Awesome 1st Traditional Hunt - Perspective from a life long wheel shooter

[inn8hunter]

Sorry no pics! However, after shooting wheels, peep, pins and release my ENTIRE bowhunt career - I sold my wheels and bought a recurve in Dec.

I thought our small log home would be finished in early August and I'd be able to shoot daily, well, we just moved in last weekend - lol.

Anyways, I have quite a few trophies on the wall and as I have detailed this winter, something just wasn't fun anymore trophy hunting last year. Big medical bills for my son's knee injury prompted me to not pay big $$$ for a lease anymore.

I didn't know if I could NOT be a trophy hunter, but I am finally proficient at 15 yards with the recurve and purchased a cheap ghille suit off of **** this winter.

Sunday was the first night out. Went out and hunted a big bowl - assessed the wind - and sat in the berry brush on my $9 tripod seat about 10 yards off the logging trail - with my $99 Samick Sage recurve - lol.

Brush still pretty thick and I cleared a small lane to the logging road. About 6 p.m. in a light drizzle I hear a deer walking at me IN THE BRUSH slightly to my left. As it gets closer, I can't see the body, but can see the rack at about 8 yards =). A 2.5 year old 8 about 15" inside with G3 and part of main beam busted off.

Now, normally I my heart wouldn't even stir with a buck like this with wheels in my hand. And, truth-be-told, I didn't know if I could even shoot a deer like this previous to this hunt as I've been blessed with having access to great hunting land. However, my heart was racing as it did the first time I took a bow deer - IT WAS AWESOME.

He came to 5 yards to my wrong side and I couldn't turn on him, plus the brush was thick. When he finally figured out that I was something out of place, he spooked about 25 yards and then was still trying to figure me out.

No shot, smaller deer than I'd previously consider shooting, so close at 5 yards that I could smell his tarsals, heart racing - PRICELESS!

I can see that hunting on the ground with a ghille suit that catches on everything is going to be more of a challenge than I thought - but so far what a great experience switching to traditional archery has provided me. I discovered that this busted up 8 pointer would have topped most of my wheel trophies.

Tim

[Bud B.]

Nothing like up close and personal.

Congrats on the fine day. Hopefully there'll be plenty more just like it with a good closure.

[Fritz]

Congrats on seeing the world through a traditional bowhunter's eyes! It's a whole new and wonderful experience.      

[Hoyt]

It does make a difference. I've killed more deer and hogs with a recurve than I can remember (could be one at my age, but not), haven't hunted with a recurve in about 40yrs till this yr. I've had to take my fingers off the nock on two occasions this season and grab the string with all my fingers to keep the arrow from bouncing off the rest I was trembling so bad. One was a yearling doe the other was grown.

[dragonheart]

As my good hunting partner that is 68 said to me me when he switched to a recurve last year "this is like starting all over again!"  

Welcome to the pure essence of hunting with a bow and arrow.  Simple, classy, and challenging: traditional bowhunting!

[stik&string]

Congrats on a great hunt. That is why we do what we do. IMHO a trad bow in hand amplifies almost every outdoor experiance.

[KodiakMag]

Don't let the antlers get to you, any animal taken with a traditional bow is a trophy, I trophy hunt every time I go out, whether its a monster buck, or a little doe, its a trophy. Welcome to traditional bow hunting.      

[bolong]

  Congrats!!!

[DannyBows]

Great Story! Thanks for sharing, and Welcome!!

[joe ashton]

trad bows ROCK....

[Two Dogs]

Aw-inspring to be in touch at it's purest level, congrats.

[Mudd]

Welcome to the world of sticks and strings.

It's a hoot and a rush all at the same time.

These kind of thrills are repeatable every time you go out or at least it doesn't get old to me.

Congratulations on your hunt and thank you for sharing it with us.

God bless,Mudd