I first got into archery when my father found a bow in a trash can and he gave it to me, and then while I was watching some bass fishing show there was a commercial of some guy shooting an antelope and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. So i looked up more videos until I came across this website and fell in love with the thought of killing deer with a bow Whats your story?
I am not in love with bowhunting I am addicted. Hunting has always been something I enjoyed doing. The first time I ever took a deer with a bow was no turning back. It all became a quest of how close could I get vice how far. As a kid I got every video I could with Dan Fitzgerald and Bob Foulkrod, much later came the Truth Bowhunting Series. I scraped as much money I could to by arrows and equipment. As I got older my equipment got more expensive. They didn't necessarily help me shoot better but they sure looked cool. Or so I thought.
The adrenalin rush of my first deer at 15yd. Really though I started hunting and took a bow because it was bow season. After season was over I was bored and picked up the bow and headed outside. That started an addiction for archery and a relentless pursuit of accuracy. Then when I actually started Bowhunting the next year and I had my first deer at 15yd. It was as exciting as riding my old sport bikes at 150+mph. Heart racing, hands shaking and breathing almost stopped for minutes it seemed like. I could never have imagined anything getting my adrenalin going like sport bikes but, this sure did and I'm hooked!
I fell in love with the idea first, and then when I took my first deer I was hooked beyond anything else. I work so I can hunt. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When I was about 13 I realized that if I bow hunted I could hunt 4 months out of the year versus 1 week, so I talked my Uncle into taking me! 14 years later, still going strong, and just got my life long buddy into it this year. He got his first buck and is hooked as well!
I knew it! Bowhunting...Love... Mmmmmm..well... It was a gift and I accepted it. It involved work and I accepted it. It involved failure and I learned from it. It took money and I paid it. It took time so I invested it. We started out friends. We ended up intertwined like a bowl of spaghetti.
Father-in-law gave me his old Mathews Black Max 2. I walked out in the dark with bow in hand with a fold out chair and sat in the corner of his back yard with a .357 on my waist in case of an encounter with the giant bear in the area. First part of September and as day breaks I hear a deer grunt and I calmly wait as he makes his way through the cornfield right to me. I had opportunities at 15 and 25 yards at a nice 10 point for my first buck but could not make myself release the arrow as I had access to Buffalo County Land. Every season goes by and I think of that first season and it gets me more and more excited each year.
I literally went out with dad bowhunting whitetails and practicing shooting in the yard from the time my memories started so when I got old enough to draw and shoot my little kiddie bow I started practicing along with him and was pulling 25# by the time I was 7 years old and was already in love with archery and "being just like dad". I was pulling 35# by 8 years old and hunting for meat. I still have my little bear compound bows, lol.
Started shooting 3-D at a early age with my dad and brother and it all I wanted to do. The when I started hunting and killed my first deer with my bow it was on from there. Now I have two boys of my own and the to love archery I can't wait until they can pull legal weight for hunting.
I was down fishing in the Everglades in my new flats boat and a buddy and he was telling me about how he just got into hunting with a compound bow and it really peaked my interest, I guess from the deliverance movie era. I was a none-hunter but when we got back to his house he showed me the bow and shot it a few times and I just thought it was cool as he!!. Within two weeks I'd bought a Mathews Monster 6 and didn't take the boat back again to the Everglades for 6 years, hence Afflicted. I just love the stealth and power of these bows and the up close and personal way we have to stalk our pry. Because of that I can't ever see myself rifle hunting but never say never.
I love telling this story, I was offered by a friend to go bow hunting one day. I called another friend and he let me borrow his Matthews Z7. He said "this is my child, don't abuse it." I went and shot about 20 arrows that night. Got up next morning and went to the hunting grounds. I was happy as heck just to be out in the woods watching nature. I had 4 does come in, I'd say 25 yards. I drew back but knowing I had not had much experience, I let them walk. Now I see that as chip shot, but I felt better to not shoot than to make a bad shot. I ended up seeing an albino fawn with its mother doe, again and easier shot than the others(On the momma doe), but like a pansy, I felt bad shooting mom with a fawn in tow. The next week I bought my own bow and practiced for 2 weeks then went out. Put my first deer down at 1045am opening day of muzzle loader with a bow. I have been hooked ever since that first time out. 7 Years in the Army I had shot plenty of guns, I feel the bow really brings the excitement of hunting to the table instead of sit and tag a deer at 500yards.
Started out gun hunting but found it to be no challenge at all. Plus I live in an archery only county and wanted to be able to hunt close to home, sleep in my own bed, and hunt for more than just a couple weeks a season. Have not picked up a gun since!
