Well my season has been eventful with a missed opportunity by my movement the first weekend of archery season here in Michigan. Alas I made contact with a doe this past Saturday in northern Michigan.
It yielded a good amount of meat and I am pleased.
On to the story.
Last fall around this time I had the interest to get into archery. I had always had an interest in traditional archery and had a bow given to me by my father, a 35# bear Kodiak magnum. Not knowing how to size arrows for it I headed to a local archery shop and looked at different bow they had there. Knowing all of my friends used compound I purchased a brand new compound and became proficient with it up to 30 yards. I soon lost interest in shooting it because it was no different than a gun; line up your sights, loose the arrow, then hit your mark. I felt no passion for this type of bow.
I then found a cheap longbow for sale at a shop in Jackson, Michigan. Martin "The Stick" a crude longbow to say the least. It stacked horribly and felt heavy at 55#. I became proficient enough justifying a purchase of a new bow. I found a Bear Montana on clearance at Gander Mountain and purchased it only to realize when I got home that the top limb was warped. The manager gave me my money back but with the taste of how well that bow shot compared to my Martin I was set to buy another bow. My wife asked me why I would purchase another production bow when I have been talking about "custom" bows since I started. The bow I had my eyes set on was a Great Planes 3 piece take-down. 3 Rivers Archery happened to have one in stock and my wife and I made the drive and picked it up the following week. Once home the smoothness of my 55# Cazador 3 piece take-down bamboo limbs longbow felt at home in my hands. I spent all spring and summer practicing and attending 3D shoots and courses. All of that led up to this season.
I went hunting opening weekend with only one deer which I had a shot at. My movement in my blind spooked her and her fawn away. I beat myself up about what I should have done or could have done. the following weekend I went to my family's place up north and saw deer every time I went into the woods. Either spooking them before I got to my stand or as I was packing it up after a full morning of waiting. This frustrated me also but gave me hope that deer were near.
I went to the same area this past weekend and had hopes of seeing a deer. If I could just see one I knew I could make contact and have meat in my freezer. I had arrived Friday but didn't even go out till Saturday evening. The rain and wind not sounding so appealing, the rain was gone and the wind was present but I hoped it would die down just before the sun set. I was fortunate enough that when the wind died down a smaller fawn came in and I was excited. My heart thumping and breathing fast. I waited thinking she was too small and that mother should soon be near. Mother did come but she took her sweet time or so it seemed. she finally came out from under a tree limb with orange leaves covering it and gave me a beautiful opportunity. One that I took. she caught me just as I had reached anchor and as the arrow was in flight she ducked down and leaped forward. I saw where the arrow hit and though it was awfully far back and it looked like it didn't pass through. After a few minutes I calmed down and could see my arrow on the ground and it looked like only half. then the smaller deer came around and spent 20 minutes looking around. Maybe trying to figure out what had happened.
It was 6:25 PM when the arrow hit her and I waited till 7:00 to come down from my stand as the younger one was in search for the other. i fetched my arrow half and saw blood up half way of the half and I had good hope. I went back to the house to fetch a vehicle to bring the body back and told my family just what had happened.
When I got back out to the woods I found her laying less than 40 yards from where my arrow impacted her.
I am very happy with my first kill and look forward to my next adventure into the woods after more game.
-Tim
Topic: First archery deer, first trad deer. (Read 659 times)
