Enjoyable read.. Its cool to see folks getting hooked on this outdoor stuff..
My Experience as a first year archery hunter... long read
I thought maybe some of you guys would like to hear my story of my first archery season. Possibly some can relate, maybe some dont care but here it goes.
Two years ago I bought a very old PSE Carroll Marauder fully loaded off my high school history teacher for cheap that was mint condition with a new string. I didn't want to sink a lot of money into a hobby I was unsure if I liked or not. I am very passionate about the outdoors as an Eagle Scout and someone who grew up in a small town located at the highest(elevation wise) school district in Pennsylvania. I just turned 20 November 1st and still find myself skipping the "cool" things most my age are doing and instead fertilizing food plots, scouting deer, hanging stands and trimming shooting lanes. My best hunting buddy is 39 and we talk daily about hunting and racing, both of ours deepest passions.
Enough of the background, onto the hunting season. I missed the opening saturday on October 3rd as I was wrapping up my dirt bike race season and was in Ohio. The second day (Monday) I made it into the woods after class around 3 pm and Archery hunted for the first time ever. I was on my best friends farm land, hunting a very small section of woods on a steep hillside with a very active swamp land at the bottom. I was positioned roughly 50 yards up into the woods, sitting in a diversion ditch as the trees are too young to support a climbing stand. I saw a doe roughly 30 minutes after settling down at 50 yards. At this point I realized how neat this archery thing was, because with my Savage Model 111 I would be done with my doe tag, but now I might as well be a mile away with a .22 pistol. 7 deer in total that day made their presence known, but none got to experience one of my Muzzy's.
I spent the rest of that week continuing the same routine, getting aggrivated that I was forced to ground hunt as no trees were big enough for a climber and when I would draw they would spook. I kept telling myself I should just drive the 20 minutes to our weekend house with 104 acres, roughly 600 total Im permitted to hunt, school and work prevented this though. Not once did I spend an afternoon without having deer present.
First saturday I am able to hunt I join two good friends and go to one of their grandfather's 300 acre property that is used only for private hunting and has more stands than Cabelas sells in a year. Thick timber, rolling hills, telephone-pole-like trees great for my climber etc. I saw a 6 point buck right at the break of day light and was never presented a shot that I was comfortable with. A few minutes later, I have deer everywhere and had so much adrenaline in me, I actually vomited. Mind you I have been tied for state championships racing before and my nerves at the last race didnt even come close to this. True excitement in a great form. 21 deer I saw that day, passed a lot of does that were big, but not big enough to make me fling an arrow.
At this point, I know that Archery is what I want to do from now on. I have the itch, and it's getting worse.
To get to an end here, I hunted roughly 90% of the season and passed lots of does and never had an oportunity at a buck. I would conservatively say that I saw over 70 different deer this season, hunting several locations at different times of day and varying weather conditions. I experienced pre rut activity, heavy rut activity, and enjoyed an 8 point walking 3 yards away from me nose down chasing a doe when I was on the GROUND, too bad I was turkey hunting and had the Ithaca 12 guage and not my bow. Hands down, coolest thing I ever experienced in the woods.
Archery season is for me, I shoot daily at my friends barn, with 2 broad head targets, a tuff bag, and a 3-d deer. I love it, Im buying a new PSE Bow Madness, full Scent Lok clothing, and everything I feel I need to be completely prepared for next season. I cant wait, and the bow and stick season just ended last saturday. Im hooked.
Sorry for the long read, hope some of you can relate to this and appreciate where I am coming from.
Two years ago I bought a very old PSE Carroll Marauder fully loaded off my high school history teacher for cheap that was mint condition with a new string. I didn't want to sink a lot of money into a hobby I was unsure if I liked or not. I am very passionate about the outdoors as an Eagle Scout and someone who grew up in a small town located at the highest(elevation wise) school district in Pennsylvania. I just turned 20 November 1st and still find myself skipping the "cool" things most my age are doing and instead fertilizing food plots, scouting deer, hanging stands and trimming shooting lanes. My best hunting buddy is 39 and we talk daily about hunting and racing, both of ours deepest passions.
