First traditional hunt

[HooknHorns]

Took out my new takedown longbow the wife and mother gave me for an early xmas present. My goal was to take any deer with in 15 yards that gave me a clean shot. Ive used a mathews compound for the last five seasons and taken some nice bucks but, for some reason I felt there had to be more to bowhunting than to just sitting there waiting for the big one to walk by.

Started to shoot my dads old bear recurve in september and found out its going to harder than I thought. The thirty yard chip shots disappeared and was down to 15 yards as my most confident yardage. This was going to be a tough pill to swallow later in the hunt.

After having a couple deer staying outside that range and then some close enough but not having a clear shot. I decided to move a stand closer to a rub line that was getting tore up. Well wouldnt you know after a rattling sequence a big boy shows up. Standing broadside at 40 yards i can see he's a clean 10 with g2 and g3 that were over 10inches and the g4s are 3 to 4 inches. He walks 20 yards by my other tree and I thought all he has to do was turn left on the trail. Since i forgot my grunt call at home, i was going to grunt with my mouth if he turned away from me. Well lets just say he made up his mind that a sick baby goat was not what hes was looking for.

I knew this was going to happen if i choose to hunt with my longbow and i guess im ok with it. One day a deer of that caliber will come within range of my bow just not this time. Whats the chances, the first time out with this bow that i put one in the book. Ive never measured success that way so why start.

Another hour fades away and I finally see a deer coming from the direction I needed and it has horns to boot. He continued to the shooting lane at 15 or so yards and im watching his every movement. Seemed like its a 2.5 year old with an under developed rack. Even this would be the smallest buck i have ever harvest, I would still be pleased. So I sent my goal and sticking to it.

I would have never thought I could leave the benifits and confidence a compound give you. Concentrating on every mental detail, since im shooting instictivly, is starting go through my mind. Grip, slow draw, back tension, anchor and clean release. Now the arrow is on its way.

When your used to seeing an arrow going 285 ft/sec and this one at probally 160 and in slow motion, its incredible. The fletching spining as the broadhead slips thought between ribs on bothsides. The buck tears off and the bloody arrow stuck in the ground. After inspecting the arrow, goal of my bowhunting career accomplished.

After some phone calls, some help showing up to search the trail. There was little to no blood. Walked the trail he went on a little further and there he lays. Ufdah. Double lunged. Two blade, no bleeders has great penetration but the two slits let out maybe a tablespoon of blood. Needless to say need tweaking to my equipment but still leathal.

One regret is the pictures, i wanted to take some good ones to start my own journal so my kids can be along on the hunt in the future. My apoligies, I will post a pic as soon as i can. The buck had an injury to his ankle and must of dampered his movement of his hindquarters. His hams were alot smaller than they shouldve been and the one that the injury was stiff as a board. Dont know if it would have made a harsh winter or not.

For those dabbling in hunting with traditional equipment, from experience it might just be what your looking for in a hunt. For me now its not all about big bucks, bowhunting is more than that. I will continue to pass on deer because id like to extend my season a bit. My shooting will eventually get better so I hope to extend my lethal range. Next time that big ten wont be so lucky.

"Its not how far you can shoot, its how close can you get?"..

[nbadger23]

That's a great story! Congrats on sticking to your goal and getting it done.

I read an article in the outdoor news last week how more and more people are going traditional and I think that's great. My only hope is that it doesn't go the route of the muzzle loader, which was supposed to be a more "traditional" hunt but when it got more popular they technology picked up on it, making it not so traditional anymore.

I'm curious by what it means to "shoot instinctively." I would guess you have no sights on your bow and you're simply looking down the line of the arrow? Is the instinctive part in regards to changing your aiming post height wise depending on distance?

[Scoot]

Great post and congratulations, HnH!!! It sounds like you're getting back to basics and away from a lot of what is a huge turnoff for me in archery these days. There's so much focus on big bucks, a buck's score, shooting far, at product promotion that it really rubs me the wrong way. Congrats to you for digging out a stick and string and getting it done!!! It sounds like the experience was greater than the end product, which is always the case for me when I shoot an animal.

