quiksilver

As a kid, my great grandpa used to take me with him to pick ginseng in the mountains and check his traplines in fall/winter. We caught everything from skunks to coyotes, and I really thought it was somethin'. He was never much of a hunter, but the guy lived to trap. I guess he just never really took to deer hunting like he did to trapping.

Everyone in the fam. hunts, fishes, traps, etc. I started out fishin', then came the natural progression into trapping, shotgun, rifle, archery, flintlock, etc.

Red - I liked this thread so much, I started it again on the DeerHunting page.

Stonyrvr

I've been deer hunting(with a rifle) for over 30 years. About 15 years ago I started pheasant hunting in Iowa. Every year I would see lots of decent bucks while walking along the river bottoms. Seeing as how there were many days we had our limit and then had nothing to do, I thought bow hunting for deer would fill in the rest of the days when we were done pheasant hunting. Five years ago I bought a bow in the spring and was drawn for an Iowa archery tag. That first year I had a shot at a nice eight pointer and missed by a mile. I was so excited I think I came closer to shooting myself in the foot then hitting that deer. That was it for me. Now, when I go to Iowa it's to deer hunt. For me, bowhunting has basically turned into a 365 days a year obsession.

Fieldmouse

You know that's when I first shot a bow seriously was in PE class 7th or 8th grade. Do you think they still do that in school today?

I didn't hunt until 18 or 19 and it was gun in Va. They had a 6 or 8 week season. I too noticed I could extend it if I bow hunted and a good friend of mine bow hunted so I bought a cheap bow. I didn't get serious for a few years but I can tell you after 15+ years I have no reason to hunt with a gun unless it's water fowl or clay birdies.

Long live the sport of Bow Hunting. There is nothing like it in the world except long range fishing.

Ps. SA that was a great story.

cowdog1742

I dont remember when i didnt hunt i was raised in a hunting family so our free time was spent hunting or atleast being outdoors. The last couple of years even though i still enjoyed family hunts rifle hunting seemed to be getting old.This was my first year to bow hunt and i am hooked, downed my first late in the season but even if i hadnt it wouldnt have changed the fun i had this year.

IL Rancher

My family was only a bird hunting family. Growing up I went quail, duck, goose pheasent and partridge hunting all over the place with my dad and grandfather and sometimes a german friend of my dad's. It was lots of fun but when I hit my teenage years my dad got a new job and grandpa had to quit hunting because of his vision so I stopped too. I moved out to Montana for a few years and started up out there with some rifle hunting and goose hunting and some upland hunting. Lots of fun until I moved back to Illinois and didn't have the urge to do it, to darn busy trying to get my business up and going and starting a family. Well, went out last year Dove hunting and this year goose and deer and about half way through my first day out deer hunting the shots all over the place bugged me and I decided that I would try Archery.

I used to shoot a lot as a kid (and just recently went home and grabbed my brothers old bow for kicks, might bowfish with it), more recurve back than than compound but the last bow I owned was a wheel bow so that is what I got. Was shooting a lot and was finally confident to go hunting from the ground with the bow (Not sure about the tree stand aim yet) and than I got the tendon problem. Oh well, it seems better now but I am thinking I will just use the 9 months before opening day to learn my property real well, scout the paths and get shooting consistan groups at 30 yards from a stand and from the ground. Than, I will probably sell the bow I have and spend way to much money on a new one. Had this bow for 3 weeks now and already found myself shopping for a new one... I think I have a problem

BOWFANATIC

When I was old enough to walk and talk is when my folks started taking my fishing. Before I was 10 my dad taught me how to string and shoot his recurve bow and took me on my first hunt , it's been true love ever since.

BTW mr4pt , Love your sig pic man! I darn near spit my coffee all over my keyboard when I seen it. That is great!