Well fellas I am on the board with my first traditional kill! It only took 3 years but this morning I got my first!
We hunt a 400 acre farm here in Orange, Virginia. The owner of the property is actually a home builder we sub-contract drywall and paint for.
My set up is right on the edge of a finger of woods. A field of soybeans is behind me and in the middle of the finger of hardwoods is a thicket with holly trees and a dry creek running in the middle.
Right at daylight this morning is saw 10 does crossing the field behind me about 100 yards away, so that got me pumped. Then about a quarter to eight I saw a doe about 80 yards in the woods to my right and then I happen to look and a small doe was coming right to me less than 20 yards away!
So I slowly stood up and followed it with my Redstag longbow and it walked quartering away from me out to 20 yards in front of me, then slightly turned broadside. I gap shoot, so I placed the broad-head a quarter the way up the front leg like I practice which puts me dead on at yardages 20 and less, then stared at the crease behind the shoulder and let the arrow fly.
Time seemed to slow down as I watched that arrow flying straight and perfect right to the vitals, but all of a sudden at the last few seconds of impacting the deer I saw the arrow fish-tail and then fly further back and hit just in front of the hindquarters! :eek:
Upon the autopsy I discovered my first arrow hit in front of the hindquarters and the angle was so steep it exited low barely missing the heart but barely clipped the bottom of the second lung. I felt horrible watching it finally pass from my back up shot.
I have no idea if a gust of wind hit my arrow and made it fish-tail or what. When practice shooting my arrows fly straight and true and hit where I want them to, but not this time.
Either way I am grateful for the doe and the meat she will provide me and my family, as well as some sinew for my bow/arrow making hobby. Unfortunately the hide was a bit shot up so I couldn't really save enough of it to make a quiver like I want.
What a rush for my first!
Equipment:
Redstag Reflex/Deflex Longbow 64" ttt 57# @ 28"
3rivers Traditional Only 400 spine carbon arrows cut 28.5" tipped with 100 grain brass insert and 150 grain VPA Terminators.
Topic: Got my first! (Read 739 times)
