AAARRRGGHH or I've made it…

[jmsmithy]

#6152

I’ve been blessed to hunt/fish all over the world. I’ve taken numerous critters, some record book size, others not, with every weapon imaginable, short of a traditional bow.

Each experience forever etched into my mind and heart…especially the recent ones shared with my boys….:D

Early in 2011, inexplicably, this feeling came over me for a simpler, more nature nurturing type of hunting experience. At that point I purchased my first recurve, a beautiful Black Widow PMA…With constant practice, and the incredible advice, encouragement and information given by my new cyber brothers here (special thx to DP, SteveMcD, Dr Ed and sooo many other wonderful folks too many to name here…please don’t be offended 😳 you’ve all be instrumental in my education) concepts of tuning, FOC, true, instinctive marksmanship are now becoming second nature.. All the work, practice, sometimes frustration, made me think I’d never make it, never be a true traditional hunter…I have not picked up another weapon, regardless of season, since…

I’ve yet to score…earlier this season, up a familiar tree on one of my favorite spots along comes a fat 5 pt….my heart blasts away, almost shaking in my boots, as I follow him with my eyes coming towards me…my grip tightens on the string, as he passes I raise up, draw, hold release …. And zip an arrow right over his back at 9 yards….I’m 12 years old again, shooting ( with training wheels 😆 ) about 10 feet over a fat old doe…:oops:…. Regardless of bow type, that old lesson to bend at your waist still rings true…

Last night I’m hunting a different spot, ( just off my backyard actually ❗ 😀 ) from the ground…first cold night in NJ this season and I could just feel the deer around me…415 and the Whitetail Witching hour is upon me…next thing I know, CRUNCH….what was that?….CRUNCH. My heart rate ticks up a few dozen notches…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…CRUNCH, steady. Coming to me. Sounds heavy. Whatever it is it’s going to pass me about 12 yards broadside right in the middle of my lane….then…nothing…nothing moving…where is it? What is it? Is it still there? My heart in overdrive, grip tightening on the string, back tensing….hours passed..( ok, more like 3 minutes 😀 ). Unable to take it any longer I ease slowly to peer down trail…my right eye clears the edge of the port hole and my heart stopped…breathing seemingly impossible…I was staring at the first ever caribou/elk/moose ever in NJ 😯 …when I came back to Earth I was in a stare down with a 120-30″ 10 pt, staring right back at me at about 13-14 yards. I don’t know who was more shocked. The only shot was no shot with a bow…straight on chest….next thing I’ve never seen before..he BACKPEDALED in the direction he came almost footprint for footprint…approx 10 steps….never taking his eyes off mine (12 again, never look’em in the eyes 🙄 ) he adds the ultimate insult and turns, BROADSIDE and STOPS ❗ at approx 25-26 yards…5-6 yards outside my comfort zone with my Widow, looks back at me, and walks away…had I been holding one of my compounds, the post would’ve been the two of us, arm in arm….

The frustration, anger, dismay I was feeling was quickly replaced with awe, with pride, with an intense love, a love for him, a love for where I was and what I was doing, and a love for how I was doing it…that feeling has not yet waned…now I have the feelings of being a true hunter, a true archer…more cognizant then ever of the natural world around me…perhaps I’ve made it…:D

[Troy Warner]

#48291

Incredable!!!

Yes you’ve made it!!

That is why, I hope, we all hunt with stick and string.

Congrats.

[jmsmithy]

#48299

tradhunter1 wrote: Incredable!!!

Yes you’ve made it!!

That is why, I hope, we all hunt with stick and string.

Congrats.

I’ve been told this before and it’s very very true….it’s one helluva an addiction 😀

[Troy Warner]

#49191

Yep a real addiction. When you finally get to the point you quit second guessing your choice to switch from easer methods of hunting and every thing just feels right, even when you miss, or blow a stalk, and you return from the hunt with a big stupid grin ( so my wife says ) with a story of close encounters and missed shots an unfilled tag. A you still have the enthusiasm of a 12 year old on opening morning. Yep an addiction.

