I am on cloud nine. What an amazing feeling. This is truely a day I will never forget.
Four years ago Jim (raineman) introduced me to trad archery by showing me his bow collection. I was immediately interested. He answered the hundreds of questions I would have over time. From teaching me how to use a stringer to teaching me how to identify and give the correct year a Bear bow was made, he did it all. He later introduced me to Rich himself (Droptine 59)and I was consumed. As most of you know I got a little "too consumed" early on.
I started attending the shoots with Jim and Rich and met all you wonderful folks. What a great group all of you are. Well for 4 years I have been attending the shoots and trying my best. I was never a good shot and I would never allow myself to hunt with a recurve because I was so afraid of wounding a deer and not harvesting it.
This season at Denton Hill Bobby "Shacko" really spent time with me on the practice butts. He taught me to use my rear shoulder and back muscles for those last few inches of draw instead of being all arms. When I left that coaching session with Shacko I was shooting better than I ever have. After putting a heart shot on the "iron deer" at Denton I decided this was going to be my first season afield with a recurve. I got home and put into practice everything he taught me until it became 2nd nature.So, this morning I grabbed my 1964 Bear Kodiak in factory camo. I got the bow from Mike Breslin. It pulls 45 pounds and sports a Raineman string and bushwacker puffballs. I would be hunting a friend of mines house near where I live. It is a place that Jim and I have nicknamed "The Meat Market". Upon stopping at the end of his driveway I saw a large 8 point running a doe across his back yard. I walk down to my tree and go up it with my portable climber. My back is to a greenfield. To my front is a rise that goes on for 50 yards or so until it reaches a flat. In the morning I often see deer coming out of the field and going diagonally across that rise. I ended up seeing a total of 3 bucks (2 of them bigger than anything I have ever harvested) running does. I have never seen as much chasing as I saw this morning. Nothing came in to bow range and nothing ever slowed down, but it was great fun to watch.
After a little lull I hear all heck breaking loose behind me. I quickly stand up and sneak a peek behind me over my left shoulder. I see 3 does hauling the mustard coming straight to my tree. They are 70 yards away and running towards me as hard as they can. I instinctively look for the buck that must be chasing them; but I see none. That's a little weird because I havent seen any does all morning without a buck in tow.
They are at 60 yards, 50 yards, 40 yards. I had still been looking behind them but never did see a buck. I then put all my attention into these does. I notice that one of them is huge. They are still running as fast as they can until they get DIRECTLY in line with me. I dont know if they smelled me, of if they saw something up the rise that i had been staring at all day. But all 3 of them stopped running and completely froze. The big one was 18 yards away. To my left. Broadside.
Now in my mind I have played over what I always thought would happen the first time I drew back a trad bow on a deer. I would think to myself- cant the bow, roll the shoulder, make sure you get to anchor etc. NONE of that happened. I seriously cant tell you if I ever hit anchor or what I did. I just didn't think at all. I remember burning a hole in that deers right shoulder with my eyes, pulling the string back, and releasing it. The arrow went EXACTLY where I was looking.
All 3 deer do a 180 and haul butt back towards the green field they came from. I have my eyes on the big one that I hit. She runs behind my tree. I notice that she is not using her left front leg to run (the off side leg). It is just dangling. Her tail is down. She runs away from me; behind me until she gets 40 yards away, and she stops. At this point I expect her to fall over on her side. But instead she gently lays down into a bedded down position. I look at my watch. It is 9:02. I probably first saw the deer at 9:01, that's how fast it all happened.
I keep staring at her and she is not moving. No kicking, no head falling over. She is just in a peaceful bedded down position. I decide to keep watching her. I take a breath. Man my heart is pounding in my ears. I need to calm down. Breath Bill, it's a freaking doe for crying out loud. I stay in the stand and at 9:23 I see a HUGH buck at exactly the same point the 3 does were when I first saw them. I wonder if he is the one that had them running. It's 20 minutes later though. Perhaps he was chaing them and broke off with another one. I will never know. He never comes up to my area. He skirts that field the whole time with his nose down and walks out of my life.
