Two kills...34 Years apart.
General Topic
The Box... circa 1985
The Box... circa 1985
Recently while going through some of my dad's hunting stuff, I came across a new box Razorbak 5 broadheads. When I opened the orange case, I had a rush of memories and was taken back to 1985.
In 1983 my dad gave me my 1st hunting bow. A Darton M50. I don't ever remember NOT having a bow when I was a kid, but that Darton was my 1st "hunting" bow.
It wasnt until 3 seasons later that I shot my very 1st deer. A big, northern Michigan doe had died quickly from a perfect arrow. A GameGetter XX75 tipped with a Razorbak 5.
I can still see the bloodtrail, the painted leaves, the running track. Still feel the anticipation and fear of my younger self. I must have asked my dad 20 times "Is it a good hit?... do you think we'll find her?"
Looking back now, I know it was a great hit since the blood trail was very heavy. She didn't make it far, then again most don't when both lungs have been center punched.
It felt great to have my 1st hunting partner back in the tree with me.
It felt great to have my 1st hunting partner back in the tree with me.
A few more deer fell to that Darton until 1990. It was then that I bought myself a new Darton.
For years 29 years, my1st hunting bow never saw the woods again.....
until last week!
A few days after I opened that box of Razorbaks, a thought jumped into my head.
I thought it would be really cool to try to take another deer with my 1st bow... 34 years later. I wanted to use pretty much the same equipment that I grew up using.
1st order was seeing if the old bow would shoot. I pulled it down out of the garage rafters where it had been the last 8 years. It had been through 4 different moves, in multiple garages or barns in the past 29 years.
Inspection of limbs and cables found no defects but I didn't trust the string. A new string was installed, along with a D-loop.
Anticipating the next segment
Another upgrade was with the rest. I really wanted to put a Berger button on it like it used to have, but unbelievably, I couldn't find one in all of my dads equipment. So I just went with a whisker biscuit style instead.
The first time drawing it back, I had my eyes closed and prayers were going through my head.
I was surprised by the familiarity of that motion. Right away I knew this was had been a good idea!
I sent a few (carbon) arrows down range, chuckling at the noise and vibration each time. Another issue was the back wall.... there ISN'T one!
Another thing, the size of those older grips are huge. So, I pried off the plastic grip and shot with the bare riser. Right away it felt much better than with the grip.
It didn't take long to have a nice 20 yard group, and then a similar 30 yard bunch. The 2 sight pins are huge but effective.
The bow's of yesteryear weren't real quiet but they got the job done. You could probably put some stick on limbsaver rubber on limbs and it would make it noticely quieter.
I still find a lot of those broadheads when out hunting in the deer and elk woods.
White on white.
White on white.
Next order of business was arrows....aluminum arrows. We still have bundles of shafts from when my dad operated his small archery shop out of our barn.
Every fall evening in the 80s and 90s, there were strange vehicles in our driveway. Someone needing arrows, or broadheads, or a new bow or someone just wanting to shoot the shit with the old man. The UPS truck driver made a stop at least 4 days a week to drop off something dad ordered from one of the archery suppliers.
Anyhow...back to the arrows. I grabbed some " brand new" 30 year old shafts from a bundle. Brown camo Easton Game Gettr XX75's in 2216. I grabbed the old fetching tool, inserts and some nocks. After cutting them down to size, I felt like I needed to wrap them to help with tracking them in flight. I went with a white wrap and 3 white 4 inch vanes.
I was pretty happy with how they turned out.
Here's a pic I forgot to add earlier. Practicing w the carbon arrows.
Next was tuning w the broadheads. Had to make some pin adjustments due to fetching contact. There really wasn't much I could do since the riser isn't cut out much on those older bows.
After several days of tweaking I felt really good shooting out to 25 yards.
The Ohio deer season opener was just a few days off and I was ready.
I live in southern Michigan but have hunted Ohio for the last 25 or so years. The last 4 I have participated in an urban hunt in Toledo. The main goal of this hunt is population control but some good bucks are also taken every year.
My goal with the old Darton was to take any legal deer.
