First hunt with recurve. Having major anxiety leaving the wheels at home.

[thedutchtouch]

Man I admire your willingness to take on the challenge and to share with us how you're feeling about it. I can definitely relate to the second guessing feelings but hope you/we can trust yourself and let that go. I look forward to you updating this thread with your first stickbow kill, and don't beat yourself up if you decide to take the wheels out into the woods. It's your hunt, do what you want.

I'm making a similar debate because I don't feel like I have my omnia dialed in well enough to hunt with it yet. Part of me doesn't want to take my HC mini out hunting because I'm worried it might not "feel" the same but the rest of me is screaming "you'll still have a great time, what's the point owning it if ya don't use it, and those deers taste good!". I suppose that's a strange comparison to make on a trad thread. I'll get to trad hunting eventually as well, definitely need much more practice there to follow in your footsteps and I look forward to learning from your season this year when I do.

 

[Jtaylor]

Well it happened. There was a 4 points chasing a doe it seem. He got within 20 yards of me. I know because l ranged the tree the doe passed. Once he got infront of the tree. I started drawing. The sound of the arrow scraping against the elevated rest to me sound like cat claw on windows for those 2 seconds. Guess he agreed. He looked right at me. I froze in full draw. I dont know how long l was at full draw but it seem forever. But he finally started to continue walking. So l readjusted my aim but the jerk faked me out! I swear he looked right at me again as l released. He jumped the string and my arrow sailed high and into the horizon.

I'm getting down from the tree and sitting on the ground for a few minutes. Really demoralized. Good bye arrow, don't even remember where it sail off to.

I was mentally prepared for some failures. But missing a velvet buck on opening day was probably on the top of my list of worse day.....

You saw one and got a shot, seems like a pretty good day to me!

 

[BowhunterXC]

@HuumanCreed
Put a small piece of heat shrink tubing on that wire of your elevated rest and you'll never have any noise out of it again.

My first traditional bow hunt was very similar to what you went through. I actually had my compound bow in the vehicle (like it was going to do me any good), while I was hunting with my recurve. I was expecting to see several does, like I had been seeing, then HE showed up. A beast of a 10 pointer and the very first thought through my head was...."I wish I would've brought my compound."

Then, my second thought was...."Nope! I can do this, just like I've practiced all summer." He walked to 12 yards, stopped to lick his rear leg, which exposed his heart/lung area. It's the shot you dream of getting! I came to full draw, held, looked at the leg crease and released the arrow. The arrow flew exactly to that point and I watched the fletching disappear through his rib cage. He ran a short distance and fell over! That was 33 years ago.

Don't give up! Keep believing in yourself!!! You can do it!!!

 

[2Sloe]

Do it until you are truly not having fun anymore, then do something else and don’t think twice about it. Don’t worry about what you might have told everyone at some point in the past or what others may think, because non of that matters. Life is about experiences and theres no need to wallow in negative ones when you don’t have to. That said, you don’t want to short yourself the opportunity to grow either and you knew there would be a steep learning curve. People that through hike the 2,000 mile Appalachian trail in one lick have a saying, if you are going to quit, don’t quit on a bad day when you stink, are cold, wet and miserable, quit on a good day when the sun is shining, you are warm, clean and well fed, then you probably won’t regret it later. I think that’s good advice. Good Luck on your journey…where ever it may lead you.

 

[Still Kicking]

I went back to the recurve three years ago. I hunted 25 years with recurves, 24 with compounds, and four with a crossbow (ribs and shoulder problems). The reason I went back is just as you described it, way more challenge and it feels more like hunting should feel to me. If you decide to go back it is still hunting and it should be all about what YOU want to do. I even take at least one a year with the revolver or shotgun because I still enjoy doing that also. May your hunts be blessed with many treasured moments.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

This thread is why I love this site . . . what a great bunch of folks supporting a fellow hunter. Thanks guys, you're restoring my faith in human nature.

