Trad Gang
Trad Gang Highlights => HIGHLIGHTS 2012 => Topic started by: Mathews2000 on November 19, 2012, 07:29:00 AM
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This has been a tough year on my family. I started the year requiring back surgery. I then end up with an infection due to the surgery and was back in the hospital. Then late this summer my 22 year daughter was diagnosed with cancer. She had two surgeries and everything is great now. BTW prayers are answered!
During the time that my daughter was going through her fight I saw what being strong was! I know that I don’t have the strength that that little girl (young lady) has. I could not get myself in the woods. I did not want to leave my wife alone and to tell the truth I did not want to be alone myself.
During that time I keep my mind occupied by researching traditional archery. I decided to add taking a deer with a recurve to my bucket list. So I did my research. I talked to many bowers and traditional hunting friends. I also utilized many of the traditional forums.
So I started putting my bow together. I decided on ILF for flexibility. I had not place to go to get “fitted” so I thought this was the correct approach.
I got limbs, riser, string, arrows assortment and tip test kit. In a few days I had my bow and arrow combination setup. I then started practice. Standing in the yard I got pretty good – after a few arrows each time. So I started my “first arrow” practice. I have had to do this before when having shooting issues with compounds. That is I shoot 1 arrow from an elevated stand until I gain confidence in my first shot.
So then I started taking my recurve to my hunting stand along with my compound. Before leaving my stand I would shoot my recurve. During our gun season I decided that I needed to either make a commitment to the recurve or stop taking it. So I headed out to the stand with just my recurve.
It was our Kentucky gun season and the bucks were rutting. Good scrapes and very nice rubs around my stand. I had been getting pictures of some very nice bucks. Two that I had considered my “hit list” bucks. They were both in the 160 range. My gun hunting friends could not believe that I was heading in the woods with just a “stick and string”.
That was my weapon of choice. I wanted to be committed to my recurve and I was ok with watching the deer walk if not in range.
So off I went. I had not been in the stand for 15 minutes until I heard a deer walking. It was a good two hours prior to sunset and we had not been seeing too much movement too early. It was dry and I could hear for a long way. I had not even nocked an arrow yet. So I got the recuver ready. Through the woods I could see antlers coming. I thought this will be a good deer with a recurve. Then when he got closer I saw that he was the deer I had been calling to as the “rocking chair buck”. I had figured him at 150 inches from scouting pictures.
He walked up turned broad sided and stopped. He looked the other way. Perfect, except that we was 27 yards away. A bunny shot with my compound but not so fast my friend because my weapon of choice today was my four week old recurve. I watched as the buck started to feed around. He was moving closer. He worked his way to 25 then 22 yards. Then 20 and he turned broad sided and was at 17 yards. I calmly drew my recurve. I got to my anchor point and relaxed for a second and let it go. The arrow hit its mark. I watched the buck run off with my pink fletching in his chest. I was not too sure of the placement but thought it was low and in his chest. I got down and marked the blood trail. I did not want to disturb the other hunters and knew I could get help the next day. So I left. That experience was the most remarkable thing I had ever done as far as hunting goes. I have taken many whitetail, a couple bull elk, antelope, muledeer and bear with a compound but this was crazy!
We found the buck the next morning. He had crashed where I had heard him go down. He scored somewhere in the mid 160’s.
Putting hunting with a recurve on my bucket list was the best thing I could have done. It had rejuvenated my hunting and added the thrill back. I know luck when I see it. I know I still have a lot to learn about this particular weapon. But watch this buck and waiting for him to get within 20 yards was amazing!
See post below for more of this story.
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That is awesome, congrats!! :thumbsup: :clapper:
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Congrats to ya! Great read...
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Congrats!
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Congrats! You got any pics? I know I sure would like to see a 160" buck!
Bisch
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Meeee took I wanna see.... great work
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Great Job. I agree pics would be great!
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PICS!
