Hello All, new guy here. I wanted to get into Trad. shooting/hunting after hunting with a compound for the previous 20 years. About 2 years ago, I got a little more serious about this venture. I spoke with my admin. assistant's father who made longbows as a hobby. I told him I always wanted a recurve. He said that he had never made one but would do it to "challenge" himself and I'd just have to reimburse him for the cost of the materials. I agreed and about 6 months later I was presented with my very first recurve! I practiced hard and long with it attempting to learn my approach to "instinctive" shooting. As the 2009 deer season progressed here in MD, I began to use my new toy. Here is a pic of me and my boy practicing in our yard.
I missed several chances as a great P&Y public land buck because I just wasn't proficient at the range the buck seemed to always be! (that buck was taken by a friend later in the season with his crossbow) Well, I was finally given my first chance at a Trad harvest when I was able to stalk up on a sleeping bedded buck on the same public land. When I was at 10 yds, he caught my scent, leaped to his feet and re-positioned himself to 20 yds broadside. I sent my Alum. Easton Legacy shaft with a 2 Bladed Magnus 100gr. broadhead towards him. I hit him, but a little back and decided to wait till the next day. After a short search, my brother and I recovered him aprox. 130 yds away!!
Well, this only wet my appetite for Trad. shooting. I shot all year in the off season and decided that I'd take the recurve more this season and give myself more opportunities. Well, I was fairly unsuccessful in my venture until the late 2010 Maryland Blackpowder season. I decided that I'd take my recurve after a late season doe. I went to a private piece of ground that I have access too. We have several bucks on trail cam. but I was really just hoping to get my second Trad harvest (buck or doe). That night became one I'll never forget.
To go back a bit, a friend and I were asked to help this landowner lower the number of deer on his 22 acre property. Yes, only 22 acres but the surrounding 1000+ acres are not hunted and this is a semi-urban area on Maryland's Eastern Shore. My first hunt in early Oct. I counted 22 deer from the stand and only one was a buck. Well, I have been hunting this place a good part of the year and trying to help the landowner reach his goal of 20 deer harvested on the season. Since I'd be allowed back if I did so, I was attempting to leave the bucks alone. I did accidentally kill one BB in Oct. but have taken 10 does off this piece this season (7 bow and 3 gun). For those of you that don't know, Maryland has very liberal bag limits. In my area they allow 2 bucks and 10 does per weapon. Yes, that means in a full hunting season, if you tagged out with all weapons, you would have shot 36 deer. Kinda crazy if you ask me but that is Maryland's rules! Up until the day of this hunt between my hunting buddy, my brother,another guy given access and myself, there has been 17 deer taken off this piece. (1 spike, 4 BB, and 12 does). Well, according to the trail cam's as of Jan 1, I counted 12 anterless and 14 different bucks so the herd seems to be doing just fine still. Since we were getting close to our goal, I decided that from here on out, I was only going to hunt with my recurve. Originally, because of the high harvest goal of the landowner, I opted for the compound. I felt I was deadlier at longer ranges and was hunting to control the herd, not just to enjoy a hunt per se. Well, I had to travel out of state to spend Christmas with the in-laws and got back to MD late the Monday night after Christmas. On Tues, my hunting buddy hunted my stand but he didn't even see a single deer. Well, I had taken the day off work Mon thru Wed. to spend with my little ones but planned on slipping out Wed. evening. I was running a little late for my own liking and climbed into my perch about 3:30pm. I wasn't in my stand 10 min. when here comes a little BB. Had it been a doe, this night might not have turned out this way because I was just gonna try and take one with my recurve and wasn't necessarily buck hunting. Well, he fed for about 10 min. when a car coming down the road ran him deeper into the woods. About a half hour later, I heard noises across the road (the bedding thicket owned by a pair of men that are very ANTIHUNTING!) Earlier in the year I liver hit a deer that made it to their property and they told me when I very pleasantly asked for permission to retrieve the deer that I was "Under no circumstances to enter their property". Well, I could see 6 deer moving around and one was a really nice buck we had on trail cam. I immediately stood up and grabbed my bow. A large doe crossed the road and began making her way towards me. At the same time, the BB began working its' way back towards me from the opposite direction