Archery sights have come a long way from metal rods with colored tips. Today, bow hunters have options. These range from basic traditional bow sights to fiber optic pins that focus available light, dawn to dusk, like the Summit Hot Dot F.O.X. bow sight, to futuristic laser pendulum sights that reflect a sighting dot on a reflective strip and are accurate out to a predetermined distance regardless of elevation or angle, such as the 2008 Hot Dot Plus bow sight.
There are important considerations with hunting bow sights beyond which sight to choose. One thing to consider is a back-up bow sight, or, at the very least, spare pins. On a trip to Montana for his first antelope hunt, outdoor writer/photographer Glenn Wheeler found out firsthand how important spare pins for his hunting bow can be. The terrain was typical antelope habitat: wide-open prairies with golden cut wheat fields and tall prairie grass. There was nothing of note that would cause worry about the archery sight. Wheeler discovered, though, that you don’t have to be hunting in thick cover to damage your hunting bow sights.
Twice he set his hunting bow down in the wheat stubble field to glass for goats, only to discover that each time one of his bow sight's fiber optic pins had snapped in half. Without spares he would have been in serious trouble, and he had looked forward to this trip for months.
A spare hunting bow sight is also a good idea, especially when traveling on a long-anticipated bow hunting trip far away from the nearest sporting goods store. Stuff happens, and if your hunting bow sight is destroyed or rendered ineffective a spare can save the hunt.
Another consideration is bow sight adjustment. Always mark the intersections on the bow sight in case it is knocked around. One look will tell you whether you're still "on," and will help you quickly re-sight-in if the archery sight is removed.
Another outdoor writer, Lynn Burkhead, whose blog can be read at ESPNOutdoors.com, was fortunate to have marked his hunting bow sight's position after flying to Maine for a bear hunt. Airlines are notorious for their somewhat uncaring luggage handling, as evidenced by a broken carbon arrow in his case when he arrived. His archery sight, a Summit Hot Dot bow sight, was completely removed from the bow and lay in pieces in his case.
After some consideration, he bet that since the unit is battery-operated and features a laser, security likely investigated it thoroughly. Burkhead remounted the bow sight, matching it to the marks he’d placed on the mount, and within a few shots was back on target.
Batteries are another consideration. When a new battery is installed, write the date on the package and place the package in your bow case so you know how many hours it’s been installed. Always have one or two spares with you, just in case. One should be in the pack you take to the tree stand.
Unless you bow hunt traditional-style, your hunting bow sight is vitally important. Always shoot a few shots prior to any hunt to ensure everything’s in working order. Practice throughout the year. Simulate actual hunting situations by shooting out of a tree stand, from your knees or from a sitting position. Remember that you'll likely be wearing a coat. Shoot wearing the togs you'll be wearing in an actual bow hunting situation.