Way to go..congrats!!

Congrats!!!

Good job. Nice shot!

Congrats!

Congrats I will be waiting!

   

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!!!!...

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 !!!

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....

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

 Great shooting; 40 yds away is what we like!