I figured I would take a moment and ask you guys for some advise. I have been on the quest of hunting with traditional tackle for about three years now. I post a bunch on the bowyers bench and have been building myself and friends longbows with great success..... and that's about where it ends.
I have been on the hunt to take a whitetail with a bow that I have made for the last two years now and have been unsuccessful. I grow discouraged throughout the year with not getting a deer within range. I switch back and forth between a wheel bow and have been struggling internally with this. I don't like switching back and forth I just know the range difference is substantial and that shooting a deer with a compound is much easier.
As I was sitting in my tree stand the other night I was thinking quite a bit and I looked over at my $1500 bow with all the technology strapped to it, my range finder on my side, and thought this just isn't my kind of hunting.
So before heading out last night to sit I grabbed a hill style bow I made earlier in the year and headed out to shoot. I took a deep breath, cleared my mind, and focused on the stop that I wanted to hit. Once I hit my anchor point, I released the arrow and watched as it struck my 3D target right in the 10 ring. I smiled and this sensation came over me. It was peaceful, quiet, and simplistic. I took a few more shots and each one was right in the kill zone and with a max distance of 25 yards. I quickly went back into the house to shower, gathered all my hunting gear, and headed out to a different spot. That night I did not see a deer but I just had this different feeling that I was missing when hunting with my high tech bow. I enjoyed looking over at the bow that I crafted with an arrow sitting on the shelf knowing that if I got the opportunity to pick the bow up even for a moment that I was getting closer to my ultimate goal.
So my question to all you successful traditional hunters out there... How do you keep yourself motivated to continue on a quest that has been nothing but struggles to get the animal into range. Do you pick stand sights differently than you would with a compound? What differences did you have to make in the way you set up on animals other than getting closer?
I am just curious to hear the difference of opinions out there. I hunt from tree stands 99% of the time.
Thanks guys who chime in. I will post throughout my season and any tips I have I will certainly post pictures of anything I change and/or learn.
Respectfully,
Justin
Forgot to at least add a picture of my newest bow that I will be hunting with from here on out....
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/2F281F4A-D21D-40E1-B827-660428823123.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/2F281F4A-D21D-40E1-B827-660428823123.jpg.html)
52# @28 inches
Cocobolo, Madagascar Ebony, Curly Maple riser
Cocobolo back
Madagascar Ebony belly
Aboo core
For me it took selling off my compound stuff in 2002. I sold everything and just went all. I've had to learn to hang stands differently and be more patient. It will happen for you. Just commit to it and don't think about "I could shoot that if I had my compound." Good luck!
I'm just to hard headed to give up! Lol
Hang in there! there isn't anything is this world like taking game with trad equipment. Especially something you've made!
I do notice that I spend a lot more time obsessing over the details like stand placement, wind direction, blending in, and on and on and ..........
I don't know much about New Hampshire, but deer are deer I guess. I do set up differently than you probably would with a compound. In early season I hunt food sources almost all the time. Primarily I target a specific tree, looking for concentrations of droppings and tracks round the base. I used to be hung up on white oaks, but it's best to let the deer tell you where to hunt.Water oaks and persimmons are good here to, as well as swamp chestnuts.
Look till you find a tree you know is being hit hard. Set up 10-15 yards away. Get hid good. In a hang on I try to get limbs under me. In a climber I'll get fairly high, 20-25 feet. It helps.
When I set up on a spot like that, I usually hunt it that evening and then the next morning. I fully expect to kill a deer out of that kind of setup. It dosent always work out, but if the sign is there I expect it to. After 2 hunts I'll move to another spot. No matter how careful you are, they figure you out pretty quick.
That way, when they do come in they'll be close and feeding. Much better shot that way.Aim low.
Learning to kill regularly with trad gear takes time. Just keep at it. And then show us the pictures!
For myself, the most important thing was learning more about the animal and their habitat. Once I devoted the time in the field to do my homework, I had a better understanding of the animals (food, temperament, water, other animals, rut, safety, trails, travel patterns, bedding areas,etc) and their environment (rain, wind, moon, temperature, etc) I feel that being more intimate with the animals and their terrain allowed me to get in close on a consistent basis.
If you can't spend as much time afield, maybe use trail cams to provide you with some information.
BTW, that's a beautiful bow!!!
I'm not sure how the answer should read but I just hunt , my set-up is just what it is for whatever I'm hunting. Just do what you need to do in order to get the shot from a tree , groundblind , stalk , ghillie , food source , waterhole , rutting area. My best answer is hunt where the animals are don't pick an area on where you want them to be and hope. Study the animal then go get in a position for a good 10yd shot don't make it any harder than that keep it simple. For me many years ago it all just clicked and that was all it took , I just go to have fun and if I get an animal fine and if I don't that's ok also. Never ever never give up you can do anything you set your mind to do , as they say just do it..
