What was your first traditional bow harvest?

[TooManyHobbies]

Sept 17, 2008. My first and only trad kill...so far. Bear Super Kodiak, 60", 56@31.

I might as well tell the story too. I was in my climber at my favorite hunting spot. Two bucks came walking across a small field. The larger 8pt was in the lead. At 25 yards or so, he turned and walked away. The second buck, (this one) walked to within 18 yards. He was very slightly quartering towards me. I drew and sent the arrow on it's way. The arrow zipped right through, and I thought, OH CRAP...I hit gut shot him. He ran 15 yards and stopped. Luckily for me, he ran across from left to right, and was now only 15 yards from me. I already had another arrow nocked and sent it through both lungs. He ran and crashed about 75 yards or so. I was ecstatic, not only because I killed him, but how fortunate I was to get a second arrow into him, and not lose him.

[Little Duck]

A Squirrel. About 5 years ago I was on first Hog hunt with a bow.  My Brother in Law was hunting with a 22 Mag.  I had an old old Ben Pearson recurve.  He was shooting at a supirrel with his 22 Mag and couldn't hit it.  I ask him to let me try a shot with my bow.  After some laughing at me he told me to go ahead and shoot.  I pulled up never thinking I would hit anything. That Squirrel floped out of the tree and I almost fainted.  The luckyest shot I eaver made.  My Brother In Law said he would never question my bow hunting again.  I got a 150lb hog later the same day.  That was not a lucky shot as I was only about 10 yards from it.

[Aeronut]

Cottontail rabbit for me.  I got a bow and arrow set for Christmas 43 years ago along with a bale of hay for a target butt.  A week later I talked my dad into taking me out hunting.  I don't know who was more surprised.  Him, me, or the rabbit.

I am 54 years old now and I still have that bow.

Dennis

[J.Williams]

Bullfrogs around the edge of the pond with a fiberglass recurve when I was 6 (35 yrs ago) Good Times!  

[northland archer]

5 point whitetail, walking at 6 yards.  I can still remember the feeling that night.  October 31, 2004

[robhunter]

opossum, on the back deck eating the cats food

[Sean B]

A squirrel in my back yard with my fiberglass Stemmler Recurve when I was about 10.  Afer that It was either a squirrel or carp about another 10 years later with my Bear.

[buckster]

Mine first two were some canned hunt "farm animals" on an exotics hunt in TX.  One of which is shown on my profile picture.

Since that time, I've graduated to primarily "fair chase" type hunts and harvested elk, hogs, deer, etc.  I've met a lot of great trad guys along the way.  It's all good!

[3arrows]

1956 sparrow with a bent tree limb and a 25 cent arrow.Boy are you guys spoiled.LOL

[Bowspirit]

Raccoon that was strolling around in broad daylight and about to head into my neighbors yard they've always got their dog out, and he runs right up to anything). Took him in the eye with a #50 Bear Grizzly and a 2317 aluminum arrow

[Pennsyltuckey pete]

1962-63

A field mouse that happened to run in to the point of my arrow as I was shooting in to the hill along the side of my house.

The bow and arrow was from the Indian Brave Archery set you could buy at any 5&10 at the time. IT had a real point and feathers on it too.  not those cussed suction cup things.

[Pennsyltuckey pete]

1962-63

A field mouse that happened to run in to the point of my arrow as I was shooting in to the hill along the side of my house.

The bow and arrow was from the Indian Brave Archery set you could buy at any 5&10 at the time. IT had a real point and feathers on it too.  not those cussed suction cup things.

[Russ H]

Blue Jay 50 ft up in a water oak. 30 lb fiberglass bow. 1964, age 11.

[rascal]

I built my first self bow and took a decent 7 point with it the same year, 2008.  Dont have a picture handy sorry.

[vtmtnman]

A 50# button buck in dec 2004.That was actually my first bowkill after 13 years of bow hunting(actually 4 of them were in the Marines,and I didn't hunt during those years...the others I was still a stupid teenager that didn't understand if you sit still at key times,the deer come to you   ).

I did it with my dad's first bow,a 45# bear grizzly.

[chadt1]

My First Trad. kill was a 250Lb. Black Bear and on the same evening i was blessed with a nice whitetail my 1st with Trad. bow also.

Chad T

[ArrowAtomik]

My first is my avatar picture from just 2 1/2 years ago.  I had hunted years with a compound, but this was literally less than 20 minutes into my first time in a stand with a traditional bow.  Nice doe with a youngster came in almost exactly as I had planned.  Broadside at 17 yards, she was nervous but I worked up the gumption to let my first longbow hunting arrow fly at an animal without the aid of sights.  Saw here jump and watched the arrow fly out of her.  I thought I had a horrible hit with no penetration and felt aweful for ever thinking that a 43# longbow was going to work out.

I got down to recover my arrow, expecting to find the results of a flesh wound, but suddenly it was tears of joy and amazement when I found serious blood.  I knew instantly she had gone down fast.  I nearly jogged the 80 yards of gory blood trail and there she was with a text book double lung on the spot I had aimed.  My arrow penetrated to the off rib and bounced back and she had kicked it out with her leg on the jump.

I was made a firm believer in trad gear that day.

[Tom Greenwald]

Age 13.  A big Warren County Doe.  Ben Pearson Mustang.  64" 45 lb @ 28.  Easton Gamegetter II with Wasp BH.
Greenie

[moose eye levi]

Some kinda snake last July with a 45# Bear Black Bear was stump shooting missed my stump and the arrow went way back in the weeds I said "I'll never find that arrow" went looking and found it a few yards behind the stump with a snake on the end of it..If it woulden't have happened tome I woulden't have believed it

[GREASEMAN]

I remember it like it was yesterday! It was a Ground Hog at 15 Yds. square in the Boiler Room!