Your first bowkill...When, where and about....


ParsonsOutdoors

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Post a little story about your first bowkill.

Here's mine...

The year...1990. The place...Beaver County, Pa.

A young doe coming from over the hill at a dead run, halts to a bleat sound I made with my mouth. She looks in my direction (on the ground) and I shoot. The arrow hits a twig and sails over her back near her face. It actually cuts her cheek open, but she had no idea. ooo.gif

She takes off running, but I stop her with a snort sound. She then decides to find out what exactly the noise is coming from behind the bush about 15 yards from her, when I nocked another arrow and double lunged her. I watched her fall about 45 yards away for my first bowkill. grin.gif

I didn't know the arrow hit her cheek til I flipped her over to field dress her. For her to come back after the first shot, she couldn't have felt it. shocked.gif

What's your story?

JP

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Firts bow kill...............

I was perched on a roof top overlooking a well used feeding area. Scorching heat, sweat dripping off of me. After abouta 45 minute wait, it was all made worth while when that MONSTER of a groundhog appeared from his hole and ate an Easton arrow topped with a Bloodtrailer broadhead as his last meal.

The date was July something or otherith, 1996, I had just turned 16 a few months earlier. I'm still waiting for my mount back from the taxidermist wink.gif

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Second weekend in November, 2002.Prime time for the rut here in Illinois.I was in my stand until about 10 A.M. and got down and still hunted my way back to the truck.When I was about 150 Yards from my stand I here some leaves crushing in the thicket.I kneel down and see three bucks chasing a doe,so I throw a couple of grunts and a few estrous bleats.One of the bucks turns and walks broadside at twenty yards and I let him have it.He made it about 15 yards.A decent 2 1/2 year old 8 pointer.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

My first compound deer came last season, opening week. Huge mature doe, dressed out at 130 lbs. 20 yards, double-lung pass through. She didn't even know it hit here, didn't run just stood there still she fell. She was struggling for a long time. Had to shoot her again to put her out of misery.

October 7th

Summit County, OH

Hard thing to watch, but still great to get the first one with a vertical bow. Missed a nice wide/tall 8 the day before. mad.gif He jump the string and the arrow sailed harlessly over this back.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

The year was 1994, Itawamba Co. Mississippi.

I had missed a decent buck that morning and went back for the afternoon hunt. Shortly after climbing up in my climber over looking a ridge of whiteoaks, I catch movement at the bottom of the ridge. I knew it was a deer and it was coming my way. I had to watch him for almost two hours before he finally closed the distance. One shot quartering away was all it took. It was a spike still in velvet. Was an amazing day. The same afternoon my dad killed his first buck with a bow, which is still his best bow kill to date. A nice 10 point still in full velvet. MAN gotta love bow hunting!

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Left the house around 4:30 AM and on the way out of town checked the thermometer in the truck it read: 81 degrees!!!

I was a mile or two out on the highway and Suddenly in the headlights there was a Wild Hog in my lane...Thump! I said to myself "My day is over before it started...I'll be cleaning up a hog". Pulled over and went back to the area where I hit it and found mud on the road and spent some time looking for it but never found it. I must have just barely hit it and it has one heck of a headache...LOL.

Proceded to the hunting area and parked the truck...still an hour before daybreak.

Walked in very carefully down a trail that was flooded in places with the water reaching within an inch of the top of my boots. Around the water there were rootings where hogs had torn up everything...I had an arrow nocked already. The hogs were not my biggest concern though...my father had killed a 5 foot long Water Moccassin Snake just a couple days before where I was going to be in a tree.

I had the 10 foot high ladder stand already in place and climbed into it after tying my bow to the pull rope. Settled in and made a few turns of the Primos Can to get things going since the field ahead of me was already starting to show itself under the begginings of the daylight.

My Can Call had been left on the dash board of the truck in the sunlight and had acquired a tone that almost sounded like a fawn bleat but it had stopped a few deer in their tracks while they crossed the field in the previous hunts to use it again.

I had reached out and grabbed a few small twigs and attempted to add some Real Tree to my Real Tree Camo I was wearing including sticking a few sprigs into the brim of my hat to cover the side of my face...I know...LOL...I figured it couldnt hurt.

I turned my head to the left seeing some movement and thinking it was that little twig I stuck in my hat...until it twitched its ear!

