I was wondering how long it took for everyone to get their first bow kill? This is my fourth season and I have yet to kill a deer, I have only had a shot at 2 deer, I missed both times.
Year 1, I got lucky and harvested a nice 8pt buck. Year 2, I wounded a bigger buck who got away but tagged a doe. Year 3 I simply choked! LOL. BEST BUCK I'VE EVER SEEN I made a pass through brisket shot, he got away and still haunts me in my dreams! Missed another nice 12 pt the next week. In short, I got lucky, than overconfident. The silver lining is I'm learning, seeing more deer, and really enjoy my time in the woods. Year 4 is just beginning
It took me like 5 years but I started when I was 18, went to college. While in college I was more interested in chasing tail and studying. After college I had more time to invest which allowed me to shoot more deer. I was raised hunting deer and freezing my ass off, I think that helped. We used to stay out all day and drive hard. With archery it’s all about location and scent control if you ask me. I don’t waste my time in places I never see deer. If I hunt an area for a day or two and never see deer I move on to the next public land. I have leaned a couple tricks that have helped me. First being, don’t work too hard. If your hauling 55 lbs walking 5 miles into no mans land you might be working too hard. Second one is remember what weeks of the year people are sticking deer. Next year plan for that week. Opener is not always best. Lastly, observe, orient, decide, act. Don’t change your mind all the time when hunting. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It took me a few years to get my first bow kill, and it was a long time ago (1978), but I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was from the ground too!
Got my first bow kill a few months into my first season, missed more deer than Id care to admit the next year but got a buck at the end of it. The next year never saw a good buck but shot 3 does ( with only a few misses intermixed) and here we are...
I'm only in year three and I turned 50 in the spring. Killed my 1st in year one, a yearling six point at about 13 yards. Greatest rush I've ever had in the woods and I've hunted all my life with a gun. Got busted a bunch of times last year but I learned a lot. Wouldn't trade this experiences for a million deer just handed to me gratis. Have sat only once this year due to flooding and hurricane. Could be a blessing in disguise; as I wait for flood waters to reside, the best time of year is about to begin. Far as I'm concerned, nothing beats hunting with a bow and that comes from a guy who used to swamp hunt deer and pigs with a gun, getting shots inside 40 yards on both. Thought I had it all figured out. I didn't; getting them in even closer than that and having to come to full draw without getting busted? Way bigger rush. Incomparable. Love it. Good luck fellow "newish" hunters.
I think it took me three seasons. All my set ups had to change, my shooting stunk and I missed shots, I didn't have a mentor to teach me..on and on and on. Keep at it man.
4 years. It's weird but it took me 4 years for my first rifle kill and then 4 years for my first bow kill. I didn't know any bow hunters back then and the learning curve was steep. Old VHS videos and magazines are where I got most of my info.
Something like 17 years; although not every year was hunted or hunted with a bow. I started bow hunting when I was about 12. I stuck and lost a doe when I was 17. Didn't shoot another one with a bow of any kind until I got one with a crossbow when I was about 28. First kill/recovery with a compound was the year after that. Got at least one almost every year since. I didn't hunt with a bow for several of those 17 total years during college age range and a couple beyond; and several of those years I killed one with a gun in what at the time was a buck-only one-tag only state.
Got my first bow kill in year 1. Gut shot a young doe. Tracked her for for what seemed like forever. Hunted shotgun here in Illinois for about 5 years before picking up a bow. The adrenaline rush from that doe was better than anything I'd ever experienced with a gun. Been bowhunting about 8 years now. Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
I think it was second year back around 1980. Mule deer spot and stalk. Total awesomeness! I’ve taken 4 this year already... how things change.
First year bowhunting - 1987 First bow kill - 2012 Longer than some of you are alive!! Keep at it, it'll happen trust me! Best of luck. Here he is, 3 point!!
Took me two years. Started when I was 10 and got my first public land button buck () when I was 12. Never felt so proud of myself in my life lol I shot a couple small bucks with a shotgun before that but nothing compared to my first bow kill. Mathews Halon Black Eagle outlaws Magnus Buzzcut 4 blades Nasty combo
Started hunting with a bow when I was 26. Shot a doe opening weekend on my first sit that year. Ended the first season with 3 doe and a buck. I have been fortunate to take 5 bucks and 16 doe in my first 7 seasons. One doe so far this year. All off small properties gained on handshake deals other than the first year. That was my uncles farm. Second pic is my biggest and third pic is my first buck. Hopefully many more to come!
18 years ive been bow hunting and i turned luck into skill. my very first bowhunt with my father in-law 3 days after getting a wal-mart bow at the time i killed a 6 point from the stand and its the very last time iver ever stand hunted since then ive honed my skills to stalking and have killed in the range of up to 120 deer in 5 states. nothing like a stalk/bow hunt
I think this is my fourth season with a bow and I've only shot at two deer. Missed both of them. My problem is not getting in the woods enough. My brother has some property but it's a three hour drive and I can usually only hunt it on a weekend that I'm off. Otherwise it's public land. Going to try some public possibly this week once temps drop and go to my brother's property next weekend. Hopefully I can get something down. Sent from my Pixel XL using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