[jmsmithy]

#13067

Soooooooo

I’m sitting in blind tonight, about 415 does start moving past, from different angle…wind was great, in my face and they came from about a 45* angle past. As I’m watching them I see a shadow literally move through the blind. Before I realize, there he is, same buck, big 10pt, about 125″ give or take moving past me at no more than 6 yards!! 😯

Too jazzed/scared/stunned I don’t move for fear he’ll hear or sense me. He feeds through and stops broadside at about 14 yards :!:8) I got him, I figured:!:

He puts his head down to feed, I lean out slightly…not going to hit blind AGAIN!!!…draw…I feel my anchor point hit ….release and …. Good bye as I sail my ABS Ashby tipped MFX right over his back 🙄 😳 😥 😥

I made ANOTHER ROOKIE MISTAKE:!::!: and aimed at his chest, not a spot. 😥

I REALLY can’t believe this….this deer has now laughed at me THREE TIMES THIS SEASON:twisted: I want him sooooo bad with my Widow I can taste it.

How easy would it be to grab my Xbow (recurve limb of course 😆 ) or wheel bow or, for that matter a slug gun ( yes, good Ole Replubic of NJ is STILL open for deer – all weapons 8) ).

But if I did that I’d know I took the easy way …

BTW – it’s midnight or so now and my heart STILL pounding…good excuse to get a shorter ntn recurve 😉

[David Petersen]

#13610

John — As you are discovering repeatedly now, even a missed opportunity for a shot, or a clean miss with a trad bow, provides far more excitement in the present and memories for all time than a “clean fast kill” with an excess of technology, like “I saw this buck way out there and I killed him.” End of story. It’s the difference between killing with less challenging weapons–a mere technological exercise–or having these close intense repeated experiences with our prey and with ourselves. That’s true hunting. Whether you kill this buck this year or not, you’ve already won the game. Congratulations, dp

[SteveMcD]

#13620

JMSMITHY.. there you go! It doesn’t get any better. There is no such thing as anger and frustration with traditional equipment because you have already resolved yourself to leveling the playing field in pursuit of Fair Chase at it’s finest. The experience and the memory is it’s own reward.

[jmsmithy]

#13839

Thx Dave and Steve

I know I’ve made a choice, the right one…I’ve honestly never had so much fun :!::D {Not saying I’ll never hunt with another weapon…still love my MZ’s and custom rifles etc…:wink: }

I did however breakdown today, and in moment of extreme duress, I did what we on this quest of ours could only consider unimaginable…incomprehensible…:idea:…yep, saw my buddy Jeff at Allegheny Mt Bows here in good ole NJ and ordered a new bow…54″ 50@27″ LONGBOW (with a nice fat recurve grip of course) :!::!: 😀

ok I know…it’s an excuse but what the hell….8)

Pretty soon I might just chase that SOB down – the buck, not Jeff 😆

You know guys, Shotgun and Muzzleloader STILL open in my zones here in Jersey…:twisted:

[SteveMcD]

#13889

Smitty.. 30-40 years years ago, I use to hunt the Montville-Kinnelon-Boonton Twnshp area, and also Newark Watershed up in Vernon. My last hunt in NJ was in Vernon off Canister Rd. in 1986 I shot a spike buck the day after Christmas with my Thompson Renegade.

You made a great choice with Allegheny Mtn Bows great people. Excellent bows.

If you plan on going to the Appalachian Bowmen Trad Shoot in Whittingham, let me know. Maybe we can meet.

Good Hunting!

Steve

[jmsmithy]

#14092

Yes Steve,

Jeff and Jen are great folks. Really cool to see well made, hand crafted bows actually being built in Jersey. Who’da thunk 😯 At a reasonable price no less ❗ ..can’t wait to see it too…All African Olive with Olive riser (really highly figured…saw some of the wood today, still needs to order block for riser)and Offset by either dark cocobolo or ebony face/tips. Jeff saying he’ll give it to me at Whittingham…perhaps you can help partake in its innaugural shoot 😀

I will be at Whittingham, in fact Jeff and I just discussing it this am. We also talked about Denton Hills (I’ve never been and he had some VERY pointed things to think about regarding that event ) PM me and we can set up some details as time draws near…love to get together face to face and chat with TradBow Brethren!!

You gotta promise though not to disclose to anyone my shooting “prowess” 😳 😆

Looking forward to it!

Be well >>>–> 😆

[SteveMcD]

#14715

jmsmithy wrote:

You gotta promise though not to disclose to anyone my shooting “prowess” 😳 😆

Looking forward to it!

Be well >>>–> 😆

Some days you get the bear. Some days the bear gets you! We shoot all year long, but only rarely or a limitedd time in front of a crowd. It’s a mental game. Your “scores” are safe with me. :lol:8)

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