There it was within bow range for me already...standing at 26 yards.

It turned towards me so I waited for hopefully a better shot. She walked towards me angling so I had to wait as she ate her way slowly...So Slowly it felt like forever!

At 10 yards she dissappeared behind a large tree so I brought my bow up and drew back.

she reappeared at only 5 yards and stopped...looked up at me and I released the arrow. It caught an unseen twig on its way there and opened the mechanical broadhead I was using but hit her hard. She went down to the ground on her right side from the shot that entered just inside the left shoulder and inside the neck. She started to spin around from her trashing legs and I released another arrow into her entering just behind the left shoulder mid-body...she stopped moving within 20 seconds...it was over! When I got down and checked her out I found that the opened broadhead sliced her left cheek on its way to hitting her. When I got her to the truck just 30 minutes later the thermometer read: 93 degrees

She was an estimated 4 1/2 year old and weighed 97 pounds field dressed.

...thats Florida Bowhunting

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Guest KSNimrod

Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

October 15th in 2000. It was my second year of bowhunting. I was in a hang on stand my friend and mentor had put me in on a small ridge. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye that quickly dissappeard down into a small drainage ditch. I reasoned the deer would come directly to the right of me so I positioned myself for a shot and tried to calm myself. A few minutes later a mature doe walked along the trail 15 yards away from me. After the arrow hit her she wheeled and ran back the way she came. I could see that I had broken her off shoulder and was confident in the shot. I heard her fall about 35 yards away and listened as she breathed her last. That was kind of a bittersweet moment as I had to come to terms with what I had done. It took all my will power to stay in the stand until my friend came to get me. We found her quickly and the celebration began!

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Well my very 1st bow kill was a big ole fat grey squirrel off the neighbors dog house roof at 60+ yards. I was a young teen and thought I'd give it a whirl.

To my surprize I actually hit it. But felt absolutely terrible afterwards.

My next bow kill was a doe back in 1997 after I had just gotten out of the USAF.

Set up a stand about 200 yards away from the house in some pines the corner out into a hay field. Had a scrub apple tree to hunt over, 13 yards, and I lost her due to rain. Found her the next morning, right in front of my house, tore up by coyotes.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

date: October 28, 2000

place: Steuben County, NY

It was a warm and breezy afternoon and I was actually contemplating staying home as the deer hadn't been moving much. Finally, I decided to go out anyways and headed up to the stand. I climbed up into my ladder stand, pulled my bow up, hung it on the hanger and put my safety belt on. I looked at my watch and it was 4:30. I sat there for a minute or two second guessing myself for even going hunting. I turned to look behind me and to my utter amazement....there was a buck standing there 15 yds. behind me!!! He had his nose to the ground and was walking right towards me. I grabbed my bow and slowly inched it down into shooting position. He kept coming and finally stopped broadside at 7 yds. He turned to look up the hill...I pulled back, put the pin on him and let my XX78 Superslam/Thunderhead 125 fly. I saw the fletching disappear into his side and he mule kicked his back legs up into air and took off running for the hayfield out infront of me. He only went about 35 yds. and then stopped to look back up to where he had just been standing. He started snorting and stomping his foot on the ground and then finally turned and trotted out into the field with his tail flagging the whole time. I couldn't believe it...he didn't even know he was hit! I looked at my watch again and it was 4:35...I'd only been in the stand for 5 minutes and had shot a buck!!! I left my bow and all my gear in the tree and climbed down to go get my dad who was hunting one of my other stands several hundred yards away. I just about ran the whole way. We went back up and after a couple of minutes I located my arrow which was covered with bright bubbly blood. We tracked him out to the field and he started pumping out the blood. Forty yards later we ended up finding him laying in a brushy diversion ditch that runs through the field. I had hit him through the lungs/heart and he only went 80 yds. I actually walked within 20-30 yds. of him laying dead in the ditch when I went to get my dad and even closer when we walked back to my stand. He wasn't a monster buck but a really heavy yearling 6-point that dressed out a 135 lbs. It sure was an awesome experience grin.gif.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

I had bought a PSE Polaris from my best friend Ken's Dad after he let me shoot it on his target range. I think I was hooked after about 3 shots on his target bag...LOL

3legs (Ken) and I had spent all summer designing and building our own climbing tree-stands. We named them "Treehuggers" as a purposeful slur against anti-hunters. (Maybe that's why they all got stolen eventually over the years...LOL). After building them though, we realized they were a bit heavy to pack in and out, so I used them as permanent stands. After setting the stand 20 ft up, 2 weeks before the season, and attaching a rope ladder to the front of it, we were ready to go.