 

[Jammintree]

In the places I hunt, deer are few and far between. Half the battle is being even remotely close to where they are that day. Setting up somewhere and seeing deer even out of range is a victory. Choosing a location where you actually get a shot opportunity is a victory. In my book you had an amazing first hunt with a trad bow. If this is opening day then there are lots of opportunities still awaiting you. Just keep at it. You learned some valuable lessons today.

Edit: and thank you for sharing. These are lesson we all learn and relearn!

 

[shamus275]

You can’t be afraid of missing. It was my first day in the woods with a trad bow about 8yrs ago and the very first shot on a buck was a swing and a miss! That’s what hooked me instantly. I had gotten so used to killing every deer that walked by out to 60yds with a wheel bow and it was that first miss at 17yds…the very first draw on a buck. He was quartering away, I drew back thinking “Oh you walked by the wrong tree” and as I released I thought for sure he was dead. The arrow sailed right under his belly and between his front legs. He looked up at me like, “Dude really?” and slowly walked off. He wasn’t even spooked and that’s when I realized that there was more to this trad game that I had originally thought. I thought it was going to be easy and of course as we all know…it’s not and that is what draws us it to it. It’s the challenge.

Moral of the story. You can’t kill anything if you don’t let the string roll off your fingers. Misses happen. Embrace them and learn from them. It’s just hunting…have fun with it.

 

[Tapeworm]

U can’t have highs without lows.

Missing the buck or having deer out of range will only make ur future successes that much better!

Enjoy the ride.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KYhunter66]

I'm nowhere near a good shooter. But even on my worse day with my compound bow, is still better on my good days with my recurve.

As opening day got near. I was developing real anxiety about my decision about only trad this season. Made the mistake of taking my compound out yesterday to make sure it still in tune after 6 months in storage. At 40 yards l was grouping baseball size. I forgot how much fun and confident it gave me. Even to this morning, l was close to putting the compound bow in the truck 'just in case'.

But as I'm in the tree now. All of the possible scenarios of wishing l had my compound bow run uncontrollable in my head.

I keep telling myself you knew what to expect. You know the stories of other letting lifetime bucks walk away at 30 yards. But to be in a situation that it can happens to me, just the realization of it kind of punch me in the face right about now.

Going to try to calm down in the dark as l wait for daylight. Hoping l find peace or make peace with myself before a deer show up.

Don't feel to bad!!! I have been hunting with a long bow off and on for about 15 years and just shot over a doe at 10 yards!!! She dropped arrow went just over her back and even got to see my new trad tracker string over her back she looked back and walked away! Nothing like traditional archery! Gotta love it! Practice the close shots!!

 

[ricky racer]

If your main concern is tagging a deer, go back to your compound bow. You're probably not going to enjoy yourself hunting with traditional equipment if that is what's driving you.
Once you get yourself to a state of mind where the desire to tag a deer with traditional equipment is what is driving you, you won't care if you get a deer or not by any other means.
Maybe go out and kill something with your compound to get that out of your system, then commit yourself to the traditional bow.
The first year I hunted with traditional equipment, I would use my stick bow in locations where my shots would likely be close. Where shots would likely be longer, I'd use my compound. By the next season, I had no desire to use a compound.

 

[JoyRyd]

If your main concern is tagging a deer, go back to your compound bow. You're probably not going to enjoy yourself hunting with traditional equipment if that is what's driving you.
Once you get yourself to a state of mind where the desire to tag a deer with traditional equipment is what is driving you, you won't care if you get a deer or not by any other means.
Maybe go out and kill something with your compound to get that out of your system, then commit yourself to the traditional bow.
The first year I hunted with traditional equipment, I would use my stick bow in locations where my shots would likely be close. Where shots would likely be longer, I'd use my compound. By the next season, I had no desire to use a compound.

^^^^^^^^^^^ This!!
If you need to eat, use your compound or gun. If you want to hunt…….you’re on the right path.

Patience grasshopper, Patience.

I believe in you!!!