I'm no expert but what I see the most is people putting way to much pressure on them selves , and it ends up being counterproductive....
,,,Sam,,,
the deer are tough in NH or at least they was for me but I ended up figuring them out and once I did is was wack wack wack.
I do set up my stands specifically for trad, the #1first thing I look for is a hardwood tree growing right next to a spruce/pine tree even tucked into its braches a bit. I want this to be just inside the edge of woods adjacent to a swamp or field where the deer sign is the most active showing that's where they exit or entire that open piece.
the deer especially the bucks will hang in that wooded piece till it sees another deer or its dark enough for him to feel safe going out into the open so you want to be up there.
forget open woods in NH, look for places in the terrain that work to YOUR advantage, a funnels especially where they tighten up to cross dirt roads, edges, ponds.
I do not hunt NH anymore because I moved further south to Plymouth so RI is my Sunday state now... I hunted Bear Brook state park in Allenstown (archery only/deer only) If you want I can put you into my spots there that took me pretty much 7years to figure out and I have taken some deer,,, you will get a shot at a deer or you will hear deer, plus there's moose and bear but you can't hunt them they are just there for entertainment.
I shot I think 7 does from this stand in NH if you look thru trees in background you can see the more open tree swamp where moose would put on the show, when frozen you always heard the deer out there too,, stand is gone but you can have the spot,, 2mile drive down a dirt road then walk 40yds into the woods.
(http://i.imgur.com/pS71GXb.jpg)
I think your difficulties are mostly mental, with a touch of hard luck. You can grab a gun but if there are no deer around or running in the daylight hours, then there's no deer. You have to decide: do you like hunting or do you like killing? If you honestly answer "hunting", the rest will fall in to place. Doesn't necessarily mean you'll kill more, but the satisfaction will be fulfilling. I hardly kill much, but I hunt a lot. I get them close, but sometimes not close enough; or too close! But when I hunt its on my terms. If I kill an animal its on my terms. Those terms are on the ground and with a longbow. I don't impose those terms on anyone else, but I won't deviate for my own benefit. I've never once had an unsuccessful hunt. I've been busted, I've missed, I've gone days not seeing anything but squirrels, but every hunt has been a fullfilling, successful, dream come true.
Cavscout said it very well; in fact, I don't think I can say it any better.
Just do it, Justin.. It will happen. I set up in thicker cover and my tree stands I set up at about 15 feet maximum height. I pick well used trails or inside corners of fields meeting woods. A blind works great too and the deer don't seem to mind blinds.
I'm in NH and it is about as hard to hunt successfully aa any state I know. What works for me is finding food soruces. There is so much this year that it is hard to pattern them. Apples, acorns, beech nuts are everywhere. Food is where it is at. It is where they are now, it is where the does will be later which is where the bucks will be. A few years ago we purchased our own land so being left alone is easier. If you hunt others property then I would recommend finding urban/suburban areas which may be posted and try to get permission. It's important to be left alone and undisturbed. Don't know where you are but big woods hunting is very different than small woodlot hunting.
Justin, You are almost there and will come to realize that any deer you take with a compound isn't really going to give you the fulfillment you are looking for as you have stated. When you come to that you will never pick it up again. Sounds to me like you are shooting great with your stick. I suggest you stay with it. You will kick yourself in the butt when you have your compound and have a deer at 10 yards. Even when I used to hunt with a compound I only recall a few times I took a shot over 20 yards.
Yes, setting stands for a stickbow in comparison to a wheelie bow is much different. They should be set closer and much lower. Scouting to find the right places is the key. You should be scouting 3/1 over hunting. Good luck, shoot a lot and keep us informed on how its going.
On stand placement Tajue17 is doing what I like to do. Make sure you have a dark background of some kind while on stand.
This is my first year hunting traditional. My first step was selling my wheels so that option was not available to me and it made me determined to hunt only with the recurve. So I practiced/practice almost daily. I have only hunted once with no luck, however, if the Lord is willing it will happen, I wouldn't want it to be easy.
There is nothing wrong with hunting with both. A lot of guys do. Once you have one or two in the freezer it sure relieves a lot of the pressure.
As far as set ups, yes. I do set them up different. If it for a trad set up I want 10-20yds. I want a lot of cover, especially behind me. Hopefully I can JUST Barely see them coming, then they step into the shooting lane.
I've only recently started traditional bow hunting, but have been bow hunting for many years. But it always seems to boil down to 3 things;
Location, Location & Location.... and a little Luck thrown in for good measure...
Good Luck to ya
Also, that is a beautiful bow !
For me - I don't set up or do much differently with my traditional equipment than I did with a compound. When I look back at 20+ years of hunting with a compound, I bet 90% of them were shots I could make with my traditional equipment. I have a few 40 - 50 yards shots mixed in there, but not many. Most of my successful hunts ended with a 25 yard or less shot.
