How were you introduced?
 

This question has probably been asked a few times, butI would like to know and I am sure others are interested as well.

1. How were you introduced to archery/when?
2. Your favorite game to hunt?
3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow?

I was introduced by my dad, I started shooting a bow when I was probably 6 or 7. My favorite game has to be the elusive and intelligent Rocky Mountain Elk. I was 14 I think when I shot my first bull, it was a spike, since then I haven't had another kill it's been about 5 years : (I have had oppurtunities though!

RE: How were you introduced?
 

When I was about 8...target shooting with my dad.
Whitetail
Still waiting.:eek:

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. How were you introduced to archery/when?

I began when I was a kid.......buying arrows at the hardware store and making my "bows" out of pine boughs that I would notch and "string" with nylon rope. I later shot a recurve that my dad had.....but never took it seriously....and never shot at an animal. I bought my first compound in 2005.....after buying my son a bow and seeing how much fun he was having shooting it. I never dreamed I would become so interested.

2. Your favorite game to hunt? Whitetail deer......but that MAY change when I get a chance to arrow a gobbler!

3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow? I went on my first whitetail hunt in October (late) of '05. I took one shot, that year......and took my first deer on 9/30 of '06.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I love these threads. It's great to see how our fellow hunters got started.


1. How were you introduced to archery/when?
I had shot guns since I was 8 and had shot a bow in cub scouts. I started hunting when I was 12, but it wasn't until a school friend who worked in a local pro shop called me to tell me someone was selling a left handed bow. I bought it and shot all summer with it and went bowhunting the first time that fall. That was 1989.

2. Your favorite game to hunt?
Without question whitetails. I want to hunt elk, muleys, pronghorn, caribou, bear, and have taken a hog with the bow, but I love to chase whitetails.

3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow?
There was quite a learning curve and a few close calls for me along with a couple of misses.[:@] My first deer with a bow was taken in 1993. It was a button buck that I took with a 20 yard double lung shot and he piled up within40 yards. I remember feeling so excited that I thought I was going to fall out of the tree. There are a few things in my life that I will always regard as great moments and that was one of them.

Keep the posts coming!

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. How were you introduced to archery/when?
2003 Just wanted more of a challenge..I've taken many Deer with Gun and Muzzleloader and it was getting too "easy".

2. Your favorite game to hunt?
WhiteTail Bucks of the Wall-Hanging Variety


3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow?
Same year I started, 2003 got the first Deer I shot at, an 8 Point..also won 1st place on my Indoor League shooting Bowhunter C Class..Had never even shot paper up till the start of that league.

I'm done blowing my own horn now...But I'm proud of my early accomplishments. I see so many who take years to get confidence or the first kill. It came pretty easy for me. I was a Hunter and knew how to do all the proper things (scout, stand placement, shot placement..etc) Only the tool was different and I picked it up quickly.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

GR8:

We've been down similar roads. While I respect the whitetail deer a LOT......I've been hunting all my life.....and this isn't exactly rocket science. I'm glad to hear someone else has had a similar path. I've done a LOT of things wrong.....but a few things right.

Congrats. I didn't know you'd only been at it a few years.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. How were you introduced to archery/when?

oh boy i got my first recurve at probably 8 or so. but i didnt like it that much at the time. i moved when i was 13 or so and for christmas 2 years ago i got a compound and started to really get back into it. i started shooting it right away even when it was 0 degress outside. i basically learned everything by myself.

2. Your favorite game to hunt?

whitetail deer for now. i havnt really tried anything else except squirrels.

3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow?

my first hunting season. this last fall was the first with a bow and i ended up getting a shot off at a doe about 20 yards away. double lung shot, only went about 30 yards or so.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

My dad ..... age 12

Whitetail

4 years.... big doe 10 yards away, with my younger brother sitting at the base of the tree I was in ... pretty cool ;)

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I remember hunting chuckar with my dad at 5 years old....


archery with dad when I was big enough to keep up with him when he archery elk hunted..so i'd say 7 or 8 ... I remember those first bulls I heard bugle up close.. whew..talk about nearly soil my britches...

first memorable kill in my teens was a cow elk...with a bow

my favorite.. whitetail bucks.. with a bow... elk are real cool too..

RE: How were you introduced?
 