When your used to seeing an arrow going 285 ft/sec and this one at probally 160 and in slow motion, its incredible.

[Scoot]

I'm curious by what it means to "shoot instinctively." I would guess you have no sights on your bow and you're simply looking down the line of the arrow? Is the instinctive part in regards to changing your aiming post height wise depending on distance?

Hook can answer this too, but in short, to "shoot instinctively" means to shoot without sights. The instinctive part means you're not using the aid of a sight and simply looking down the arrow shaft and figuring out where to aim the bow. It's not easy! When I shoot my dad's old recurve at our bowclub I can shoot about as well as my son can with his Diamond Nuclear Ice compound bow. However, my son's seven years old and improving every time we shoot. I don't seem to get any better with the recurve...

[HooknHorns]

Actually, I cant even look down the arrow and line it up to hit the target. Im new to all of this and cant really tell ya. No sights and dont even use point of aim, which I think youre refering to. I just shot enough at one little spot that ive concentrated on and at close enough range that my arrow goes to where im looking at. Now when im at 20 yrds and further its way left and keeps going that way the further back I get. I need to find a way to hone my "gap shooting" to get comfortable at longer distances. I figured that im getting to the point at which at close range i can consistantly hit a tennis ball size spot at 10 yards level that 15 should be close from stand level. Plus when deer jump the string, shooting low isnt a bad thing.

[Scoot]

WTG Hook!!! Thanks for sharing the pic and congrats again!

Regarding instinctive shooting and looking down the arrow-- even though a lot of people don't describe it this way, people use the arrow and/or their bow for reference when shooting instinctively. Some people do it very volitionally (intentionally look at the arrow and try line things up) while others do it much more automatically (like HnH, it sounds like), but if you remove people's ability to use the references, they can't shoot worth a darn anymore.

[HooknHorns]

Well thanks for the props. That hunt is kinda what i needed. Hope you guys enjoyed the story just as much as i did.

[Gordie]

Great deer and story hooks, I have my first bow which is a Ben Pearson 45lb recurve and I have shot it instinctively from age 15 to today although I will admit I don't shoot it but maybe once a year now.

when i was younger I was in a winter leauge and I would put a pin on it for that but eventually went back to instinctive shooting as I was more consistant with my shot placement.

I have yet to take a deer with it and someday I hope too do just that.

Again great story and great buck

[sticknstring]

Pretty cool experience isn't it?

I really enjoyed your story and agree w/ many of your viewpoints on bowhunting. I gained about 5-6 yds of effective range my 2nd year so that 10 pt may very well be in trouble next year for ya!

Congrats on a beautiful buck! I'm jealous of your early Christmas present - beautiful looking bow. My Bear takedown isn't pretty, but means a lot sentimentally. I'd love to get a wood handle someday though.

[CC Hurl]

Great story and Buck H&H. You and S&S have my vote on hunter of the year. What a challenge and to succeed at is must be very rewarding.

Great stuff there I will tell ya.

[DonBo]

Great story and congrats on a real trophy. I remember the old days when you grabbed your bow and headed for the woods. A much simpler time and every deer was a trophy.

I'm much older now and have found a better (read "easier") way, so I'll probably never go back to hunting with my old Bear Super Kodiak, but it's still fun to pull it out now and again and fling a few arrows the way they were meant to be.

Congrats again, you should be proud of your accomplishment!

[lakevet]

"Its not how far you can shoot, its how close can you get?"..

Oh so very, very true.

Great story!

lakevet

[R. Miller]

Awesome!

[mabr]

I'm much older now and have found a better (read "easier") way, so I'll probably never go back to hunting with my old Bear Super Kodiak, but it's still fun to pull it out now and again and fling a few arrows the way they were meant to be.

Boy does that SO ring true DonBo. But it is fun to grab it once in a while. I dont know if I can ever say NEVER because every time i do pull it back I say man I need to take it out again one of these years.

A huge congrats HnH. Felt like i was there with ya.