mike bell

Well I hate to admitt it, but it took me forever to kill one with a bow. But in my defense, I only really bow hunted in the beginning to have an excuse for being in the woods. I was mostly scouting for rifle season. Never had a hunting bow that fit me either, cause I was using hand me downs from my dad. He never bow hunted deer, just carp fishing with a bow. Anyways, after I left home, went to school and then got a job, all the while becoming a father and husband, I forgot about bow hunting. I guess it took 14 years to get one, if you go back to the begining of my archery adventures when I first started as a kid.

Well a little over three years ago I wanted back in. So I started looking at all the new bows at a local shop. And getting feed back from you HuntingNet users. (Thats when I started on this web site) I was about ready to bust out the money for a Hoyt Viper when I went to buy it and the shop was closed down. They moved into a bigger place in the big city. I went up there but they did not have the archery dept. set up yet. So I went looking else where. I went to a place and looked at their line of bows. I got hooked on the Fred Bear Epic Extreme. I bought this one because I have always been a Bear Archery user and fan. My first bow when I was a kid was a Bear Cub. After a ton of practice and with a better knowledge of bow ethics, and tips from the experts at HuntingNet I trained my self to Not shoot, if I was' nt 100% sure of my shoot and ability to make it. I may have been to picky, but I think I learned alot that way. During the season I realized I needed a climbing stand. I had been hunting on the ground from the beginning. And when ever I went to draw, I usally got busted or something made the deer to not turn and present a good shoot. So after that year I decided to order a Summit Viper climbing stand. Now I was big time ready to get real serius and commit to perfecting my archery & bowhunting. Well after a few close shoot opertunities, I shot a doe late in the season and lost it in the biggest GA thicket you ever seen. I was heart broken. Of course the fine group of people at HuntingNet encouraged me not to give up. So last year, I went back and tried again. And low and behold, I shot my first deer last year, a nice doe that was the biggest deer in the world

I dont even know if I' m going to take a gun this year Only twenty some days left![]

norsemen

mike, that was a great story, I' m very proud of you, i would hunt with you any time, and you will see, that from here on in, things will be alot easyier, not to say
it' s gonna be a gimmi, but once you brake the ice, your confidance is going to
make all your move' s, alot more natural, hope you nail a good deer this season

b-rice

I am 16 and this year will be my third year hunting why haven' t i got one? [missed one shot last year i have praticed harder and bought a mathews legacy. You can help by postiong encourageing letters about your success

davidmil

10 years without a shot? Wow!! I think I' d try something different. Get out more and sit still. You' re in deer country. It really shouldn' t take that long to run into at least one stupid deer that would make a mistake. Shoot the first deer that walks up that doesn' t have spots. As someone said... break the ice and it' ll all get better. When ever I start someone in bowhunting that' s the first thing I tell them. Shoot something and then get selective. Something wrong in your hunting method I' m sure. Forget all the stinky stuff, rattling, calling etc. Scout, find some food, some trails leading from the thick stuff... set up in the transition zone near the food and you should be in business. Get off the ground and sit still. If you see a deer approaching, start planning the shot immediately. Try to figure out where he' s going to walk and position your body for the shot. When he drops his head, walks behind the tree, licks him/herself or is otherwise distracted ...draw(assuming the deer is within range). If you get nervous as the deer is coming in, just take some deep breaths, close your eyes, breath, watch for other deer.... call for help with the dragging.

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wolfen68

10 years and no deer. Well I got to hand it to you...you have sticktoittiveness like I' ve never seen. If you' re ok with just being in the woods and not filling your tags then no big deal but if it is getting old and frustrating then my two cent suggestion would be to hunt with someone who has killed deer and learn from them.

CAJUNBOWHNTR

Great advice from David.He knows alot about dragging deer from hunting with Len One more thing,allways pay attention to the wind.That can be tricky in hilly woods.In the am your scent will rise,and fall in the pm.Use some milkweed or cottonball fluff to watch the wind currents.Just relax and enjoy your time outdoors.It will happen.

CB

CanAmMan

How long? - this will be my second year bowhunting, did not get anything last year.

What will I do Differently - get out in the woods more!!!

How can you help me -- Get me more time in the woods & send some deer my way!!!

davidmil

Bodacious makes another good point. There' s nothing out there in the Catskills that' s going to hurt you. Do some exploring and get off the roads and main trails. Don' t worry about how you' ll get them out until you get one. Then just do it one step at a time. Carry your gear up 40 yards and set it down. Go back and get the deer. Drag him 40 yards past your gear. Get you wind walking back for the gear. If there are a lot of others hunting the area the first quarter to half mile in is dark movement country. Get beyond it in a little neck of thick stuff or or along an edge between pines and hardwoods or brush. Your area is really well populated with deer.

The " Thick Stuff" we talk about doesn' t have to be so nasty you can' t shoot. Just find an area where deer are moving through that offers just a little more cover. All it really takes is just a couple more saplings, underbrush etc. Get out of the deep gullys and on to the hillsides and ridges. Saddles are nice but the wind can be fickle.

deerhuntr107

2 seasons(one with compound one with cross bow)
Things just aint come together for me. Got close, but havent got to shoot one.
New spots and hunting by myself. I dont have to be accompionied by an adult this year so if I have time, I can go instead of waiting for my buddy.
Tie a nice shooter up to the base of my tree