(http://i.imgur.com/TMAHTT2.jpg)
Okay guys, I don't have time for the whole story right now, but I PROMISE I will. I just got in and I have a lot to do before work tomorrow, but I can't go on without letting the gang know the good news. I got my first trad harvest last night, and boy was it perfect. The story will be up tomorrow without fail.
Jake
:campfire:
Well done!!! Will be waiting for the story!!!
Awesome! Congratulations!!!
Congrats!
Look forward to "the rest of the story"
chris <><
Congrats!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Awesome job! Can't wait to hear the story!
Congrats Jake, looking forward to hearing about your adventure. :thumbsup:
Cool, glad you made time for a pic.
Good job. Nice shot!
Congratulations!
You should recognize that foley, buckracks. She sure is sweet.
Jake
Yeah!!!!
:archer2: congrats!
Ok, these are my favorite threads and you are really gonna make us wait. Wow!
Congrats Brother!
:campfire:
Great job and great shooting. They all feel like the first one so get ready
Congratulations Jake on a fine looking doe and first trad! :thumbsup:
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Way to go..congrats!!
Congrats!!!
Good job. Nice shot!
Congrats!
:campfire:
Congrats I will be waiting!
:thumbsup: :clapper:
Congratulations Jake.
It has been a crazy couple weeks. I got out for the opener the last week of September, and then life totally happened and I couldn't get back to the lease I share with my stepfather and two best friends for three weeks.
When I awoke Saturday morning, first thing I noticed was that the wind was dead wrong for the stand that I had planned to hunt that morning. After giving it some thought I decided to go get in a new untested stand, with a good producing white oak and heavily fruit laden persimmon within 10-15 yards. I have a lot of deer on camera coming to the area.
As I got settled a half hour before daylight, I could immediately feel the stress of the past couple weeks gently washing away. I cleared my head and drank in the beauty of the woods as it came to life. At first light a giant barred owl landed on a limb almost close enough to touch, and he and I locked eyes before he flew off. Not a bad start at all. That morning I saw a doe with twin yearlings, but they all hung up at about 40 yards. After hanging out and feeding for a half hour or so they fed on down the ridge. At 11:00 I decided to come out and regroup for the evening hunt....
Congrats
At about 3:00 Saturday afternoon, what had started as a steady northwest wind laid down to nice easy south wind. Yes!! I slipped into the stand I wanted to hunt that morning knowing that the wind was right.
At 5:30 I saw her easing down the trail, feeding on honeysuckle and privet, in no particular hurry. The trail she was on was going to bring her directly underneath my stand. At 15 yards she stopped behind a low scrubby maple, to munch on some low growing forage. I took my chance at stand up and set my feet while she was obscured from view and occupied with feeding. My hand found the bow grip and settled in like an old friend. My heart was pounding so loud I swore she would hear it!!! Thankfully I held the shakes at bay though. I took a deep, calming breath and she stepped out to seven yards, very slightly quartering away.
At this point instinct took over. I remember the shot, but no details. My focus burned through her and out the backside. In an instant I hit anchor and my yellow four fletched easton was up to the feathers right through the boiler room!!!!...
:archer:
:clapper:
Congrats!!
Awesome Jake! Now you know that feeling we all love about trad archery and a good shot. It will keep you coming back for more. What kind of bow were you using?
Good job !!!
:clapper:
I watched her run off, she blew out of there like her butt was on fire. I could tell she was badly hurt, and by her reaction at the shot I figured I had hit heavy bone on the offside. Her blowing out of there had startled a gang of crows, who were letting their discontent me known. I heard her slow from a run to a walk, out of sight in a cedar grove about 30 yards off to the left. Couldn't hear a crash over those damned crows, though.
A sat as still as the adrenaline and excitement would let me for 30 minutes. I fought the shakes back during the shot, but I couldn't stop them after. I fired a couple quick texts off to my hunting partners (my best friends in the world) telling them to hunt till dark, then get their blood trailing britches on.
After an hour I got down to examine the shot sight. The lack of a pass through troubled me a little, but I knew I had hit her well. At the shot sight I found some hair and a little blood. About five yards away I found the last 12 inches of my arrow and broadhead. It was covered in crimson, bubbly blood with some lung material on it. YES!!! I backed out and met my friends back at the truck. We got a game plan and proceeded back to the trail. This is what we found 15 feet from the shot sight....
(http://i.imgur.com/eXOuPW2.jpg)
The trail continued like this for 40 yards, and there she laid!!!! I reflected back upon my traditional bowhunting journey, in a flash. I thought of all the hard work, and ALL the people who have helped me out. I promised Joe Coots a hero pic when he helped me tune my FMJ's, and I am proud to deliver. As I nealt over my first trad harvest I am not ashamed to admit that I had tears streaming down my face from the flood of emotion and pure, raw accomplishment. My best friends in the world were there to share the moment.
