First big game bow kill ?

[Creedmoor shooter]

I've heard that about NH and Massachusetts as well. I'm blessed to live in a state (and area in the state) where deer are plentiful. Heck, as of this writing, I have 23 crop damage tags left! We can only shoot does on crop damage and I only take what I need or can donate. I never fill all those tags. The DNR has a pretty good handle on things here and the herds have been sustained quite nicely. I think they are under a lot of presssure to cull the herds due to a lot of vehicle strikes and property damage so the bag limits are generous. I have my complaints about MD for sure but for me, it's a Sportsman's paradise!

That sounds like fun! We are allowed 3 deer but I only take 2. We dont have enough as it is. I dont shoot the 1.5 year olds like everyone one else either. I'll take a big 2.5 but really prefer 3.5 or older. It just takes alot of time and effort to maybe or maybe not get a "decent" buck. I've been pretty fortunate to have my last 3 bucks be 3.5-4.5 year olds. People would laugh at me for that but they wouldnt laugh if they hunted here. Theres a reason theres no hunting shows in new england!

 

[5.56×250]

That sounds like fun! We are allowed 3 deer but I only take 2. We dont have enough as it is. I dont shoot the 1.5 year olds like everyone one else either. I'll take a big 2.5 but really prefer 3.5 or older. It just takes alot of time and effort to maybe or maybe not get a "decent" buck. I've been pretty fortunate to have my last 3 bucks be 3.5-4.5 year olds. People would laugh at me for that but they wouldnt laugh if they hunted here. Theres a reason theres no hunting shows in new england!

3.5-4.5 year old bucks are nothing to sneeze at . Sounds like your after them pretty good to take mature animals in less than ideal hunting locations.
We have it " pretty " good here in Ga . It depends on where you are. There is a pretty strong movement towards quality management here now. For many years it was a brown its down state , and still is in alot of areas. You have to get in a good club, if you want to see descent deer kn any regular basis. I always bow hunted public land . I'd see maybe 2 shooters a season, that's gun and bow season together Sept to Jan. With archery gear there was no guarantee you would get a shot on one of the 2 you might see . You have no control over hunting pressure, so a patterned buck would be subject to change patterns without you ever knowing what became of them. I would walk anywhere from 70 to 136 deer a season, waiting for the right buck. It was pretty tough to harvest the few quality bucks I was lucky enough to put an arrow through. I cant come close to being able to push that hard anymore .

 

[sp6x6]

My first bow kill was where I grew up and now live.I was in high school and my Dad had an ol glass long type bow and some wood arrows.I would shoot it and we had a 40 acre,pasture type with some wood lot,and more woods close by.Deer were around and I went down to woods, which had a seasonal creek and slow hunted. A doe came out and fed near me and I shot it.Then brought it up to the farm house.That started it for me, Ive done alot of bowhunting since then,seen different parts of the world.Use to be a day when I filled all my tags archery deer,elk,bear,lion,antelope in a season.The wolfs have changed all that where I live now.Sometimes the missed ones taught the best lessons.I missed a 160+,passed a 145 4 pt with him.Was drifting down on him and shot to fast.Took me two more years to kill that buck.Shot a bigger one hunting him,my pin never left the vitals,my hold was like a rock.I miss those days

 

[matt_3479]

Well for me it definitely wasn't too close! I had hunted 52 days in the stand at this point with multiple opportunities on different bucks and does. Being a newer bow hunter I was making plenty of mistakes left and right busting the deer before even getting a chance to touch the release, or even full draw for that matter. Season ends December 31 and it was december 31. I set out to sit a property I had only hunted once or twice before as its mainly swamp and can't get in there until it's frozen over but the area is loaded with deer. It was getting dark around 5:30-5:45 and about 4:45 I spot a few does started to make there way towards me. Within mins I had 36 deer feeding off the field 150 yards due north of me and into the swamp. With only about 30 mins left of light I was nervous it might not happen. About 15 mins left and 4 does break off and come within 24 yards. With all 4 feeding I steady my breath and drew back and a fawn I hadn't seen prior busted me and they bounced back to the herd. 3 more break off and it was pretty much now or never. The big doe in the front stopped to Feed broadside at a ranged 50 yards and I practice regularly out to 55. Feeling comfortable I drew back and let the arrow fly. With utter disbelief and a sickening feeling sinking in the range finder picked up a small branch in front of her and she ended up being 62 yards. The arrow hit the branch, deflected back, she ducked the shot lowering her body and I hit her right infront of her hind legs!!! I thought I was going to be sick as she turned slowly limped 3 steps wobbled and died!!! I was shocked! Still to date my fast bow kill from arrow hitting to time of death. Upon field dressing I found my arrow hit the femoral artery. I still can't believe how lucky I got and that forward a little bit I would of wounded this deer in dead of winter with coyote breading season around the corner! Not something I'm proud of but lots of lessons learned and has made me a better hunter both for bow and rifle

 

[5.56×250]

Although I spent literally 1000s of hours practicing/competing so i would be proficient with my gear........i will still take luck over skill anyday !

 

[Elkeater]

My first bow kill was a button buck when I was 13 years old. Back then you had to be 14 to hunt with a rifle in MI. My first season when I was 12 I missed a spike horn but never got a deer. My first night out in my second season this deer walks past at 8 yards and I thought hey there's a deer I should shoot it! Didn't even look to see what it was. I had a bear golden eagle compound set to 45lbs and 100gr 4 blade muzzy broadheads. I put the pin on the deer and the arrow zipped through both lungs and buried itself in the dirt. That deer ran 60 yards and piled up. I was shaking so bad that when my dad came to get me (he was 60 yards away watching all this since we were in some pretty open hardwoods) I almost fell down the ladder. My dad had actually seen the deer drop but didn't tell me. We started looking for blood of which there was plenty and followed a very easy blood trail to the deer.