I think you have to mentally train yourself to NOT see the traditional equipment as the lesser option. Once you've made that connection, you'll have the confidence you need to carry that stickbow. Keep at it!
Also, don't beat yourself up over hunting with your compound. That can still be a VERY enjoyable and fullfilling way to hunt for many people. In fact, you'd be surprised how many very regular (and very successful) posters on this site still hunt with both weapons.
I can't say much as I've only killed one deer with traditional tackle. I was in a different point in my life then. I needed to put meat in the freezer so after 2 years of nothing I picked up the wheels again.
Now with my kids where they are I don't need near as much in the freezer so I've committed to it and sold everything wheel related.
I to have been struggling to get shots. I'm seeing the deer but I've yet to loose an arrow. I do know that with persistence, it will happen.
I took this on to relax, not worry about killing.
^^^^^ right on!! but a kill would be nice !!
For me, I really didn't have to "change" anything, I never shot a deer with compound farther than I can shoot with my recurve. The mental part is what needs to change. I went a few years before taking my first, for me the satisfaction I was searching for was my drive. We eat a lot of venison, but I know if I don't succeed during archery there is always the bang sticks to put food on my table. You just have to ok with going home empty handed. Ron from NY has been looking for his first for over ten years I believe. It's that closeness with the out doors that I feel with stick and string that I love, meat is a bonus. You need to evaluate what's most important to YOU, is it the kill? The meat? That feeling you get while sitting there waiting? Everyone is different, I thinks lots of guys here probably switch back a forth, but I tell you what, when you finally do take a deer that feeling is pretty amazing. Good luck with you soul searching, hope to see a success post from you down the road.
As far as I know archery success rates here in Colorado are around 7% to 10% ...so I guess it's not the most "productive" way to harvest an animal; in my opinion it is the most rewarding way though...rifle success rates are as high as 30% in some areas here. It's a hard game for sure to hunt with traditional equipment !! By the way ; this is the first year in 28 years of bow hunting here in Colorado that I didn't even buy a license...maybe next year...
Everyone here has said it perfectly! I quit using my compound 4 seasons ago. I changed the way I hunted. I started setting up my stands lower and in trees with more cover. I started "hunting where the sign was" and paid much more attention to where the deer moved when. Morning trail vs evening trail, primary food sources, how they moved through the typography and why. Like TJ said. SCOUT SCOUT SCOUT. Also...Using the ground and downed logs to my advantage. Sometimes the best area is the one you cant hang a treestand in. In 4 years of hunting with my sticks I've taken 4 deer so far. I used to take 4 a year at least with a compound! I have missed what would've been my biggest bucks and honestly I was not as upset because misses happen and you learn from your mistakes. Traditional gear has made me a better hunter, woodsman, and brought more enjoyment to my life than I can explain. Stickbows are personal and become a part of who you are. Everyone shoots them differently and everyone finds success in their own way. Keep at it!
You could get a non-resident license for New Jersey. Seems as though quite a few of your fellow New Hampshirites (sic) have done so. If NH is anything like VT, I can appreciate your concerns.
I have been hunting 100% traditional for more than 25 years. I hunted with a compound for 3-4 years before that. Now, this year, due to a weak post-surgery bow arm, I am back to a compound bow with a Draw Lock. I just hate it, but I have to get out there. It is heavy, clumsy and limiting not to mention ugly.
I recently bought a metal ILF riser from Bob Morrison in the hope that I can put the draw lock on that and preserve at least a little bit of my sanity. He doesn't think it is safe, but I have shot it and it works. Now I need a LOT of practice as I haven't shot much since the shoulder surgery in May of 2014. I will start my season with the compound and hopefully finish it with the ILF. Splitting hairs maybe, but those are my choices. Also haven't given up on shoulder strengthening. This has been a really tough one to lose, for me.
Thanks guys for all the kind words of advice and compliments along the way. I am going to try and sum up on everyone's post.
1. I hunt around 1000 acres of private land. Only 7 of us have permission to hunt it so access is not an issue.
2. Your right that I need to get more mentally tough. I need to stop getting down on myself if the deer are just out of range. This year has been a bumper crop of acorns, hickory nuts, and beech nuts. So right now I have not been able to figure out how the deer are moving because there is no pattern. They are either there or not there.
3. The land was logged two years ago so the oaks are all that are standing and that makes getting the deer in tough. Usually I will hang in a hemlock around 15 feet high but no more than 20 feet. I need to find tighter cover where the deer are moving through better than hanging directly in the middle of 20 oaks or on the edge of them so that the deer stay out around 30 yards.
4. As far as scouting that is not an issue. I have been putting on average 15-20 miles a week scouting and covering ground. I think that I just haven't found that spot or a spot where I am within range.
