I've been making my own arrows since 2004 and started making my own bows in 2006. But once I started making my own bows, I simply haven't had any shot opportunities on deer. Finally my luck changed a few days ago when I got a shot at a doe. I think I had a touch of "doe fever", so my shot placement was less than desirable (a.k.a. gut shot). I knew immediately the shot was poor, so my brother-in-law and I waited until the next morning to take up the trail. It was tough going but we recovered her.
I was using a 54# @ 28 inch longbow I made a couple years ago and my arrows were douglas fir tipped with Magnus broadheads.
It feels good to finally take a deer with all my own homemade equipment, but I just wish my shot would have been better.
Here's a pic with the kids and me.
(http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae23/jsweka/CAM_1680.jpg)
The reason for the florescent orange is that the PA early muzzleloader season is now in and even us bowhunters have to where orange when moving.
One thing that is just as hard as killing a deer with traditional equipment is trying to get two little kids to both look at the camera at the same time :)
Hard work rewarded! Your smiling in a pic with your kids and a dead deer.....who cares where you hit? Enjoy the moment and go do it again and again! Congrats to you
Great job, and it is an awesome feeling isn't it? I have done it with a homemade bow, and carbon arrows, now I'm just waiting to do it with wood arrows of my own making.
I know what you mean about kids and cameras too.
Congrats! Nice work :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great job.
The kids look proud of Dad,they will have stories to tell at school
John, excellent!!!!
Shick
congrats on the doe, and really like the bow. :clapper: :clapper:
Nothing like taking em with your own.
Good Job. Good looking Kids. :archer:
Thats just cool.
Another fine PA whitetail. Great Job.
:thumbsup:
awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:thumbsup: Great job!!! Nice looking bow, kids and deer also.
congrats, thats pretty cool.
Big congrats.
atta boy
Awesome Congrats
Great Job and Congrats on the Doe,
Feels good when you manage to get everything correctly.
Pretty awsome!
Congradulations. Hap
The old Heinz 57 commercial comes to mind - anticipation and satisfaction. Nice.
great job and its cool that you have your kids with you in the pictures seeing what its all about
Excellent John, is that the longbow you had at Marsh Hill this summer? I finally got a 58" longbow finished up just before our season started. I'm hoping for a similar picture. Rob
Great job on everything, especially the recovery!
congrats! :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice work John. You did the right thing to recover your deer. Nice to see the effort.
thats cool
Congratulations---nice job there. It always feels good to build your own "stuff" and then use it successfully.
That is really special, good job, The first one with 'your stuff' is one you will always remember. Congratulations !!!!
A great accomplishment, made even greater by finding the doe after what must have been a tough tracking job.
Nice work. :thumbsup:
Great job! Congrats! :thumbsup:
Outstanding and way to stay after her! Thanks for sharing your experience as not every shot can be perfect. :thumbsup: :clapper:
That must be a great feeling John to harvest a deer with your own homemade arrows and bow. Congrats!!
Very cool. Congratulations on a very fine accomplishment.
Travis
ALRIGHT!!!!!
Awesome job!
Nice work!! Both on the equipment and the deer.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: todd
Thanks everyone!!
I'm sure you all know what's said about finding a gut shot deer....Well, after running out of blood we started the grid search deal, and I took the route along the creek bottom. Sure enough, there she laid in a patch of golden rod along the stream bank.
Rob - Yes, that is the same bow I had with me at Marsh Hill. Good luck with your new build!
Now my goal is to fill my buck tag with a good double lung shot. Got vacation time coming to me next week... :thumbsup:
congrats jsweka, must be very satisfying! technically its not all home made equipment...you haven't sown/knitted/made your very own jute weave underwear and clothing!!! Just kidding! I hope to make a huntable self bow one day and join the homemade hunting club.
Good job Buddy!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great job, John. I've missed two does so far with my bow. Glad you stuck with the blood trailing, too.
Love the pic with you and the kids. I think my boys were that young once.
Stan
Way to go . good job.
Super cool. A goal of mine too.
Good job on all accounts!!!
Good for you. Glad you recovered the kill too. We all want to do better on the next one. Good sportsmanship. Keep it up.
good job buddy.i've yet to get mine.i can't wait to do it myself,steve
Good job, finding it makes it a whole lot nicer.
Way to go John, :thumbsup: