I was just thinking the other day how long it took to get my first deer and then first elk. I know a lot of new hunters hear us veteran hunters talk and may get discouraged. My first deer took three years. My hunting buddy took seven years. My first elk took fifteen years. And it was a cow. But don't give up. It will come. And you will have a great adrenaline rush. Now I have killed quite a few and find myself having as much fun getting ready to hunt as I do hunting. I enjoy stump shooting and running around in the forest. It is more relaxing than actual hunting. I think it is because I tend to push myself. So, how long did it take you to get your first? Gary
My first season of traditional I shot over the shoulders of a nice 3 year old nine point. A week later on thanksgiving morning I ended up making what I thought was a gut shot on a 2 year old 8 point. I followed the blood trail about 500yards and lost it on a adjacent property as the deer crossed the road. I was late to thanksgiving and I was mad at myself for the bad shot I made. I decided to put the bow down because I didn't feel like I could get the job done with my bow.
When rifle season came I called in sick on opening morning. 10 minutes after first light a group of six does came out and I shot 2 of them. After the second doe went down t he 2 year old I thought I gut shot came out limping to try to get some why the dead doe. I ended up hitting him in the back leg and not the gut, I decided to go ahead and shot him. I had taken 2 weeks off during bow season and didn't get a deer but I had gotten 3 deer within the first 15 minutes of opening day rifle. I felt that rifle was too easy and decided to only buy archery only tags the next year.
The next seoson I harvested my first trad and firt public
My first season of traditional I shot over the shoulders of a nice 3 year old nine point. A week later on thanksgiving morning I ended up making what I thought was a gut shot on a 2 year old 8 point. I followed the blood trail about 500yards and lost it on a adjacent property as the deer crossed the road. I was late to thanksgiving and I was mad at myself for the bad shot I made. I decided to put the bow down because I didn't feel like I could get the job done with my bow.
When rifle season came I called in sick on opening morning. 10 minutes after first light a group of six does came out and I shot 2 of them. After the second doe went down t he 2 year old I thought I gut shot came out limping to try to get some why the dead doe. I ended up hitting him in the back leg and not the gut, I decided to go ahead and shot him. I had taken 2 weeks off during bow season and didn't get a deer but I had gotten 3 deer within the first 15 minutes of opening day rifle. I felt that rifle was too easy and decided to only buy archery only tags the next year.
I practiced every day and got a new bow that made my shooting better. The next season I harvested my first trad and first public land buck. This season I plan on getting trying to get my first deer from the ground.
Whoops, i shouldn't post pass my bed time
first mule deer 2 years, second mule deer 4 more yrs.
first white tail 5 years
first elk 7 yrs
the past 10 seasons I've averaged 3 big game animals/year. there is a learning curve....
It took me two season and took a doe. I was like you Gary I think it took me 8 or 9 seasons to finally get a elk. I do think the elk hunting in our state is much better now than back then for sure.
I got my first real hunting bow in 1966 or so. My family moved quite a bit so hunting was very sporadic for quite a few years. I shot my first buck in 1972.
Almost as interesting to me is when I decided to try to shoot a really nice buck, I let some nice younger bucks go by and I enjoyed the challenge. But I do regret not pulling back on one particular buck 2-3 years ago. There were nicer ones around so I let a decent 5X5 stand in my shooting lane at about 15 yards, and walk on by.
At least I do have the memories of him shaking his head because of flys and watching that rack swivel around. It was a pretty cool memory, but I have not had one that nice in shooting range since.
My made my first traditional kill my first season with a trad bow. I actually shot another one which seemingly was a kill shot that left massive amounts of blood but we were never able to find her. We searched for to days only to have a 300 yd trail dry up in a bed the doe had been in the night before. I was heartbroken and I didn't really hunt much for a few weeks after that. Then a few weeks later on a hunt in South Dakota I made my longest shot to date which was 20 yds and got a pass through on a great doe my second to last day there. Turned out to be a good season and I was happy I had made the switch.
I killed a whitetail on the 3rd and 9th day of my first season. That took away a bunch of nervousness and doubt.
Rob
Started in 1968 had my first shot in 1971.......still try'n to get it done! Have killed deer [whitetail and mule], antelope with a gun and whitetail with a coumpound but with trad gear it's been and still is a journey!
I'm going for a new record - started in 2005, I do have a few misses to my name. I have shot a squirrel - I get about 10 days a year to hunt, last year I saw deer every time I went, 11 total in 10 days, don't think I saw the same deer twice (2 of my misses). Public land only - I have passed on a few as well.
Still at it from when I started this trad stuff... It's been over ten years of missed shots, no shot, didn't shoot, busted and most of all- Not giving it 100%...... :dunno: ...... Still Love It So!
... mike ...
Took me six years to get my first white tail with a bow and my first Canadian black bear was taken on my second trip to Quebec . Shot him at 8 yards first day after a one hour sit in my stand..
I think I went 5 years or so, missed a few before my first kill. She was a public land MI deer that I heart-shot from a tree stand. Actually she was my first whitetail kill with any weapon and every deer since has been with a longbow or recurve.
Still haven't got an elk, but I only hunted them for 2 years so far. Came close opening morning of my second season on a couple big cows, but no cigar...someday...
I've had elk meat from a buddy and I don't care if it takes 20 years, I want some more, preferably from one that I've taken myself.
My first traditional hunting bow was a Brackenbury Drifter 62" 3 piece takedown. I shot longbows for years as a kid than went to a compound for a few years in college. I still remember opening the box of that new bow 25 years ago....very cool!
I immediately took it to my mentors house and tuned it in. The next day I took it hunting. I think I sat in the tree for about 20 minutes when I nice mature doe walked by at 8 yards. I shot her as she quartered by. She only went 20 yards and fell over.
Wish I had enough sense to at least take a photo or two. :knothead:
I hunted seven years before I took any game with my bow.......the eighth year I killed three whitetail with in one month....... :dunno: Either the animals got dumber, or I got wiser ???????
I missed a buck my second year hunting. Lesson learned..
22 years later I killed my first deer with a bow. I had a great adventure inbetween.
Greed and Horn Porn contributed greatly to the deerless seasons of my youth.
I killed a buck each year for the first 5 years after switching to trad in 1989.I was 19 at the time,before that I had killed 2 bucks with a wheelie bow,and thought to myself this trad bowhunting is much more fun and a better weapon.
First deer season I was fortunate to take 3 deer. First shot ever was a deer shoulder bone which I did not recover.
First turkey season was unreal. I was able to take 2 birds. A jake and a longbeard.
Lets see what season 2 brings. Can't wait!!
Well, I'm 45 now so, I won't say how long as I'm still trying to get my first deer ever :biglaugh: . Just won't do it any other way than with traditional!
Still working on mine. When I go deer hunting seems like those darn coyotes keep getting in the way. :dunno:
Still waiting for my first North American big game archery kill as well, I started archery hunting in 1998.
Think I deer hunted 4 or 5 seasons with compound and never got a deer, and then first season hunting with a recurve I got a doe whitetail, have 2 seasons with a recurve for elk and it was just stupid greenhorn move that kept me from getting a nice bull the first weekend of the first season I hunted them with stickbow, hopefully this year will be the icebreaker for elk with stickbow but we don't have near as good of tag this year, but it only takes one elk to get it done. I think it has more to do with being in the right place at the right time than anything with the elk and probably deer too.
I hunted with a compound for 11 years and never killed a deer. Year 12 I was 24 years old and decided to go trad and finally killed my first buck. It took me a long time to figure out that the gun hunting tactics that I was raised on would not yield many shot opportunities at whitetails with archery equipment.