 

[5.56×250]

My first bow kill was where I grew up and now live.I was in high school and my Dad had an ol glass long type bow and some wood arrows.I would shoot it and we had a 40 acre,pasture type with some wood lot,and more woods close by.Deer were around and I went down to woods, which had a seasonal creek and slow hunted. A doe came out and fed near me and I shot it.Then brought it up to the farm house.That started it for me, Ive done alot of bowhunting since then,seen different parts of the world.Use to be a day when I filled all my tags archery deer,elk,bear,lion,antelope in a season.The wolfs have changed all that where I live now.Sometimes the missed ones taught the best lessons.I missed a 160+,passed a 145 4 pt with him.Was drifting down on him and shot to fast.Took me two more years to kill that buck.Shot a bigger one hunting him,my pin never left the vitals,my hold was like a rock.I miss those days

I miss the days of rock steady holds too. Not to brag...well , maybe to brag, I use to be able to hold 4 to 5 inch groups at 100 yards with my compound. We use to have dollar bill shoots at the local 3D shoots in my area and i won my fair share and lost a couple by the thinnest of margins. They would tack a dollar bill to a big chunk of styrofoam set it up at 100 yards to shoot at it. A dollar a shot, closest to Washingtons nose won half the pot. Club got the other half. I was good for 3 of 5 consistently in the dollar bill with a couple just high or low off the dollar. I hit ol number one in the chin 2 years in a row and lost to someone that would walk up, sling an arrow and ask someone to grab their arrow when they when down to judge, while they went and grabbed a hotdog. Like I said a couple posts above, rather be lucky than good everytime ! Lol.

 

[sp6x6]

One of my hunting buds can still hold 6'' @ 100 compound.Hes been MT champ traditional before and qualified for worlds.Steve of Hammer bullets use to shoot alot,back when.We had some nice pro shops in area,I got a money dot at a 3d that was good for $400

 

[5.56×250]

I shot seriously for several years. 3D mainly. Was shooter of the year in 1999 in my class nationwide in the ASA, Ga state semi pro champion in 2000, won the IBO southern triple crown in 2001 in semi pro, took 1st place in the alabama leg , 2nd in the florida leg, and 3rd in the Ga leg., won the cabelas ga championship in 1998, was on the winning 4 man team in 1996 when the ASA teamed up with NFAA to celebrate the USA winning the Olympics in archery. The silver medalist was on my team. ESPN cameras and all. As far as I know I still hold the record for high score in the ASA brunton known distance shoot in the fixed pin class. I'm sure I have a few other accolades from back when I ate , drank, and slept archery. My neck is completely shot out to the point I cant shoot anymore from all the practicing and competing I did back in the day. It was nothing for me to spend an entire saturday just shooting at 40 yards at a 1 inch square and be able to count on one hand the number of times I missed it. I was obsessed , and I pay for it everyday now. I guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, lol.

 

[del2les]

First larger game bow kill was on Southern whitetail with a 45# Bear recurve with cedar arrows and glued on, double blade, hand sharpened steel heads, and I was around 15-16y/o. Don't remember the actual year, for too many of those have passed now. I remember when I saw and held my first compound bow, the old Bear Whitetail four bracket bow. Man, did I think that thing as high-tech and fast (165fps), and for the time with those arrows, it was.

As a teen and then early 20's, there were few bow hunters in my area, so I built my own range for friendly practice. Two or three of us would spend late summer and early fall evenings practicing after work and until night fall, and before long, we could nail soda bottle tops and swinging targets at 15-30 yards. I shot several rabbits and squirrels with that bow, and of course several more deer.

 

[wv270wsm]

I killed my first whitetail bow kill when I was 15. Still see that big ol doe stepping up on the old strip bench I'd made a brush blind on . It was a chip shot at 10 yards after 3 years of chasing deer that could have been killed but in my youth it was easier to try chase them to shoot them instead of them coming to me. Lots has been learned for sure and there is a lot more to study on for me.
Now my youngest son has the bow hunting bug he tagged out this year and he'd rather bow hunt than rifle hunt now. His first bow kill is a very nice 9 point that I was more than words could describe proud that he killed.

 

[5.56×250]

I killed my first whitetail bow kill when I was 15. Still see that big ol doe stepping up on the old strip bench I'd made a brush blind on . It was a chip shot at 10 yards after 3 years of chasing deer that could have been killed but in my youth it was easier to try chase them to shoot them instead of them coming to me. Lots has been learned for sure and there is a lot more to study on for me.
Now my youngest son has the bow hunting bug he tagged out this year and he'd rather bow hunt than rifle hunt now. His first bow kill is a very nice 9 point that I was more than words could describe proud that he killed. View attachment 165873

Very cool ! I couldn't get my boy very interested in bow hunting. He was given every chance to be interested, but he just didnt get the bug. I even put him right on top of a nice 8pt on the one trip he took with me to one of my serious hunting spots. Called that buck back 3 times but he was afraid of making a bad shot and wouldnt draw on him. It's ok though. All I can do is give him the tools . If he doesnt want it, I'm not gonna force him.
I know you must be proud of your boy. Heck, I am ! Lol

 

[pointy sticks]

Small whitetail doe 40 yards. Still the most awesome kill ever!