Hunter Interview - Tammy Hudson

1. How long have you been a bowhunter?

I’ve been bow hunting for about 10 yrs now. 

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

Yes, I will also use my rifle at times depending on on the animal and the situation I’m given. We also use a lot of night vision rifles night hunting hogs. 

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

Wow, that’s a tough question… my favorite hunts so far have been my Cape buffalo with my bow. Rob Neilson built my arrows for this hunt and it was spot on! 1arrow and done. I would have to say the “green” Rhino hunt this past year. We were blessed enough to get within 15 yrs of a nice herd and dart an amazing animal! 

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

Again, another hard question! I enjoy hunting whitetail out of box blinds even with my bow. But there’s nothing better than getting a good stalk on a great animal as well! 

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

My goal for my first Africa hunt was a Cape buffalo with my bow! I was introduced to Rob and he has been building my arrows ever since! 

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

Umm now I’m shooting about 900 grain total weight. With 375 grain broad head. I’m shootin a Matthew’s Jewel and Matthew’s Avail! Love both. I’m drawing 50 pds on each bow. 1 is a heavy set up and 1 is regular game such as whitetail. Which is a 675 total weight arrow! Both are very efficient.

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

It has been amazing and a game changer for me! Knowing the lethality of my Arrows , give me more confidence every time I hunt. I know that if I hit a bone it’s OK they’re gonna go right through it. I’ve been able to shoot a white tail and get a clean pass through both shoulders with no issue. The Cape Buffalo And Water Buffalo speak volumes for my heavy arrow set up.

I had a situation this past year when we were in Africa, where the tail end of my arrow hit the edge of the window, causing my arrow to completely go sideways in flight, but turned right back and made a shot on the animal, just a few inches behind where I was aiming. I have full confidence in any arrow that I have built with Rob‘s help.

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

Especially for women like myself I would say don’t think you have to pull extremely heavy to be able to shoot large game. Seek advice from people like the Ashby Bow Hunting Foundation and Rob Neilson and have the arrows built so you can hunt the animal of your dream with your bow in confidence.