Ozy Clint's thread, A Rite Of Passage, got me thinking about the first big game animal I shot with a traditional bow. Mine was a yearling whitetail buck. He had a spike on one side, and a fork on the other. I hit him a little too far back, and through the liver. I was young and foolish, and didn't wait long enough before I started tracking him. I kicked him out of a bunch of blowdowns a couple hundred yards down the blood trail, but I noticed that he didn't leave with the same gusto that he did at the shot. I went home, and and gave him four hours before I went back. There was a fair amount of blood in his bed, but he didn't leave me much to work with from there on, but I eventually found him. He'd made a circle, and I found him dead within a hundred yards of where I'd shot him earlier that morning. I've killed bigger deer over the years, but that little 3 point will always be my favorite.
What was your first big game kill?
Bob
My first was a nice doe, my second was five minutes later when the best buck I've killed so far came following her trails with his nose to the ground.
Mine was a mule deer doe in 1970 hunting an area in eastern Washington called the Nile near Naches. I shot her with a Wing recurve and cedar arrows from Glenn St Charles shop tipped with bear broadheads.
Haven't put one down yet (with trad gear) but having a blast at this stalking and still hunting stuff! :dunno: "Almost" should be my middle name... :rolleyes: ...
... mike ...
Whitetail doe when I was a teenager in the 60's and using a 45# Bear Grizzly. She was feeding at the edge of a field and I crawled to get within 40 yards to make a clean heart shot. I was hooked for life.
Shot mine 3 rolls over in a corn field not quiet P+Y but B+C to me.1970 wood arrow, Bear broadhead 50# Kmag.
Mine was a small 7pt whitetail in 2006. Great Northern longbow, cedar arrow and a grizzly broadhead
My first was a doe last season. There aint no better feeling in the world that could top sticking ur first one with trad gear!!
5-point white-tail in 1970. I was 16. The bow was a 45# Pearson Cougar. Arrow was cedar with a Razorhead.
It was the first live deer I ever saw. I was 120 miles from home in Brown County, Indiana. The story is wild and almost unbelievable when I met, by pure chance, the stranger 7 years later who built the stand I had hunted from.
Bowwild, that's where I live/hunt right on the county line. Kinda neat. My first was a fawn doe. Took her thru the shoulders with a cedar shaft and glue on Wensel Woodsman and she didn't go 15 yards. Knocked her down actually. I ended up taking 3 does that early season after I broke the ice.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/varmint101/LongbowDoeKill0003.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/varmint101/media/LongbowDoeKill0003.jpg.html)
Mine was a Corsican sheep in west Tx. I never forget that hunt!
This was he day I shot him:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/img027_zpsrlktf2n0.png) (http://s579.photobucket.com/user/archeryrules/media/img027_zpsrlktf2n0.png.html)
And this is whee he resides today, in my living room:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Mobile%20Uploads/E2AD82EE-A549-461C-96AC-2A22A6338181_zpszpk2xj5f.jpg) (http://s579.photobucket.com/user/archeryrules/media/Mobile%20Uploads/E2AD82EE-A549-461C-96AC-2A22A6338181_zpszpk2xj5f.jpg.html)
Bisch
Mine was a boar hog while still hunting the perpetual, dripping twilight of the Hawaiian rain forest with my longbow - surrealistic.
Mine was a small 5 pt whitetail in 1969. First deer, first shot at a deer but not a classic kill though. I was in a portable tree stand with a 25 yard shot and he jumped the string and was perpendicular to the flight of the arrow which caught his femoral artery and then sliced his belly open. He died in 40 yards.
Great thread..
My first was a mule deer doe, 23 years ago.
58lb big horn recurve.
Cedar shaft dipped in red with red feathers.
Zwicky 2 blade head.
A 30yard shot after crawling up and running out of cover. I can close my eyes and clearly see the flight of that arrow. I can see the deer running away with just feather showing tight behind her shoulder. I can hear a crash and wondering why the sound stopped. I can still remember thinking I will probably spend the rest of the day looking for that deer (I had no clue how deadly a sharp broad head is). I remember how hard it was to wait at least an hour before starting the blood trail (it is still hard). I found her with in 70yard or so. I can even remember the smell of the broken cedar shaft I found along the great blood trail.
Oh and I remember the 5 miles and two trips to get her out!