It was the last week in August, 1992. opening day of bow season. I felt confident after practising most of the summer with my new bow.

I got into my stand about 20 minutes before first hint of light. I had my camo face-paint on,(hadn't bought a face-mask yet) and was wearing my Advantage camo coveralls.

I was after a buck this morning. Any buck would do, since it would be my first with the bow. I felt excited and nervous at the thought of possibly getting a chance to shoot at something other than a target bag.

As it started to get light, a doe and fawn came in from my left on the skidder trail that I had walked in on. I watched her slowly browse on by along with her little cutie and enjoyed the scene.

The morning went by slow after that, A few critters to watch, like a coon returning to it's tree after being out raiding who knows what all night, a few red squirrels, and of course lots of birds flittering here and there and although I was enjoying watching them, found they were making a bit too much noise..LOL

It was around 8:30 that I finally heard a twig snap, out front and to my right. There was nothing yet for leaves on the ground, so things were pretty quiet. I finally got a glimpse of antlers. A nice young 21/2 year old buck ....no...two nice 21/2 year old bucks. They looked like twins, from what I could see.

There was a dried up swampy opening to my right, about 20 yrds wide. They both circled it, keeping in the cover of the undergrowth and trees and I was starting to think they were going to just keep going and bypass me altogether.

They finally stepped out into the dried up clearing, and to my surprise, started working their way over to the tree I was in.

I was already standing. Not to sure when that happened smile.gif, and they were coming in on my wrong side, since I'm right handed. I slowly turned as much as I could in anticipation for a shot.

Both bucks came right to my tree and started browsing on a little bush that was growing there, Finally, one of them worked his way around to where I could get a straight down shot. I started pulling my string, when he looked straight up at me. I froze. I thought the jig was up and they would bolt at any moment. I didn't dare move. For what seemed an eternity, he stared me down, sniffed the air, even stomped his foot at me once, but I held my pose, even though my arms felt like they were about to fall off.

The other buck was now in behind my tree somewhere, but I was only focused on this boy.

Finally, a twitch of his tail, and down goes his head to browse some more. He turned and made a few quick steps straight out in front of me and stopped.

I tried to pull back the bow, but my arms were weak from the strain of holding my composure for so long.

He was facing away from me on a nice quartering away angle at 7 yrds from the base of my tree. I reefed on that string as hard as I could and back in came. It was all I could do, to refrain from groaning as I pulled it back.

I settled the pin, high and just behind his shoulder, and released.

Thwack, and off e went, across the dried up swamp and back on the trail from the direction he had come.

I listened...I heard him scuffle and then silence.

Then, after all that had gone on, out from behind my tree comes the other buck, and across the clearing he goes to join his fleeing friend. He stopped broadside at 20 yrds in the open, and if I had of had another arrow nocked, I could have filled my second tag.....LOL...although, I don't think I could have pulled that bow back again.

I waited 1/2 hr and climbed down from my position. My arrow was sticking in the ground, where he stood, covered in blood.

I slowly eased across the opening and found his trail quite easily. He had only gone about another 30 yrds after entering the underbrush on the far side of the clearing.

I was now, a bow-hunter...and hooked bad smile.gif

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

I was hunting on my grandpa's 50 acres in Cheboygan county Michigan. I was in a homemade treestand when a 3 yr old doe came in to check the bait I shot here at about 18 yards in the spine. I was so nervous that I shot a little to high. That was a great accomplishment for me to finnally get a deer with a bow. Great post it brings back great memorys

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

I got a doe when I was 13 years old with my bow. I was about 10 feet up in a make-shift treestand in a nice cedar tree. Had an old Darton bow, Rocky Mountain Supreme 4 blade broadhead and my Easton arrow at the time had feathers. That old bow did me good. Shot her at about 10 yards and it was a perfect heart shot. Even had the cross mark right in the heart that we found after we field dressed her. If memory serves me I even had on the classic neon orange Game Tracker tracking string on theh arrow just in case I lost the bloodtrail or it rained. It was neat to see it go out when she took off, like a fish going out after being hooked. That was a great day I will always remember.

