How long have you been a bowhunter?

I’m a life-long hunter, with over 50 years of experience. I began bowhunting in 2001 after buying an old, third-hand PSE compound bow for $50 and figuring out how to shoot. A couple years later, after much trial-and-error, I finally arrowed my first deer at my family’s ranch here in Texas. That whitetail buck hopelessly hooked me on bowhunting!

Tell us about your years of experience as a bowhunter instructor?

I became an IBEP Bowhunter Education Instructor in 2012. Inspired by several mentors who were Instructors, I wanted to help others learn to hunt safely and effectively, and felt I had enough experience that I could shorten learning curves for new bowhunters. I also became a USA Archery Level 2 Instructor, and through my local archery club conducted both group and private lessons in archery and bowhunting for many years.

Teaching the IBEP course has been very fun and rewarding. Most of my classes have been a mix of new and experienced hunters, and I’ve taught a number of young bowhunters through my job with the Texas Youth Hunting Program. I encourage all the students to share their perspectives, and I often learn new things from them. One of the great things about hunting is that there is always more to learn! I always tell my students the very best bowhunting instructor is a mature whitetail doe – one of the hardest critters to take with a bow, and they will teach you all sorts of lessons, usually the hard way!

Much of the IBEP course focuses on ethics – making good choices. This comes into play with the equipment you choose, your proficiency as a shooter, and the often complicated decision of whether to shoot or not. Unfortunately, many of the examples new hunters draw upon are celebrity hunters or YouTube heros who are really just hustling products and do not model ethical decision making. How many times do such hunters whisper to the camera something like “I had to take that shot, it’s all he would give me” after attempting an ultra-long shot or one at a bad body angle. I emphasize with my students that you never have to shoot – you can always choose to wait for a better situation. You owe it to the animal and to yourself to only shoot when you know you can make a lethal shot.

What are some of the major barriers to helping bowhunters adopt the Ashby System?

I think hunters are heavily swayed by archery industry emphasis on arrow speed. Yes it is easy to think fast = cool. It’s a marketing strategy that enhances sales. Hunters need to accept that a little less speed due to a heavier, more efficient arrow system, will serve them better. I think one of the overlooked aspects of heavier arrows is that they are easier to tune and achieve great flight as compared to ultra-light arrows. Bowhunters should realize that the ultimate in Cool, is a humanely and effectively harvested game animal – that is what really counts! And arrow systems that are optimized for great flight and terminal performance rather than speed are the way to really be cool.

Also I believe that most new bowhunters are not starting out with Ashby-style setups, and learn about this approach after they have already been shooting awhile with lighter arrow systems that shops often push. Thus they are reluctant to make changes to what they are already satisfied with, and hesitate to undertake the process of experimenting with other arrows to find what is optimal. They truly don’t know what they don’t know.

Which strategies, given your experience, seem to work best to help bowhunters
adopt this successful Plan A and Plan B system?

A great strategy to motivate change is to remind folks that the broadhead and arrow are the one part of your gear that makes contact with and lethally wounds your target animal. That deer won’t know if your bow was a top of the line, latest Hoyt or a 10-year old eBay bargain if it launches an optimized arrow system with great flight characteristics that strikes and penetrates with the maximum energy possible. Stated differently, we spend a lot of money on our bows, our accessories, our camo, our trucks, etc., etc. – don’t cut corners on the part of your gear that actually touches the animal!

Also I think there is a terminology issue…we often describe Ashby-style arrows as “heavy” arrows and compare them with “light” arrows. I think the term “heavy” misleads folks – a 650 grain arrow is still a very light object, but many seem to think of it as comparable to launching a telephone pole through the air.

There is a misconception that ABF tries to dictate what arrow systems should used; however our advice as stated in workshops we lead is merely “to shoot the heaviest arrow possible with a trajectory you find acceptable.” That leaves a lot of latitude for one to optimize their system!
Finally I like to share a quote from Dr. Ashby – “No bowhunter ever complained that their arrow penetrated too much!”

A bowhunter who honestly and practically considers what they do and how they do it can always find ways to improve their approach.

