Unforgettable Moments.....If you have one....share it with us

[halfseminole]

I scout a lot during the summer because I need to keep moving to keep my legs working.  We have five acres butted up against the Bankhead National Forest, and we have plenty of deer, as well as other critters.

I wear moccasins or some other light shoe, and I was raised by Seminole men to leave no trail and make no sound, or as close as you can get.  I was practicing-I'm not as good as those who taught me-and the ground was perfect for doing so, with just a hint of wetness to the earth that let my steps slightly squish.  I was crawling through the brush to look at what I thought would be a bedding spot (and therefore something to hunt later that year) when I heard a rustle beside me.  I turned just in time to get blasted with dirt by a huge buck in velvet as he ran from me after I had snuck up on him.  I could have almost reached out and counted coup on him.  He ended up as a fine eight point I'm still chasing-he's smarter than the coyotes and my gun-happy neighbor.  Pretty sure he's smarter than me too.

[soap creek]

It was 1991 and I was building my own house in my spare time after work. I had already determined there would be little if any hunting time that season. It was the first few days of Nov. and I hadn't made it out any so far. We were building a house for a customer and my business partner decided he would hunt that morning and come to work late. That particular day I took my bow with me to work on the chance I could get a short hunt in after work. Well at lunch time my partner showed up at the work site with news he had shot a buck and needed help dragging him out. He said he had seen a lot of deer that morning, and that they were doing a lot of chasing. We hunted the same farm so I decided that after helping him drag his deer out I would hunt the rest of the day myself. So his deer is out and now he's hunting does and I'm situated in my own stand. It was an unusually cold Nov. being in the single digits, so sitting very long was going to be tough. I had told myself given my limited time to hunt that I would take the first deer that gave me a shot. I had been in the stand for awhile when I seen a doe approaching. I thought here's your chance, pick a spot. I focused on the spot drew and released as she presented me with a shot. The arrow flew true and she took off. I was so focused on the doe that I failed to see the 8pnt buck that was trailing her. I started to kick myself then I thought, no I said whatever deer gave me the opportunity I would take it. I was just happy I had got to take this doe. I waited a few minutes then took up the trail. It was easy to follow with snow and soon I was standing over my doe. I tagged her then headed for the truck to wait for my partner. When I reached a picked bean field on the way back I seen a small 6pnt chasing a doe with a nice 10pnt in tow about 80yrds out. I still had another tag to fill, so I pulled out my grunt call and gave a short grunt thinking there's no chance of calling the 10pnt off the doe but I'd try it anyway. To my surprise the 10 stopped dead in his tracks while the other two kept going. I just slowly slid down behind the only cover between me and him, a thin strip of waist high grass along the edge of the field. So there we were, the buck staring my direction and me trying to look invisible. He just stood there so I gave another grunt. He started my way. Now I'm thinking there's no way he get close enough for a shot.

[soap creek]

When he gets about 40yrds from me he stops again, so I give another grunt with my call. He starts circling around and not coming straight in. He eventually steps through the strip of grass that I'm hiding behind and is just standing there broadside. Now there's not a thing between us and I'm looking for him to bolt any second.  The shot seems a little long but I feel confident, that if I get the shot off I can make it. I ease up my bow having already nocked an arrow and start my draw. Concentrating on a spot in the center of the kill area, I anchor and release. The buck doesn't move and I watch my arrow go just a little low striking him in the heart. He runs 60yrds then stops to look back and falls over dead. I can't believe my good fortune. After checking to make sure he's down for good I head once again for the truck where my partner is there waiting on me. He say's see any thing? Not only had I filled both tags, but in the 10yrs. I'd been bowhunting that was the biggest buck I'd ever taken.

