Just wanted to tell you all thanks for the knowledge you have shared with me on my return to traditional archery. I was blessed, as i am sure many of you have been to have a father who took me hunting from the time i could walk in the woods, even though he had to wait on me, cause i couldnt keep up. I killed my first deer when i was 10 and my first with abear recurve at 14. HE slowly kept up with advances and moved on to compounds and i was grateful to get his old equipment. After using the modern stuff up until last year and having lots of deer around being sucessul every year was very common, and every couple of years i  might even get a nice buck, but the excitement was fading. Now i am back on the ground with a recurve or a long bow and wooden arrows that i build after buying raw shafts, and i am as excited as when i was a kid. Being 46 years old now the kill isnt nearly as important as the experience. I hunt for the enjoyment and the meat. WE eat 2 deer a year at our house and the horns are nice but i cant get them to cook up very well.Last year was the first deer i had shot from the ground with traditional archery equipment since i was young, just a doe but i tell that story more than any other. I will try to video some hunts this year , even hope to shoot a coon out to the dogs with the bow, hopefully i will have some pics and video to share and again thanks to everyone who has given advice and sympathy after the fox bite,NOW THAT WAS FUNNY. THANKS TO THE GUYS WHO SET THIS SITE UP AND KEEP IT GOING.

here here.  I'll second that, well said

I always felt I had the upper hand hunting with traditional gear.  Once you know, you just know Ritchie!  Good luck this fall and I hope to see you when I get down to Tri Valleys!

Let me know when you are coming to the area three arrows and if i am able we can hunt together. I hope to have 4 spots set up by the time season gets here, probably all ground blinds with no more than 20 yard shots. I want to take a couple of does out of the herd around here to help the buck hunting for the future. I have seen 5 different bucks so far, but only one is a shooter. I have seen up to 9 does at once, but i am sure some were buttons. At close range i should be able to tell the button bucks from the does ,and shoot only does to even things out alittle. Only one buck tag so i will save it for a nice one.

Troy i really hope to able to plan an elk hunt next year 2010. Does Idaho sell over the counter elk tags to non residents? and if so are there good public lands to hunt? Actually getting an elk would just be a bonus, id really love to see the country out there since TX is as far west as i have ever been. A friend of mine went to Idaho years ago and the pics of the country were great.

You are WELCOME!!!!