At 9:30 my doe still has not budged. I get down the tree and walk over to her with another arrow on the string. She has expired. She died in that beeded down position. Her head never even fell over to one side. It was surreal. I sat down next to the doe on the forest floor and put my hand on her back. I thought about my Mom who passed away at the end of September, I thought about all you guys from this site. I thanked God, the deer, and Fred Bear. I realize that this was the first arrow that I ever fired at a live deer from a recurve. I have taken over 100 deer with a compound and none of them have given me this feeling. Not only did it go exactly where I was looking, but the deer died 40 yards away within my view. It took me 4 years to get good enough to have the confidence to hunt with a recurve.
I know I wanted pics. I am hunting alone and would normally have to resort to the hold the camera out in front of you trick, but those pics suck. So I call....... Raineman. I share with him my good fortune. Him being him, he tells me that he will take some time off his lunchbreak at work to get good photographs of me and my first trad deer ever.
It's a full circle. 4 years ago I was standing in the basement of the house he bought from me, admiring his recurve collection. I was a kid in a candy store with a million questions. I had not even heard of Fred Bear. Never knew he existed. Now turn the page 4 years later and Jim is the one taking pictures of me with my first deer harvested with trad gear. Wow. What a bud.
So - sorry for the long story - but here she is. I guess the only thing that would have made it better is if she was a he sporting huge headgear. But she is what she is. And to me, she is beautiful.
What makes this extra special? This off season I won the Chris Surtees hat auction here on trad gang. This morning on my way out I grabbed one of Chris's hat. It must have had some mojo in it.
I also used a sticshooter knife to do the dirty work on this doe.
It's basically a trad gang conglomeration harvest for me.
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/IMG_1092.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/IMG_1093.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/IMG_1094.jpg)
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f255/migrabill/IMG_1098.jpg)
The smile says it all, Congratulations!!
Way to go Bill! Congrats!
Very happy for you. :thumbsup: :clapper: KIp
Great story! Looks like some fine eatin. :thumbsup:
Rob
Nice job and you're right, she is beautiful! Congratulations!
great story ! american people are the best !
Congratulations!! Great story!
Great job. :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
:wavey:
From a fello Tradhunter from the Eastern Shore of Maryland congratulations Bill and great Story and giving thanks to the One that Created us all tells me the kind of man you are...God Bless,
Keefer's <><
Well done Bill,congrats for a great shot and a fine deer!Looking at your actual collection I figured you were an old traditional bowhunter!LOL.Now you are!
Congrats Bill! Great story and shot! :thumbsup: :campfire:
Congrats Bill you couldn't have picked a better bow.
doug77
Way to go Bill!!
Great Story.
I hope I can tell a similar one soon.
:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
A very special doe indeed, congrats! :thumbsup:
Great Story! Great Journey!! Great Trophy!!! Super Congratulations Old Man!! :) LOL!! I just turned 46 myself and killed my first "Trad" deer (a spike) five days before my birthday while hunting with fellow TragGanger and "Fred Bear Freak" Sam Stephens. Again, way to go!!!
Doesn't get any better than that!
MB,
Congrads,I bet you are REALLY hooked now !!!
Bill, I am absolutely so happy for you!!
Congratulations on an awesome deer.
You are batting 1000%.....way to go bud!!!
Can't wait to hear the story in person.
Great story and a fine deer! :clapper:
Congrats!
Proud for you Bill,now the ice is broke so it gets easier from here on out.
Awesome story sir! Congratulations! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats Bill
I like the story that goes with it as well
Wayto go Bill. I remember my first recurve deer. A button buck on the last day of NY archery in 1993!!! It was my second bow kill ever and only the 4th deer I'd ever killed I think. Overthe years I've killed a few, and the best shots I've made, I often can't remember even drawing the bow. Like you said, it just happens. It's the only time I think I shoot truly instinctively. I've missed many deer too, and almost always, I can remember thinking during the shot. Where to aim, pick a spot, boy that's a nice buck, he's so close I can't miss, etc. You done good.
Congratulations my friend. Now that you know what it feels like to get one this way, you'll be an animal. Next up...the "A" or the "Snake"?