I didn't grow up hunting and only been after it for around 9 years now. I don't look at hunting as I need to harvest a deer but to all of us that is a bonus and/or our goal isn't it.
Here is my latest spot that I found. It is a flat piece of a ridge. Directly behind me is a small meadow that has some sort of tamerac pines or such trees that have trails all around it. In front of me is the small flat of hickory trees. Just above it is a U shape ridge that is pretty steep with ledge and what not so I don't believe the deer would move across that stuff. Here area few pictures of the spot.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/15333F3A-746A-43C8-AD5A-3728C99864A1.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/15333F3A-746A-43C8-AD5A-3728C99864A1.jpg.html)
I hung about 10 yards to the left of my camera in a straight hemlock but no low hanging limbs... Behind me though it is thick and I don't believe that I will stand out. I'm going out this weekend and I will try this spot at night to see how it is.
scent control and the wind are 90% in my opinion. if you don't start with that in your favor, you will struggle every time out.
The deer in the picture is only 12 yards or so away from my stand which is a plus!!!
Here is another pic of them moving through in the (http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/F078B33F-BE2F-443B-A4BD-B93213C50253.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/F078B33F-BE2F-443B-A4BD-B93213C50253.jpg.html)
Forgot to note that I also have been attempting to self film my hunts as well. I'm not sure if I'm bitting off more than I can chew as well.
Self-filming is a lot of work! You WILL miss shot opportunities while messing with a video camera. I tried it for a few years, and finally gave up on it. While it is nice to have video evidence of shot placement, I just don't have the patience for it.
Bisch
yeh I have had people film me and got some kills on film but even with two people it's more work than I am willing to do.
Beautiful place Justin. 1000 private acres, it won't be long until we see your hero shot!
If I were going to hunt here this is where I would hang my stand (which side would depend on wind direction of course). I have two stands set in several places that way I can hunt there on several wind directions. Remember to stick to the shadows, those shadows will mask your movement when its time to draw the bow. Wear dark clothing and they would never see you in there. No need to get up high. 10-12' is plenty as long as its dark with good background. Shooting angle to be able to hit both lungs are much better when you are lower.
Always carry pruners and a saw. Have to have shooting options. Also if cutting off branches if I touch them at all I always try and not send them to the ground. Thats just more scent that will work against you when a deer wonders by.
(http://i61.tinypic.com/2qmevb4.jpg)
Thanks KentuckyTJ I never thought about hanging low in those trees. My feeling on hanging low would be they would either wind me or see my movement but I understand hanging in the shadows. I will start looking for different areas on my hunting grounds such as those... I'm learning quite a lot from you folks about hanging stands geared towards traditional hunting.
My thought was always hang as high as I could so that the deer would not see me but I think that has it's issues because the angle at which I would be shooting is greater making it more of a difficult shot.
I think tomorrow morning I will quickly run up to this area and hang a stand in one of those two spots... probably the one on the left of the picture for this weekend. Normally there is some sort of wind out of the north which would work in that location. If we have a south blowing wind the one on the right would work. I never thought about having two stand set up in spots so that I could change due to wind directions. I always just stay away if the wind isn't where I need it to be blowing to.
I am big about scent control. Always showering, spraying my clothing and using scent eliminating suits as well. I also use those dirt wafers and cover cent such as Conquest as I walk in.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/F4A793A5-9A23-4753-81E3-78775AE55B58.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/F4A793A5-9A23-4753-81E3-78775AE55B58.jpg.html)
Did some practicing today from a treestand... 18 yard group
Hoping soon I can bring one into range
looking good!!!
Nice shooting!!! Best of luck!!!
Looking good!
Good luck next time out!
Bisch
I have never been conflicted between compounds and trad bows, because I never have owned wheels. I agree that some of your issue is mental. You have got to accept that taking a deer with trad equipment is more difficult and hang in there.
That difficulty is not that the trad gear isn't up to the task. The big thing, at least in my mind, is woodmanship. Your scouting has to be very thorough, and you must pattern the deer to put yourself 15 - 20 yards from them as opposed to 40-45 yards with the compound. Hunting technique must be refined - be still and play the wind.
Many of us have had to overcome some mental hassle trying to make that first successful hunt. I hunted 7 years before killing a deer, including using a rifle, so I understand your frustration. (By the way, when it finally paid off, my first deer was a 10 point buck taken with a 45# recurve.) But working through it will make you a better hunter, whatever you ultimately hunt with. Stay with it, and success will come.
I can't wait till you make a shot with a trad bow that you know you could not make with a compound bow. That changed everything for me early on when I would struggle with my "limitation."
In fact this past weekend it happened again. A doe comes out from under branches walking and I have a 5 yard window to shoot her before she is past me and without thinking I just look and shoot. She was so close I think if I would have bleated at her she would have bolted. 50 yards later she is down and I am again amazed at this weapon in my hand called a traditional bow.
