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

[jnawalaniec]

New to the forum and pretty new to hunting in general, currently living in Salt Lake City after moving from Cleveland 3 years ago. I’m in my second season hunting out west and was lucky enough to draw a dedicated hunter deer tag in Utah. After an unsuccessful first year, I’m itching to get a deer with a bow this year. How long did it take you to get your first archery big game animal?

 

[NebraskaFlatLander]

It took me 8 years. First shot i took was probably around year 4 but I missed judged the shot and went under, clean miss.

 

[Wagonrex08]

I hunt state gamelands in south eastern PA. Took me my second season of hunting to harvest my first whitetail with a bow. I made mistakes the first season and lacked some confidence so held back a little. Plus i was learning the area i hunted. I learned from that first year and got a nice buck opening day of archery the next year. Learn as much as you can, pattern the animals your hunting, and dont be affraid to make mistakes!

 

[orionsbrother]

Pretty quick, but I had a doe tag as well as a buck tag. FWIW if you’re starting out and can get an antlerless tag, maybe break the ice, build some confidence and then move on.

 

[jnawalaniec]

Pretty quick, but I had a doe tag as well as a buck tag. FWIW if you’re starting out and can get an antlerless tag, maybe break the ice, build some confidence and then move on.

We have an extended archery area right outside Salt Lake so I can take a buck or doe starting next week through November, the plan this year was to get the first deer out of the way and take the legal animal.

 

[coloradodrifter]

Finally got my first archery buck this year, took me 6 seasons. I had to stop being picky, can’t eat the antlers anyway.

 

[jnawalaniec]

Finally got my first archery buck this year, took me 6 seasons. I had to stop being picky, can’t eat the antlers anyway.

Congrats! Couldn’t care less about size at this point

 

[540-Virginian]

3 years for me. I have hunted for all my life but finally picked up archery a few years ago. My first day ever bowhunting i stalked up on a nice 8 pount whitetail about 30 yards from me. I shot and missed. He was actually 20 yards and i shot over him.

looking back i realize if i had been successful that first day, let alone my first year, i would have thought i was the shit and archery aint that hard. Luckily reality humbled me.

Come the third year, i accepted i need to shoot anything the moves to experience actually killing a deer and got my first archery doe. Im on year 5 and have yet to hit a nice buck but learned that is better as i had never respected the difficulty until being humbled and failing for years.

 

[Dalen88]

my first year was full draw on a 5pt elk but he busted me before i could get my pin where i wanted it, last year got lucky and harvested a mountain goat with my bow. We only get a 9 day bow season in b.c so i dont get alot of practice hunting with my bow.

 

[jnawalaniec]

my first year was full draw on a 5pt elk but he busted me before i could get my pin where i wanted it, last year got lucky and harvested a mountain goat with my bow. We only get a 9 day bow season in b.c so i dont get alot of practice hunting with my bow.

Archery mountain goat is one of the goals!

 

[NebraskaStickHunter]

My first year I shot a doe in December in the snow sitting on the back of a combine and that was the most excited I had been for quite some time shooting a deer and I have never lost that with any archery kill. Enjoy the addiction

 

[go_deep]

13 years old, spike deer, still have the arrow.

 

[JGTWI]

For me, it was within the first 3 hours of my first morning in the tree. Small 8pt buck came in broadside at about 15 yds. It was blind luck, the buddy I was hunting with couldn’t believe it.
Looking back, I’m surprised I kept myself together and made a good shot.

 

[Laramie]

I missed 5 shots my first year- was 14 and got bad buck fever. I shot a doe mule deer when I was 15 to break the ice. Animals really started to stack up after that. Over the last 30 years I have taken over 100 big game animals with a bow. Break the ice and things start to get much easier as your confidence builds.

 

[Dieselfitter]

Shot my first deer during my second season of bowhunting

 

[Firestone]

I think I was 13 maybe 14. Whitetail doe.

 

[jte5013]

About 15 minutes! I was 14 and walked to my tree stand with my dad and got situated. My dad then walked off dragging a scented rag. 10 minutes later I hear crunching along the path he walked along, and I thought it was my dad returning. Turns out it was the dumbest button buck in the woods and I shot him with my 30lb pull bow. He ran ~70 yards and died 20 yards from where my dad set up.

And after beginners luck, it was another dozen or so years before I shot another in archery.

 

[Murphy]

Took me 5 years. I was a kid and learned everything I know from failure. Thankfully I stuck with it as things have clicked and I'm pretty successful these days.

 

[texjitter]

I've rifle hunted for years and have shot a few nice deer, one bear, and tons of hogs/coyotes. But here in a few weeks will be my very first time to deer hunt with a bow and my expectations of success are very low

 

[PredatoronthePrairie]

Picked up a bow at 15, self taught by reading magazines. Asked a farmer for permission, hung a set, came back opening day and stuck a doe an hr into the hunt. Dad was floored. Thought this is easy. Took 8 years to shoot a buck. Passed on a bunch. Cause I was after what the "magazines" said was a good one. Rattled in a 120in 10 point one year on a real foggy morning and said this is way to cool of an experience to pass. Standing over him I realized at that moment by holding out for a so called big one I was stunting my own growth as a hunter.

My advice. Shoot the first couple that give you a clean opening. Alot to be learned in the shoot process and recovery that only gets easier with experience.