Wow! My first deer with a bow!

[Ben M.]

#7031

I was sitting in tall grass near a heavily used trail, watching an osprey with a fish in its talons, when a rustle brought my attention back to the ground. Out walked this doe. I’d already missed two easy shots and I told myself “No more. Control your arms!” Less than 20yds away, but my arrow still hit her a bit far back. I’m really not sure how far she ran but the trail was a cinch to follow. I just can’t get over the physiological response hunting with this bow causes in me. “Buck fever” is not descriptive enough. I was literally quaking after I took this shot.

Northstar recurve, 60# @ 31″

875 grain hickory arrow, 145 grain Zwickey eskimo.

-Ben

[ChumpMcgee]

#57425

Aww man that is so freaking awesome CONGRATS! I am looking to bag my first ever kill and I am so pumped reading stories like this thank you so much for sharing!!

[lyagooshka]

#57433

Another beautiful deer. Congratz!

Alex

😀

[taterman]

#57456

sweet

[paleoman]

#57458

Nice going!

[David Coulter]

#57460

Congratulations! I’m hoping to walk in those shoes myself this year. If not, it’ll be another great year of squirrel watching. Way to go. dwc

[Jason Wesbrock]

#57465

Congrats to you on your first. Hopefully, many more will follow.

[tailfeather]

#57491

Awesome. Congrats!!

[Shane Balow]

#57509

congratulations!!!

[William Warren]

#57518

Very nice!

[turtlebunting]

#57554

good job! it should get esyer now that u got ur first kill! and its early enough u can stock up! good job again and congrats!

[WyoStillhunter]

#57555

Congratulations! My “first” is still in the future. Savor the memory.

[Troy Breeding]

#58004

Super!!!

[Nate Bailey]

#58256

nice!

[Dan Sweeney]

#58332

Nice!! What do you think of those hickory shafts? Did you find a supplier or mill them yourself? I’m looking for the heaviest, toughest wood shaft I can find. Nice looking bit of meat there!!

[strait-aero]

#58341

Good job,Ben….I can remember my first with a traditional bow. The nerves will go away, but the thrill never will.Wayne:wink:

[Ben M.]

#58455

Thanks for all the support and encouragement, guys! Outside of this forum, my circle of friends who really “get it” is pretty small.

I love my arrows, Dan, and I buy the shafts from Allegheny Mountain Arrow Woods. I’ve posted about them several times, so don’t want to be a broken record, but if you’re looking to shoot heavy wood shafts, Bill at Allegheny is your ticket. Thousands of shots and I’ve only broken seven–the seventh taking the deer above. Four of them were from shooting at the same target twice. Tough shafts! I think if my bow were much lower in draw weight I’d go with Ash. Hickory shafts might be a bit heavy for a lower-poundage bow, and it’s really hard to get them spined under 70#.

Thanks again,

Ben

[archer38]

#58646

Very nice !!! Congrats on your first whitetail, and many more to come !!!

[BuckyT]

#59373

Congrats!!!!

It’s a great feeling for sure!!

[Wexbow]

#59467

Well done Ben 😀 It’s been great following your small game exploits here and to see you bagging a deer is fantastic. Enjoy the feeling and the venison!

[Ben M.]

#59859

Wexbow wrote: Well done Ben 😀 It’s been great following your small game exploits here and to see you bagging a deer is fantastic. Enjoy the feeling and the venison!

Dude, you’re too good to me. I just finished putting the last of the meat in the freezer right now. Had a great meal of backstrap steaks tonight — can’t believe how much my kids ate! Taking my son out sunday morning for another hunt. 🙂

-Ben

[wildschwein]

#60268

Holy smokes Prowler! You sure do move fast. Rabbit, Pigeon, and then straight to Deer.

Congrats on a beauty of a Doe. And since your such a fast learner we can expect a 200inch Buck to be next right? 😀

[Ben M.]

#62271

wildschwein wrote: Holy smokes Prowler! You sure do move fast. 😀

I’ve been thinking about this, what you wrote, Justin, for a couple days now.

I have always had a deep spiritual connection with the place I live in. Without this prairie, I would not exist.

I first touched a bow in February of this year, made a batch of arrows a month later, bought my recurve 3 1/2 months ago. Fact is, archery, well…awakened something in me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s like a puzzle has been solved that I didn’t know existed – or a piece that I didn’t know was missing has fit into place. Let me be clear, none of this is to say that I am “better than thou”. It’s just that archery, and hunting in general, has profoundly impacted my life and family’s life. I only started hunting 10 months ago. A friend gave me an old .270 last fall, another friend taught me to butcher, and I wound up putting 4 deer on the table.

For me, hunting is akin to heating with wood.

Hunting, like cutting firewood, allows me to provide for my family’s primary physical needs. The bow, like the maul, is a physical tool that provides a spiritual connection to the land we rely upon. Archery feeds us both physically and spiritually. It’s like it was there all along…I just didn’t recognize it.

-Ben

[rwbowman]

#62500

Ben, very nice work my friend!! I know the quaking feeling all too well now too, and no, buck fever does not begin to explain it! Good job!!

[William Warren]

#63086

Prairie Prowler wrote: [quote=wildschwein]Holy smokes Prowler! You sure do move fast. 😀

I’ve been thinking about this, what you wrote, Justin, for a couple days now.

I have always had a deep spiritual connection with the place I live in. Without this prairie, I would not exist.

I first touched a bow in February of this year, made a batch of arrows a month later, bought my recurve 3 1/2 months ago. Fact is, archery, well…awakened something in me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s like a puzzle has been solved that I didn’t know existed – or a piece that I didn’t know was missing has fit into place. Let me be clear, none of this is to say that I am “better than thou”. It’s just that archery, and hunting in general, has profoundly impacted my life and family’s life. I only started hunting 10 months ago. A friend gave me an old .270 last fall, another friend taught me to butcher, and I wound up putting 4 deer on the table.

For me, hunting is akin to heating with wood.

Hunting, like cutting firewood, allows me to provide for my family’s primary physical needs. The bow, like the maul, is a physical tool that provides a spiritual connection to the land we rely upon. Archery feeds us both physically and spiritually. It’s like it was there all along…I just didn’t recognize it.

-Ben

Not cheesy to me Ben. When we stop thinking we are just humans searching for a spiritual experience and start realizing we are really a spirit having a temporary human experience that we see how broadly connected we are to everything.

[Author]

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