Last year a guy here at worked asked me if I wanted to go bow hunting...so I bought a bow and know I am hooked.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

My father was and still is an avid bowhunter of 35 years at the young age of 4 he bought me my first bow. After 2 years and6 misses (too excited)i finally took my first deer an old doe shot her at 5 yrds this was at the age of 14 and my favorite animal to hunt is the whitetail deer

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1: How and when were you introduced?
I had grown up in a bowhunting family. So i guess I was introduced at a very young age. I remember going to my grandparents house and seeing all of my uncles deer on the wall. And at home my dad had deer on the wall. When I was 3 my parents got divorced and my dad got custody of myself and my baby sister so he gave up hunting to spend the time with us.But he bought me my first bow when I was about 5 and I've been shooting ever since. Dad still doesn't hunt 22 years later and has no desire to, but has always supported me and even spent a couple days in the turkey blind with me just for fun. My uncle Dan (dkbs on this site) has also always been there to help out with any question I've had.

2: Favorite game to hunt?
This is a toss up for me between mature whitetails and black bear. Mature whitetails force you to be a student . You also have to constantly be thinking about every aspect of the hunt, very rarley can you make many mistakes and outsmart a big whitetail. Black bear are just facinating creatures to me have been since I was little.

3:How long did it take to get your first memorable Kill?
about six years of hunting. When I first started hunting I committed to myself to not take a deer under 3 years old so alot got passed up.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1) No one in my family hunted except a uncle who lived 2 1/2 hours away. My family liked to fish alot though. Saturday mornings I used to spend watching ESPN hunting and fishing shows. Not sure what made me decide to try bow hunting, but that had to be the influence there. Got my first bow set up for Christmas when I was 14. Been hunting ever since. My brother also got started at the same time as me. He got a bow that year for Christmas too.

2) Whitetail deer followed by wild turkey. I would love to hunt some other big game animals but so far the opportunity just has not been there. Elk, muledeer, and pronghorn are at the top of my list.

3) 2nd year of hunting. It was a mature doe that I had stalked. She was feeding in cut bean field and I used a small pond to block her view from my approach. What hooked me on bow hunting was the rush and the shakes I got when missing about a 150-160" buck my very first year. He ducked my arrow. Man did I learn a lot the first few years of deer hunting!! Can't wait for season to open!!

RE: How were you introduced?
 

i always liked bows and i wanted to hunt for a couple years and i was finally allowed to.

deer so far

first kill about 1 month or less

RE: How were you introduced?
 

Actually picked up a bow out of curiosity after moving on to a farm, Whitetails for certain and about 6 hours of hunting before I arrowed my first deer.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1) My ol'man...and i am thankful for getting me into huntin cause i dunno what i would do with out it:D

2) Whitetail and Foam Targets

3) Probly about 6 years. Started when i was about 4 and got a doe when i was 10. Ever since then its been awesome!

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. I started shooting a bow when I was 13 in 2003. I didn't really have anybody to teach me so my form is probably horrible. My first bow came from wally world and was a PSE Silverhawk and boy was it slow :) I really would have liked to get a deer with that bow, but I don't think I ever will because the drawlength is too short for me.

2. The only thing i've hunted with a bow is whitetail so I'll have to say that.

3. My first and only kill was 3 years after I started bowhunting. It was a doe from around 20 yards. I was probably more proud of that deer than the bucks i've shot with my shot gun.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I introduced myself in 2003 with a x-bow simply to take advantage of 3 month season vs 2 week for gun. I quickly bought a compound bow because I hated the weight and akwardness of the horizontal bow. Now I much prefer a bow hunt over a gun hunt.

Whitetails

3rd season I took a 6pt buck, but I'm sure I could have scored earlier if I had access to a doe tag.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

2004 by my brother in law. Favorite game is whatever I am hunting at the time! I was shooting for almost a year when I made my first kill. It was a hog. Aboar that weighed about 100lbs. My first deer is the doe in my avatar.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

My cousins. My dad never hunted other then popping a few skunks or gophers that made it into the yard.

No doubt Whitetails. I was running atrap line when I was 15. Deer weren't very common back in the mid 70's. I saw a buck sneak into an old smallgravel pit with brush and a few trees growing out of it. I pulled a sneak on it to get a better look. Got within 15 yards of him when he bedded down. Spent a good half hour watching him and snuck out of there. He never had a clue. That rush of getting that close still stands out in my mind to this day. Been hooked on them ever since.

