WNYhunter

Yes the exitement level goes way up when I decide this is a deer I want to shoot.

My son now has countless stories of him in a stand with me, whether its a deer bedding down next to us, a little buck feeding through a doe and a fawn. And him saying, shoot him, shoot him and me saying, no, just watch him and see what he does.

But I know where his head is at I was there once, we are deer hunting and there is a deer.SHOOT HIM.... LOL.

The other day we were hunting and I had a front row seat to his first bow kill. He was in the stand 40 yards from mine and i watched him become a bowhunter. She was walking right to his stand, she went behind a tree and he drew. 3 more steps and I hear him grunt. she stops and looks up at him and the arrow is sent. I saw the deer laying dead while he was on the blood trail and i had to turn away (I couldn't let my son see me getting choked up) as I knew that today was the best day for me. He did it picture perfect, by himself.

So yea, I do miss the days when every deer you saw got your blood pumping. But there is no way that compared to the other day.

not the dogs

Last year I had the biggest buck that I've ever seen sneak up on me and stare right into my blind. He was just a few feet away. He looked at me for I guess a whole minute before smelling me and running. I couldn't move because I Knew that he would run. I really thought that I was having a heart attack. Has this happened to anyone else? Man what a rush!

PY Antlers

I took my first shot at a deer with a bow the fall of 1975, and I was shaking so bad I couldn't even tell you were the arrow went, and I was hooked for life! I must admit that today I don't get quite that stirred up over a doe, but I do get a rush. But when I see a shooter buck and make up my mind that I will take the shot, my heart rate goes through the sky, Pick a spot stay calm my @ss, lol

accman

I'm seeing more situations this year where, boom, he's 10 yds away and starring right at you. This is happening more and more cause for some reason, probably the abundance of acorns, there's more squirrels than birds in my area, making a racket every few minutes, running around making noise, so when you hear something, like I did last weekend, I looked around expecting an f'n squirrel, and there was a 3 pointer staring at me. In my tent I backed away, and he kept going his merry old way, walked right by me, not caring if I was there or not, checking his scrapes, rubbing a tree, and just walked away. Loved every minute of it, although my son gave a ration of shohola for not taking my first buck with a bow. But if I wouldn't shoot him with a gun, I'm certainly not gonna take him with a bow.

Cannonw24

If I ever get to a point in age where I feel as though I've mastered the art of bowhunting and I've lost that thrill that makes my breathing labored and I'm more worried about the deer hearing my heart pounding than I am my own heart exploding i will quit.

kldad06

I completely remember that time. I still get that way IF i decide I am going to shoot. If I have it in my head that I am not shooting a doe, I can sit and watch them without skipping a beat, but if I change my mind, my heart goes in turbo mode.

eureka77

Exactly the same for me.
Although I had to take a year off of hunting do to uncle sam sending me overseas and the 1st time back out was the day before yesterday and even though a small buck walked out and I knew I wasn't going to shoot, I still got a little excited for a bit kinda like the 1st time, well not really but......
HH

BGfisher

I guess I'm more like Gary, here. I'm 63 now and haven't hunted for 3 years due to some physical problems. My hunting spanned 45 years and I was the same as you guys when I was younger. I burned with desire. It's even noted in my High School yearbook, "his love of hunting". I killed all the deer I needed to during the years and hadn't done so since 1999 when I shot my biggest buck. Then it was trophy hunting till I gave up 3 years ago. I still enjoy the woods and can go out, climb in a stand with a camcorder and just enjoy nature, catch a nap, or whatever might heart desires.

joeneal1986

im only 23 and this is my second year hunting, never hunted with a rifle always a bow, i saw a good sized doe this morning crossing the road while i was driving to my hunting location and just seeing one from a car is good enough for my heart rate to rise

djdkman

38 here..bowhunting for last 15 years...after reading some others comments..I am glad I am not the only one that damn nears falls apart AFTER the shot...sure I gota keep my head straight for the shot..but once I hear that WHACK! and the deer lasar beams off I know i need to sit down or I will pass out...my whole body trembles...I never have to worry about jumpin on a trail too soon...cuz I would fall on my head if I tried to climb down rit after the shot! Damn I love bowhuntin!