The count is now 5.......

[TomBow]

deer taken with the longbow (Toelke Whip) and a gobbler to start my trad success.  Wednesday of last week, the weather threatened rain, but I was not to be kept from hunting.  So I goes hunting.  What? I see two deer approaching my stand 'bout 5:30, Doe and basket 6 yearling buck.  They cross in front of me and notice not as I reach for my bow and position myself for potential shot taking.  Suddenly, little buck says I'moudahere and runs off, I know not why.  His female friend continues to remain unaware of my presence not 15 ft. above her and but a few yards away.  I see the spot, I draw the bow and the arrow strikes the spot I seek.  I phone my wife and shaky-voiced describe the recent goings on in detail.  I hang up and the rain comes!  I believe the shot to be as planned so I curse the rain, climb down and retrieve my self-crafted arrow of my own construction, now tainted from stem to stern with the blood of my prey.  I attempt to blood trail as the rain cleanses it from existence.  I travel in the direction she travelled away from my stand, grid search for an hour as the rain increases along with the darkness.  I find her not and plan for a morning search the next day.  
I return after a night of what-if's, maybe-I-shoulda's and other mental anguishment to the spot of the previous nights arrow beauty realization.  I search in vain for blood, then I search 3 hours, covering acres and acres of property within and beyond areas I thought she might be found.  But the shot looked perfect based on body position and  location of the lethal strike.  It is at a point of crap, crap,crap-speak that I end up in an opposite direction of her estimated direction of travel when I return to a long grass area within the woods and swamp.  Self says search the grassy area and self does.  Yea, upon they area where my eyes gaze....she lies.  Some other creature has chewed all but 3" of her tail and expanded the arrow hole to a 6" diameter.  But I found her and claim her for my own.  She is No. 5 of my first two years of longbow only life.  And it is good.....

[JAG]

     
Awsome that you did not give up.  In this day of instant gratification it is so refreshing to hear the story of a true hunter.  It is a shame to say there are so few of us left.  It seems that some would have not returned the next morning and chalked it up to fate.
Thanks for the refreshing view this morning!
It renews my faith in the natural order.
Johnny/JAG

[joe ashton]

Way to go!

Bisch

[moebow]

OUTSTANDING Tom!!!!  Congratulations.

Arne

[Sirius Black]

[swamper]

[VictoryHunter]

Congrats!

[Josh Perdue]

Good job

[TomBow]

Yes I seem to be on a roll with the longbow beginning with last year's spring turkey, 7 shots (spined doe took a second shot to finish) and 6 total harvests.  It has been magical journey since I discovered the fire that is burning in my soul for the longbow, crafting my own arrows (Thanks Arne!) and seeing it all come together in those moments when it all goes right.  And so far it's gone pretty right for me.  Thanks again to all who have spurred me on and shared their spirit of our big trad family.

Absolute Best of luck to you all!
TomBow

[RedShaft]

Your doing really well congrats

[rwbowman]

Way to go Tombow!

[RAU]

Your doing really good! I just killed my fifth traditional deer as well this past Sat..................................but it was the 1st day of my 10th SEASON!!!!

[dbd870]

You are doing well indeed!