My 1st hunt the weather was very warm and nothing was spotted. The 2nd hunt I had a nervous 8 pt come in real late and I never good enough light. Plus I didnt want to risk shooting at a highly alert deer.
The weather for my third hunt was calling for a major temperature drop and things just felt right when I settled in...
Not long after getting set up, the nervous 8 pt from the 1st night came close but swirling winds made him sneak away. An hour later, I spotted another deer coming my way.
When he cleared the brush, I knew right away he was a button buck. But truthfully fellas , I really didn't care.
My heart was hammering !!!!
He was solo so I was thinking the doe had probably been taken already.
When he gave me a perfect angle. I put tension to the string and pulled my old friend to my cheek. The big pin settled low and the arrow sent on its way.
What a sight!
What a sight!
I was so glad I went with the white on white. It was still hard to track in the low light but it looked good.
After settling myself down, climbing down and upon inspection, the arrow looked great!
First blood.
First blood.
Memories of that first blood trail with my dad came flooding back. Along with them, the hope that he was looking down with that big grin of his.
Looking good!
Looking good!
The Razorbak did it's job and the trail was short.
AWESOME! Love it!!! My next moose hunt I’m going back to my backup bow for nostalgic reasons as well. Very cool
The recovery didn't take very long but it sure was sweet! Nothing compares to tracking! Especially when the trail has as much meaning as this one did.
Yes, I know this deer isn't very big but he represented many things to me.
And as far as the old Darton goes, I think it will go back into to retirement.... until the next time.
Thanks for following.
Shoot straight!
This is awesome and something Ive thought of for a long time now with my old whitetail II. Great job.
Good story. Thanks for sharing.
Really neat story. Thanks for posting it here on bowsite.
Very cool. I love doing stuff like this!
Fuzz, I like what you did. The old bow brought back to life. Using those Razorbak-5 broadheads. Old shafts fletched on an old fletcher, a bitz I'm guessing. Good story. That tackle, hearkens back to a bygone time. All in all, a cool move. I'll bet your dad was looking down and smiling,...maybe thinking, "looks like I raised him right!"
Great story. I have some razorbaks, I got them because as a young kid looking at the magazines it was my favorite looking Broadheads. Have yet to use one but this year I plan on have a couple in the quiver. Prefer coc heads but 55 lb recurve should be fine, and how cool would it be to take a deer with one.
Further proof the old adage still lives...."it`s the Injun not the arrow". Nice job.
Nicely done Fuzz...great story and thanks for sharing your memories with us! Kevin
Those Razorbacks were my first broadheads, tipped on some Gamegetter 2s. Then, I graduated to some JDA Supernaturals. Good stuff, Fuzz!
I envied those with the razorbacks! And autumn orange arrows. I don’t have any of my old bows around, I kind of wish I did.
Thank you all for the kind words!
The process of getting that bow n arrows ready was so much fun and fulfilling. It went beyond my expectations.
Hopefully some of you can blow the dust off and then hunt again with "an old friend".
It also solidifies the fact that we don't "need" a new bow to be effective. I'm pretty sure the speed for my setup was about 73 FPS. Lol!
Shoot straight!
Very cool, I really enjoyed the story!
Awesome Story...makes me wish I had my old Jennings Compound!
Awesome story - Thanks for sharing
This is the best. Excellent.
That’s a real cool story. I remember those grips on bows back in the 80s, huge. Wish I had kept some of my Bear and Jennings bows.
Sweet! I don't have my first "hunting" bow anymore and I never killed anything with it although I sure tried for a lot of small game with it! Bought an exact delicate several years ago and killed a turkey! That turkey means more to me than the deer I've shot in the past or even the moose I shot this year! My form and draw length have now surpassed that bows ability and I can't get an arrow to tune reliably so it just sits on the rack! I'd love to take it deer hunting though! Congrats and thanks for the story!
Great story!! Congratulations to you! I wish I could do the same except my first bow was stolen about 12 years ago. Actually my first 2 bows were stolen together. I’m sure I could drum up some 2216 and some 125 thunderheads though. :) thanks for sharing
Awesome, just plain awesome. I've been a Daeton shooter 45 years now. They just keep on workin..
Great story!!! Thanks for sharing.
Excellent! Well told as well.
