I'm new to using lighted nocks for hunting. I like the idea a lot and will see how much it helps in hunting situations.
I worry a little about the deer I hunt detecting the lighted nock and "startling" at the shot. I'm going to set up a few arrows with a bright orange nock and put a black fur tracer between it and the fletch... I've got a lot of time on my hands.
Whatcha think?
After this past year I'm going to start using them. I thought with white nocks I'd be able to see my arrow pretty well, but that wasn't the case. Ended up hitting a buck in the shoulder blade, but I couldn't tell at the shot since it was starting to get dusky.
I don't think that a deer would see the nock and startle any more than with a normal nock, but I could be wrong. Unless you're shooting in really low light, I don't think the lighted nock would stand out a whole lot.
Try them. I find students can see their arrows fly better. Helps them work on their loose. I shot a couple at rabbits-just to see hoe badly I really missed.
I think those early and late day shadow hits would greatly benefit the archer using them
I think they are COOL, never shot a critter with one on the arrow though. I don't think they would be very visable from the front end of the arrow. maybe there is a video of someone shooting toward the camera with one.
found this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2P2EVfvGO0
Hey Charlie,
Shot this guy with a lighted nock... he was looking my way bc I had bleated but did not jump the shot at all.
There are hundreds of videos on youtube of people shooting deer with them with no visible reaction.
(https://i.imgur.com/G5BbX5L.jpg)
That's a hell of a testimonial Shan. :thumbsup:
Charlie,
I've shot a few animals - turkey, deer, bear, moose - with lighted nocks. Love how they allow me to see exact shot placement, quickly recover the arrow after pass through or along a blood trail, and often aid in recovery of the game. Know some are opposed as being an electronic 'aid', but for me, the nock has nothing to do with getting nor making the shot with a trad bow. Enjoy 'em.
Todd
To each his own,do whatever makes you happy!
Terry
Charlie , ive had the best results with nocturnals.
Remember that they weigh quite a bit more than a normal nock and effectively stiffen your arrow spine a bit. You can take a little bit of copper wire and glue it into the back end of a regular nock for you practice arrows.
Their great
Charlie: This is not "scientific", but is my recent experience with hogs. The outfitter told my son and I that red and green light is invisible to them, just as infrared light is invisible to humans. I was using green nockturnals and my son was using red "imported cheapies". We both had the same experience of missing pigs just before dark. The lighted jocks appeared to brighten up as it got darker. However, pigs continued to come in, and paid absolutely no attention to the "bright balls of light" in the evening fog.
Now, when they got close and detected our scent on the fetchings, they immediately "turned inside out" getting out of dodge!
I shot a pig last year with a red light shining on a feeder. Pretty conclusive for me, as it relates to pigs. While I've shot deer with them, I've not experienced any interaction between deer and a lit nock.
By the way, my son's $2 nocks worked as well as my $10 ones. If anyone wants info on the cheapies, PM me.
The nock on my Axis shaft weighs 10 grains. The Nocturnal lighted nock, 20 grains. Maybe I don't tune that well, but I haven't noticed any difference in arrow flight between them.
They're a hoot. There is a down side though. I missed a critter late last fall with a lighted nock and my arrow stuck at the base of a tree.
Every time I looked that way for the rest of my sit, the lighted red nock stood out like a beacon reminding me of my blunder. Kind of hurts. :>)
I used a Lumanock this last hunting season, because my old eyes are not getting any younger. When I shot my buck it looked like a lazer and I was sure of shot placement immediately. It made it super easy to find my arrow too. I'm sold on them. Can't wait to use one in turkey season.
I have shot several deer with lighted nocks. To be able to confirm just where the arrow went (hit or miss) has many undeniable benefits.
I did lots of testing on the popular lighted nocks and without question the Lumenok is the brightest! Light up several brands and place them side by side under average conditions and they are much easier to see than others. If they dont light up you have not prepped the shaft correctly. They work great on carbon and aluminum. I want to hunt with wood arrows this year and may not be able to use em. Perhaps I wi use wood arrows for morning hunts and Lumenocks for the afternoon evening sit. That is where they really are nice to have!
I really enjoy using them - I've tried most all the brands at some point. Nockturnal is my favorite, because of their "switch" to turn off. However, they have a "rattle" if you have more than one in your quiver. The l
Lumenocks are great, but they have a tendency to randomly come on once they've been activated once. I've thrown away 5 or 6 at least that I've found glowing in my garage and worn their battery out. That's disappointing.