Enough of the background, onto the hunting season. I missed the opening saturday on October 3rd as I was wrapping up my dirt bike race season and was in Ohio. The second day (Monday) I made it into the woods after class around 3 pm and Archery hunted for the first time ever. I was on my best friends farm land, hunting a very small section of woods on a steep hillside with a very active swamp land at the bottom. I was positioned roughly 50 yards up into the woods, sitting in a diversion ditch as the trees are too young to support a climbing stand. I saw a doe roughly 30 minutes after settling down at 50 yards. At this point I realized how neat this archery thing was, because with my Savage Model 111 I would be done with my doe tag, but now I might as well be a mile away with a .22 pistol. 7 deer in total that day made their presence known, but none got to experience one of my Muzzy's.
I spent the rest of that week continuing the same routine, getting aggrivated that I was forced to ground hunt as no trees were big enough for a climber and when I would draw they would spook. I kept telling myself I should just drive the 20 minutes to our weekend house with 104 acres, roughly 600 total Im permitted to hunt, school and work prevented this though. Not once did I spend an afternoon without having deer present.
First saturday I am able to hunt I join two good friends and go to one of their grandfather's 300 acre property that is used only for private hunting and has more stands than Cabelas sells in a year. Thick timber, rolling hills, telephone-pole-like trees great for my climber etc. I saw a 6 point buck right at the break of day light and was never presented a shot that I was comfortable with. A few minutes later, I have deer everywhere and had so much adrenaline in me, I actually vomited. Mind you I have been tied for state championships racing before and my nerves at the last race didnt even come close to this. True excitement in a great form. 21 deer I saw that day, passed a lot of does that were big, but not big enough to make me fling an arrow.
At this point, I know that Archery is what I want to do from now on. I have the itch, and it's getting worse.
To get to an end here, I hunted roughly 90% of the season and passed lots of does and never had an oportunity at a buck. I would conservatively say that I saw over 70 different deer this season, hunting several locations at different times of day and varying weather conditions. I experienced pre rut activity, heavy rut activity, and enjoyed an 8 point walking 3 yards away from me nose down chasing a doe when I was on the GROUND, too bad I was turkey hunting and had the Ithaca 12 guage and not my bow. Hands down, coolest thing I ever experienced in the woods.
Archery season is for me, I shoot daily at my friends barn, with 2 broad head targets, a tuff bag, and a 3-d deer. I love it, Im buying a new PSE Bow Madness, full Scent Lok clothing, and everything I feel I need to be completely prepared for next season. I cant wait, and the bow and stick season just ended last saturday. Im hooked.
Sorry for the long read, hope some of you can relate to this and appreciate where I am coming from.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
I live in pa to and every big doe i see in my sights is dead.... i buy eight doe tags a year.... you gotta kill some of them big ones and put some meat in the freezer haha
:lol:
:lol:
i enjoyed your reading. This has been my first year shooting a bow too. I have thouroughly enjoyed myself. Too the point that I havent even taken my rifle out of the closet. I have seen tons of deer and almost all have been within 25-30 yards. Shot one doe but hit shoulder and never found the deer
It has been a learning experience and like you I have been hooked.
on a side note... I really appreciate all the thoughts and advice from this forum.
It has been a learning experience and like you I have been hooked.on a side note... I really appreciate all the thoughts and advice from this forum.
I love the part were you said you actually vomited. That's awesome!! I had my first deer from a tree stand this last month back in Virginia (with a rifle mind you) and my heart was pounding so hard that it actually scared me. I plan on purchasing a bow in march and take it with me when I go back east next season. Thanks for your post, it just confirms my desire to start bow hunting.
Jimbo
Jimbo
Man you need to write articles for a living!!! That is some good stuff i dont care who you are.
yeah that bowhunting is some great stuff welcome to the fold,keep those broadheads sharp and practice practice practice
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
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