Still at it...........been a long road!
Doe fawn when i was about 15, been a great journey, and alot of animals have hit the dirt since!
Matthew,
I know Freetown.My first job out of college (1977) was as a forester at Jackson Washington State Forest. A nice fellow named Chester Mullins and another guy named Chadwell were maintenance specialists at the forest. I commuted to and from Jackson and Brown county (turned at Story) during the season of 1977.
That buck I killed was on the boundary of the Brown County State Park on a small piece of Yellowwood State Forest. In fact, he jumped the barbed wire fence of the park and walked to within 15 yards of my tree stand before the shot.
My first was 1972, Whitetail Forkhorn, Bear Kodiak Hunter, Bear Fiberglass arrow with Bear Razorhead.
Shot was from a treestand which was a wooden wire spool end, nailed up in a tree.
I had a heck of a time killing my first deer. Took till my fourth year hunting, when I was fourteen in 1988. I had a decent guy setting me up :) and I blew plenty of chances, fortunately didn't kill and lose any learning how. My first deer was a year and a half old 8 pt, single lung-livered him at 10 yards with a 50lb Assenheimer, a graphlex arrow and big Snuffer. The arrow stopped on the diaphragm, so not much external blood and he went into standing corn. Fortunately Dad's buddy we were hunting with is like a bloodhound and found my deer. I killed a buck each year in high school, back in the day when they weren't too easy to come by where I grew up, but frankly it took me a couple more years to really become a hunter. From about 16 on I got pretty serious about it....
R
First was a mature doe from the ground. Sat on a fairly steep hillside and the evening was perfect. No wind and the cooling thermals coming downhill. Got into some cover and before too long a group of about six trouped by about 15 yds. away. I waited for the last doe to pass and started my draw. She caught some movement and turned to head back uphill. Loosed an arrow and caught her in the neck. Left a decent blood trail and recovered her in about 150 yds. Using a Browning Explorer but can't remember what arrow. It was '76. What do you want? I'm old. It was tipped with a Bear Razorhead. That I do remember. Went to the dark side not long after for many years. So good to be back.
My first big game animal was a 10 point buck taken with a 45# Ben Pearson Gamester recurve back in 1970, if my memory is correct. Even though I am a longbow aficionado, I still have that little bow, and it will always be special to me. I used a 50-55# wooden arrow from Bear archery tipped with a green Razor Head.
Still working on something bigger than a coyote.
It took me 8 yrs with Trad equipment to get my first.It was a doe,took her to the local DNR check point and they told me she was a 4 1/2 year old doe.
first deer i shot was with my woodland,riverbend longbow, by rick ingraham, all bamboo 62 at 27.at that time i was using a back quiver full of custom king cedar arrows with 125 grain grizzly broadheads. i just happen to be hunting with rick in ny. we where walking up a hillside and seeing good sign, rick said he would go up the hill one way and i should go up the other way and we would meet at the top. After parting ways i started seeing fresh droppings, i slowed down to a crawl. What happened next i can still see in my head. A deer suddenly appeared coming down the hill towards me, i froze. With the wind in my face, a arrow on my sting and me quarry in front of me i promptly shot the tree in back of the deer. The deer jumped 5 yards and stood there not knowing what had happened. My mind was racing, how far was the deer, i was thinking, as i drew another arrow from my back quiver, at the same time thinking you shoot instinctively,pick a spot and shoot. The next thing i remember is the deer running away with a red spot on its side right where i was looking. After i was able to get the shaking under control i went in found my arrrow, that had passed through the deer. the first arrow was buried in the tree and i broke it off after the head, What to do next. Wait was not what i wanted to do, but i made myself wait the required half hour before taking up the blood trail, that went up over the ridge. As i crested the rise i just about tripped on my first traditional big game kill,a fat button buck. As rick walked toward me back at the truck i was all smiles that was 35 years ago.
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/047.jpg) (http://s868.photobucket.com/user/yornoc/media/047.jpg.html)
A doe with a hand me down Bear longbow in 1980 (thanks Uncle Ben), bear metric magnum arrow and koplin head, hit her in the liver and watched her fall 60yds away. Hooked for life.
