Chapter One of My Traditional Bowhunting Journey.. has finally ended!(with pics)

[Budog56]

Seems like just yesterday I was deciding that I wanted to start bowhunting. I had bowhunted all my life but something just seemed to be missing and I kinda just lost the desire. But the I watched a movie with aguy hunting everything from squirrels to Grizzly. And I decided that was it I needed to just put down the gun and pickup the bow. Id always kinda known about Fred Bear and some about archery as I had a bear bow as a youngster and people were always talking about how hed would come and hunt very close to where I grew up. I was torn what kind of bow do I want? After much shooting and researching on the internet I came across a site that was dedicated to not only bowhunting but TRADITIONAL bowhunting. I got on it a few times read an article or two and the decision was made. Yeah the mathews switchback was FAST and what everyone shot BUT that isnt why I was changing to bow hunting..So thanks to the site you guessed it the one and only TRADGANG.COM and the idea of being like Fred Bear. I ordered a 65# Super Kodiak and a dozen aluminum arrows. And so it began....TBC

[Budog56]

It didnt take long to get to be a decent shot with the eastons and my recurve after losing quite a few and bending the rest. Me and my best friend and hunting buddy since we were old enough to aim a bb gun at birds decided that we wanted to go the step further and make our own arrows.(he bought a grizzly just shortly after he shot my bow).  I had decent luck my first season as far as my type of hunting goes. I got a squirrel and  I got a shot on the very first hunt I went on for deer. I stalked within 20 yards of a nice doe who had no clue I was even there. Until my inexperience in arrow making came through. I released my first arrow without her even knowing what happened until the arrow that I failed to spin test That just a split second earlier was heading for her heart took a dramatic curve left and just missed her foot. Bounding away unharmed and almost laughing..But I was hooked. I wouldnt get a hot for the rest of the year but had a great time seeing tons of game just out of range always. Including a monster muledeer on the last day of the season that I stalked to 50 yards in wide open cornfield....

[Budog56]

The next year wasnt a whole lot different always animals just out of range or the fawns that walked 10 yards by me and just not being able to shoot. The only game I got the second year was a squirrel and a racoon. but It didnt make it less exciting. I didnt need to get a trophy for it to be a success. Especially when I could get back on tradgang and follow along other hunters success at our virtual campfire...I did switch to carbons as I just couldnt seem to get the wood arrows to fly right. and my accuracy went way up which made me feel better if in an actual hunting situation. Me and my hunting buddy also took our first Traditional Hunting trip out of state to the SEMO Hog Hunt which was planned and worked out because of tradgang. The hunt was a complete success even though nobody got a hog and hardly anyone even saw one..But the Food was excellent and the fellowship with other trad hunters was spectacular...His fiance got him a drenaline that year and after that trip he tends to lean more to the success part other than the hunt. but he is still a friend and it is his choice what he hunts with. I went another deer season of chasing muleys and whitetail all over with no success and the lesson of hwen a deer is looking at you odds are they are going to jump the string. making my second miss but a good learning experience.

[Budog56]

I cant express enough the kindess and great friendships Ive made through this site and all the help that has kept me going traditionally as most my friends have since reverted to using wheels. This year I have kinda worked back into wood arrows at least a bit so I could try my luck with the 11 I got from the St. Judes auction. I ended up winning the arrow Guru had put up for auction. and after some discussion and it being a very special arrow to him I told him he should just keep it and I would send the check to doug anyway as it was for the kids. But he wouldnt hear of it and sent me the other 11 arrows in the mail....

[Budog56]

Ok enough with the boring stuff. Id been hunting and scouting a little twice this fall but driving to work an hour there and an hour back has really hurt my time in the field. But finally this last weekend the 25 and 26th I was gonna get away I had the arrows ready and the broadhead sharp and was ready to get some hunting done. Here are some pics of where we would be going after the deer.

 

 

 

[Budog56]

Well I should have been in bed a while ago I didnt get as much sleep as I should have this weekend.I will be able to finish tommorrow. I will leave you with a picture of one of the arrows Guru had sent me..

 

[Matabele]

Great stuff, glad to hear youre hooked! Met some great people along the way by teh sounds of it  

[Guru]

This is just too cool...congrats buddy!! Can't wait till I get home tonight to read more.....  

[Charlie Lamb]

Very nice!      

[vermonster13]

Great beginning!

[Guru]

[Blasterjdh]

Great Beginning - Look forward to the rest...  

[sgrogg]

patiently waiting..............

[bretto]

Way to go Budog!!

[vermonster13]

Ok, I know you're logged back in so get on with it already! lol

[Budog56]

Me and my friend had hunted there quite abit but never this early usually not till december after rifle season and some of the muzzleloaders have been running them around. This year we decided that we were going to go at it different and try to get there before rifle season. We planned on going to bed early friday night and making the hour drive that morning, but we also volunteered to help his little brother process his doe and that drug through the night Got to bed about 1 to get up again at 5..along with the anticipation of the hunt not much sleep was had...

[Budog56]

We were up and at it and ready to roll at 5 luckily we decided to load everything the night before because we were a little fuzzy headed from lack of sleep for the first while. Grabbed some energy drinks ,gas and hit the road. Our plan since we'd never hunted this early was to split up and watch the fields seeing where the mule deer left and went into the hills then hopefully get some stalks..Unfortunately the spot I was planning to sit was way wrong for the wind so we were trying to think of a plan b for me while getting there and he would go to the origional spot he had planned. FInally I thought of a spot that would be a great spot to sit and watch as I could see a lot of hills and most of the field.

[John3]

beautiful country...

[Budog56]

The little grove towards the top is close to where I sat..there was a balepile by a gate at the end of it. While one of my hunting pards sat about 20 yards away in the corner of the grove. We got there planty early and got settled in to wait at least half an hour till legal light. Didnt see a thing but a awesome sunrise over the hills waking everything up for a new day.( im sorry one of these days I will have a good digital camera as the one on my phone just doesnt do enough justice to Gods wonderful creation like a sunrise.)

[Budog56]

I didnt know if that would work or not im not real expert on photobucket 1 is wehre I was sitting and 2 is a grove you will hear more about in just a few...SO as the sun cam up with no deer sightings It was about that time to start making a move to find the deer as they head into the hills for the day..I get up and look over the bales that gives me a good view of a corner of the cornfield right by the 2 grove in the picture and an outstanding whitetail buck that I watched slowly walk into the cornfield with no way for me to make a stalk as the wind was in exactly the wrong direction but I knew where he came from and visually had a trap planned for the next morning. After I watched him I decided that we pry could wait a few more mintes before walking to the pickup to meet my other buddy and his girlfriend to try to game plan teh deer we had seen and stalks to prepare...