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A broadhead shaped hole in the heart picture. My first kill.

PapaBear

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2020
Messages
234
I decided in April to get a bow and start hunting. I have no family or friends that hunt or have experience in archery. I've shot a bow in the cub scouts and that's it. I have never hunted before. Landed on a getting a Hoyt powermax and went to practicing near daily since theres a free public range at a community college near by.

I original bought two rivers edge tree stands and hunted out of them for the first half of the split season that we have here. I never felt comfortable standing up in the tree stand and decided to get a saddle. I could not be happier that I did. The feeling of being tethered in has eliminated the sensation of vertigo I had once standing in a stand.

During early season I wasn't seeing anything from my stands and decided to do a ground hunt for one day. Explored a new area and walked right into a black bear. Without an arrow nocked I fell back. Nocked an arrow and moved forward but the bear was on the move. I found the best spot I could for concealment and wind. Bear returns after sunset at 30 yards and I let him have it. Bear rolls breaks arrow off and runs away. I tracked the bear for around a 1/4 mile the next morning. Never recovered the bear.

I returned to the same spot that night to see if he returned and a doe comes through. Draw back on it and shoot right over it's back. No "buck fever" just human error. Wrong pin. I saw nothing there for the next week the end of the first half of the season. I received my saddle and platform and practiced with the equipment during the rifle season since you can not hunt both here.

Once late season opened I was making it out most days. With a week left in the season I felt deflated remembering that doe I shot over, feeling I blew my one shot this season.

I was going deep at this public spot but 3 times ran into deer by the entrance on my way out in the dark. It's frustrating walking in far and not seeing a thing for hours then walking out to see deer when you cant shoot them. So I position myself up in a tree right at the entrance for 5 days. Maybe 30 yards in. At 4:27 on sunday here comes what would be my blacktail for the year with this being a one tag state. He has no clue I'm there. At 26 yards I draw on him. Clean pass through and off he goes for 40 yards and down for the count. He made it down a steep hillside about 50 feet to have the last laugh. I climb down track him and drag him out. Dropped my keys in the process and long story short found them against all odds amongst the leaves, kicked up dirt, branches, and waist high furns on this hillside. Thank the lord.
Screenshot_20201208-003654_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20201208-003729_Gallery.jpgWhen I field dressed him i can see that I hit him in the back ribs and went through liver, lung, and the heart then out the front leg. You can clearly see the exact shape of the sik f4 broadhead in the heart. Nailing the heart perfectly does feel good.
Screenshot_20201208-003914_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20201208-003934_Gallery.jpg
Though I have alot of outdoors experience I have never hunted before and never climbed trees before. I started all of this on a whim. Thinking that maybe I can fly. Do what seems difficult if not near impossible. This has been an enriching experience regardless of this positive outcome. It will be even more so once the kids are big enough to pass it down to them. I'd like to thank everyone here at saddlehunter for the endless amount of information that has helped make me safe and helped this success happen.

Here is a case of a no experience archer/hunter, hunting public land that made it happen. Good luck out there everybody and god bless.
 
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Congrats man, hope you’re hooked for life. I’ll give you the best public land hunting tip you might ever get. LEAVE YOUR KEYS AT THE CAR. Hide them under the wheel or somethin. Lol nice job though
Solid advice, will do. Thank you.
 
Well done, good on you for taking up the sport. It's a tough decision without any prior exposure or knowledge. Hopefully you get the opportunity to meet and learn from experience outdoorsmen. I generally leave my keys on top and to the rear of a tire. Learned that lesson when a buddy lost his keys and needed a ride home to get his spare. This was after a long recovery. Late late night. Nice shooting. Good on you for sharing the experience with your youngins too.
 
Well done, good on you for taking up the sport. It's a tough decision without any prior exposure or knowledge. Hopefully you get the opportunity to meet and learn from experience outdoorsmen. I generally leave my keys on top and to the rear of a tire. Learned that lesson when a buddy lost his keys and needed a ride home to get his spare. This was after a long recovery. Late late night. Nice shooting. Good on you for sharing the experience with your youngins too.
Thank you. I wasn't sure if my 6 year old daughter would be okay but once she found out she could hold the heart, none of the sounds or smells fazed her. My wife on the other hand did not fair so well
 
I took my citified GF with me to track the first deer this season. She didn't like being up top the ravine after dark while I was in the bottom tracking. Once I found the doe, the GF came down and held the light while I dressed it. She was doing good until the wind swirled. She will not go with me anymore. :( :flushed:
 
Congratulations and well done! That is also a great story. Great to hear of new hunters and to think that you did it DIY is even more impressive. Welcome the tradition of hunting.
 
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