This too shall pass. Beautiful bow!
Stay with em buddy! You are shooting plenty good, just need the right chance and take your time. Don't rush the shot,plenty of time.... :thumbsup:
Thanks guys I am going to stick with it and keep my head in the game. It is too easy for me to lay down the longbow for a shorter longer distance weapon but I feel that this year it will happen. I will keep everyone posted after the weekend how it is going.
Thanks all for the compliments.
I have a pretty good idea of how you're feeling. I have been hunting with my longbows for the last few seasons and I have yet to make a kill. It would be easy to just take my crossbow or a shotgun, but I want to hunt trad as much as possible, and I'm determined to get game with a bow I built.
Last year, I had a bull moose walk past me at 18 yards in the dark. It was hard to see him go, but I could not shoot where I could not pick a spot.
Two weeks ago my partner and I were pinned down by a big bull that came out of the bush faster than we could set up on him. He stared us down for 40 minutes and stood broadside at 45 to 50 yards a couple of times. Neither of us took the long shot. We wouldn't risk a bad hit. If I had my crossbow... But I want to do it with a trad bow! The next day, the bull was still in the same area, but the wind changed and defeated us. We called to him and got to hear him demolish an acre of woods though.
I couldn't even tell you how many arrows I loosed at various grouse! My last shot clonked one on the head, but he ran off. He fell on his face a couple of times, but by the time I ran up and got an arrow off the ground, he was gone.
Frustrating? Oh yeah! Fun? You better believe it!!
It will happen sooner or later. For me it's all about the hunt.
Nice bow and good shooting. Stick with it man!
Dave.
I'm like most of the other guys..... wheelie bow went to my son and the only thing I take is the long bow. My son and I were shooting in the back yard the other night right at dusk. He said that he was having trouble seeing through the peep sight. I smiled and told him that I had no problems seeing the target.....
When you have a good shooting session, keep going back to how good you felt at that time and let that experience motivate you! It's definitely a mental game that you have to work through.
Every time I think of going back to shooting wheels, I think of how gratifying it is to make meat with traditional gear....
Good luck, shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd
Thanks guys I don't really know why I spent all the money on the wheel bow that I did. I'm hoping to sell it off and buy more supplies or put it towards a recurve of sorts. Your words of encouragement and support are really uplifting for me. I think I get so down on myself for not making things come together that I question my ability to hunt which I know I'm a successful hunter each time I head out to the woods. I'm going to focus on the rest of the season and I know if I put my time in the woods that I will be successful.
trade it on AT for another stick bow.
Seems like you are on the right track. Have faith and enjoy the learning challenge.
How do I keep myself motivated? Justin, your story motivated me.
For myself, bowhunting is "hunting." I feel a difference between shooting and hunting. So, I've shot all kinds of animals with rifles, shotguns, compounds bows, and recurves. But, I must say that, for me, hunting with my recurve brings me back to my childhood when all I had was a BB gun. Now, that was "hunting." I almost regret getting a .22 rifle.
So, what's hunting? I guess getting inside their defensive perimeter without them knowing it. What a thrill!! There's nothing to compare. Nothing!!
I make notes for myself, to help with the next hunting season, to remind myself what I need to do. In the last 5 years, my first note to myself is "Be an Opportunist." Translation: go where the deer are, figure out how to hunt them there, forget all the hoopla about whether tree stands are better, etc.
I have to say, G. Fred Asbell has made a huge difference for me. His book, "Stalking and Still Hunting," speaks to me. I grew up in the same era as Fred, and had similar experiences. And, yes, I liked all the gismos. Marvelous inventions - compound, sites, range finders, all that - speaks to the ingenuity of man. I in favor of that. Except that's not how I obtain joy from hunting - getting inside an animal's defensive parameter and bringing dinner home. Now, that's a skill!! I'm not good at it. But, I have had some success.
It's like teaching yourself to pitch a baseball in the strike zone. You can buy a machine for that. But, it's not the same. Not at all.
Actually, reading your post, it occurs to me that you hunt with a stick bow for the right reason. In the end, ya gotta produce some stories to bore your grandkids!!
Thanks everyone for the replies... I'm excited to get back out there tomorrow and hunt. Reading everyone's words and wisdom has helped me light a fire again and I can't wait to see what happens... I will keep everyone posted!!!
Justin- that is a GORGEOUS bow, i wish i had your talent. I set up close- within 15 yds and know that more times than not- i will get busted with no shot. But man when it finally happens its magical. I have my time of frustration as well but just like you- looking over my bow- seeing my arrows hanging in the quiver in the tree beside me.... doesnt get any better. I know a compound would make it easier... just not the same. Hang in there- it'll happen!
