How long?

[huntnut]

How long did it take to harvest your first animal? I have been jumping back and forth from trad. and compound, but have not taken an animal yet with trad gear. I have had a few shots at turkeys but missed, have not drawn back on a deer yet.

[Chris Shelton]

first time I walked afeild with my recurve   !  But I am a VERY lucky one.  The average for the state of Maryland is 4 years, and that is for a hunter to get a deer, it doesn't say which type of hunter.  It tooke me 4 years to get my first deer.  But again it was only one trip with the recurve, and I haven't harvested another big game animal since.  But in my defense my "managment" principals have changed dramatically.  On that particular day we were hunting meat, and it just happened to be a buck.  Ever since then I have hunted mature bucks, and let dad fill the freezer   !  Hang in there, it will happened!

[Wannabe1]

I'll let you know as soon as it happens!    

I refuse to take my first big game with anything other than traditional archery.   :D

[Bowferd]

Do possum and coon count?

[TSchirm]

I was very lucky and took my first trad animal the first day of my first year.  However, I must admit it was an antelope, a drought year, and I knew several bucks were using a waterhole.  A friend and I built the Taj Mahal of blinds well before the season, and we each took a buck antelope from that blind.  I then hunted two years before hurting my shoulder (kept me out of archery for a number of years) without taking an animal.  I sure hope to change that this fall, my first year back in trad bowhunting in 13 years.

[Stone Knife]

I shot a button buck about my third trip out my first year, that year I took four deer. I happened to hit it just right as the mast was low but there were a lot of pig nuts, I have a good stand of them on my land and that year the deer were hitting them hard.

[James on laptop]

Opening day with a longbow but I did not get a shot untill the afternoon.Took a whole season the first year I hunted with a c-bow.If you already bowhunt with success the type of bow means very little.

[frank the hunter]

i was lucky the frist time out i got a doe.

[David Mitchell]

A long time for me    but if you want to kill something with a trad bow you have to hunt with it until you do!  Make the commitment and decide if killing an animal is the main thing or if doing so in your self-chosen way with the equipment you really want to use is the main thing.  Like they say, you'll never kill a big buck by shooting the first small one that walks by--so you'll never take anything with trad gear if you keep hunting with tech gear.  Your values will dictate which is foremost.

[BowMIke]

1st year I switched back to Trad I shot a nice antelope in Wyoming at the Werner Ranch. Last fall I shot my first buck(first deer) with a  Morrison Shawnee Longbow.
It's so much more satisfying to harvest something with a Trad bow!
I sold both my Mathes c-bows over a year ago and don't miss them at all.
Now I have 5 recurves from 34lbs to 62lbs and  5 longbows from 47lbs to 55lbs.
I'm trying to control my buying, but am looking at a 4rth Morrison Shawnee (my favorite).

[mrpenguin]

The first day I ever hunted, ever, I walked into the woods around 10 AM after running errands for the family.  I had NO IDEA what I was doing (heck, I still dont... everytime I hunt its a learning experience, new and exciting!).  I was stalking quietly up a logging road using the gusting winds to cover my steps.  I had a full hunting pack and back quiver strapped to my API Bowhunter Extreme climbing stand and a White Wolf Recurve in hand.  Within 10 mins, I was putting a stalk on a doe and got within 40 yds of her thanks to the wind!  Later that day, sitting in a tree, I had a 4 pointer walk under my stand at 10 yds!!  I picked a spot and began to draw, but eased off the tension as a million things raced through my mind... my key concerns were my equipment and the job after the shot.  The truth is, again I had NO IDEA what I was doing, and I was using a bow with arrows that may not have made the best match.  I knew nothing of how to pick a proper broad head, FOC, arrow tuning, or tip weight and spine... and I was using, ready for this, Spitfire 100 gr broadheads on xx75 2117's out of a 59# recurve... yeah.  Second, I had never hunted before and really doing this on my own with only online conversations with my mentor to guide me, but no one in the field.  So, if I shot him, I would have no help tracking, cleaning, etc... some guys, that wouldn't bother them, me, well, it did.  I did not want to ruin hunting with my first deer being a potentially bad shot and lost deer.  In reality, that first day was more about just getting in the woods and seeing if I could even find deer... and I did, 5 total.  1 stalk, 1 under the stand and a small group of does playing out about 50 yds in the woods from me... saw a hawk kill a rodent... it was a GREAT day!!  Later that first season I took my first deer, albeit with a compound, it was still an awesome experience and a quick clean kill.

Sorry for the long post...  

[Apex Predator]

About 5 years!  I took my first the very day I committed to it 100%.  I killed a hog the very day I listed my last compound machine for sale.

[string bean]

didn't take long for the rabbit or coon but I'm itching for bigger stuff and the 'ol hog I'm chasing now is pretty dang slick and ain't making it easy on me.

[bolong]

Can't remember that far back (1968) but it was the first year probably about the 10th hunt. A yearling doe.

[Mack_S]

Still waiting for mine.  I don't mind the waiting that much as at least I'm out enjoying the wilderness.  It'll come when it comes, no rush.

-Mack

[shortstroke 91]

4 years for a deer, nothing but jackrabbits til then. I sure missed a lot before I finally got one.

[BOWMARKS]

Missed two the first year forgot to Pick a Spot shot over them.Made a bad shot second year did not recover deer.Got my act together third year harvested a button buck.Nothing near me last year a lot of real long days. I hope can keep my cool this year and either miss or hit where I am looking!!  

MARK

[Hopewell Tom]

Still waiting, but this season will be my first REAL try. Last year was a FANTASTIC 2 1/2 hours on stand with 6 deer around. A nice 8 pointer busted me right off and the others milled about out of range. Funny thing was I thought the close encounters with no chance would be frustrating. Anything but! Really looking forward to this October. This site is really helping with lots of info.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

The Lord truly Bless me with a fine Antelope and some small game my first year I switch.