When Trad is tough

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Nothing like whining to your internet friends when things get tough, right?

By my count I've hunted 100+ different days (mostly Texas public lands) with a recurve since the last time I killed something bigger than a squirrel. I thought for sure I had it in the bag in CO this September when I had a big 4x4 in his bed at 32-33 yards with good wind.=, but I got busted from my blind side by a couple yearlings.

What's the longest dry spell you've had with a stickbow?

 

[oldgoat]

I don't think I've gone more than two years for a deer or bigger, but I still haven't taken an elk to hand in ten years of trying, some of it has to do with quality of tag drawn or if I even draw a tag etc, but I'll caveat that with, I've only shot does and a cow moose so that makes it a little easier to tag out if you aren't particular!

 

[ozyclint]

I hear you. I'm right on 3 years since I shot something with my recurve and that was a black bear in Alberta in September 2018.
Due to a few factors. Mainly that a number of the better properties I had access to were sold and the new owners denied further access. Prolonged drought which just pisses off farmers and makes it harder for a stranger to approach and ask them to go hunting on their land. Covid19, border restrictions etc making it impossible to get to a few of the remaining properties I still have access to and again making it difficult to approach farmers for permission.
The only place I have now for big game is a small place with low numbers of fallow deer and pigs that travel through. It's basically a sit in a tree and hope you've picked the one day in ten that they walk past it.

It's easy to look good on instabro when you have properties with animals behind every second tree.

 

[Kentucky]

Season before last, one shot all season, decent hit, couldn’t recover, it was biggest whitetail buck to date, for me…last year was good. I’ve been 4 times this year, skunked everytime

 

[bobinmi]

last year was the first time that I didn't take a big game animal with my recurve, its also first year that I didn't take a big game animal period, and the first time that I lost an animal. Not my favorite season, I'm pretty hungry for redemption this october.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

You know it's getting bad when you find yourself wishing you lived in the midwest. I'd trade Texas and its lease games for a mediocre deer state with lots of public land at this point!

 

[Anglo-American]

Nothing like whining to your internet friends when things get tough, right?

By my count I've hunted 100+ different days (mostly Texas public lands) with a recurve since the last time I killed something bigger than a squirrel. I thought for sure I had it in the bag in CO this September when I had a big 4x4 in his bed at 32-33 yards with good wind.=, but I got busted from my blind side by a couple yearlings.

What's the longest dry spell you've had with a stickbow?

Go down South and get half a dozen doe tags to break the seal.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Go down South and get half a dozen doe tags to break the seal.

I should, I suppose. I burned two weeks chasing Mulies in CO, so that probably won't happen this season.

 

[GLB]

When you need to fill the freezer Trad is definitely not the way to go. Stickbow hunting really boils down, at least for me more time in the field, with multiple encounters and skills to close the distance.

I figured out (unscientific) that I needed 10 encounter/stalks on a bull moose to have a chance of success. My last hunting season for moose I made 5 stalks and got with in about 70 yards before the stalk was busted. Could I have killed my moose with a compound on those stalks ?? maybe, rifle ?? pretty sure, but I chose the stickbow because that’s how I want to do it.

 

[Anglo-American]

I should, I suppose. I burned two weeks chasing Mulies in CO, so that probably won't happen this season.

Go for a long weekend.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Go for a long weekend.

I don't think you quite understand. I burned two weeks of hall passes .

 

[Anglo-American]

I don't think you quite understand. I burned two weeks of hall passes .

The little lady needs those does to keep her busy in the kitchen....!

Good luck dude.