[Ulysseys]

I hunted a HARD week, the last week of the season, it was absolutely freezing out but I was getting deer action so I kept at it.  For three consecutive afternoons a small group of does caught me up in my stand and I adjusted each evening to try and get in to a better position for a shot.  On the fourth evening I put on a ghille suit, on top of everything else I had on and went way high in a tree. About a shivering hour before dark three does appeared from the holly brush behind me and started to circle around.  The first, and smallest, broke out in front of me first with two bigger ones behind.  They had no idea I was there this time.  I decided not to wait and drew on the first doe and released.  The three of them bounded away stunned and the one I shot at stopped about 30 yards away looking around, flicking her tail.  I hung my head in a miss and said good bye to the season when some rustling to my right made me look.  The small doe was rubber legging it and flipped over, stone cold expired.  I hit her and didn't even know it.  My arrow zipped clean through her.  I climbed out of my tree in shock and held my first trad deer.  I worked for it, and earned it.

[Bowwild]

Here's another.
We were in Missouri. I was working at the Busch Wildlife Management Area near St. Louis, MO.

My son Kris was 13 years old. We had just moved from Kansas where at that time one had to be 14 to hunt deer.

I had installed a pair of tree stands about 20 yards apart, one on each side of a trail that bordered a small open field. Our first hunt was an evening sit. I laid my favorite hat on the trail (I know ...scent) and when he climbed in the tree I told him to shoot it. He dead-zeroed it. I whispered for him to just do that.

I saw the Button come from behind him. It wasn't on the trail but walked right under his tree and on to the trail. He didn't see it until it popped out between us and stopped very close if not on the spot where he shot the hat.

Yep, he double-lunged that deer. It ran off about 55 yards and dropped under a cedar. He didn't see it drop. I had him stay in the tree 30 minutes. We got down and went through the drills he had done with me before. I watched him track the deer. He almost stepped on it!  He has been bowhunting with me since - that was 1992.

[joe skipp]

From 1991...Wyoming...I was out bowhunting Antelope and Mule deer with my good friends. I was fortunate to take both animals in 5 days. My buddy asked a big favor...take his neighbor's 14 yr old son out on his first Antelope hunt. I agreed...

Now this kid shot a compound and the area he drew BOTH buck and doe tags was 2 miles from home. We had a make shift blind, 500 gallon galvanized water tank that cattle and "Goats" were using and the farthest shot....maybe 22 yds. The rancher said he had quite a few antelope using the water tank.

Picked up the kid, got settled in this hardwood floor blind, coolers etc...I drove back, hid the truck and settled in. No lie...kid opens his cooler and there is 5 sandwiches, 3 oranges, candy bars and a gallon of water    

The kid never filled those tags...but Elk and deer hunted with us in '99. Today he is 6'4 and 230 lbs and NOW we can all laugh at that day in the hot sun....

[soap creek]

This was a few yrs. ago, my son 25yrs old now was only 9 or 10 at the time. It was his 1st bowfishing adventure. We were looking for carp along back waters of the river. We were maybe 20 to 30 yrds apart. Some small carp were along the edge near my son sucking on the waters surface the way they do. All he could see was their lips. He hollered over to me saying there's fish here, but all I can see is there lips. Not taking my eyes off the water in front of me, I quip back," shootem in the lips" thinking that that will never happen. Next thing I hear is  my son yelling " I got one, I got one". I look over and you guessed it, right down the middle. He was holding up his trophy and smiling from ear to ear. We still bow fish together every yr. and this story always comes up.

[wooddamon1]

A few years back I was exploring part of a Game Area near home for a place to hunt after work and sat on a log for a while near a large river-bottom marsh to have a smoke and a swig of water when I hear screeching overhead. It's coming my way, so I kept my eyes trained upward to see what kind of jumbo bird it might be. A few seconds later a pair of mature bald eagles glided just over the trees I was in. Thinking to myself, "Cool, eagles!", I happened to glance to my left and there was a big doe looking up where the birds passed. I shot right over her back at about 10-12 yards when she ducked my arrow.

While following her escape path, I found an eagle feather laying in the leaves. Being a white boy, I brought back a Native friend who can possess feathers and stuff and she took it to her Aunt that makes crafts and ceremonial things for Pow-Wows. It ended up on a bow sleeve/quiver with other cool-looking feathers hanging down.

Pretty neat day that was, I still visit the spot occasionally.