My advice is to learn to appreciate the struggle. Trad hunting is hard, no two ways about it, but that's what makes it great. You'll lean more about hunting in a few sits with a stick bow than years with a rifle or compound. It'll build critical skills which will help you outside of hunting: attention to detail, planning, strategy, the list goes on in.
The struggles of trad hunting have made me grow in ways I know other methods would not, both in hunting and outside of it.
Ya know, only you can tell you whether you want to go trad only or not. What I say should enlighten, maybe entertain you, but what I do and how I feel has nothing to do with your feelings.
Using traditional equipment is a state of mind, not magic, not religion. Using the other stuff is fine, if that is what YOU want, but we all tell you, you won't kill a trad deer while carrying a newfangled bow.
Except for distance, the modern stuff has nothing on my trad gear. I can shoot faster, under worse conditions, I just can't shoot farther. . . . so I hunt better, and smarter. All of us on this site learned how to do it ( or are in that process) and we do it, again, not magic.
Learn to think outside of the old dots. You don't NEED to be able to cover the entire bottom from one tree, just the best portion of it. Sometimes the deer don't come close enough and they win. Enjoy the day, you got to see some. When your plans come together and a good close shot was made YOU WIN, so enjoy that too.
Get over the fear that you will be losing out to the other guys and learn to play the game just a lil bit differently.
CHuckC
Super excited about being back on stand tonight. Trying out my new spot and on the way in I ended up jumping 3 deer. They did not see me but my last step before I rounded the corner to within 20 yards of my stand I stepped on a twig and it snapped. Duh!!!! Saw the 3 walking away about 100 yards up the ridge... Supposed to be low of 36 tonight with a slight variable breeze.... Staying super positive!!!
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/D042CC2E-4BE4-4C9E-B1C2-F7FE74D3C2E8.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/D042CC2E-4BE4-4C9E-B1C2-F7FE74D3C2E8.jpg.html)
I'm in the stand as well. saw nothing this morning. hope the evening is better. enjoy!
Well as I sit here on stand I can finally say I feel completely relaxed. The sun rays are keeping me warm, acorns are dropping like crazy, turkeys are helping behind me, and no camera gear hanging all over the place. I'm out just enjoying gods creations. I think today I finally understand why I want to hunt with my longbow and leave all technology behind. It's just me and my bow, the way I want it to be. Now only if I see a deer would be the icing on the cake for tonight but if not I still feel blessed to be out here!
Good luck!!!
Bisch
How'd it go?
Tonight was a night that just felt right to be out there. I read some of my Deer hunting strategies that Gene and Berry Wensel wrote some time back. At around 1730 the wind died down and I just felt like I should see some deer. I was looking around and then a doe caught my attention. She was 50 yards to my right feeding in some other oaks. Actually, when I first got there I saw another tree that I wanted to move my stand to and she was only 10 yards from it.
Anyhow at around 1815 hours, she finally fed to within 25 yards. I had to move and almost face my tree the way she was coming in. I don't even remember the shot but I saw my arrow fly perfectly straight. I saw her kick and bound off some. I quickly looked through my binoculars and could see her hunched up. I hit her!!! I waited until dark and went down to look at my arrow. It was green but it looked like I got a complete pass through. SO now the waiting game begins. I was able to back out ever so carefully and I am going to give her until the morning. I know that it will be plenty cold enough I'm just hoping I made a lethal hit on her. This is my first shot ever at a big game animal with one of my own longbows. I was so nervous, excited, and tense that I could feel my heart all the way in my throat pounding so hard. The tip of my arrow was shaking. I'm just now praying to God that I didn't just wound the deer but that she will expire and I will be successful!
Here is a picture from my tree and then my arrow.... Hoping for the best in the morning!!
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/D07CA467-E27F-4BF8-A32A-753BFF92014B.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/D07CA467-E27F-4BF8-A32A-753BFF92014B.jpg.html)
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I know I made a bad shot but I'm hoping a paunch shot with enough time is lethal??? What do you all think???
You got her. Just give her time, and you should find her within a couple hundred yards.
Good luck. Good that you snuck out quietly. Hopefully she will lay down in one spot and expire. Hoping with you for a successful conclusion to the hunt.
well???
Been out since dawn... Tracked for about 100 yards but can't figure out which way she went... Feeling pretty low right now
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(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/1D6CAB4A-D9C4-48E2-B78C-FCB05666A60C.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/1D6CAB4A-D9C4-48E2-B78C-FCB05666A60C.jpg.html)
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Hoping to find some sort of sign
I assume the blood stopped? most likely got clogged with stomach matter and internals. she should not be too much farther. guy shot deer don't run far as long as they are not pushed. However, it can take 12 hours sometimes before they expire. go back to the last bit of blood and get on your knees and do semi circles with each one getting larger until you find more blood. it could the size of pin drop.
