. It must be you. Look in reality I have no doubt in your archery or tracking skills. But perhaps since you have been using them for the last 40 years you started during the time when arrow weight was enough to make them very functional. We all use things a little different and have different results with them because of this fact. I like heavy arrows and a longer, slower, more accurate bow and the buddy from Utah is a very light arrow, speed, speed, speed bow guy. Perhaps that has something to do with it. It may be as simple as he got moisture in the head and it froze so it wouldn't open. I would love to test some mechanicals to see their performance but my state law will not allow their use. It is much more productive to test and share results than to attack one another.

My question I guess more than anything is why is Idaho behind the ball so much? They won't allow anything electronic on your bow which I get but damnit I want my GoPro on my stabilizer don't see how that gives me an advantage? Is it just a crusty commission or what's the deal?

I think my biggest thought on a lot of the restrictions is why; as in why do you feel you need those things? I've never felt a need for illuminated nocks, mechanical broadheads or something electronic on my bow. I'm good with how things are and am not willing to lose even one day of season if it means we get to use any of those things.

Illuminated nocks would be nice for arrow recovery, I'm on the fences about mechanicals I think I would give them a whirl.

In Washington Mech's have just recently been made legal. And lighted nocks a few years prior. I have not used Mechanicals so can't comment on that. I have heard a lot of people in the know say they are great depending on which one.

As for lighted nocks, I started using them and it was great. You can see right where the animal is hit and retrieve the arrow much easier especially when the arrow dig into the ground or is in brush.

I would not don't it if you see Idaho do something similar as WA in the near future and move into allowing both.

I would try mechanicals but I hunt both WA and ID and don't want to have to change arrow set up in the middle of season such as in Sept when I am going from one state to the next with maybe only a day in between.

Idahoarcheryhunter said:

My question I guess more than anything is why is Idaho behind the ball so much? They won't allow anything electronic on your bow which I get but damnit I want my GoPro on my stabilizer don't see how that gives me an advantage? Is it just a crusty commission or what's the deal?

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I met with our local game warden recently and he told me directly that he would not have a proplem with a GoPro camera attached to the bow (after I explained what a GoPro is). Even though the regs say "no electronic devices allowed on a bow"
Although he would never issue a citation or a warning, he said other wardens might. And he recommended anyone that wants to do it, should talk to their local game warden first.
We both agreed that it would not help me get a shot at an elk, but might help in the recovery efforts if I were to shoot an elk.

Sometimes the perception is more important than the reality. Just be happy to go archery hunt. the grass isn't always greener in other states.