THANK YOU TRADGANG!!!! The list is way to long to thank everyone individually, but I absolutely cannot do enough to convey my gratitude for this site, and the brotherhood and community that is found here. Thanks for coming along, there is a lot more where this came from.
Equipment notes:
53# Foley Recurve
Easton FMJ .400, 4 5" shields
100 grain brass insert
190 grain Simmons Interceptor
:clapper: Great shooting; 40 yds away is what we like!
Almost forgot!! The arrow took her through both lungs and took the top of the heart. She was close enough that the steep angle of the the shot caused the arrow to hit the offside leg down really low. It broke the offside leg and still penetrated a foot through the bone. She snapped my arrow with her leg when she bolted. When I found the broadhead and broken shaft it would still shave after going through here vitals and leg bone. No am very impressed with the performance of the head and arrow. I have some good wound pics I will get up as time allows.
Jake
Good job. :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats Jake and nice shooting!!! :thumbsup:
Tracy
Dude. . great job ! Congrat's
ChuckC
Congrats!
A great big congratulations!
Congratulations - a day I am sure you will long remember.
Way to go Jake! Congrats!
Kenny :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Way to go
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!
Big Congrats!!
Awesome stuff, great shot!
Congrats Jake, fine doe and loved the excitement of a tradhunters first kill!
CONGRATS, Alway's like reading these stories.
Great storytelling too. I'll share a campfire with you anytime.
Very cool. Congrats and thanks for sharing w/us
Thanks to everyone for the kind words. That's what makes this community so special. I said earlier that the list of people to thank was too long to attempt, and I cant emphasize enough just what the camaraderie means to me. Everyone on tradgang helped make this harvest a reality, and helped me achieve a goal, my proudest moment ever afield. Thank you, thank you, thank you guys (and Gals!)
Awesome awesome awesome awesome!!!
Congrats.
Mighty fine .... congrats on your first :thumbsup:
You will always remember that one, congrats! :thumbsup:
Good Job
What a special deer for you! Congratulations on a very well written accounting of your feelings and hunt.
I'm very impressed with how you put your hunt into words. Way to go! :clapper:
Bernie
Great Story. Congrats again
Congrats on your first!! That's great and great shot to
Congrats on your first! I am still waiting my own as well.
congratts! on your first, a good clean close kill! congratts! :thumbsup:
Altiman94, hang in there, it'll be worth it. I promise.
Okay guys, here are some wound pics as promised earlier.
Entry wound:
(http://i.imgur.com/3pksYvp.jpg)
Exit wound:
(http://i.imgur.com/WnTieWj.jpg)
More entry shots:
(http://i.imgur.com/tu7zQmX.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/GPDUNdv.jpg)
Good for you! Congrats!! Your excitement is evident in your very good story. :clapper: :clapper:
WooHoo! Nothing more rewarding than traditional success. Congrats!
Congrats.
awesome, awesome, awesome!! congrats
Whoot whoot! Congrats and a great first deer, she is a beauty!!
Congratulations!! :clapper:
A great story and a great shot. :archer2:
Jon
WOW, congratulations first deer are awesome, you'll not forget that day.
Way to go! Congrats. Your first is so special. Great story thanks for sharing.
You did well!
Fine doe my Brother, she'll be in your memories forever. :archer:
Congratulations Jake!!! Nice job and thank you for telling your story. I still remember my first deer (doe) taken with a Howard Hill longbow back in 1978. You will always remember this deer like it was yesterday, so enjoy!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on a first class experience !!
Umm, Ray, maybe not always......
CRS creeps in
and what you had for breakfast becomes a challange!
Congrats Jake, well done.
Congrats Jake. Always good to get the first one under your belt. Be safe, shoot straight, and "Keep'Um Sharp". :archer2:
Great story! Enjoyed the read. Congrats on your first one!
Good job, great story?
Thanks,
Very cool! Congratulations.
Congrats Jake!
Enjoyed the story and pics. Congrats!
I was searching through some old threads, and I found this one. I posted this at the end of last years deer season. I enjoy re-reading it and all the responses of encouragement. Once again, it speaks volumes to the brotherhood here.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=133803#000000
The journey is far, far, far, FAR from over, but it's sure cool to have a bit of a written chronicle to go back and look at. This also seems like a good time to admit that I had a head mounted gopro on through the whole experience, and I flat forgot to turn in on when the doe showed up :knothead:
THANKS AGAIN GANG!!!
Congratulations! The first one is always a special event.
Congrats!!