First memorable hunt was the very first one atage 16.I got lucky and had a buck walk by. I missed judge the range and shot right under him. [:@]Like I said deer weren't very common. I mightof had 5 or6 does/fawns go by in the next few years while I waited to kill a buck It was 4 years before I took my firstbuck when I was in college. A lot more deer in that area. Saw 11 bucks offmy stand in a weeks time.3 came within bowrange. First one was a forky and I passed. Got busted drawing on the second one which was a decent 4 pt. The 3rd one wasn't so lucky. He was quite a bit bigger too!! :D

Tim

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. How were you introduced to archery/when?
In 1994 decided i wanted a bow played with it 4 a season lost intrest had no friends into hunting with bows,
In 1999had my bow set up correctly started using a release ,kisser button, asking alot of questions


2. Your favorite game to hunt?
deer and bear

3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow?
funny in 1999 the year i pick my bow back upand practice and practice,it happen that opening day around 1.00

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I got myself into it. Chatting with my buddy in his garage and saw an old bow on his shelf. I borrowed it (1999), bought a new one in 2000. Shot my first(Big doe) in 2001. Watched her fall within 40 yrds! Thats all it took, I was feak'n hooked[8D]

Whitetail is all I ever hunted, love it!!!

Practiced in 1999, new bow in 2000, found a place to hunt in 2001...My first kill!
Just wish I was introduced to bowhunting when I was younger....sure missed out on alot of grewat memories:eek:
Still plenty of time to make more though;)
crutch

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I was introduced to archery when I was about 6 I think. I use to go in the back yard with my Bear sunbear compound bow and shoot with my dad. He also let me go deer hunting with him and let me shoot at squirels with my bow. By far my favorite game to hunt is white tail deer, I started hunting for deer when I was 10 and shot my first one when I was 13. It was an 8 pointer.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. My dad taught me to shoot a long bow at the age of 4(1993)
2. Whitetail, followed by turkey, and hopefully one day elk:D.
3. My first memorable kill was my first kill ever. After missing a spike at 15 yds, I was able to kill a 3 ptr. at 10 yrds w/ a perfect double lung shot an hour later. However the best part was the fact that my dad was in the tree right next to me.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1982 when I decided it was no fun with a long gun,also self taught for the most part.
Whitetail...
Hasnt happend yet in 23 yrs of bowhunting.......
Missed one yr(96) due to surgery......and have to have neck surgery again in june......[:@].

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. I was introduced about the age of7 to target shooting with a fiberglass longbow. Used that same bow to hunt squirrels at 8. Hunted big game with a hand me down compound at around 14.

2. Elk & Deer

3. First kill was a mule deer doe at age 14. My firstexperience I'd rather forgetwas a cow elk I fowl shot and lost at age 16 (I almost gave up archery hunting then). Most memorable bow kill was a 60yard double lung shot on a beautiful Alaskan caribou in '04'.

I'm 36...

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. How were you introduced to archery/when? As a teenager I used to pick my cousins fiberglass recurve up and shoot around the farm. No one was around to teach me the ins and outs of archery so I just kept shooting. I realized early on I wanted to hunt this way and did for small game and armed with field tips I wanted to shoot a deer. Luckily I didn't. I started to read magazines, Bowhunter mag to be specific and wanted a compound for my 15th birthday which I received and took my archery experience from that day forward. Now 25 plus years later I've had an amazing life in archery.

2. Your favorite game to hunt? Whitetail deer will always be at the top of many lists including mine however, I've had the priveledge to hunt bull elk in the mountains of Wyoming and wish, really wish I could do it every year. They are an amazing animal to match up against armed with a bow. Couple that with my new found excitement of hunting turkeys successfully with a bow. To manage my year perfectly it would be turkeys in the spring, elk in Sept and whitetails throughout the rut. That would be perfect.


3. How long it took to get that first memorable kill with a bow? I was in my early 20's when I recovered my first whitetail. It was a doe and I remember that hunt vividly. My first elk came in 97, a bear in 98 and now my first turkey with a bow in 07. I remember each animal I've taken with a bow over the last 25 years. To pin one down as the most memorable would be difficult.

Nice thread.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

Started when I was six shooting a little compound bow in my backyard in wauwatosa wisconsin.

First hunted with a bow at 13 couldnt pull back enough poundage at 12. Got my first deer a doe with bow at 14. Intentional spine shot was 10 yards going down a hill towards me aimed for the spine between the shoulder blades knowingif I was right or left would still go through the vitals hit the spine dropped in its tracks finished it off. (best tracking job to date).

