Well,I got my first bow for my 13th birthday. I started going out with it and trying to kill ground squirrels and quail (to no avail) within the first month. But my first real hunting trip was with my great uncle in PA. He had an archerydoe tag and we went out into the woods to fill it. We saw one at about 50 yards, then worked our way in close. It ran off like a bat out of hell, so we sort of gave chase (only in slow motion) and eventually found the deer again. This time there was more cover available and we got within about 20 yards. Then to my suprise he told me to take the shot! My gheart almost exploded in my chest as I drew that bow. Then I suprised even myself when I loosed the arrow. Thwack! Right behind the shoulder. The deer bolted into the woods. We waited about ten minutes, then tracked it about 300 yards to a small gulley that it got stuck in. It was laying there on the forest floor, with the arrow still lodged through its lungs. I felt kind of bad, it was such a beautiful creature. Though I realized that I was helping to fill a tag that the DNR deemed neccesary in that region. Now, I only hunt small game. I live in southern California, and I don't see the point in killing one of the twelve deer we have here, lol. Plus we drove out all our predators, leaving an ample supply of small game to fill the freezer with. So now I just watch the deer walk by asI shoot my rabbits. My idea ofthe natural balance.