It's a gut shot but that deer is dead. You did the right thing by backing out and waiting till morning to track. Keep after it. You'll find her.
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Just found where she probably laid down... Now to figure out which way she went
Good luck, bud. I hope you find her, I would bet almost anything that she is dead. You just have to be patient and thorough and you should have your first trad kill under your belt!
how long did you give her before trailing?
If tracking dogs are legal where you are, this would be just the right time to find one and get it on your deer. A dog will find a gut shot deer easier than one hit in the vitals!!!! There is sooooooo much there for the dog to smell.
Good luck, and I hope you find her!
Bisch
Well after being out there for 9 hours and covering 6 miles back and forth I came up empty handed. I feel do bad that I can not find my deer. I wish I knew what I did wrong. Did I not concentrate enough, did I have a bad release, was she too far?? All these questions plague my mind right now. I am going to practice practice practice this week and hopefully this will not happen for some time. I haven't lost a deer since I started hunting way back when. I guess this kind of is like starting over again. I know that I will figure things out and keep at it. I never give up... I loved last night and everything about the evening so I can't wait till I can get back out there at the end of the week. Thanks for the kind words guys.... The struggle continues!!!
nobody ever sets out to make a bad shot or have something go wrong. I have lost deer before and even though I hope it doesn't happen again, the only way to ensure that is to not ever shoot at one again. and that ain't an option. so take it all in and try for another one. as mike mitten says in his book, nothing in nature goes to waste, something will benefit from the events of last night.
QuoteOriginally posted by bowhntineverythingnh03743:
Well after being out there for 9 hours and covering 6 miles back and forth I came up empty handed. I feel do bad that I can not find my deer. I wish I knew what I did wrong. Did I not concentrate enough, did I have a bad release, was she too far?? All these questions plague my mind right now. I am going to practice practice practice this week and hopefully this will not happen for some time. I haven't lost a deer since I started hunting way back when. I guess this kind of is like starting over again. I know that I will figure things out and keep at it. I never give up... I loved last night and everything about the evening so I can't wait till I can get back out there at the end of the week. Thanks for the kind words guys.... The struggle continues!!!
I can't begin to tell you what went wrong with your shot because I was not there. I can tell you that have been doing this for quite a while and would not even consider taking a shot at a whitetail at 25yds.
My only piece of advice would be to get them as close as you can, and shoot the shot you KNOW you can make!
Good luck, and I'm sorry you lost this one.
Bisch
Thanks guys I'm gonna have to range how far my shot was. I feel like it certainly wasn't that far maybe 22 at the most... I'm going to work on stand positions and try and get them in even closer. It's a learning lesson that I won't take for granted.. It will keep me striving for better. The journey continues Friday!
Good luck! You will get it.
I have found after many moons of deer hunting that it is far better to be patient until a deer is much closer than you imagine they would get. My longest shot on a deer is 15yds. My closest is 5yds. Wind and patience pays off with a high percentage shot.
Yes I have learned that my extended range will only be 15-17 yards. I have been shooting every day and I think that my judgment of distance was off some. Tomorrow I am going out to scout and hang some new stands. I am excited to get back out there and really do my homework and make this happen for me this year. I am one that will never give up and will continue throughout the season to better myself and learn from my mistakes. It really is a different way of hunting that I need to get used to.
All of my shots with my wheel bow have been 20-25 yards. Now I must learn to get even closer to be successful with just a stick and string. Hoping that I can find some good looking spots tomorrow. I will post some pictures and a little story about the day when I return.
Justin - I feel your pain buddy. It really sucks to hit one and lose one. I made a poor shot on a buck on our opening day with no recovery (shot it in the ass). It has/had me pretty rattled and questioning my shooting ability. I even skipped a weekend of hunting because I've lost confidence in my shooting skills. Your attitude is better than mine. I'm starting to get over my self pitty-party and have been shooting in my yard and getting some confidence back.
It's tough to lose a deer. Keep after it and it will come together. Remember this is a Journey and you will be learning as you go.
Usually little details like slight variation in terrain or wind eddies will make a spot be better than a tree 20 yards from that spot. These are things guys who set up 30 yards or more never figure out. As you become a better hunter the Opportunities become more.
I usually obsess about hunting and typically I am thinking about how deer move through an area days after I am out of the stand. I ask how and why to myself often. Usually patterns and pieces of the puzzle come together. before I started hunting with the longbow, these are things I never thought about before. I feel like I am becoming a better hunter. Remembering there is always something to learn will gain you more knowledge.
The bow you made is Beautiful. Good Luck.
Sorry, Justin... It happens sometimes, even though that doesn't make you feel any better. 25 yards at a live deer is a long shot in my opinion. Sure it can be done, but I would never attempt that shot. I set my maximum shot at 15 yards for live animals.
