I think perhaps the type of sound the bow makes matters just as much as how loud/quiet the bow is. I shot a BW TF for a couple of years, and no one would have said that the bow was real quiet, but I never had a deer jump the string..

I like a quiet bow, and I strive to make the bows I shoot the best as quiet as I can make them.

I have killed 2 deer on the second shot. If my bow was loud they would have bolted for sure. Quiet is waaaay important.

I prefer quiet over quick. I know the speed of sound is the speed of sound and the noise gets there just a s quick, but a dull thunk spooks game less than a loud twang in my experiences. Shawn

Quiet is what it is. All bows make noise. Some are louder then others but they all make noise when shot. Noise travels at 850 FPS, or something like that. My fastest curve shoots a GT at 211 FPS. Sound will always get there before the arrow.

With that being said, I'm sure deer know what certian sounds mean if the area has seen hunting pressure. If you get your bow real quiet, they may not put it together that someone just put an arrow thru them untill it's too late.

Thats what I strive for. Any forgien noise will spook jumpy deer. Deer reflex's are extreamly fast. Notice how a deer will stop in it's tracks when you let out a quick whissle? get your bow noise down to a dull thud and it will have the same effect, at least that is what I have found.

JL

That was point I was trying to make Ken...what is loud and what is quiet?

Like Terry I make the bow and arrow combination that I shoot the best as quiet as I can get it.  

Thanks for the responses guys