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Thank y’all for all the kind words!!
First and foremost I owe a big thank you to Tailfeather and Etter for giving me the inspiration to dive head first into the world of traditional archery.
Last year was my first season with a recurve in my hand. I purchased a White Wolf Beowulf made by Tony Semenuk. AMO 62″, 56lbs @28″.
I had never shot a recurve until Etter let me try his out down at camp one time. Something about shooting his bow simply felt “right”. So.. I decided to give trad hunting a try.
Last season was a bit rocky to say the least…..:(:D
I missed a mature 6pt, missed a doe, and lost a doe………
I had gotten pretty good at shooting a target, but nothing really prepared me for the real thing. Not 20+yrs of shooting whitetails with a rifle and compound, nothing..
I found nerves and shakes I had when I was a little boy seeing deer!!
This season I wanted to be different. I practiced very hard on mental game. Picking my spot, staring down the smallest of spots, and a smooth release.
It really helped out.
This past weekend found me in a stand I missed the mature 6pt I mentioned above last season. Ironically, on the second weekend of bowseason, as this past weekend was.
It’s situated off a firebreak and this firebreak runs 15yds from my lock on. My stand is located in some 15-20yr old pines. There is a low lying bay out in front of me, and it borders a 6yr old clearcut that’s been allowed to grow wild.
It’s a spot where 3 different habitats meet. Great ecotone!!!
Around 0730, I heard a twig snap and a fat fork horn was cruising up the trail out of the bay on the edge of the cut. He stepped into my shooting lane in the firebreak. I was up and prepared. Picked my spot, put a bit of pressure on the string, and… I let him walk.:)
I don’t know??? I had a feeling maybe a bigger buck would be following him this time of the year.
10 minutes expired and nothing…. I was starting to kick myself for passing up the shot at the fork horn when… A bit of grey movement on the trail. Here comes another buck. A fat 6pt. He’s bigger.:):D And honestly, I simply couldn’t take it anymore!!!
He stepped out into the firebreak and trotted through my first lane. I turned slightly to my right to prepare for the shot in my second lane, and my stand creaked……..
The buck whirled around and jumped smack in the middle of my first lane and froze!!
I picked a spot in the crease behind his shoulder, drew, and when my fingers crammed up against the corner of my mouth, I let it fly.
I watched my arrow bury up right behind the shoulder. He whirled around and the white barring on my fletching was already crimson. He crashed down the trail he came and was gone in a flash. A couple of seconds later, I heard him stop, stumble, and crash down. His last final kicks fading out slowly..
I sat down and started shaking something fierce!!!
I’ve killed larger bucks, but I was shook up worse than any of the bucks of my past!!!!
An utterly amazing feeling!!!!
I’m so glad I started hunting with traditional gear!! It really is an amazing feeling to bring down a big game animal with such an elogant weapon.
Here are some pics I took.
Also threw in a rather large Eastern Diamondback I caught later on that day. I let her go unharmed. I like snakes.:D
