your "proudest shot"

[Denny Sturgis Sr.]

Ive been bowhunting 50yrs a have had lot of proud shots, also I might add a lot of humbling shots. The one that stands out in my mind took place in 1992 in Montana on a hunting trip with my son. It was a white tail hunt with Gene Wensel at his Cotton Wood White Tail operation.On the second morning of the hunt my son took a dandy 10pt and after meeting back at the ranch for coffee he and the rancher were going to go pick up his buck. Gene told the guys,after you load up Jr.s buck walk through the red willow patch and we will set up on the other end of it. As we set up for the push, Gene mentioned he had missed a big one, at the same spot that we were setting up at,the year before. I got to thinking to my self, here I am where my hero missed a shot from the same spot and almost looking over my shoulder, how in the world am I supposed to makethe shot if one presents its self. About then the sound of running deer and 2 nice bucks pass by. I see in the distance a bigger one heading my way and comes to a stop about 25 yards away. Next thing an arrow appears low behind his front leg. Buck runs about 50 yards and rolls end over end like a rabbit. Dont remember the shot, probably would have missssssed if I had to think about it.That morning my son and I both took nice bucks and were hunting with Gene Wensel, just doesnt get any better.      Denny Sturgis Sr

[TrapperJohn]

Hey Coleman  How'd ya keep from pokin hoes in da barn roof         Trapperjohn  :D    :D

[mike g]

Last weekend at the Lodi Bowmens "Cartoon Classic"
A 50 yd. Target,It's drizziling rain....Wet fletching....A perfect bull's eye....
    I won the Longbow class....And beat the recurves too..!!

"Mike" a friend In archery

[Canyon]

Didn't even pull a string but I was more proud than if I had  :D   when my 13 year old son Jason used his HH Bear Cub to arrow a Mulie buck while it stood right under my stand. Prettiest shot you've ever seen and he was as cool as a cucumber  :cool:

[Chad Sivertsen]

Canyon, good to see ya here.

Over the years I've had several shots that I'm proud of. One that stands out would be the first antelope buck I took.

After a few seasons of trying to get an antelope by stalking I still had unpunched tags. I was determined to get the first one by stalking and shortly after moving to Montana got an invite from a guy that knew of an area with rolling terrain that at least offered a possibility of stalking. I tried to make most of my stalks on bedded animals because they offered the best chance of success. From my previous experiences I knew that getting close enough was possible but because of the need to raise up from a prone position after crawling into range and getting a shot off at a buck that was not already running was very difficult. So I spent the summer practicing shooting from as close to the ground as I could at a 3d bedded antelope. On the first day of the season I spotted a buck dozing in an area with a few low clumps of sagebrush and after a careful stalk was less than 15 yards from him. He was quartering toward me slightly and there was a clump of sage a few feet from him directly between us. Once in a while he would open his eyes to look around and I knew if I stood up to shoot over the brush he would be running in a second. I couldn't shoot through it so I raised up as far as I dared and with my longbow horizontal and at about 3/4 draw I lobbed an arrow over the brush. It dropped in perfectly and went through both lungs. I had actually practiced a shot similar to that through the summer and the results were very satisfying.

[MYSTIKBOW]

A bottle cap twisted into a Mckenzie deer at 25yrds. three compound buddies went at it with 6 arrows each. All missed. I walked up with my longbow and drilled it with my second arrow.
 Yes I have compound shooting buddies.  

[Jim Picarelli]

It was my 1st traditional kill.I was sitting in my treestand for the evening hunt when this doe came into the area to feed on some apples.She came in my right side and stayed a little far out so I just sat back and watched what she was going to do.This deer would come in close,then back out,then bed ,then feed a little.After an hour of this,I was getting mentally worn out.Finally she got up and came out of the deadfall she was layng in but walked straight away from me-Again no shot.All of sudden,she turned to her left to drop over the ridge and automatically the bow came up,I hit anchor and watched the arrow pass thru-perfect shot.She jumped and ran about 10yds and looked back to where she was standing-wondering what happened-and started to feed again.Then I saw the back legs go out and she dropped 20yds from my treestand.I've taken 120" to 140" buck with a rifle but this little doe is by far my favorite trophy.