Favorite animal to bowhunt so far would be whitetails. Something new and exciting every day. (cant wait to have more money to do an alaskan moose hunt with bow. Life goal)

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. i honestly got started on my own. my dad or relatives had never shot or owned a bow before, and all my dad did was gun hunt for deer. he got me started gun hunting for deer and squirrel, and i evolved on my own from there. ive learned everything i know about bowhunting and turkey hunting all on my own either through experience or reading. i havent really had a teacher, just picked up tips and skills here and there. i actually just asked my dad for my first bow for christmas 4 years ago. i think he is still kind of skeptical about hunting with a bow, he doesnt really understand why i wouldnt just hunt with a gun.

2. my favorite animal to hunt is by far the turkey, but since this is bowhunting, i gotta say whitetail deer.

3. im actually still waiting to get my first deer with my bow. not that i couldnt have killed a deer before, ive passed on countless does and small bucks, waiting for a good mature shooter buck. i know they are in the area but seeing one with a weapon in your hand is nearly impossible it seems like lol. hopefully this year is my year for bowhunting, i know ill take a doe or two, but im praying for that buck.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I was introduced by a little sleeze ball that I never did like. I was just back from my second tour in Vietnam. He had my wife and I over for dinner one night.(I worked with him). He had a bow and pulled it out. I shot it and was hooked. I had played with bows as a kid but more as an after thought. For example, my dad spent weeks making a bow for my sister and not for one of us 4 boys, he bought us bullets. Anyway, he took me to an archery shop, I bought a Damon Howitt recurve, arrows and target and was set. Shot a nice little buck the last 10 minutes oflight onthe last day of the season.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

My mother and father both shot compitition archery in the 60's.

I like to hunt an type of game.

First bow kill was first year of archery.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I got into it 20 years ago when I was a wee little lad. I kind of introduced myself. Nobody in my family really hunts. None of my friends (then) hunted. Deer just intrigued me to no end. I could sit at a field or in the woods and watch the critters all day long even before I started hunting. I would spend hours upon hours walking through the woods looking for sign. My heart would race like crazy and I would get excited when I came across deer tracks or a pile of poop. Just the thought that a deer was standing where I was at one time was the coolest thing in the world.

So I decided to get my hunting license, buy a bow and see what I could do. For some reason since day one I never got too excited about gunhunting (not that I have anything against it). It just didnt' interest me. I wanted to be up close and personal. I'll never forget that feeling the first time I was sitting in my homeade 10 foot off the ground treestand :D.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

Where i grew up, my parents had a 30 acre lake with a couple hundred acres of state land on the back side of the lake. I spent so much time back in there playing and fishing it isnt even funny. None of my family hunt, but my dad got me a bb gun when i was little and i started "hunting" sparrow, chipmunks and whatever other trophys i could get.The father of my best friend growing up hunted deer and i guessjust from talking to him he kinda taught me the ropes. Never actually took me outhunting but told me about sign and all that. The rest i learned myself by lots and lots of trial and error. Still learing to this day.First time deer hunting was 4 years ago.

Hands downmy favorite game- 2 legged Doe, followed by whitetail.

Most memorable hunt- Took my first buck- 115 inch 6 pt. Took me 2 years of leaning as i go to get it done. Felt like the weight of the world was lifted off me thatnight.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. Cub Scouts age 9, won my first archery competition at a large "Jamboree" the first time I ever touched a bow.........DESTINY.:D

2. Whitetails......If I lived out west I'm sure that might be different.

3. Took me 4yrs to kill my first deer (A doe)at age 17. (I started bowhunting at age 13 and missed a nice 6pt the first 5 minutes of my very first hunt back in October of 1984)

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. I was introduced to archery last year I got a Parker bow for my birthday.
2. My favorite game to hunt is whitetail deer.
3. Havnt got a chance to shoot anything yet but will change this year hopefully ;)

RE: How were you introduced?
 

1. i was introduced into hunting when i was 12, which was 4 years ago.
2. for shure whitetail
3. with a bow....first bow buck, shot him at 23 yards right through the heart and watch him go down.

RE: How were you introduced?
 

I introduced myself to bowhunting actually. My dad took me rifle hunting and i liked it so much that 10 days a year wasnt going to cut it.

I love bowhunting Whitetails and Turkeys

My first bowkill was my first year bowhunting, i took a great 132" funky buck

RE: How were you introduced?
 

My uncle, 1994

Whitetails

First year....4th day hunting...a doe....dropped her in her tracks with my PSE NOVA.