As far as spooking game - they aren't very visible down range of the shaft. I can't imagine them spooking game.
Most are < 10 grains different than a normal nock - if that ruins your tune, in my opinion you were too borderline to begin with. I've never noticed them change a tune on any of my set ups.
The advantages are great - no more "guessing" where you hit, helps to find the shaft in the leaves or debris, and it amazing for game recovery after dark or low light if the arrow didn't go all the way through the animal.
I love having lighted nocks on my arrows. I use the Nockturnals and have found that green is the best color to see (over red).
They come in real handy in practicing, especially in low light conditions.
Let me tell you why I believe in them so much...
I killed two deer last year with them on my arrows. One was a great hit, the other, not so much.
I hit a real nice doe in the front shoulder, and she buzzed out of there in a hurry. I heard my arrow clang off one of the trees as she ran down the hill out of sight. I was sure I had lost her. I was sick.
I couldn't find blood right off in the immediate vicinity, but as I looked down the hill in the general direction I last saw my lighted nock glowing.
I went right to it, saw I had great blood (thanks to simmons treesharks which covers a multitude of mistakes I might add), and found her piled up 30 yards away.
Not sure I would have found the arrow or her without the nocks.
I won't hunt without them now...they made a believer out of me.
Josh
Charlie,
The benefits of a lighted nock far, far outweigh any negatives that I see. Nockturnals for me.
I would have to bare shaft but not against trying them
Great responses guys!! Thanks. :archer2:
Josh, good point on finding the deer in the dark by the glow of the nock.
QuoteOriginally posted by John146:
Charlie,
The benefits of a lighted nock far, far outweigh any negatives that I see. Nockturnals for me.
x2
Plus there cool to watch the arch of archery at dusk target practicing.
Another point is you can learn your arrows trajectory nicely with them and have a better idea if you can clear that branch in the way of your shot.
I recently shot a nice hog at night with a Nocturnal and watched the nock all the way to the woods line where the hog entered the woods and had a good idea where to look if needed. The blood trail and shot where good and didn't have any trouble following right to the hog but it was nice to already know about where it went in. I have shot a bunch of deer also and never had a reaction to them .
I build my arrows to accommodate a Carbon Express lighted nock which weighs 19 grains. When shooting a non-lighted nock, which is most of the time, I use a Beman Vibra-nock which also weighs 19 grains.
Love them. Started using them to make finding arrows easier,$20 BH nice to find them. I do tune for them. never had a deer jump because of the light.
You will love them. I have not found them to affect arrow tune at all.
QuoteOriginally posted by fnshtr:
By the way, my son's $2 nocks worked as well as my $10 ones. If anyone wants info on the cheapies, PM me.
Just as a FYI, I'd be wary of the cheapies. I know it's a bit different than shooting a compund, but there are countless horror stories of cheapie light-up nocks breaking and compounds essentially being dry fired because of it. It's not quite as big of a deal with a stickbow, but I doubt anyone wants to dry fire any of their bows. Definitely worth the extra few bucks to buy a quality product
QuoteOriginally posted by not on the rug:
QuoteOriginally posted by fnshtr:
By the way, my son's $2 nocks worked as well as my $10 ones. If anyone wants info on the cheapies, PM me.
Just as a FYI, I'd be wary of the cheapies. I know it's a bit different than shooting a compund, but there are countless horror stories of cheapie light-up nocks breaking and compounds essentially being dry fired because of it. It's not quite as big of a deal with a stickbow, but I doubt anyone wants to dry fire any of their bows. Definitely worth the extra few bucks to buy a quality product [/b]
I'll trust you on this. My son just recently purchased them. My initial concern with them was the fact that they are imported. I'd rather buy American Made. I've shot them maybe 20 times from my trad bows, my son maybe a bit more with his 70 lb compound, with no failures.
Thanks for the additional information!
been using them for a few years, had zero reaction by the deer. Nothing is better than instantly knowing shot placement and penetration, and having the visual aid and a jump on tracking. I've only had one lighted portion come out and that was my buck this year..he ran through some super thick brush. But he was laying 5 yards past where I "lost sight" of his travel path after the shot from my stand.
one thing - don't miss, it's rather humbling to sit there with a little glowing reminder stuck in the ground. :biglaugh:
Although I did have a doe circle back to check the arrow and the second shot connected
I shot a small Pig and Georgia a few years back, it wasn't the perfect hit but I was able to see where the pig was for at least an hour after the shot. After I walked up to him I found my arrow laying there easily and the pig was laying a couple feet away. The swamp was so dense, I would have never found that pig otherwise. I know people are against the technology but I for one am a believer in lighted nocks
I tried them, sort of a cute gadget but after 50 years of killing critters they're hardly what I see as a needed improvement.
