First Trad Kill!!

[trad_admirer]

I bought my first Longbow back in Feb. of this year and during the first two or three weeks of shooting, I thought I'd never be able to hit anything other than the ground.  Well after a few months of very DEDICATED practice, I became somewhat of a decent shot (I think).  Well, this afternoon I got my first chance to draw on a deer with my bow.

I got to the stand overlooking a cornfield at 3:30.  I was only there for about 15 minutes before the first deer showed up.  Two does came walking behind me well out of bow range.  I watched them walk a big circle around my stand and start toward the field.  As they got to the top of a little hill, both of them stopped and stared for a few minutes before raising their tails and running back into the woods.  I looked in the direction they were looking and saw a small spike easing through the field in my direction.  I watched him for a good 15 minutes or so hoping he'd keep coming.  Then behind me I could hear a deer walking through the woods toward the field and when I finally got turned around to see what it was, I saw a little 6 pointer already in the field heading directly toward me.  

I'm in a ladder stand, MAYBE, 12 feet off the ground, in a group of 4 or 5 trees on the edge of this field.  I figure this deer is going to see me well before he ever gets close enough for a shot.  But miraculously he doesn't and walks to about 10 yards directly in front of me and for some reason stops.  He lowered his head and turned it away from me (Thank you God) and I started to draw.  I got about halfway to full draw when he turned towards me slightly and caught my movement.  He didn't hesitate for a second and leaped 3 or 4 times.  I finished coming to full draw and when he stopped about 25 yards away I released the arrow.  It seemed like everything went into slow motion as he ducked well below the arrow, but the arrow flew exactly where I was looking.  You would've thought I had just shot a booner if you'd have seen the smile on my face.  I dunno for sure why, but I was definitely the happiest hunter in the woods as I watched my arrow stick into the dirt.  

The buck ran about 50 yards to the edge of the field and stopped.  He snorted a few times and then ran off into the woods.  When I turned around I was surprised to see the spike still standing in the field.  He was staring straight at the spot where the 6 pointer had entered the woods.  He started walking directly towards that spot and he was going to have to walk right through one of my shooting lanes to get there.  

I hit full draw about the same time he got into my lane.  And for whatever reason he stopped and lowered his head to feed (Thank you God, again).  He was quartering away perfectly as I released the arrow.  I lost sight of it in flight, but I heard the "thunk" and as he ran off I could see the arrow hanging out of the opposite side of his body.  He ran to the same spot the other buck ran to and stopped.  I could see the blood soaking his hair just before his legs gave way and he fell over.  

I couldn't stand up any longer, so I sat on the platform and sent text messages to everybody I knew that hunts.  When I got down, I walked over to where he was standing and couldn't believe how far it was.  I paced it off and it came out to exactly 38 yards from the base of the tree.  Some may say that the shot was too far, or unethical, but there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I could make the shot.

The arrow hit him about halfway back on his left side, went through one lung, cut his heart about 2" down one side and exited through his right shoulder.  I was shooting a J.D. Berry "Viper", 51# @ 28" drawn to about 29 1/2" with GT 55/75's and 125 grain Muzzy Phantom's.

Sorry this was so long, but I just had to tell somebody!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

No looking back now! Congrats on a fine trad harvest.
Kris

[Brian Krebs]

Congrats !!  Makes me concentrate on December- when my season opens again    

WARNING: THE THRILL MIGHT WEAR OFF AFTER A CENTURY!

[Jerry Wald]

Nice job and great story - congrats

Jer Bear

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Well-done!

[Ragnarok Forge]

Great shot.  Enjoy the feeling and the backstraps.

[whitebuffalo]

           

[Brute killer]

Dittio the great shot. Congrats!

[Bow man]

Congratulations on you First

[Whip]

Great shot and great story!!      

[jimmerc]

Way to go!     Congrats!              

[GingivitisKahn]

Good work!

 

[ethan]

Congrats!  It's all downhill from here!!!  

[Day Dreamer]

Congrats on a fine deer, with many more to come.

[4runr]

That's awesome! Congrats!

[trapperDave]

 CONGRATS!  

[Coop]

Congrats!

[Shaun]

"there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I could make the shot."

That is exactly where the ethical line gets drawn for me. Physical range is relative, certainty is not. Great story and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Very well done!

[JSimon]

Congratulation! That first one will always stand out.

[joevan125]