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:pray:
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A little more of the story:
The Sunday after we found out my daughter's tumer was cancer and we were going to have another surgery, I went hunting with my Mathews Z9. I normally don't hunt on Sunday and try to rest and then go to church. This Sunday I had to go take care of my Dad and his farm is where I hunt. So I went early to hunt and then check on him prior to church. I got in the stand about 2 hours early (trying to get there before deer started coming through). I set there and prayed and cry in the dark for most of it. Then I happened to look over to see a 150 to 160 inch 12 pointer (typical 12). It was too dark to shoot so I waited and waited. When it got light enough to shoot I did and MISSED! He was at 22 yards! That day missing a deer of that caliber just did not seem to matter. There were much more important things going on. I told my Dad what had happened. Then told him that I thought someone above was showing me that today this Sunday I was not suspose to shoot that 12 pointer. I was shown things to come. My mind was where it needed to be as my church gathered around my daughter and a prayer went up that I KNOW touched heaven.
If I had taken that deer my mind would have been busy with deer hunting on it. I would have also not had the chance to take this buck with a recurve.
Amazing how somethings work out!
Now another bit of luck and great service by Bob Morrison that enabled me.
I purchased a riser from Bob to start this adventure with. I talked wiht Bob many times on the phone for advice (since I had never shot a recurve). I had no idea what my draw lenght would be.
My riser came in and Bob instructed me on setting it up. Thing were going good. I took the bow with me to Illinois. The plan was to hunt there for a week and then join some long time friend back in Kentucky. While in Illinois the riser developed a crack (I think only in the finish but not too sure). I called Bob and he and his wife next day mailed me a riser to use. I got the riser on Tuesday. I also got some bad news about my father inlaw. He had been put in the hospital. I cut my hunt short and headed to Kentucky. When I got there I was able to hunt some - between hospital visits and helping my wife. That Friday was my encounter wiht this buck. I had just returned from the hospital where I had taken my mother inlaw to visit for about half the day.
If Bob had not been such a great person I would not have been hunting with his recurve.
Thanks Bob Morrision and your wife!
All said and done I don't think I had too much to do with taking this deer. I had a bunch of help!
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Great story and a true Giant!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:campfire:
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Wow! Just seen the pics. What a beauty! Congrats again.
God Bless
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Wow, that's a deer of a lifetime. I bet you are hooked on the trad bow now!
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Thanks for sharing, great story and buck. Glad to hear your little girl is doing well too.
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Congrats on a fine deer and I agree x2 on the answered prayers brother!
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Good job. :clapper:
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Congrats Rob!!! Hope that is not the last giant that I see you with in a pic! Brad
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Spectacular story and beautiful deer after your bad luck your prayers were anwsered
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Very nice, congrats. To get one like that, is all you have to do is add it to your bucket list, I'm in! lol
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Awesome animal and story! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Wildgame,
Thanks for ALL your help. This guy gave me a lot of information on the planning stages of getting a bow. He is one of the reasons this happened!!!!
Thanks again!!
May a booner be under your tree and found at the end of a blood trail for you this year. Good luck!!!
Rob
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Hog! Congratulations on the awesome deer and discovering " The hard way".
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Awesome, Brother!!!! Simply awesome.
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That's awesome man! Congrats on your first
Trad deer... He is a stud. And thank the Lord your prayers for your daughter have been answered! :pray:
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Wow!! Congrats on a great deer!!
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Great job Rob! Thats an awsome buck! :clapper:
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Thats a super looking buck, congrats.
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Great buck and good story!
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awsome deer,congrats..
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Great deer! Congratulations.
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Great deer and great story :clapper:
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How did I miss this one? Fantastic story and deer Brother, congrats!
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That's a great buck. Congrats.
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Wow now that's a great Ky. buck. Awesome job.
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I missed your post also. Glad I found it and it's great to hear your story, the pics of the deer, and see how God has worked. May God continue to bless.
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I would say all your trials and service to others paved a reward path that beautful buck walked down. Congratulations. Good luck and thoughts for your daughter in her journey and to your continued recovery.
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Wow!!!