Charlie, I like the concept and am convinced they come in handy. I will have at least 1 next season.
Charlie, I bought two for use hunting hogs at night. the first night out a shot a nice boar in the pocket. He took off through the woods with my lighted nock glowing away. Never saw either of them again. Two nights later in the same stand, a mob of 100 pounders came in and I lined up on a nice one at 8 yds. Shot hit a bit high in the shoulder and off he went with my nock glowing.
Never found him or my glowing nock.
Last time I hunted with lighted nocks. LOL
Mike
Techno-Stuff where techno stuff is not required. Use a little white artificial fur as tracer at the end and you can see your arrow just fine. A white nock alone doesn't help. If the nock takes off with the animal and your arrow you are out $.05 instead of $8 for just the nock. For target shooting at dusk or in low light conditions, they are fun, but you can tape the little floating lights to the end of your arrow for that. But a lot of time lighted nocks don't help much in finding arrows either, especially under leaves.
For finding animals you shot at, the string tracker is the better choice if you hunt in very dense or difficult terrain like swamps where you can not pick up blood trails because of water.
And if you ever have the buck of a lifetime walking under your stand, you kill it and then want to enter it into Pope and Young or Comptons, that won't work as electronic devices on arrows are not accepted. Keep it simple.
Mike, I feel the pain. Imagine a fella with a $10 shaft, $1 brass insert, $8(ballpark)lighted nock & many who use a 20-30 dollar broadhead. Hey, someone stop that pig, he's got my 50 bucks!
Well Mike the lighted nock was not the problem, lol :bigsmyl: I have had hogs run off not to be seen with and without lighted nocks.
Although you were out extra $, so that is a factor to consider. Are you willing to pay the $8-10 for an increased chance of getting your arrow/broadhead back.
Not as many naysayers as I thought this thread would get. They are not a necessity nor not for everyone but they have made identification of hit location and sometimes help finding the critter for me.
I know some folks think the lighted nocks are too techy but think about this. Some people use white feathers when they hunt. They will be totally camouflaged and then have white feathers on their arrows. They take the risk of white feathers so they can see where their arrow hits the animal. Some people use white or lime green nocks for the same reason.
It is completely logical to try to improve that part of this sport if you can and that's why people have been doing just that for many years. I can solve that issue with a lighted nock and shoot green feathers if I want to. If you ground hunt you know that getting drawn without getting picked off is the hardest part of the game. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
Todd,
I once saw a home made video on another site where a chap built some River Cane arrow and for fun, used a lighted nock on the cane arrow...talk about funny things to see...but it was pretty cool to watch the flight at dark in his "fun" video...
I've not used them as I don't want the added rear weight but I can't say or see what's wrong with them. Anything that will help harvest a wounded animal is a good thing, IMO
I started using lighted nocks 2 years ago for elk hunting. I first experimented with one red Nockturnal and one green Nockturnal at the local 3D range (similar thick forest to where I hunt elk). I was surprised to find that the green Nockturnal was MUCH more visible to my eyes than the red Nockturnal so I went with green. I have since shot 2 elk with them. It is fun to see my arrow easily as it arcs toward my elk and where it hits. They are also great for finding my arrow after a pass-thru. I cannot see any difference in my arrow flight compared to regular nocks.
Have often found discerning a mark as compromised when shooting thru mesh. A lighted nock resolves the issue.
I have to think that the people that say that a lighted nock is not "traditional" are the same people that follow up a night time blood trail carrying a burning fire torch, no battery flashlights allowed don't ya know. :biglaugh:
I shot a buck this year and the arrow had penetrated almost up to the fletch. I could see the yellow fletch as he made his death run and the arrow waved around.
I couldn't find the arrow that day and it was only later that I found it after a careful search of the buck's travel path.
As it was I was unsure of the exact shot and let the animal layover night. Having a lighted nock I could have found the arrow that day and the blood sign it provided would have taken me to him that same evening.
Can they be used on woodies?
If a "cute gadget" helps me recover my late afternoon deer before the coyotes eat it, then I sure am gonna keep using them. Where I hunt, if you don't recover that late afternoon deer you just arrowed within 15 minutes, you will only recover fur and bones. Lighted nocks help more than any other alternative.
either carbon or certain aluminums