[CBD]

Okay, I think I can post in this thread now...LOL.

My first ever bow, my first ever shot! was a bullseye!  AWSOME! and I didn't even know I did it cause I was checking out my hurting arm from the string hitting it.  Poor form, probably poor stance...yep, thats what did it!.    

[MikeW]

I don't know but I just got a Mckenzie boar. I paced off 18 yards turned around and put two in the 12 ring this morning. I quit at that point while I was ahead.

Shot a cottontail running away once. Right up the ole bum hole and out between the eyes.

[Reg Darling]

Whitetail buck at 11 feet (measured afterward)-- the thing is that I spotted this buck bedded down and stalked that close. Could have taken the shot sooner, but at some point I just got lost in pure stalking. At 11 feet he got nervous and stood up and I put an arrow through his lungs.

[bayoulongbowman]

OK my proudest shot wasnt one...Let me explain..all I was thinking about was getting a deer with my bow ( a recurve at the time)I had just started out and I knew my shooting range was only 12 to 15 yds...at the time anything past that ..well I would of just wounded the animal..that sicking to me...we owe the game at least a swift ending as possible..anyway here comes 2 deer one sporting almost 12 pts...but only got as close as 20 to 25 yds...I mean for a long 15 or 20 minutes ...But I knew I just wasnt comfortable at that time shooting on one of Gods most beautiful animals..so I passed ..I was going back to camp empty...but when I expressed my disapointment two of the old timers one part indian padded me on my back ,and said Mark ,you did the right thing and we talked about it in front of some of the younger guys..well it made me feel real good inside ...the way the old timers talked youd thought I had bagged a trophy buck of the year.....they were right..Thank you God for the Blessing,#78 ..Mark

[Stekewood]

My proudest shot was this past January in Fl.  I was hog hunting with 5 friends who were shooting compounds.  I had switched to traditional equipment only four months ealier, and got nothing but grief over my choice to hunt only with my longbow.  We had a shoot off to choose our hunting area.  Closest to the bull gets first pick, next closest gets second pick, etc.  We backed off to an unknown distance of around 30 yards, and began the competition.  I shot fifth, and there were already four arrows encircling the bull.  Well, you guessed it, I put it right in the dead center.  For the rest of the trip, there was not a word said about my "inferior" equipment!

[bayoulongbowman]

steve, Go ahead , Youd the Man!!!love that one..thanks Mark#78

[Coop]

Since I have yet to take any animal with traditional gear my proudest shot was at Denton Hill last year. I was shooting at that uphill Moose target (100 yards?) with a friend. I was using my first ever selfbow, a Hickory bow named "Hen-le". On the second shot I nailed it.  Of course he was the only one to see it.

[Brian L]

It would have to be my first traditional kill. After quite a few blunders, things finally fell into place. Had a doe feed into my area at a fast pace which gave me limited time to think. Instinct took over and I made a clean lung shot at around 12 yards. She only ran about 25 yards.

[mike g]

While shooting A 3-D tournament with all African animals....
A Warthog At 49 yards slightly uphill, I shot a 31,Thats a spot and 2 ten's....Shot with longbow and POC taperd shaft's
    Made my day......  :D    

[zagaya]

Stumping one day I found a survery marker about a foot high with an orange tape wrapped around the top. Took out a judo and hit the 1x2" piece of wood right on the tape where I aimed.  Paced it off at 50 yards.  Retrieved my arrow, walked back to the spot where I shot and did it again. Got my arrow and went home. No use p    ushing things I figured... _BAXter

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Proudest may not be the correct term, as if I had thought about it, I probably wouldn't have taken the shot, but I did. A Tom turkey caught me coming to draw and took off quartering away at about a 45 degree angle heading for the timber. I dropped to one knee and let go. It hit him just in front of the left thigh. He took off flying, got to tree top, and folded. I paced it off, 38 yards. The arrow was sticking out just under the right wing butt, a perfect quartering away hit, on a running Tom.