Dr. Ed Ashby wrote: That was the day I took my first big game animal with a bow. It was a whitetail doe. Hard to believe that it was 52 years ago. It seems as though it has been only a short time.

Despite the many animals of a great many species that have passed before me since, that first bow killed deer remains one of the greatest hunting moments of my life. I shared that hunt with a much older bowhunter, James Hayes. James passed away what is now many winters ago, but he lives on in my heart each and every day.

Do a favor for yourself and someone else. Take a youngster bowhunting. They will undoubtedly pester you to death but the they will remember you forever.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ed

I was 9 at the time…..

I was 27 days away from being 1 year old! Merry Christmas Doc!

Kudos,Dr. Ashby…..You too have a Merry Christmas!:D

Ed — My first was also a whitetail doe, at age 18 in ’62. (Me, not the doe.) You beat me to the punch then as now. 😛 Wishing you a wholly healthy and hunt-filled new year. dave

My parents weren’t born until 1960. That really puts into perspective how much experience could be lurking in the stories and memories shared on this board. And how much I could learn by listening instead of talking.

Scott

Dr Ashby, Mine was a whitetail doe also, probably 1982. I was hunting on the property where Ed Abbey grew up, in Home, PA. I was neighbors with his parents, Paul and Mildred.

I was 18 months old! Merry Christmas Doc!

Jim — Ed Abbey was a close friend and the most influential person in my life. You’re aware I’m sure of him writing about he and his brother Hoots, when they were quite young, holding the spotlight while dad shot a deer from the field once in a while. This would have been not long after the Depression and the meat was truly needed. I hope economic times are better there now. Interesting and fortunate for me that now another Ed A. has become significant in my life. 😀 dave

I wasn’t born for another 15 yrs! LOL — your old Doc!

Merry Christmas to everyone here, remember the men and women who will spend Christmas in harms way, cold in a hole.

J

I hear you Dr. A…..just keep on working at getting better:) Wayne

Hey Doc – getting old os still better than the alternative! 😆

Dave-I was four years old in 1958 when we moved beside the Abbey’s and never knew Ed. I knew Howard(Hoots, maybe), Bill, and the parents quite well. Times have changed here for the better. My earliest influence, besides family, was Mildred Abbey. She was a wonderful teacher and a good family friend. I am privileged to have spent my early hunting years there.

Strait-Aero wrote: [quote=Dr. Ed Ashby]That was the day I took my first big game animal with a bow. It was a whitetail doe. Hard to believe that it was 52 years ago. It seems as though it has been only a short time.

Despite the many animals of a great many species that have passed before me since, that first bow killed deer remains one of the greatest hunting moments of my life. I shared that hunt with a much older bowhunter, James Hayes. James passed away what is now many winters ago, but he lives on in my heart each and every day.

Do a favor for yourself and someone else. Take a youngster bowhunting. They will undoubtedly pester you to death but the they will remember you forever.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ed

I was 9 at the time…..

I was born two days later.

My mom was a year and a week away from being born, and my real dad was within about a month of being born!! LOL!! My first big game animal ALSO, was a whitetail doe, taken with my Grizzly recurve and a 2018 Legacy aluminum shaft with a 125 grain Bear razorhead. Small doe, probably a yearling, but she had a fawn on her, though I didn’t realize it until it was time to dress her out, and her bags had milk in them. I don’t recall what year it was, offhand, at this point. Five or six years ago, though. I was hunting with my uncle, who got me into traditional archery in the first place.

Michael.

about 33 years later I was born 😉

And then 59 years later on November 11th I took my first deer with a 40# Galaxy Mars recurve . . . I have never taken a doe before. Mainly because the gun seasons that take up most of October, and November are buck only- even for the crazy kid hunting with a stickbow 😀