My first deer was a six point in New Jersey 1958 his dressed weight was #162 with an eighteen in spread.Shot him out of a home made tree stand as he walked right under me, between the shoulders broke his spine,Bear Polar #45 home made cedar arrow with a Bear broadhead,when I close my eyes I relive the whole thing again,my junior year in high school.
A bear that died within sight of my treestand
DDave
A spike that fell to my recurve and Bear Metric Magnums and a Bear Razorhead for me. First deer I ever shot at. That was 1984.
I remember going back to college and my friends asking me if I had a good weekend. I was a freshman. I told them it was the best ever. "Did u get laid?", they asked.
I said, "No. Better than that. I killed a buck with my recurve." I never heard the end of that.
Mine was a Ca Antelope 2009 it the one in my Avatar.
I lost my first..a doe I hit high in the back from about 10 yards when I was 15. Lost the blood trail after about a mile. First I found was the opposite..a huge doe when I was 17, a walking shot at 35 yards hit her in the neck, direct hit on the spinal column and down she went. I had to finish off with my Buck knife.
My first longbow downed game animal was a really nice merrium turkey in 2014. I used a Martin Savannah Stealth that drew close to 58#@28" with a 200 grain Zwickey Eskimo atop a GT Trad 5575 for a 520 grain arrow. That set up proved to be more than adequate for a 30 yard neck shot on a tom. My first deer was 12/3/14; a really nice doe. I shot her from 39-40 yards, after a lengthy stalk through tall sage. I used my Yellowstone Half-Breed, 56@28" with a 200 grain Zwickey Eskimo on a 29.5" Easton 2117, 600+ grain arrow. Full pass through plus 8 inches in the the dirt behind her.
I got lucky on my 1st time hunting with a trad bow. I was about 1/2 hour into my maiden voyage when this "big woods" gal came strolling in to stop broadside at 10 yards and give me the stink eye. Double lunged her and she ran about 100 yards through a major multi flora rose patch and conveniently died within 20 yards of my car. I remember it in vivid detail, as I do with most of my critters. (http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o244/2crazyboys_photos/IMG_0719-1.jpg) (http://s122.photobucket.com/user/2crazyboys_photos/media/IMG_0719-1.jpg.html)
Thanks for sharing everybody, that's awesome. Lots of great memories. I'm looking forward to hearing more. Coyotes, turkeys, hogs, IMO they're big game too. Thanks.
Bob
Spot and stalk black bear that was running by me at 18 yards. I was shooting my Heritage, Bridger Mountain longbow built by Rocky Miller, Custom King cedars tipped with a Snuffer. The arrow hit in the crease behind the shoulder but only penetrated one lung. He went down in twenty yards but it took a while before the death moan came; haven't used a Snuffer since.
Izzy, we call multi flora rose cat briars down here. Do not know how anything other than a rabbit goes through that stuff! Hope you didn't have to drag her through much of it
WT Doe here for me, don't wanna say how many yrs it took me but worth it, all of it. Just hunting Croatan can be akin to hunting a wasteland. Just got to put miles on the boot leather or in the boat and find that land that holds em.
My first was a cinnamon colored black bear in Saskatchewan. It was my third bow bear but first with trad equip.
Probably as good of a shot as I have ever made and was able to watch it go down within sight.
I had already sold all my other archery equipment but this solidified my move to trad.
BigJim
A 5 point whitetail buck. I'm still learning something new every year and loving the journey.
Mine was a Mule deer doe in 1988. No photo but it will always be in my memories
Whitetail Doe
QuoteOriginally posted by J-dog:
Izzy, we call multi flora rose cat briars down here. Do not know how anything other than a rabbit goes through that stuff! Hope you didn't have to drag her through much of it
WT Doe here for me, don't wanna say how many yrs it took me but worth it, all of it. Just hunting Croatan can be akin to hunting a wasteland. Just got to put miles on the boot leather or in the boat and find that land that holds em.
Yep, same miserable stuff but it sure provides cover for game. Deer, grouse and rabbits all take advantage of it where I hunt and I have thorns in my leg that will be with me til my last day on earth.
My first was a 4x3 mule deer with a Windwalker kit bow in 93. I was hunting with wheels for 8 yrs previous and the year before had blown a shot that I knew in my mind I could have made with a recurve, I've been shooting since I was a kid. So I bought that kit bow and finished it for the next years hunt. It paid off, the shot I made happened so fast that there is no way I could have done it with a wheel bow. 2117 and a Magnus 2.
