How long did it take you to get your first archery animal?

[jnawalaniec]

Don’t give up. It will happen soon.

I am an adult onset hunter and started bow hunting in an area that had a lot of whitetail deer and a very liberal doe policy. I was Walking a game trail through a thicket and saw a nice 6 pointer walking toward me on the trail at 30 yards. I am pretty sure I forgot to use my rear sight and sent an arrow through his antlers like I was kicking a field goal. He gave me a look like I was the idiot that I was and bounced off.

I grazed a doe across her back the next day. I had a forky and a button buck down the next weekend and a doe a few weeks later. I have been primarily a bow hunter and averaged 2-4 whitetail a year since, on top of other hunting.

I would pause to say that success has a lot to do with hunting an area with a lot of deer, more than anything else. I would also note that I started with a couple of buddies around the same time in the same area and they hadn’t hunted as hard or often and have been lucky to get a deer a year.

just keep at it. You will get something soon And then you will be hooked at a whole other level.

Oh yeah no giving up! A bit of a bummer not sealing the deal but i’m all about the experience, getting out there and seeing animals is good enough for me! I’m fortunate to have a 3 month long mule deer and elk archery season and can be on a trail hunting in 15 minutes. I chalked up seeing animals and having them in range, particularly elk and mature bucks, as a successful trip in a high pressure area. Man even glassing them up was great

 

[KMW]

I started bow hunting in 2006 at 17...took 4 seasons and a lot of mistakes until I killed my first buck with the bow in 2010. I wouldn't say success comes easy now by any means, but I've recorded at least one bow kill each season since.

 

[bsnedeker]

I got my first deer my first season of archery hunting with my Diamond Infinite Edge (I still have that bow for my kids and it is just painful to draw that thing back now that I have some experience with high-end bows....lol).

I had clean misses on 2 deer at 30-40 yards from my tree stand and then one day I had a fawn walk directly under my stand and I put one through her back that came out her heart. She died right there and I had to watch her bleed out right at my feet. It was pretty tough to watch to be honest but I made sure I watched until she expired as I felt I owed that to her.

She was delicious!

 

[RockinRam96]

I took my first whitetail with a bow the very first year I hunted, back when I was 12 years old. But I will say that where I was hunting was a pretty high population on private land adjacent to residential property. It was a liver shot and it took her a couple hours to die. That was tough at 12…

Fast forward, 20 years to this past season, I took my first buck with my bow. Perfect double lung shot. I watch him go down. He died with in 60 seconds and within 20 yards.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hondo]

First season and first time I shot my bow at a deer (3.5 yr spike) I downed it. This past archery season I didn't even get a shot.

 

[bojangles808]

we can hunt year round. it probably took me a year and a half. i didnt even realize my bow didnt have a string stop for maybe the first 10 months (why do they always run when i shoot?) lol

 

[AkRyan]

I was lucky as hell, went to Minnesota on a wim and got a tag. Went to the cabin and shot my dad's old bow for a morning at 20yrds and felt really good. Sat that night and got a small button buck with a heart shot. I've been hooked since.

 

[Way_KY]

1st whitetail hunt about 30 min into it I had a 8 point buck walk by 10 yards from my stand. Killed him with my Halon 32 just wrapped up my 3rd season and have punched my doe tag every season but yet to harvest another buck. Just pure luck.

 

[Ohiohuntr]

Took me two years before my first harvest. I was in the right places but never paid attention to the wind

 

[decker1313]

Second season bowhunting. Then successful every year after except the last two public land whitetail goose eggs.