BTW: The hunt was in Twining, Michigan on a 40 acre parcel we leased from a Potatoe farmer who just wanted the deer all gone!!! smile.gif

Lou

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

[ QUOTE ]

He jump the string and the arrow sailed harlessly over this back.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you just hate when they sail 'harlessly' Eric?

tongue.gif

Couldn't resist.

First deer. Got into a huge fight with my girlfriend the night before, and she basically booted me out. I thought about not going out I was so upset, but then I thought to myself "I'm not going to let her ruin my hunt." So I took off for my spot in Holmes county. I got there late, so I sat on a huge sandstone rock and about an hour later here came a doe with 2 fawns. She was trotting along a trail about 20 yards down hill. Just when she was about to step into my shooting lane she stopped and checked the air. I can remember telling myself "how do they know I'm here?" She dropped her head and continued to walk. As I settled the pin and released, she wheeled a bit, but that was a good thing because the arrow actually angled up through the other lung. I watched her take off leaving her two fawns bewildered. I waited a half hour and took up the trail.

It seemed every step I took I was bouncing deer out of their beds. When I think back on that hunt now, I laugh because now I know what the rut is, and all the deer I was seeing I'm sure was due to the breeding going on. Deer were all over the place. Anyway, back then I kept thinking I was pushing the deer I had just shot, so everytime I bounced a deer I just sat looking around for blood and signs of a dead deer. After about the 5th deer I bounced and 200 yards into the blood trail I I was getting frustrated so I sat down on a logging trail and took a break. I scanned the area and saw a rock where the blood trail was leading, and I thought to myself, "I'll walk over there and take my next break over there by that rock with bird crap on it." Turns out, the "bird crap" was actually the white of my deer's ear. cool.gif

I'll never forget that elation. After 2 years of trying, I finally got my first deer. November 5, 1989.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Mine was in 2004 hunting over a greenfield. I looked up and there were two does standing to my left at approx. 200 yards and they had their eyes glued one somethign to my right. I then turned and caught movement and a 5 point was coming my way without any hesitation. I drew and held at full draw for about a minute and he trotted on in. I stopped him and shot and he ran about 60 yards and dropped! It was pretty awesome! But more awesome than that was in how that I have a picture of him live on a gam cam and then dead in the back of my truck!

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

Actually I got my first ever bow kill just this past season.... smile.gifsmile.gif

There's alittle story to go with this so I apologize if it's lengthy...

After some coxing by my father who is one heck of a bow shooter but never shot a deer in his life and he's 65,,,He has had a very serious heart condition for years and has to warm weather hunt but never cared to becuase I didn't bow hunt...

So I decided to find a bow that I could shoot and use left handed even tho I'm donimate right becuase of a forearm injury I couldn't draw and hold too many bows,,,,we finally found an Alpine Fatal Impact,,,left handed that fit the bill anfter a few months of intense practice and coaching from my father I got pretty proficient with it and decided I was ready..... smile.gif

We got to our stands that were only 30yrds apart on the same tree line so I could keep an eye on him well before daylight on the first day,,needless to say it was a long day we didn't see a thing...it was getting pretty close to dark when I heard a snap behind me so I turned slowly to see a nice heavy 4pt. coming down the outlet trail, so I let him pass under the stand and get about 15-20 yrds out in front of me and trained my pin just behind the shoulder and let her go,,,,bingo right in the breadbasket, he went about 10 yrds and folded.

I turned to yell to my father just as he let go on a very nice doe,,,,she didn't take but 3 steps and she was down and out for the count.....I almost broke my fool neck climbing out of my stand to get where he was.... crazy.gifcrazy.gif,,,,,I'll tell ya when I got there he had tears in his eye's which I've never seen this man cry before and he had the nerve to thank me for coming with him......Yeah right !!! I was more proud of his kill than my own which by the way he didn't know that I got until his Doe was loaded... grin.gifgrin.gif.

I started back for mine and he said where you going ??? I said to get my deer I shot a 4pt. jusat before you shot yours.... grin.gifgrin.gifwink.gif

Now there's a day that I will never, ever forget seeing my Ol' man take his first ever deer and with a bow at that and whelting up with tears of joy... smile.gif

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

It was Elk County PA! I was 16 years old last day of archery season and i shooting my old Jennings StarMaster I was sitting up in my stand Right outside of a big Deer fence (to keep deer out planted thousands of trees) there was a big hole in the fence and the deer had a trail 3 inches deep going in and out of it......first light a 4 point came trotting up to go in the fence stopped him with a grunt i was shaking so bad it was un-real....made a horrible shot i mean horrible...ended up hitting him in the hind qt sliced the artery that runs through it the amount of blood i had to follow i thought i double lunged it........untill i got to it and saw the big hole in its back leg thank goodness i hit something important back there or i would of never have found that deer

Cody

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

1984

Near State College, PA

It was the last day of archery for deer and I was still hunting up over Roundtop Mt. It was in the vicinity of 80 degrees that day. A typical mountain 5-pointer came cruising through the laurel to my left and I double lunged him at 11 yards with a Browning X-Cellerator. I had to get it processed ASAP but the butcher wouldn't take it unless it was skinned. So I took it out a back road, hung it in a tree and skinned it..........right across the road was the fence surrounding the Penn State Univ. deer pen!!! shocked.gifblush.gifshocked.gif I got it cut up and the venison from the whole thing fit in a dorm refrigerator!!! grin.gifsmirk.gifgrin.gif

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Guest grunter

Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

I'll give you two stories - my first bow kill & my first bow hunting experience:

The first kill was in 1981 just north of Augusta, WI. I took a small buck fawn with my Martin recurve at about 10 feet. It was the 2nd week of Wisconsin's bowhunting season. I was perched on a large limb of a white oak. The deer came to feed on the acorns of the tree I was in. I had to shoot almost straight down.

My first experience bowhunting is what hooked me for life. It was Halloween weekend in 1974. I was hunting with some friends on their land outside of Necedah, WI. I found a blowdown to sit in just before first light. I was using a Bear Kodiak recurve with four arrows in an old kwikee quiver. About an hour after first light I caught movement to my right and saw a nice spike buck coming my way smile.gif. When the deer was about 10 yds away, I shot and watched the arrow sail WAY over his back blush.gif. The buck never really ran, but instead jumped about 5yds and stopped. My second shot landed in the dirt under his belly frown.gif. This time the buck trotted about 10-15 yds and stopped to look back. My third shot buried in a tree about 6-7 feet in front of him confused.gif. Now the deer was really spooked and started to trot back at me! At 4-5 yds he stopped and I missed with my last arrow - it went high again blush.gif. The deer just started to walk away and I was so shook up, I threw the bow at the deer in frustration. As the bow crashed harmlessly to the ground, I heard a loud snort right behind me. I turned to see a massive 8pt buck heading for the next county frown.gif. That buck was probably sitting behind me the whole time. From what I could tell after I got down out of the blowdown, that big buck was bedded within 15 yds of me. I can still see his rack to this day.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

My first bowkill was in 1975 on some land beside our place in Blair, Ontario. I had decided to try hunting in the woods near our orchard. I had been practicing on everything but a live target and decided it was time. Not 10 min. into the bush I spotted a head moving under some low hanging limbs and started my stalk. I got to within 20 ft. and drew back. I didn't even realize what happened on the aiming or release part until I saw the Ruffed grouse flapping about on the ground. That was my first bowkill with my recurve and cedar shafted bear broadheads. I was proud as a peacock when I showed my parents the prize.

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Re: Your first bowkill...When, where and about....

October 25th, 2002. A day I will never forget. I was in the middle of a well used oak ridge. The deer were gobbling up the acorns. I see a deer coming at me about 50 yards out and think it is a doe. When it turns I see that it is actually a spike, and it was coming straight to the oak I am in. When it is about 30 yards out it turns right away from me, but meanders still munching on the tasty acorns. A few more minutes go by and it turns right to my tree again, this time is went directly under me. At a mere nine yards I sent a 29" 2315 Easton tipped with a SpitFire thru his chest. He rocketed about 40 yards and stopped looking back to where I am. Then he started to do the dance and crumbled. I to crumbled onto my seat and started balling. It took me nine years to shoot my first deer with a bow. What an awsome evening. The next season I shot a doe out of the same tree.

Here he is:

c198213d.jpg

Here is the gun rack I made from his hooves:

.jpg

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