Few things stir the pot among bowhunters like broadheads. Don’t believe it? Just bad-mouth another bowhunters broadhead choice, and see what happens.
Broadheads are a hot topic, fueling a never-ending debate over what works best when it comes to fixed blades vs. mechanicals. Hunters seem to be on an endless quest for the broadhead that flies true, penetrates deep, and is built tough enough to take a beating.
However, at the end of hunt, what really matters is which broadhead will result in more notched deer tags. Fortunately, our friends at the National Deer Association (NDA) just posted some interesting info on the facts regarding the deadliness of fixed blades vs. mechanicals. Check it out in their info and charts below.
Debates about the effectiveness of fixed-blade broadheads compared to mechanical broadheads are usually based on personal experiences. To the NDA’s knowledge, the only comprehensive research on this question was done by Andy Pedersen, who compiled a rock-solid database with details on over 40,000 hours of bowhunting effort gathered over a span of 30 hunting seasons.Â
Andy’s study took place at a U.S. military installation in Maryland where bowhunting by base personnel is strictly managed and closely monitored. Deer recovery rates for both broadhead types were very high. See the findings in the pie chart below.
The pie charts above also show the recovery rates for both compound bow and crossbow users. (Maryland removed crossbow restrictions in 2010. Crossbow users now account for about half the annual deer harvest on the Navy Base).
The improvements to the deer recovery rates for bowhunters using mechanical broadheads with either compound bows or with crossbows are statistically significant.
However, the differences in recovery rates between compound bow and crossbow users with respect to broadhead choice are not statistically significant.
Note the average recovery rates for bowhunters using fixed-blade broadheads with compound bows (82.4%) or with crossbows (81.7%) are nearly the same.
We want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on this study? Comment below, and let us know what you think.Â
