Over the last couple years, I’ve had some great conversations with Kenton in regards to traditional bowhunting. From hunting stories to tuning and shooting discussions, we've spent a bit of time on the phone. We’ve shared similar struggles and agreed many times on what it takes to tackle traditional bowhunting.
If you didn't know who Kenton was and met him in camp you would never know that he was the owner of First Lite. Humble, hardworking and honest are just a few attributes which describe his character; and if it wasn't for me pestering him, I would never have been able to share this story with the rest of you.
Kenton’s passion for hunting began in high school. He started with hunting birds then progressively moved on to larger game animals. Over the years, Kenton continued to enjoy the outdoors and primarily hunted big game animals with either a rifle or compound bow. He loves to hunt in Idaho and his favorite animals to chase without a doubt are Elk.
In 2013, Kenton had successfully harvested another Elk in his home State with a compound bow. It was after that hunt, he had a strong desire to take a shot at traditional bowhunting. In years previous, guys like Larry Fischer talked to Kenton about giving traditional bowhunting a try and although he had picked up a recurve in the past, he never felt that he was ready to hunt with one until that Fall.
The simplicity of the weapon and the added challenge is what really peaked his interest at that point in time. He also found that he enjoyed his shooting sessions and there seemed to be an added element to the hunt. He definitely was looking forward to his fate with stickbow in hand.
From the Fall of 2013, Kenton practiced day in and out. At times it was as if his fingers were going to fall off, but Kenton knew that he needed to stay dedicated. By the Summer of 2014, Kenton felt confident enough to go afield. During the first Elk season with a recurve in hand, all the opportunities presented were well beyond 100 yds. Undiscouraged, Kenton decided to try his hand at whitetails. Although he was presented with a couple opportunities, he unfortunately missed his shot from the tree stand.
At the end of the 2014 season, Kenton decided that he would continue another year with his recurve. He mentioned that the greatest struggle was the lack of a “safety net”. No draw stops to let him know that he reached full draw; no peep and pin to place directly on the target; no let off to hold and wait while the animal positions itself, etc. There were no checks and balances, he felt as if it was all him or nothing. This meant additional practice and some changes in shooting style and equipment. Although he didn't harvest anything that year, he felt he was evolving as a hunter and becoming more proficient with his new weapon of choice.
2015 was upon him and he began the year chasing his animal of choice, Elk. He put in some long days and spent many of them afield with Ryan, another First Lite employee who also took up traditional bowhunting at the same time. This season Kenton was presented with an opportunity at a six by six. Ryan called in a nice bull well within shooting distance, but the elk felt that it was too close for comfort and soon headed away. A shot was then presented, but unfortunately the arrow sailed over it’s back. Kenton was discouraged, but not defeated…
Kenton would have one last opportunity in 2015. He was invited on another whitetail hunt in Tennessee. One of the first things Kenton did while there was take practice shots from the tree stand, as he wanted to restore his confidence in his shooting abilities which were portrayed on his home range. After hours on stand, a mature doe finally made her way within range. Filled with adrenaline and excitement, Kenton tried his best to calm his nerves as the doe stopped and presented a 25 yd shot. After a couple calming breaths, Kenton came to full draw and released his arrow. The two blade hit it’s mark and with a solid heart shot, the doe didn’t make it very far. The blood trail was followed up shortly in the night sky and after a quick trail, Kenton laid his hands on his first traditional harvest. (Unfortunately Kenton doesn't have any images to share, the doe was shot at last light and his focus was just on getting her back to camp.) He said the feeling was unlike others. He felt that this was one of his most memorable times afield and although he can’t foresee the future, he’d like to spend many more days hunting with recurve in hand.
His future goal in traditional bowhunting is to spot and stalk an antelope. He knows that he’ll need to step up his stalking and shooting game, but is up for the challenge. I’ll be bugging him about taking more images in the field, but with a hectic schedule, I’m just fortunate that he made the time to share the beginning of his bowhunting journey with us. Hopefully I’ll get some future elk and antelope hunting stories as well as images to share with you guys!
Topic: An Interview with FIRST LITE's Kenton Carruth "Going Traditional" (Read 758 times)
