Tuesday morning, 9/25/12 I put all my learning and study together and achieved another goal with my longbow, that goal? To harvest a deer with trad. gear...and I DID IT!
(http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd401/TomBowMTB/IMG_0570.jpg)
I came from the compound world, but I have serious doubts that I will ever return now that I have achieved what so many of you have achieved. I must extend a HUGE thank you to all who in no small way had a part in this. Those who answered my questions without hesitation, those who helped to show me the way and shared their experiences so many to thank. Suffice to say there will be more harvests and I hope that each will be a fraction as sweet as this one.
Best of luck to all! Lady luck has shined upon me.
TomBow
Way to go sir! Congratulations! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If I close my eyes and think back I can still see the flight of my white dipped, white fletched cedar arrow arcing in slow motion to my first 'trad gear' mule deer harvest....that was 21 years ago. enjoy and fire up the BBQ... good job.
Joe
Good deal!! You're off to a great start,Congrats and enjoy the ride. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Way to go. Hope to get my first as well this year.
Congrats!!!!
Nothing better,congrats.
That's awesome, way to go! :clapper:
It is a rewarding way to hunting, isn't it?
Congratulations!
congrats, they will be easy now... just kidding
Congrats!
Congrats!! Nice job.
Is that your Whip in the picture? Nice!
:thumbsup: :clapper:
Congratulations on your accomplishment!
Thats awesome!!!! :clapper: congrats on accomplishing a goal, do you have another one set now?
congrats
Congrats!
Congrats on the deer and nice bow! "MTB" is one of the very best looking Whips I've ever seen.
Good job. :thumbsup:
Good Shoot'n!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Iflytrout/Pictures/buzzards.gif)
Very nice
Nicely done. Congrats!
Good job Tom!! Congrats on getting a nice doe!
How is the deer population doing up there?
Very nice! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Shoot straight, Shinken
:archer2:
Very nice indeed!
Yeah your hooked and you won't want to go back to shooting wheeled bows. : )
:thumbsup:
Yeah boy! Congrats
congrates, im hoping to get my first trad deer this season. Got the longbow shooting amazing and hitting right where I look out to 25yds. cant wait
I love a good trad success story :)
Welcome to the addiction..
Congratulations! Way to stay with it. :campfire:
Thanks to all for the congrats. Yes that is my Mac. Ebony/Dark Myrtle Toelke Whip in the pic. She's been nothing short of MY bow, I named her MTB for my and my wife's initials and it also stands for "Meant to Be" both for the great relationship that I have with my wife and that it is "Meant to Be" that this Whip should be mine! When I got her last August, I took my first shot and said "Wow!" She is a thing of beauty to the eye and in the hand.
The Duluth Bowhunters put 550+ deer in freezers and food shelfs each year but I don't see the population declining much. The primary focus is does, as that will have the greatest impact on deer populations. We are required to shoot a doe first before we can shoot a buck and each year over 80% of the total harvest is antlerless deer. Still plenty in the population. Lots of wooded areas that are off limits to hunting but we do our best to have an effect. I've tried to confirm but I believe I may be the ONLY trad hunter in the entire group of 300+ hunters! Showing everyone else that it can be done without Wheels and sights. I am buzzing with pride!
Welcome to the family! I've said it before, but there is something addictive to Trad! :thumbsup:
Way to go brother, welcome to the journey. :goldtooth:
:clapper: :clapper: :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
Way to go!
:thumbsup:
-Jay
Tom, You did good, I would rather get 1 deer with Trad eq. than 5 with wheels. I am happy for you.
Good job! longbows and recurves are just plain more fun.
Joe
Congratulations on a fine trophy, way to go!
Nicely done!!
Congrats!
Congrats!
Fantastic! :thumbsup:
Excellent job Tom!! :clapper:
Awesome :thumbsup:
Great job!!!
Tom,
Welcome to the brotherhood. There is nothing that compares with taking game with a longbow. You did it. Once you have experienced it, you are changed as a hunting archer.
The best to you,
Jeff Schulz
:bigsmyl: :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
congrats nice shootin :thumbsup:
There's nothing like it,is there?Good for you,Tom!
Aside from the extreme joy of carrying a stick and string in the woods the results of a well placed arrow from a trad bow is very gratifying experience.
Way to go.... :clapper: :archer2:
TomBow, Congratulations! Thought I recognized a Whip in that picture.
Way to go! That first deer with trad equipment is very special! :thumbsup:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
:thumbsup:
:clapper:
Well done! Learning that how you do it means more than simply doing it..well now that's what traditional bowhunting really is about, isn't it. I Like your attitude and your enthusiasm. Hat's off to you, Sir!
Way to go!!
Much Thanks to you my brothers and sisters of the bow! Wow, I am just BUZZING with happiness and pride with getting the job done with my longbow! And TWICE in the same year, turkey in the spring and deer in the fall. Two shots, two clean harvests! And yesterday, I ALMOST harvested the largest buck of my entire hunting career! Here in Minnesota, the season starts Sept. 15 and runs until Dec. 31, so we are not far into the season. The weather has cooled a bit but we are still seeing a few days in the 70's! Not expecting anything "rutty" to be going on with the bucks. But then yesterday morning happened!
I was sitting in my stand (lucky first longbow-deer stand spot) and not much was going on. A few deer or other animals had been walking around before sunrise, but daylight had brought no activity. The neighborhood dogs had been barking their fool heads off, me thinking maybe a deer is nearby, but not seeing any. AT 8:20 AM or so, I hear something running through the woods and turn my head to see a doe running full-bore toward me and then by me, not stopping to chat! And right behind her is a BIG deer, with BIG bones growing out of his head! And he stops at, no bull, 8 YARDS and BROADSIDE! I got my bow, gripped the string, turned a bit and focussed on the spot as he stood there not knowing I was in the world! When I got to full draw, I was looking at him through several Maple leaves and small branches. I could NOT TAKE THE SHOT for fear of a deflection. And he just walked out of my life, biggest deer I have ever been that close to, antlers probably 2" or better outside of his ears. To be honest, when I saw this big brute running toward me, I took very little time to gaze upon his headgear, knowing that I might get a shot at the biggest deer of my life, and while I was holding a longbow, and only 4 days after I had harvested my first longbow deer! And he just walked away.....WOW! What a deer! I hope to cross paths with him again but know that may be unlikely. Let me just say EIGHT YARDS and dead-Broadside. And my practice shot out of the stand was dead on. If he had meant to be mine, he would have been. I LOVE TRAD BOWHUNTING!!
TomBow
Well done! Congratulations.
Way to go. You'll definitely be hooked!
Good luck on that big buck you are chasin.
aint it grand to see some one come from the dark side and step into the light way to go congrats :archer: :clapper: