Well, today was a good day. I'll apologize in advance, as this post may get a little long winded. Some of you may remember back in Jan. I began seeking some advice on the AT Trad Forum on choosing and shooting a recurve. I've been shooting/hunting w/a compound for probably 20 years, but had had the urge to try something different but hadn't gotten around to making the plunge yet. You may also remember an unfortunate string of bad luck I had right out of the gates w/a particular recurve model and brand that seriously threatened to thwart my attempt at getting into trad archery.
Lastly you'll probably remember that shortly after getting started that my step dad pulled an early 70's Bear "A" Mag takedown out of the closet that was in pretty bad shape. Matter of fact it was in such bad shape it actually looked more ready for the scrap heap than it did the hunting woods. Not even knowing how to shoot a recurve yet let alone refurbish one I took on the task of telling him that I'd get it back into shooting shape for him.
I actually thought I was going to be able to post a "My First Kill" thread last week. Not seeing many deer and too many squirrels I decided it was time to pop one. I had a big fox squirrel climb up a dirt mound about 13 yards away from my treestand. Seeing that I took my broadhead arrow off the bow and nocked my blunt tipped arrow. Instead of putting the broadhead arrow back in the quiver (I'll going into my quiver issues later) I laid it on the seat of my treestand, as I was standing at that point. My treestand platforms are at 21'-22' and I'm 6'2", so I'm shooting from approx. 26' up or so. As I began to draw the squirrel stood up on the dirt mound and when I reached anchor I let the string fly. That blunt tip absolutely thumped him square in the chest. It actually bounced my arrow about 2' back towards my tree. The squirrel did a triple gainer back flip, scurried over about 5' on the ground, and then lay motionless. Because he wasn't moving I took my eyes off him for two seconds in order to renock my broadhead arrow so I didn't knock it out of the stand. By the time I looked back at him he was ghost...as in completely disappeared. I stayed on stand for a couple more hours, and when it got to be stand changing time I got down to look for Mr. Squirrel. I looked everywhere and he was not to be found. I know it was only a squirrel, but I was pretty pumped about thinking I just got my first trad kill. I'm sure he's dead and probably just climbed into the leaves somewhere or maybe into the brush or possibly some nearby tree or something, but because there was no recovery I was not able to gain a confirmed kill, so I was still officially a trad virgin.
Then week before last I did something dumb. I had brought my bow in from my Explorer for the night and decided to leave it on the kitchen table so it was right out in the open. I did this cause come 2-3AM when I have to get up and leave to head to the property I hunt I can be a little forgetful. The next morning I grabbed my stick and headed out. Once on stand and settled I waited for sunrise. When the sun came up and it was finally light out something on my bow caught my eye. I soon noticed that my string (flemish twist) was very badly damaged...it kind of looked like it had been shredded. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what happened at first...then it hit me...the damn cat gets on the table at night sometimes and eat's my wifes flower arrangements if there is any out. That fat black SOB/POS had gotten up on the table that night and chewed the absolute crap out of my string. Now, being I am still a newbie I didn't have a replacement. Actually when I first got strings I wasn't sure what I'd want/like...endless or flemish so I got one of each, but went w/the flemish and had never shot the endless. Still a newbie I really wasn't sure how much differently the endless string would shoot, so rather than chance it or have to reprogram my gray matter for any changes I ordered two more customer strings. They came in late last week and I strung both of them and let them each stretch for awhile. Finally yesterday I was able to get to the range and got one of them re-nocked and put around 100-150 arrows thru it to shoot it in. Today was the first day that I had the recurve back out in the woods this week.
So we get to today...I was suppose to have a S/SE wind which really only gives me one good stand location. It's about halfway back and about 30 yds. in on the left side of an 80 acre woodlot. Typically it's more of an evening stand for me, as that side of the woods is adjacent to a 40 acre cut cornfield, but because of the wind and having not seen any glowing eyes in the corn when I pulled in I decided to sit that spot this morning.
At 7:15AM I caught movement in the corn and saw a nice young 2.5 yr. old 8 point crossing the corn and coming towards the woods. I lost him behind a couple of trees and decided to grunt a couple of times. I never saw him again in the corn, but about 2 minutes later he was standing broadside about 50 yds. in front of me. I already knew he wasn't a shooter but I watched him for a minute until some movement from behind him and where he came from caught my attention. He walked about 50 yds. over to my right and stopped again, and low and behold I spot a coyote trailing him...just a scrawny little booger, so I'm not sure what his plans were. Even though this little 8 was w/i 50 yds. I was planning on shooting the yote, or shooting at the yote, if given a chance. When the yote got to 30 yds. he started angling off and I started lip squealing. Definately got his attention, but he wasn't intersted and kept walking. When he got about 40 yds. from the buck the deer took off and the coyote ended up going off the other way.
At about 8AM I had a 1.5 yr. old 4 or 6 pt. (a forky...but couldn't tell if he had any brow tines or not) walk by at about 30 yds. w/his nose to the ground. Again, he was getting a pass, but it was nice to see some activity.
At around 9AM a very wide 9 pt. I call Sporky came thru at about 30 yds. also w/his nose to the ground. I call him Sporky cause he's got a G2 on his right side that is just a little stubby maybe 1" triangle (5 pts. on left and 4 on right) that when I first saw him on trail cam I thought it looked like tooth on the end of a Spork from Taco Bell.
Then, at 10AM I caught movement coming towards me and saw two does moving thru. They were right on the trail that would put them around 16-17 yds. from my stand if they continued, which was great said I keep telling myself that I'm only taking 15 yd. shots. Of course I nearly foiled things, as when I grabbed my bow (behind me and on left) the arrow came off the shelf. I thought for sure it was going to fall, but then saw it just hovering there and still nocked. I'd forgotten that this new string has a bit tighter nock fit then my last string. Once I got that fixed, got settled, and turned back to my right the does were fast approaching my first shot window. The does were only about 5 yds. apart but in order to not get busted upon drawing I was going to have to let the lead one pass and go for the second one, which was very convenient cause the second one was the bigger of the two. At the last second I just felt like the deer was a little too much quartering to (not much...maybe barely) and decided I'll wait 10 more yds. until they hit my next window which, if sitting in the stand, is behind me over my right shoulder.
Again, I had to let the lead doe pass, but as the second was was nearing my shooting lane I began to draw. Once it was in the open I was at about 3/4 draw and mouth grunted to get her to stop. By the time she stopped I'd reached anchor and let the string go. WHAM...I heard the arrow thump her, but what I heard next was completely new and slightly baffling. She actually barked...yea...like a dog...two or three times. From up in the tree the shot looked perfect (granted I was completely high on adrenaline and trying to figure out what the heck I was hearing.) I immediately saw that the arrow was burried up to the fletching and when she turned I saw the previously wood grained but now completely red front remainder of the arrow sticking out. I'm shooting a full length GT 55/75 Traditional arrow w/a 125 grn. Magnus (maybe a Magnus II??? Not sure but it's a solid black broadhead) two blade broadhead. I also immediately saw blood just pumping out everywhere.
She whirled around and ran about 20-25 yds. before she did the death circle dance and tipped over. Then again I heard something I'd never heard before...she growled...yea like a dog...two of three times. I've heard something very similar to this when I nearly decapitated a groundhog w/the wheelie bow and some Rage two blade broadheads, but I've never heard it from a deer. Then all was quiet and her running partner tried to figure out what happened. Finally after that deer walked off I packed up my gear and went after her.
When I got up to her I realized that the shot was not as perfect as it looked in the tree. As best I can figure out is that upon release she ducked the string and began her front end low turn to the left. I think this because the shot ended up high and a touch back. Of course there could have been a little adrenaline rushed operator error, but in all honesty I do think it was more from her moving. I'm pretty sure it went thru the rightside backstrap (if not then it had to have been close or grazed it,) it then cut thru the front piece of the right tenderloin, ran up thru her diaphragm, and then exited out the rear of the rib cage on her left side (it actually broke thru a rib on that side before exiting.) I'm assuming the massive blood flow was due to clipping one of the main veins or ateries in that area. Upon field dressing I didn't notice any gut/stomach/intestinal damage, which I thought for sure I would have gotten something due to the entry location, but I didn't do a complete CSI investigation, as it had aready gone from 35 degrees that morning to the mid sixties by the time I was gutting her.
In the end I couldn't be more excited or happy. She may not be the biggest deer out there or have a massive rack, but she sure is going to be darn fine eating and has provided me w/numerous memories that I'll now have forever. If you made it this far thru my rambings and long windedness then thanks for reading. I'm going to post a few pics of my trad journey up until this point followed by pics from today as soon as the carpal tunnel I just got from all this typing goes away. I've not posted pics on this site before, so it might take me a minute or two to figure it out. And thanks to everyone who has helped provide info, direction, insight, etc. to help a trad newbie get on his way. Thanks.
Topic: Got my first trad kill today... (Read 663 times)