Do you hunt with traditional equipment, compound, crossbow, or a combination of these?

I can shoot both traditional and compound bows, but have only hunted with compound bows.

What is/are your favorite animal(s) to hunt?

My true favorite animal is elk, since they are so fascinating and challenging to hunt. However, since I live in Texas and have family property here, the animals I hunt most are whitetails and hogs. Although there are many negative things about the presence of hogs on the landscape, they are great fun to hunt with a bow and are tasty to eat, and I’ve harvested more hogs with a bow than any other animal.

What is/are your favorite bowhunting method(s): stands, still hunting, spot and stalk, pure stalking, or other?

For deer and hogs I primarily hunt from tree stands and popup blinds; however, to me the most fun is pure stalking. Ways I’ve hunted elk include posting up at water holes and stalking, but no hunting experience I’ve ever had compares to hunting the rut and calling a bull into shooting range. Life-changing stuff!

What event(s) brought you to use Ashby-style arrow setups?  

I attended a presentation by Dr. Ashby and Rob Nielson at a Hunter Education Instructors conference several years ago, and was very intrigued! I did some experimentation with higher FOC on my arrows and liked the results. I attended another workshop by Rob a couple years later, and decided it was time to really adopt the 12-Factor approach with a new setup.

Could you describe your typical arrow setup(s) for hunting big game?

I use a two-blade, single bevel broadhead on a slightly tapered shaft with a 3-vane fletching setup, and a compound bow with a 70-lb. draw weight. Initially I tried a total arrow weight of 650 grains, to match the “Heavy Bone Threshold” described in the 12 Factors Affecting Arrow Penetration. I had an easy time with this transition and harvested a number of hogs with this setup. Later I switched to a slightly lighter 575 grain arrow for a 2023 mule deer hunt in Colorado, anticipating possible longer-range shots and desiring a slightly flatter trajectory. Recently I’ve still been shooting the 575 grain arrows but I could easily switch back to 650.

Overall, what has been your experience using Ashby-style arrow setups?

Not sure if I’m good or lucky, but switching over from my former 440 grain setup was very easy. My bow loves the heavier setups and only minor tuning tweaks were needed. As expected I lost a bit of arrow velocity, but when shooting animals or targets it is quite obvious the arrows hit harder than before. Performance on game has been outstanding. I shot an old, heavy whitetail buck in 2024 with a 575 grain arrow, making a double-lung, pass-through shot at 30 yards. When skinning it the wound looked more like a gunshot wound than an arrow hit – he was smacked really hard! I don’t recall ever seeing wound trauma like that when I used lighter arrows.

Do you have any bowhunting tips you would like to pass along?

I have tons of tips but will just highlight a few…First, learn to shoot! Develop proper form that is consistent and repeatable. Without a foundation of good shooting form, you cannot assess the results of any changes to your gear. Tuning, sighting-in, and experimenting with arrows and broadheads will be endlessly frustrating without good shooting skills. Also, learn how to adjust your sight and rest, learn how to install a peep sight, and learn how to tie a D-loop. If something goes wrong in the field a pro shop will probably not be just around the corner. When you get your bow and accessories set up in final settings, use a sharpie to mark the positions of everything on your bow, and take pictures with your phone. If something gets bumped you can tell if it moved, and if you have to do a field repair, this will help you restore everything to prior status and you should be 99% ready to go again. Finally, practice shooting from “field situations.” Most of us shoot our bows on a range or in our backyard, standing, and wearing shorts and flip-flops. Which is great. But also practice wearing your hunting clothes, backpack, and from sitting, kneeling or other real-world hunting positions – this will best prepare you for that moment you’ve been dreaming about!

Bob’s first bow harvest in 2003, with 9-yr old Connor Barnette looking on.
Bob has been hopelessy hooked on bowhunting ever since.

A productive fall morning from a Texas tree stand!

Youth on a Texas Youth Hunting Program archery hunt, experimenting with
high-FOC arrows donated by ABF.

Youth on a Texas Youth Hunting Program archery hunt, learning the
important skill of tying a D-loop.