with his nose to ground tracking my steps in the snow I took to the stand that nite. The large doe and BB met up about 10 yds from the stand but they were behind me because I was still facing towards the road watching the buck making his way across road. He gets to 20 yds away behind and to the left of my stand but the large doe was behind me to the right and she began to stomp her foot. I was thinking "great- that witch is gonna mess this up". Well, after surveying the scene, he decided all was clear and continued on his trail taking him 5 yds from my stand. However, because of the BB and Doe, I couldn't move! I swiveled my head and watched as he started to move past me and further away. The doe saw me move my head and was now hawking me trying to figure out what I was. When she turned her head, I spun my body to the right and she locked back on me. The buck continued on his path and entered a shooting lane at aprox. 18yds. I said to myself, now's the time. I drew back with the doe still watching me but the buck was looking away. The doe busted out of there immediately causing the buck to take 4 quick steps putting him behind a group of low hanging branches, now 30 yds away so I let back down. He stood there for several minutes trying to figure out why everyone is soo nervous. The BB is behind him still not sure what is happening. The BB began to move off and I figure my night is over. Well the buck continues his circle around me but he is now upwind of me. When he first came behind my stand at 5 yds he was completely downwind of me. Either the 20ft of the stand, the light wind, the scent lok suit or a combination of these kept him from winding me. Well, he continues his circle. He turns towards me and begins a slow, cautious walk towards me. He stops at 19 yds facing almost directly at me. He stands there for at least 5 min (or it seemed like it anyways). I keep telling myself, don't look at the head. I squint my eyes and try to focus on his feet then shoulder then feet trying to not make eye contact. I'm holding my bowstring tight against my chest and trying to stay still as my heart is bursting out of my chest! I can see my broadhead quivering as much as my legs are and I'm sure he's gonna see it at any moment. Well, he decides things just aren't right and turns broadside with intent to leave. I say to myself, "Just like in the backyard- Pull, anchor, look at the kill zone and release". This took like a quarter second and then the arrow is was it's way. The arrow flew straight and the buck made a lunge forward. I see it enter behind his ribs but slightly angling forward. As he ran away, I saw the fletchings were touching his side on the entrance side and the broadhead is sticking well away from his side on the exit side. I watched him run off over 100 yds and decided I needed to get down and try to play blocker on the road to hopefully keep him from crossing back to the bedding thicket. I look quickly at the blood and saw that there was red snow and figure it's best to back out- not being sure of any good vitals being hit. I went to my truck, called my hunting buddy who decided he's gonna come wait with me for a couple of hours. Well, we waited about 3 hrs and decided to walk the road to look to see if he had crossed before I was able to "block him". We didn't see any blood crossing the road and went back to the shot sight. Blood was good and we decided to move slowly, always keeping a light up ahead. My friend suggested that he go to the road and if I kicked him up, he'd start yelling to try and keep him from crossing. The blood was steady and good, as though you were walking at a steady pace and tipped an oil can upside down. It wasn't sprayed but more spilled like. I could've tracked it on a jogging pace but I moved slow. The trail began to lead away from the road, thank god!! I walked a little over 200 yds when I saw an eyeball on the ground. I just began thanking God for such an awesome hunt and good ending!! The shot was all liver, never perforated the diapghram. He's a 9 pt with 18.5" inside spread. I'm not an official measurer but have put a tape on many a rack just for the fun of it. Between my brother and I putting a very quick tape to him, we came to just under 137" Gross but due to deductions was not gonna make P&Y at 121". The taxidermist said he would tape him as well just to see if I was right but thought I'd be close. He is my second largest buck. Only one bigger is a public land Iowa buck I took while in school out there with a compound. As a friend and fellow hunter here in Maryland said to me-"I'd think he's your best because he was with a recurve". Well, Paul, you are right, he is that for that reason! So, thanks for reading and enjoy the pics!
Thx for reading and I look forward to reading and learning more here on this site!
Topic: New to Trad and the Gang (Updated w/ story) (Read 348 times)
