First Archery Deer!!!!

[dogpound]

Well...picked up a bow, Diamond Black Ice, back in February. Had not owned/shot a bow for over 15 years, loved the way it shot compared to the old technology, it was actually enjoyable target shooting! Been practising pretty steadily with the bow from May onwards. Was a little unsure on how I may do when crunch time came!

Set up my blind in early August:

Have been in the blind on about 4 other occasions, decided to abandon my tree stand about 2 weeks ago as I had not been seeing many animals that close to it.

Moose I had seen about 2 weeks ago, from my stand:


Got into my blind on Friday evening approximately 5:30 pm. Thought I would try a little rattling/calling. A small 3 point showed up, acknowledged my calls but was pretty un-interested, watched him for about 10 minutes. He had been travelling about two weeks ago with a small 4 pointer, decided to rattle again - suddenly over the fence at about 80 yards I notice the 4 point and he is making a straightline for my blind, very aggressive.

At about 30 yards I drew back, gave a small grunt, he stopped and looked right toward the blind, I released...perfect shot, but he runs around the bush and out of sight! Stayed in my blind for about 10 minutes then left to inspect (absolutely horrified that he was long gone with an arrow half sticking in him - my biggest worry). Good blood trail (using NAP Spitfire mechanicals), followed about 60 yards around the trees and there he layed!

Definately the smallest whitetail I have harvested to date, but certainly the one that makes me the most proud!


Another:


I am going to try and make a nice euro mount for this set of antlers - It's small but will be an animal/hunt I will remember for a long time.

I am definately hooked on bowhunting! Thanks to the members of the board for all the great advice and reading all the helpful threads!

[huntinggr81]

Congrats! Any buck taken with a bow is one to be proud of. Calling any animal in close enough for a shot is an awesome experience everytime.

[BigRackLover]

Awesome! Congrats on being hooked on archery

[Duk Dog]

Congrats, good on ya.

[slopeshunter]

Congrats, that's awesome!

Thats what its all about great pic's nice animal congrats on some great hunting - first bow kill.

[goldscud]

Great job, perfect shot! It just gets more addictive from here on. Was he on your own property?

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Great pictures , nice lookin buck thats forsure . Good job.

[swampman_22]

great job!! looks like you did everything right man what kind of braud heads were you using that looks like a massive hole.

[TreeGuy]

Congrats man! That's a beautiful buck. Great story and pics, thanks for shareing your sucess with us all!

Tree

[Map Maker]

great work!
persistence pays off.

[chain2]

all bowkills are memerable ,great set up and story...good job..
.. >>>======> chain

[Albertabowhunter]

Congrats on your first.... those NAP Spitfires do a nice job! I swear by them for any game I'd hunt. I've been wanting to pull out the antlers and give'm a try... this gives me even more reason to do so!... Congrats again, now go bigger! .

[SugarCreek]

Congrats on a fine trophy........Marco

[dogpound]

Originally Posted by swampman_22

great job!! looks like you did everything right man what kind of braud heads were you using that looks like a massive hole.

I was using 100 grain NAP 3 Spitfires (Pro Hunter Gold Tip Shafts c/w Offset Blazer Vanes) - what looks like a large hole is a blood stain from the entry wound - the entry hole is just up and to the left (partially blocked by his joint). They fly pretty true, I could not tell a difference from my field points out to 40 yards (past that was probably the operator).

I asked a good friend about broadheads and he said handsdown he thinks the NAP spitfires were his favorite - did leave a very good blood trail.

I had never shot through the mesh of my blind, which had me worrried, but the arrow went right where it was supposed to.

The deer was taken in 214 East of Madden, on my friends place that I used to rifle hunt many years ago (early nineties), it gets pretty shot up in November but the whole area seems pretty quiet in Bowseason - perhaps too close to the Bowzone. Never seem to see any large whitey's but occasionally I do see some pretty big mulies, though haven't seen anything larger than a two point thus far...

I was hoping for a whitetail this year - better tasting - and I still have my wife to win over, hope the maple sausage does the trick!

Thanks for the comments.

[Renslip]

Nice deer. I noticed you used the Double Bull. Did you find the Whiteys a little leary of it? Just a question, I have one and would like your opinion. Also did you shoot through the netting? I have tried it on the block target but always wondered about how it worked on the real thing. Thanks

[Prdtrgttr]

Good job and nice whitetail. Congratulations.

Renslip, I have found whitetails very leery of the blind. Ideally, if you could set it up and leave it there for awhile, then I think you'd be fine.
I found cutting holes in willows and brush, and then brushing the blind in to be most effective.
My Wasp Jak Hammers fly perfectly through the mesh.
Good luck to you!

[The Bit Runner.]

Great first bow kill,It only gets better from here.Thanks for sharing and great pics.

[dogpound]

Originally Posted by Renslip

Nice deer. I noticed you used the Double Bull. Did you find the Whiteys a little leary of it? Just a question, I have one and would like your opinion. Also did you shoot through the netting? I have tried it on the block target but always wondered about how it worked on the real thing. Thanks

I am probably not the one to ask about the blind affecting the whitetail deer - my first time ever in a blind. This 4 point was about the only whitetail deer I had inside my self imposed shooting range of 40 yards. I Called him in so not sure if he got closer than the rest just because of that or not.

I set up the blind in August, and as Prdtrgttr says I think next time I would brush it in - I set it up in an easier place to see/shoot without thinking about the deer minding it or not...it had been up so long that I was worried about moving it.

I did shoot through the netting and thankfully everything flew true - I should have taken some earlier advice I had read and practiced shooting through it with my broadheads...will definately do that next spring.

[Renslip]

Thanks for the reply. In the summer I set up a blind made with wire mesh and threaded carragana branches in it. Went out this fall but the leaves had fallen of of it. A wt doe came in at 8 yards and I wasn't ready, so we played cat and mouse for 20 minutes until she decide to go for water. I went out later and made that blind a little bigger so I can put the Double Bull inside of it. There have been quite a few does and bucks coming in and the fact that they are used to the blind that is there I hope they won't notice the DB. I will let you know how it works out.

[Trav]

I shoot out of a ground blind and have taken 2 whitetails out of it this year one a nice buck that walked by at 10 feet. Story on here called whitetail 08. My blind is not brushed in or anything been sitting there since first of august tho and not moving it. Whitetail doe the other day came same trail 10 feet from me and she is in the freezer now.

One word of caution if you are using mechanicals I would not take the chance on shooting through the mesh as I have been told horror stories about them opening up and them hittin game all over the place and getting poor penetration

Good job on the buck should be good eating

[Prdtrgttr]

As long as your mechanicals don't have an "L" on the end of them, you should be just fine shooting through the mesh...