1979( I was 14 ), Darton 45lbs recurve w/ a 1918 Wasp tipped arrow. Spike whitetail shot at 30yrds. Hit high and back, my german shepherd found him about 100yrds away the next morning.
I had to come back to the house w/ blood on my hands to convince my older brother to take his truck and load him up.
Button buck
24 yds out of a tree
44 pound longbow with a simmons 2 bade
Mine was a black bear with my Bob Lee Classic, CE Heritage 250 tipped with the old Bear razorhead.
Mine was a forkie whitetail I took the first season I picked up a bow and the very first shot I ever took at a deer. To say I was hooked would be a vast under-statement. I learned quickly that any future successes would not come so easy - its been a great ride and one of the most fulfilling things I have come to love. I just cannot imagine a Fall passing by without some time on stand with one of my longbows or recurves in hand.
Killed a hog one early afternoon in area E-2 in Ft. Stewart, Ga. early 60's. I'll never forget my buddy and myself knew they were coming into a planted millet field back in there..for doves I think.
We got there and eased to the edge of the field to look around and here comes a hog straight towards us. We kneel down and as the hog roots it's was to about 15yds. I heard my buddy's aluminum arrow tapping against his sight window..nerves.
Anyway we both draw and shoot and I got lucky with a Bear broadhead.
Michigan Whitetail. Snuck up on a bedded spike I watched lay down from another ridge.
I was 16 years old then and hunting with a Browning Nomad Stalker recurve. It took forever to circle but I was finally able to approach from downwind.
I took a shot at about 15 yards above him looking downhill which gave me an almost impossible shot...had to be spine or nothing. I shot low, tucking my arrow between him and the ground....he jumped up and bounced around a bit (funny) but he could not see me. I don't remember knocking another arrow but do remember the shot....hit him high in the lungs.
That was 46 years ago and remember it in living color.
Dec 3,1967 Whitetail button buck in Necedah, Wisconsin. 20 yard shot from the ground, Bear Kodiak, #8 microflight arrow tipped with a black panther broadhead.
Mine was a 7lb hog.which yelled 3.7lbs of very yummy meat. Thanks to BigJim and Preacher.
Mine was a 7lb hog.which yelled 3.7lbs of very yummy meat. Thanks to BigJim and Preacher.
Small eight point buck. Came by my treestand at around 15 yards and I didn't pick a spot and skimmed his back.
He jumped a few feet and there was a hole in the brush that showed his kill zone perfectly. Well I picked a spot and shot.
I was using red and orange fletching and I thought I saw the fletching and that my arrow hit to far back. Then I thought I heard the buck being pissed off and racking the brush before running away.
Well I waited until dark and then walked out with my little Maglite flashlight to come back in the morning to look.
Got in to my treestand and waited for the sun to come up to go look. Come down from my stand to go look for the arrow and there is the buck 20 yards away. I had made a perfect shot taking out the heart and lungs and what I thought was the fletching was blood that spurted out. What I thought was the buck raking the bushes was of course the buck falling over and kicking the leaves dying.
I still laugh at how clueless I was back then.
My first deer was with a longbow and wood arrow, on the ground, still hunting in the Hill Country of Texas.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n559/jeffbschulz/aaceffbe-20ef-4a12-8f72-016238a0f0fb_zpsced9b3a2.jpg) (http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/jeffbschulz/media/aaceffbe-20ef-4a12-8f72-016238a0f0fb_zpsced9b3a2.jpg.html)
And yes, that is a Robin Hood hat on my head...LOL!
My first was a whitetail spike buck here in Nebraska. Came right in and after the shot, went down within sight. There were lots of ups and downs before and have been more since but I still remember it like it was yesterday and could take you to the tree I was in and to the spot where I saw him go down.
Mine was a blacktail buck that made a bad mistake. I flung an arrow and he looked at it. Right over the eye and instant kill. He went down so fast I did not even see him fall. I remember looking where he had been standing and wondering why my arrow was sticking straight up from the ground and where in the world did that buck go to. He was standing in high grass that completely hid him from me when he hit the ground. It was in 1970. The bow was an old Ben Pearson hunter and was probably the worst bow I have ever owned . But it made meat for my family and working at a job for 2.00 an hour that made me very thankful.
God bless, Steve