 

[Coleman011]

I am on my third season with using only my traditional bow and I haven’t really had any situations where I had to pass on deer that I could’ve easily gotten with the compound. Make sure you take your time picking the tree you set up in and focus on getting close. I’ve noticed over the past two years that my opportunities have not changed but my specific setups have. Also, try and focus on the adventure of the hunt and having fun rather than “having” to shoot a big buck. Putting unnecessary pressure on yourself over a hobby is a good way to ruin hunting for yourself. Best of luck to you

 

[Fgirtyman]

Well it happened. There was a 4 points chasing a doe it seem. He got within 20 yards of me. I know because l ranged the tree the doe passed. Once he got infront of the tree. I started drawing. The sound of the arrow scraping against the elevated rest to me sound like cat claw on windows for those 2 seconds. Guess he agreed. He looked right at me. I froze in full draw. I dont know how long l was at full draw but it seem forever. But he finally started to continue walking. So l readjusted my aim but the jerk faked me out! I swear he looked right at me again as l released. He jumped the string and my arrow sailed high and into the horizon.

I'm getting down from the tree and sitting on the ground for a few minutes. Really demoralized. Good bye arrow, don't even remember where it sail off to.

I was mentally prepared for some failures. But missing a velvet buck on opening day was probably on the top of my list of worse day.....

I have messed up early season only to get a much better deer later on...maybe a blessing in disguise.
Sounds like you're a dedicated young man... that's half the battle.

 

[KYhunter66]

I'm nowhere near a good shooter. But even on my worse day with my compound bow, is still better on my good days with my recurve.

As opening day got near. I was developing real anxiety about my decision about only trad this season. Made the mistake of taking my compound out yesterday to make sure it still in tune after 6 months in storage. At 40 yards l was grouping baseball size. I forgot how much fun and confident it gave me. Even to this morning, l was close to putting the compound bow in the truck 'just in case'.

But as I'm in the tree now. All of the possible scenarios of wishing l had my compound bow run uncontrollable in my head.

I keep telling myself you knew what to expect. You know the stories of other letting lifetime bucks walk away at 30 yards. But to be in a situation that it can happens to me, just the realization of it kind of punch me in the face right about now.

Going to try to calm down in the dark as l wait for daylight. Hoping l find peace or make peace with myself before a deer show up.

I just shot the same deer I missed Saturday! it came back Sunday was able to get it done! You never know what could happen and to my surprise that deer had a long cut on the side were my arrow cut it so the deer dropped low when I shot. My lesson learned was close shots shoot even lower than you think.

 

[HuumanCreed]

Thanks for all the encouragements. I'm ready to get back out there. It is a memorial moment in my life that I will never forget. Good memories doesn't have to always be about success. They can just be good memories. "I missed a velvet buck on opening day my first year with a traditional bow" is a story that I would be proud to tell my kids! Means I did 95% things right except closing the deal.

You all made me remember why I'm doing this. Its to have fun, and putting expectation and limitation on myself is pointless.

 

[BTaylor]

Thanks for all the encouragements. I'm ready to get back out there. It is a memorial moment in my life that I will never forget. Good memories doesn't have to always be about success. They can just be good memories. "I missed a velvet buck on opening day my first year with a traditional bow" is a story that I would be proud to tell my kids! Means I did 95% things right except closing the deal.

You all made me remember why I'm doing this. Its to have fun, and putting expectation and limitation on myself is pointless.

Remember the deer hunting is everything that happens up to the point the deer is in your effective range. The deer killing starts then. You aced the deer hunting part. I dont know a single hunter that hasnt failed at the deer killing part at some point. It just has a way of happening sometimes. Keep nailing the deer hunting part and the deer killing part will fall into line.

 

[Fgirtyman]

Remember the deer hunting is everything that happens up to the point the deer is in your effective range. The deer killing starts then. You aced the deer hunting part. I dont know a single hunter that hasnt failed at the deer killing part at some point. It just has a way of happening sometimes. Keep nailing the deer hunting part and the deer killing part will fall into line.

Well put!