Great photos, all. wish I could think of some I have - fit to share here with these greats. I'll scratch my head some more and look throgh my cobwebs - maybe I'll find something. I've had many great/memorable moments (to me) but not too many with Trad, and lots of times the cameras just weren't near by. Not from lack of trying though  :D   Thanks for sharing yours though.

Lots of great pics out there,this place has some very talented people    I always liked this one finally got one that was slightly less than high strung to stay were I aimed the arrow.

All great posts, keep them coming.

Billy

These two pictures aren't great "hero shots" but they stood out in terms of what they mean to me.

This first picture has always meant a lot to me. My older cousin used to come over to our house to make arrows a couple times a year. We only had one Bitzenburger to fletch with so it was always a weekend event. Some of my best memories...

We always took one of the other guys arrow to make it for him. We put our initials on the arrow we built for eachother and as a rule we had to hunt with that one.

On this property we were hunting was a big platform treestand in the perfect spot. It was great for two guys to sit together. I got to sit right next to my cousin as he shot this big buck. It so happened that he shot it with the arrow I initialed. That was pretty cool to a 13 year old.

My brother on the left, cousin in the middle, and myself on the right.


Another picture that I have always liked, about five years after the picture above. This is a javy I killed while hunting with my cousin. We have always had good luck hunting together.

WOW!!  Great pics.  I am jealous. . . . "not great  bucks"!???      

You guys kill me. . . those are "in my dream" pics.  

Dan in KS

Morning Star,  man that picture could be in a frame!  I love the colors in the background, and I really dig canoes.  Thanks for posting.

I can't believe that some of you stated that your bucks weren't that big.

That mule deer is huge how could think that, especially since it was your first big game kill.  :confused:

QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Chris, first of all personalities aren't the same. These two guys didn't simply throw a stand up and get lucky these deer walked by one day. They are both whitetail fanatics and they were each very ecstatic I can attest to that. Both these guys had watched these two deer grow for multiple years and both have multiple years of trail camera photos and have had many in the field encounters with them. They followed their development and knew their daily patterns which all leads in a strange way of getting to know the animal itself on a personal level. When this relationship is over its almost a bitter sweet feeling that's hard to explain. They know the process will start over with another animal but this one has ended.

There we go, a bit of background the pics mean something entirely different.  When I saw them before it looked like the guys had killed big bucks like that their entire lives, which they still could have.  So to me it was one of those if the feeling goes away why do it type deals!

I know I'm young, but I definitely understand what they feel.  I almost had a experience like this.  Two years ago I was hunting a specific buck within 55000 acres of public land.  I KNEW the deer, and was getting close.  I finally got a 30 yard shot on literally what I thought was the buck of a lifetime.  Being of the young age of 16 years old, and still not completely in control of my buck fever I missed.  Turns out that a guy on top of the mountain I hunted who had some private land shot him . . . over some corn  

QuoteOriginally posted by joevan125:
I can't believe that some of you stated that your bucks weren't that big.

That mule deer is huge how could think that, especially since it was your first big game kill.   :confused:  

If you are talking about mine, I thank you for the kind words, and I was more talking about the pic than anything, it was a little fuzzy and the lighting....blah blah blah.  He was definatly a nice buck and I could not be more pleased.    I think everyone is just trying to be modest as they know that they are very fortunate to be able to have sucesses like these and it is more of the meaning behind the picture rather than the size of the prey taken.....or at least that is what I got from Tom's posting of this thread.

Great pics everyone - keep them coming!

Jake's right, the thread is meant to be about capturing that moment of a successful hunt. I really enjoy a still image of a point in time that tells the story.

Do keep them coming.

Alright, I finally have time to post a few     .  Just a bit of background about myself, I film EVERYTHING, absolutely love filming almost as much as actually hunting.  I love taking pictures too, and almost 90% of my hero shots are taken by me!  Sooo, when the pictures are taken in the dark it makes it a bit fun!  It is hard to position myself in the little viewfinder during the day!  But I got some goodies to share!

The first one is what dad and I consider my first deer, it was actually my second.  But this was my first traditional bow harvest!  And it is definitely something dad and I will remember forever!
 

this one is my buddies first deer.  He shot this guy last year.  His first deer and his first bow harvest!  He was just a tad excited    

 

So this is interesting to me, maybe you guys wont care, but my buck was taken a hour and a half west in the Appalachian mountains, and Micky's was taken here where we live in the foothills, which is basically corn fields and cow pastures.  His buck was maybe a 2 year old buck, I personally think that he was younger going off his teeth but people that have been doing it for a lot longer than I said it was about a 2 year old.  My buck was estimated to be about 4-5 years old.  So that shows the difference in genetics, same state, a hour and a half distance between the two!  Just interesting.

The next one is my favorite small game harvest to date.  And quite frankly the best tasting    , a buddy and I were trying to get ourselves some cottontails, we both had bows.  This rabbit busted out of some brush and my buddy gave it a shot, about 15 yards running.  We all know how that goes.  I saw where the brush pile the bunny ran into, it was probably about the size of a recliner.  I went over and took a peak and sure enough there was a rabbit sitting less than a yard away from my feet playing statue.  So I nocked an arrow and got him!  He died instantly, as the shot was extremely easy.  But the patch of brier was very thick.  Now I had to get him.  Well long story short, I don't know if you can see it or not but I have a bit of blood on my nose, that is mine.  I got all torn up getting the rabbit.  Easy shot, humane kill and one of the worst recovery's to date, lol.  But made that meal way better, not to mention hunting snow is awesome.  That and the bunny is huge      
   

Good stuff Chris, I'd love to get a video camera and film some of my hunts someday.

You ought to Tom...it is great fun!!!

Here are a couple of my favorites.




My Mentor Brother John..






Brother John, Chris Spikes and myself with a Rabbit each...

Here's my favorite...



And my second favorite!

Being there when Whip shot his first elk was an amazing experience.

Here are two that I cherish most... not only the pictures, but the blessing of being able to share those moments with my son Connor on his first javelina and turkey expeditions.

Geez RC, that last pic of you....what were you? 12 YEARS OLD?

I'll play!!

Colorado hunt


local Michigan deer


another local

My first Trad bow harvest.

My first trad buck

My best trad buck

Good memories and good times!!!  All these deer have a special place in my heart.  Joe