Spent the morning tuning up my lifted golf cart I use to get back into my hunting locations. While out checking around a cornfield near the Connecticut River I noticed a ton of crows in one small area. Went over to see what was going on and I believe I found my doe from the other night. It was picked pretty clean but I found what I believe is my entrance hole mid body of the hide. I feel bad about my shot but am glad I can rest easy she is not just severely wounded.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/B7FB0A10-325A-47AE-89F3-C68DA98DCDA8.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/B7FB0A10-325A-47AE-89F3-C68DA98DCDA8.jpg.html)
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So I guess in a round about way I am successful but have learned many things for the next time so that I may harvest the correct way.... This journey has been a roller coaster and I'm excited to get back out there.
how far away was this from the shot?
Probably around 1/2 mile
told you nothing goes to waste in nature. It is bitter sweet I am sure. But at least you have closure. was the shot low/back?
I don't have much to go on... Definitely back is all I can gather... I believe height was good just hit mid paunch.
I'll bet something pushed that deer, maybe coyotes. She shouldn't have been farther than 200 yards away.
Get yourself a copy of John Trout's book Tracking Wounded Deer and read it several times. That book has helped me greatly and my group has not lost a gut shot deer since we have read the book.
Just wondering if you practice with your broad heads. They can be very sensitive if mounted a tad off center. Bowhunting is truly a game of inches and details can make or break a hunt.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mint:
I'll bet something pushed that deer, maybe coyotes. She shouldn't have been farther than 200 yards away.
Get yourself a copy of John Trout's book Tracking Wounded Deer and read it several times. That book has helped me greatly and my group has not lost a gut shot deer since we have read the book.
Yep. If a gut shot deer is not pushed, they are actually easy to find. That's why you always take great care to get out as quietly as possible. But we can't control wildcards like coyotes, that can get one up and run them to who know's where.
Yes I practice quite often with broad heads and field points. I noticed that I have been shooting to the right quite often. So I'm going to limit myself to 16 yards and hang lower in the tree. I think it will be more of a success with limiting myself.
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Broad head and field point today
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10/15/2015... Well today I went out and took all of your guys suggestions on hanging tree stands. I fixed a few and attempted to locate a new stand location with no luck. Here are my new stand set ups...
This one is where I posted those trail cam pics.... This spot will be great for a south or west wind... Nothing out of the north or east
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My view from my stand....
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The longest shot now is around 15 yards. I am tucked into the shadows and I lined my tree with hemlock branches that I had to remove to get into the tree. Instead of letting them just hit the ground I lined the platform of the tree stand to help break up everything even more.
And this is the new stand location for where I shot my doe the other night. I moved it about 30 yards to the north where she was under some other oaks for about 30 minutes. The spot offers more cover and the shots again will be well within 15 yards.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/930C1246-5E02-4D4E-BA7C-2FFF60E57E5A.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/930C1246-5E02-4D4E-BA7C-2FFF60E57E5A.jpg.html)
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Both these new stands are no higher than 15 feet. Hopefully I can make it happen at one of these stands. I also have two more to hang but the ridges I checked out are wide open and I need to figure the movement out.
can't get any better than that broadhead shot right there buddy :thumbsup:
Finally back out on stand after being gone for 8 days. Got some practice in today and really feeling comfident with my abilities now.
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Checked a camera 50 yards or so away from my stand where a giant scrape was last year. Hung it on the 16th and the same night 4 different bucks checked it out. Got a great stud of a buck coming through as well!!!
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Hoping for a productive night!!!!
That's great shooting right there!!! Good Hunting!!
Stick with it bud, it'll happen!
Been a while since I checked in. The struggle still continues but I am sticking with it. Rifle season started yesterday and the woods are loaded with people now. Thank god I am hunting private property where only six of us are hunting. It's a huge piece of woods so it's been hard figuring out where the deer are this year.
Yesterday I walked a large area of thick cover. I mean hands and knees thick cover. I ended up jumping a deer but couldn't tell what it was other than it had a white tail lol. Hung a camera on the edge of the thicket where I found a rub line came out into some large pine area. It's only a travel area where they would be coming from the bedding area. Hopefully with the rut coming up the bucks and does will be running around the area.
First time in a long time that I have had daylight pictures from this morning.
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Forgot to set my time back on my camera so everything is an hour earlier than the time stamp.
Ended up hanging a tree stand in the pines right where the deer walked through.
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You can see that the stand faces the north with the thicket right in front of me. Hoping that this may be the ticket with the best part of the season coming up.
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It's been a month since I have even seen a deer on stand. This has to be my worst year for seeing activity from my stands but I am determined to get it done with my longbow.
I'll check in during the weekend. I am off Friday through Sunday and plan on hunting hard over the three days.
:thumbsup: :pray: