Your first deer with a bow
Wisconsin
Reading another thread that I didn't want to hijack prompted me to start this one. Let's hear about your first bow kill. I'll start. My first was a damp morning from rain the night before, during the first week of November back in the 80's. I was sitting over a scrape about 20 yds away in a hardwoods of mostly maple, box elder, and oak. About 60 yds behind me was a inside corner to the woodlot with a cornfield right up to the edge of the woods. Just after good shooting light I heard something moving into the woods from the cornfield. As I glanced back I saw antlers and got into position for a shot. The buck walked directly to the scrape and stretched his neck and nose to the center of the scrape. Before I knew it I had my Browning Nomad compound bow with no sights at full draw and the string slipped off of my finger tab. I saw the Savora 3-blade tipped arrow streaking what I thought was toward the vitals and the deer bolted off up hill away from me and the cornfield. At about 50 yds he stopped, put his head down and then turned 90 degrees to the left and ran off a little slower than at first. After waiting about an hour, I snuck out of the area and met my hunting partner and bowhunting mentor to team up for tracking. He showed me good blood trailing practices as we started following the trail from the scrape. We were following a pretty steady wide blood trail that appeared to be directly in the center of the direction of travel. At the point where the deer turned we found my arrow covered in tallow and blood. Still uncertain of the hit we continued about 200 yds thru the woods circling back toward the cornfield. The blood was harder to follow thru the corn. Only a drop here and there brushed on the stalks. When we got to the far side of the field, the buck jumped up, crossed a creek and into another cornfield when it went down again. It was obviously weak from loss of blood. We waited another 15 minutes before pursuing across the creek. When I got in the same corn row as the deer, while he was down, his head was still up. I circled about 10 yards away to get broadside which was cross rows in the corn. I nocked another arrow and picked a spot and released the coup de grace. The deer jumped again, went about 10 more yards and fell for good. It was a smaller 8 point about 13" spread with broken tines and the end of the main beam broken off. I originally had hit it in the brisket with enough angle to get into the front of the chest cavity. Definitely lethal. And now would be hooked on bowhunting forever. As most of you, I will never forget the first one, even though there have been many and bigger ones since.
Shot my first deer with a bow (actually my FIRST deer ever) on 9-30-64, I was 19 years old and a true greenhorn in the woods. I had been bowhunting since age 12 but back then the learning curve was much flatter than now and it took forever to actually gain experience. Back then we did not have so many bow mags, videos, youtube, info and competent instructors available to us. Nowadays it seems everyone learns and gains experience much faster!
Anyways, I used a 45# Bear Archery Kodiak Magnum bow (recurve), wood arrow with Bear Razorhead broadhead (4-blade), leather finger tab and I shot without a sight (instinctive). It was a long shot down a fire lane but I got lucky and lung shot him. It really was a long shot,...50 plus yards. Back then we did not know enough NOT to shoot that far and a lot of fellows took foolish long shots all the time. Today, most of us would not do that, back then we did. like I said, I just plain got lucky, I was not that good of a shot.
The deer was an 8-point with about a 10-11 inch spread. Dressed weight was probably about 120#. Today most fellows would not consider shooting a buck like that but back in '64 that was a true b & a trophy! I know he was for me at least! He was my first, and I still consider him my trophy. There have been well over 100 whitetails since then and many much larger bucks, but he is still special to me.
That deer and the shot proved to be the seminal opiate for a lifelong addiction, I have been bowhunting ever since. If I am able to bowhunt (bad shoulder) this fall it will be my 61 st. season.
We'll see.....
Great read Helgermite and Casekiska! Keep them coming!
A big doe/Oct. 1967 Red Wing recurve, cedar shafts w/ bear broadheads 15 yards shot, both lungs. I was on top of the world, I finally got one after five years of bow hunting.
I was in my late 20's and it was the early 80's when I was hunting along the Fox River in Tichigan in Racine County.
The afternoon started out slow with a bright sky and high hopes of arrowing my first buck. It was October 28th and a new scrape had just opened up not twelve yards from the stand. Recent rains has filled the wooded area with pot holes of water as wood ducks sailed overhead turning sharply and dropping into puddles not far from my stand. Apparently they found the acorns in the water to their liking! Had I died and gone to heaven I thought, as I scanned the woods for signs of deer movement. As the afternoon wore on the ducks came and went. As nighttime drew closer, I heard brush crashing behind me. The sound drew closer and then melted into the foot falls of a deer. The deer behind me was coming up on my left and closing. My heart began to beat so hard I thought the shear sound would spook the deer as I began to try and talk myself down. It wasn't any help as the deer drew closer. I fought the urge to "sneak a peek" as the deer, a basket rack buck entered my peripheral vision. OMG....he's so close and without a clue I am here. I remember thinking I could almost jump on him!! I began to draw as he was still walking and he went right to the scrape. I dropped my draw and told my self to wait. Shaking like a dog pissing razor blades, once the deer moved off the scrape I took aim and let the arrow fly. Shooting a Browning compound with a alluvium shaft arrow, found the arrow passing through the deer. At impact the deer jumped and left the area like a missile. I never stood and I shot the deer sitting down, which surprised me. I watched the deer traverse through the underbrush saying to myself "go down, go down" ...It did not and ran out of sight! I waited an hour and left to call a friend. No cell phone ate up some time and leter in the inky black darkness I was able to recovery my very first bow deer, a 8 point buck! Wow - life does not get much better!!
1st week of November, maybe 25 degrees & clear. Spooked a couple deer when I was 10yds from my stand, has 3 more stop & look at me tying my bow to my rope. (I overslept by about 45min that morning) Climb into my stand, rope came untied from my pack, climb down to get the rope. Finally settled in, sweating from climbing up & down in a hurry & frustration/anger. 20 min later a doe walks thru the brush at 30yds, she stops & looks when I grunt but doesn't come closer. Couple min later a buck wanders by trailing the doe, I grunt but he doesn't break stride, just turns an ear at me. I sprayed some estrus scent in the air hoping he smells it & turns around, he keeps tracking the doe. 5 min later I look to where they both disappeared & here comes the buck, nose up licking non-stop. He walks in on the near side of the brush, circles 2 trees 15yds in front of my & heads right to a mock scrape I'd freshened with doe estrus. I draw, kick my water bottle off the stand, and release when the buck is 8yds away. I watched him run down the hill & drop 50yds away. After years of close but no cigar, on a morning when it seemed everything went wrong, I got my 1st bow kill after only a 1/2 hr in the stand. A 5 point that dressed at 127lbs, but a trophy to me. After tagging my buck, I put my bow in the truck, shed a couple layers & got my dragging sled. I watched as a doe & 2 fawns "blood trailed" the buck & stood there sniffing him. I walked to within with 20yds of them before they simply walked away.
Threads like these are awesome. Keep it coming. I don't have one with a bow yet, but you guys motivate me!
1969, bear kodiak, wood arrows, doe fawn, cornfield fence, notched 2x4 in a tree crotch, maybe 8 feet up,,,duh! Treestands!
1977,Monday after opening week end took a baker climber deeper into a swamp neer Black creek.Set up in a ceder tree only 4ft up lol did not take long and a nice to me at the time 9pt came through at 30 yds.Pulled my browning wasp back and put a 2117 with a 3blade savora through the lungs.
Late September 2014 for me. My non hunting inlaws have a small chunk of woods behind the house near Fremont. A doe with 2 fawns came in an hour before sundown and hung around until dark. It was awesome watching the kids play below me for that long, they didn't have a care in the world. I had told myself I would shoot the doe if nothing else appeared before dark. Right before I was going to take a 30 yard shot on the doe, another doe popped out at 10 yards right in front of me. I let the arrow fly, and she ran right under me. I thought I heard her crash, but I waited 30 minutes to climb down. I found little to no blood, but that was most likely due to my excitement. She piled up maybe 70 yards away, but I walked circles for almost an hour mad at myself for losing my first deer. I was walking and smelled something that wasn't normal, and there she was. It was a quick and easy drag to the car, but I must have got about 500 bug bites while dressing her out. It's a great little chunk of land, but it borders a new sub division. The people that live in the new houses that have popped up have a different definition of trespassing than I do, so hunting has become close to a bust.
Spike horn in the fall of 1979, my 5th year of bowhunting. I used a 60# Jennings with metal hangers for the wheels, Easton Game Getter 2018 and a Savora BH. That bow shot a blazing 180fps. I had a doe urine (called Rut by Stumpsitters - now the Deer & Deer hunting guys) soaked cotton at 20 yards. He walked up and sniffed the cotton with his nose touching it. He ran 50 yards and tipped over.
1955, shot a doe north of Grantsburg. Was using a bear cub, cedar arrows, and as always, zwickeys
Sophomore year of high school for me. Early 90's. I had no clue how to bow hunt as I just grabbed a used bow and practiced. No mentors and I quit all sports just to make sure I dedicated time to this "new" sport. One pin on a beat up compound kind of sighted in at 20 yrds. This was my second year after any type of deer I saw. 2x4's nailed in to an oak tree far enough for me to sit on a main branch. No harness, stupid learning curve I got lucky and never fell. A "huge" doe walks out a ways out. At the time I didn't pay attention that much to yardage. I raised the bow pin higher than the target guessing how far out. Let the arrow fly. Hits the deer and down she goes. Climb down and paced it of to 55 yards there lies my huge yearling. Lucky stupid shot but it got me hooked. Amazing how much there is to learn about this sport.
Mine was drunk, after a nite of alcohol casino strippers and more alcohol. Collin and I made a tree fort in a spot called the oasi s I still smelled like a stripper and beer and a big fat doe came up to the tree house. She stood there and let me shoot her she ran away across the road but we had blood everywhere. As son as I saw her my hangover went away. My buddy the designated driver butchers her that day wile I slept on the front lawn. Bloodtrail. I'm sure you know the club it was in Neil's vil. I am still remember it like yesterday!!! That girl smelled so damn good I'd have stayed all night.
Buck Watcher, your story, year, BH, and the Rut Scent are almost exact for me on my first bow kill. But, mine was a fork buck and I had a PSE sizzler bow. Chainy Road N of Augusta. I had hunted an area along a small creek. Every night I could hear deer moving through the dry leaves but could not pin them down. The one night I found a small rub line along a trail that crossed the creek. I set up with my Rut Scent at 15 yards out on a cotton ball and clime'd a tree with my home made baker climber. Just before sundown, a doe came flying past. I thought what spooked that? Then I hear the sound I learned to love to hear, a grunt. It kept grunting all the way to me. It came up to the Rut and smelled it. My pin was already behind his shoulder at that point. The next thing I know, I'm watching my fletching disappear in his hair right where I was aiming. I damn near fell out of the tree I was shaking so bad. I flew to the Buckhorn Bar and got some of the old guys and went back to track. There it lay's 80 yards away. I was on top of the world. Pretty big stuff in High School those days, teachers and other kids (alot more hunted at that time in school) congratulated me.
The first deer I shot was a yearling doe . I felt ten feet tall . In fact next to it I was ten feet tall . Haha
Crusader - I know the club u speak of....BUT never been in there. LOL
It was my 3rd year of bow hunting, had been hunting hard but it wasn't happening. Hunting along a creek line a big doe came down the trail clueless of my presence. She had 2 fawns with her, but there was no way I was passing up this long awaited chip shot. I made a good shot in my mind and watched her disappear into the head tall crp. Sitting there shaking, I decided to nock another arrow while I gave her time to hopefully expire. 5 min later another big doe came down the same trail, put a heart shot on her, watched her wobble and tip over. 3 years of nothing, then 2 deer in 5 min, hooked for life!
1970, standing in a tree crotch and limb (balancing act), shot forkhorn with Ben Pearson 40# recurve. I was 16, my 4th year of bowhunting and I was hooked.
The story starts in Antigo . 4 of us got into a bar brawl with 7 of our native american friends . The Sheriffs escorted us out of town at 2 AM . The next morning only 2 of us made it in the woods < Caroline> . I was leaning on a OAK with a 32 oz Coke in 1 hand and my bow in the other . 5 Does & a 6 pointer stopped 20 yards from me . The Does were looking at me & I figured I was screwed .
All of a sudden my buddy < 100 yards away > starts gagging & throwing up . All the Deer look in his direction . I drop the Coke , draw back the bow & let fly . The Buck runs 70 yards up the Oak ridge and dies with the Fred Bear tipped Cedar shaft stuck in the middle of his heart . Bow was a Fred Bear super Kodiak , 48 lbs .
The Buck was nick named the " BARF BUCK " . oh yea the year was 1969
Lol. That's a good one Ruger!
I was hung over . I barfed 3 times dragging that buck back to my 68 Z28 . Yes i threw that buck on the top of a 68 Z28 .
Were you at the War bonnet bar Ruger??? Went a few rounds there myself. Both with booze and fist!
I was 13 first year hunting with a bow that was 2 inches too long and a 60# draw weight. Took me a month to pull it back. I was lucky enough to get a 4 pointer that year Though.
Barf Buck - Ruger...you the man!!!
Congrads Noc
First bow kill was 11/4/16. Had about 15 minutes of good light left. Hunted the whole week and was down to the last few minutes of bow hunting I was going to be able to do for the season. Saw 4 doe cross over a hill about 60 yards to my north. 10 minutes later all 4 doe came back over the hill followed by a buck. He chased them into some trees we planted about 15 years ago and was gone. 20 minutes later he reappeared to my south. During those 20 minutes 3 doe came out from behind me and stood to my southeast 27 yards away. The buck went straight for the does and ended up pushing them out of there. Stood exactly where they were and gave me a nice shot. Made a double lung shot and he went maybe 40 yards. 9 pointer with a 16" spread. It was my 5th year bow hunting. Have gun hunted for 30 years. Not my biggest buck, but easily the most excited I've ever been. The diet miller's went down like water that night!
Opening day evening 1973, Bear Kodiak, I'm sitting on a limb in a 200 year old White Pine. Iola Wisconsin. Doe comes out of the woods straight across the field from me and apparently sees my face and proceeds to walk across the field to investigate me. She stops 25 yards out facing me and then turns her head around to check on her fawns, I pull back and let fly in one motion. She hears the shot and whirls to run, by the time the arrow gets there she is turned and angling away and the arrow hits her perfectly. (Dumb Luck) She runs 75 yards and tips over.
