Well I have been doing my best to kill a deer, any deer, with my longbow. I started out this little endeavor by buying a great longbow from a fellow Tradganger who was patient with my payment as it seemed to get lost in the mail. When the bow finally arrived and we had all of the financial stuff cleared, I found out I shot that bow poorly. I draw to 30 inches and felt like it stacked a little at my draw. Plan B was selling that bow to my good friend who has a shorter draw and finding one I could shoot. My friend was excited as this was his first trad bow. So I created some good will by selling it for half of what I paid and converted a die-hard wheelie hunter 100%. Long story long, I found a Roy Hall Caddo in 64 inches on this site, and it shot like it was made for me.
Fast forward to the weekend last, all systems go except my wife became very ill and had to be hospitalized. Tell me why a 35 year-old triathlete gets sick enough to need IV fluids, CT scans, and antibiotics? It happens. The great news is that she was discharged yesterday and doing GREAT. So I missed my chance to hunt last weekend but I had more important things to take care of!
The first thing my wife told me when I got her home was to go hunting. Not take care of the kids or baby me more but "Go Hunting". I have a good wife I tell ya! So I babied her anyway and took care of the kids like I should. Today after I worked a half day my bride is smiling at me when I get home. She says "I am well! Go hunting...besides you have only killed 3 deer this year. We need four!" That's all it took folks!
On my back 40 there has been a ton of deer hitting the cut corn. At 3:30 I climbing into my hang-on and waited. It was just good to be out. After the stress of my wife being sick, and work, and Christmas plans rescheduled, I was smiling and doing what I love to do. At 4:00 a parade of does began and God smiled on me. The perfect doe, a 1 1/2 year old with no fawn walked right into my shooting lane at 20 yards. I drew, picked my spot and hit the spot I was looking at. She tipped over at 20 yards and scattered the deer in the field. My prize is no giant, but it will feed my family. My first longbow deer! My seven and five year-old children walked with me to recover our Christmas gift, full of questions and wonder. It was all I needed this Christmas: the health of my family and doing something I truly treasure. I couldn't be more happy. Merry Christmas my Tradgang friends. God Bless You!