:clapper:
Congratulations :)
Awesome! Great job dude! Congrats! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Great, that smile says trophy loud and clear, congratulations.
Congrats , well done :thumbsup: :clapper:
Man That's GOOD STUFF BILL...CONGRATS!!
You have experienced what its all about. Fantastic story thanks. Congrats to you and rainman. Believe me he enjoyed that almost as much as you did.
And oh yeah 1965 what a good year!
A day to remember!
:thumbsup:
You did GOOD! Congrats. Thanks for the story and pics.
Gerald
Migrane Bill, :laughing:
that is one serioius Cheshire Cat smile you got going on there, brother!
That is so very cool... I can feel your excitement as I read your tale. Don't dare apologize for length...I didn't want the story to end!
Next year at B'mo, skip the handshake, I'm going for a bear (Bear) hug! :)
Congrats, man! Trophy indeed...they all are!
Congratulations, great job
Bill excellence story and pic's! The feeling you described just ran all through me again, thanks for the reminder of why we do what we do.
Great story-Congrats!
Bill,could I hire you to write my first kill story? Well done brother. Congrats!
Congrats :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Bill, I'm almost as happy for you as you are yourself. Great addition to your Traditional Journey.
Shick
Bill, that is fantastic!Congratulations!A real accomplishment. :clapper:
Well done Bill :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats to you! The first one is a special one that you will never forget.
Congrats again,
Bisch
Bill, that is a really, really good story. Congrats and thanks for sharing.
Congratulations!
Wow, great story. Congratulations. Thanks for sharing.
Very good. Congratulations.
Good deal glad to see your having fun.
Scott
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Great story! Congrats!
That was an awesome story! Congrats on a fine trophy!
:clapper:
CONGRATS Bill!
At Denton when you brought THE "A" riser to me to have a look at and fondle, you were a little excited. Reading your story of your trophy doe, you sound even more excited. I am very happy you have things in proper perspective :bigsmyl:
Bravo! That is just great! 46... You've got 11 seasons on me... My first trad deer this year at 57. I can really relate to how you feel. Congratulations!
Great Job, way to go.
I forgot to mention how much more impressive your first trad kill is with an unstrung bow, too! ;)
By the way, that's cool camo... don't see it often... is it Trebark?
way to go.
I forgot to mention how much more impressive your first trad kill is with an unstrung bow, too! ;)
By the way, that's cool camo... don't see it often... is it Trebark?
Great Doe Bill.
Thats the best story I've heard, in some time. Congrats on your trophy. The journy is what makes the trophy, and yours was a good one.
Way to go Bud.
Awesome story, congrats:)
Very nice! Way ta go!
Good for you brother, I am very happy for you !
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I wish I could shoot that first one all over again. It was a great feeling. Chad
Great job, Bill! Thanks for sharing in such a thoughtful way.
awesome... :clapper: :clapper:
Congratulations. Excellent story and great pictures. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
What a great story and what enthuiasm on a great hunt.
Congratulations on the first. It certainly is exciting. Hope that feeling never goes away.
Thats what its all about right there , CONGRATS SIR
,,,,,,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Fantastic story and very nice doe,congrats.
Congratulations! It sounds like you had a fun day in the stand. The doe is a dandy!
Congrats, love that ol Bear.
Congrats man, nice deer.
congrats
Congratulations.
Nice! Congrats to ya.
Good Job God Bless
your ..young...many more hunts ...nice
Gotta be pleased with that story. You did it right man. Congrats to you on your first traditional kill. Enjoy the experience, and "Keep'Um Sharp". :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Outstanding!!RC
Congratulations. You are hooked for sure now. Brings back memories as my first bow harvest was with a 1966 Kodiak. I still have that bow and may hunt with it again. Good job!
Bobby
Thatta boy Bill!!
fire up the BBQ. You will notice that 'trad killed deer' taste that much better......
Bowhunting at it`s best!!!
"The arrow went EXACTLY where I was looking"...
You gotta love that!!!
Congrats Migra Bill...many happy returns. Thanks for sharing your story...made my day! :campfire:
Welcome to the club!