For the last few years I have said I was going to commit to the Trad bow 100% and infact in 2003 I got a 250# Black Bear with my recurve.
However due to switching back and forth with a compound for varied reasons I had not achieved my ultimate goal which was to harvest a Whitetail deer with a traditional bow.
I have been hooked on Traditional archery since 1999. I have never missed a Compton shoot and have attended a few Cloverdale shoots. I also shoot all the 3d shoots in my area with my recurve (so does my wife). While hunting however the compound kept coming out of the case due to weather, shot setup or probably even confidence. Now after last weekend I cannot imagine using anything other than my trad bow. That is my personal choice and I have NO problem at all with compounds or other bowhunters who use them. I just love the traditional bow and that is me.
OK, details. This guy came in directly towards me from a direction I never considered but there he was coming down a hillside facing me straight on, so I froze. He was trotting slow, kinda in a low sneak position and then veered to my left at 10 yards, stopped and in a relaxed state started to stand more erect looking away from me. That was my chance, I drew my bow and shot. My shot was right there, in the pocket. After a short loop he headed right back towards my tree. He paused and then fell into the dry creek bed my tree is growing up and out of. He wound up falling about 5 feet from my tree.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/bfisherman11/2005TradBuck.jpg)
I am still excited and thought I would share it here.
Regards,
Bill W.
Awesome I am sure my time will come soon
Whooooey!!! Don't it feel gooooood? Way to go Bill! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Nice buck too!!!!
Very nice.Kip
Congrats!!! Awesome buck!
boy he's a goodun to... way to go :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Bill, Im happy for ya...Dandy buck!!! ,ark#78
Awesome!
I tell all my compound friends, one kill with trad gear and you will never go back.
With a compund you FIRE your arrows. Just kind of stale to me. Pull,pin now plunger fire!
With a recurve you CAST them. Who even needs to describe the beautiful feeling of a well placed arrow out of a fine traditional weapon.
Oh yeah, Beauty of a buck
mark
Way to go Bill! What an awesome feeling! It is great to see how many people have taken their 1st this year with trad equipment.My 1st trad deer was in 2002 and now 3 years later I have taken a total of 10 deer with my recurve. Unlike killing deer with my compound every deer seems to be just as big a thrill as the last. Good luck to you and all the other new converts out there! Keep us posted on the rest of your hunting season.
Thats Great Bill! Congratulations! Nice Buck!
God Bless!
Jim
Congrats! Nice Deer, Bill!
Bill,
Nice buck. Way to go with the "curve". To me it feels like shooting your first deer everytime. Got some ref's from Ron just a few min ago. Gonna check them out. Getting real close to booking. Tom and I have both killed two skin head eaters and are now looking for a GOOD one. I am off for the next 8 days and will be in NE MO. Had about a 140 10 pointer at 7 yds last weekend but the angle was no good. Hope to see him again in the next few days!
Way to go Bill! A beautiful animal!
Congrats Bill on a nice buck. You will never forget you first with a recurve, it's a great feeling.
David
You did good! CONGRATS! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great buck Congrats!!
What a hunt Bill! That had to be the shortest trailing job you ever had! Nice deer to boot!
JL
Thanks Guy's, I know I was very fortunate and am glad I practice a lot (almost everyday). He was very relaxed when I shot and at first I am sure he had no idea what happened. My snuffer hit his off shoulder and did not pass through. He bled pretty good with only one hole (I did not need to trail him but I always look) and when I gutted him there was a lot of blood in his chest cavity. The tip of my snuffer curled but it had already done its job, I have retired this head but I think it could easily be fixed up. I am sure if it had not hit bone it would have gone all the way through.
John, I saw your post and I am glad your evaluation was the same as mine. Ron sounds like he does a good job. I hope we have good luck in AK.
OK, Thanks again guys!
Bill
very nice buck
Got ta love those IL deer... Good going Bill... now on to the next one
Bruce, Since I don't have a spot to hunt in IL I hunt in WI (I have tried over the years). This is a WI buck. I wish I had a spot in my home state to hunt but so far I don't. State land is a 2 hour drive and I would need to find a place to stay. The state land I have hunted in IL is small and has limited access so it is not a great choice (very crowded too). In IL I really think you need private land to do much good. Yes, there are some good bucks on public land but not all IL land has access or is easy for me to get in to. Up in Wi I have a 3-1/2 hour drive and a nice place to stay so it makes for some nice weekend hunts. That is how I usually do it. In 3 hours from NW, IL You can be in the heart of 2,800 acres of public land in WI. Also getting permission to hunt in WI has always seemed easier to me. That is tough to beat.
Thanks!
Bill
Congrats :thumbsup:
Way to go, Bill, the first is the hardest but also the sweetest, nice buck!
Congratulations, very nice buck. Wish my tracking job was that easy.
Way to go, nice deer.
BIG CONGRATS BUDDY! Nice buck for sure. Is he a Wi buck or a IL buck? BTW that curve don't look like the Fedora.LOL<><
Congradulations!
That is a beautful buck.
:thumbsup:
Bill, Spent some time with you in a couple of camps and I am glad you finally conneted. Look forward to seein you in '06 and we sill re-live the Hunt once again!!! Hope your wife likes the new BW!!!
Well Bill, I always knew one year I'd be reading something like this from you. Congrats on that fine WI deer!
Dandy buck Bill and great pic too! Congrats. :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Hope to see you at Cloverdale next year, and congratulate you in person.
Good for you Bill...he's a dandy!!
Yes he is a nice one. Congrats Bill :thumbsup:
Thanks to all you guys for your all those nice comments. It sure means a lot coming from all you here. I am leaving tonight to go back up to WI, I have a doe tag to fill. I also now have a renewed confidence. Two years ago I shot a doe with my compound that spun around stumbled and fell after going about 6 yards. That was my shortest recovery till now. This guy covered more ground after the shot and ran down another trail that led him right back towards me but hey I am not counting that. It is how far you had to go after you climbed down, right? The fact that he fell so close was great but it would have been a lot better if he would have run up the hill and saved my back a little. LOL I will confess Monday I was a little sore from the drag out but it was a good sore.
I want to add one more picture to this thread. It is a picture of my buddy Bob who helped me get my buck out of the woods and our friend Fred Kasch who is a 92 year old bowhunter. We were all bowhunting in the same area. That day I had setup a ground blind for Fred but the day before I had him in a 80 acre wood lot of public ground that he could spot and stalk. Hunting with friends makes a harvest even more special.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/bfisherman11/3Amigos2.jpg)
I hope you all have similar or even better luck the rest of this season.
Regards,
Bill
Bill this is a great pic. Agian Congrats on a awesome buck.<><
Great pic, would look great on the wall
Nice.... I got my first Trad bow kill back in September, I'm now trying to get my first buck with a long bow.
Bill:
Wisconson is just a township on the north side of IL any way, isn't it (LOL) No offence you WI guys.
Great deer anyway and even better with that "singing" widow. Got to love them too.
A nicely posed picture, tastefully done and the tongue is not hanging out.
Nice shot, Nice photo.
I am sure you will remember this day for a long time to come.
Hacksaw
Bill, great deer :thumbsup: I'd frame that picture just to remind yourself what great friends you have and that they were with you !!
Joe