Tell me about your first trad kill

[slvrslngr]

Feral goat in Western Australia. Shot him right at dark, looked for my arrow and blood but couldn't find either. Came back in the morning and found blood about 100 meters from where I shot him. Followed the sparse blood trail for about an hour and half, at least 2 kms, then spotted him across a draw, limping badly with the arrow stuck in his foreleg. I dropped my pack and took off running to get around the hill and cut him off. Not seeing him squirt around the side of the hill, I crested the ridge and looked around, not seeing him. Then, a bit of movement caught my eye and there he was, right in front of me at about 7 yards, bedded. As I had an arrow on the string I quickly drew and shot, hitting him in the spine ending the chase. As best as I could figure out, due to the failing light and the crest of hill where I took the first shot, I very badly misjudged the distance and the arrow dropped low. Not my proudest moment but I was glad to have stuck with the blood and finally recover the billy. Bow was a Pronghorn longbow 58@28 shooting an Arrow Dynamics Hammer Head with a 150 gr. Magnus Stinger.

 

[npm352]

Boone and Crockett black bear in Idaho. 20 5/16 inch skull.

But he was over me and my friends' hounds, so it wasn't like it was a hard shot and it wasn't like he was going anywhere.

55# Samick Sage with some old aluminum arrows I won in some 3D shoot in the late 1990s. Thunderhead 100 gr broadhead.

 

[Jmp209]

I was extremely lucky my first year switching to trad. With some help from a friend who has been shooting traditional for years I was able to restring and tune an old recurve that my dad had laying around for years. A couple weeks into archery season in my home state of New York a bear wandered into range and became my first trad kill. Two weeks later in the same spot I was able to take my biggest buck up to that point with the same old 45# recurve. I can replay those shots in my head over and over again and I don't think anything will ever top those hunts in my memories.

 

[Jmp209]

Pictures of my first traditional season

 

[bushpilot]

spotted this bear on a overgrown slider trail. Was able to sneak into 26 yards. It’s nice to be able to seal the deal after years of close calls and hard lessons.

 

[Boxerboxer]

I don't have a picture. It was a rabbit in my yard. I saw him out the back window, snuck into the garage to grab bow, tab, armguard and a blunt tipped arrow. Snuck around the corner of the house (~7yds), drew back, and put the arrow right through the vitals. I don't get the shakes til after the shot, but after the shot it was almost as bad as my first deer with the compound. Makes me wonder how bad I'll lose my shit when I make it happen on something bigger!

 

[TSAMP]

Mine was a team effort. I was given this recurve and it hangs in my garage. I was in the hottub when i was notified of the intruder. My bay dog kept him cornered while i slipped the crocs on and got down to it. Actually it got me considering using it for whitetail this year.

 

[ko3n3k3]

2017: Small bull 7 miles back, solo, last week of the season where I hunted hard all month.

 

[JSWI]

killed a basket rack whitetail buck with a Bob Lee recurve and cedar arrows at age 13.

 

[Chrisward828]

A decent size button buck on the ground at about 10yards in late December. Went 25 yards are piles up. 2018.

first deer with the longbow

 

[Michigander]

An old northern lower peninsula doe was my first trad kill last year. It took a couple of years of hunting with the longbow I made. Osage bow with a red osier shoot shaft. 12 yard shot on a snowy early November morning.

 

[LanceM]

Ask me in 2 months

 

[Warmsy]

This morning at 25 yards! If I wasn't so tired from no sleep and a long hike, I would have stayed in the area a while and got enough fir a stew.

 

[Mythewood]

I'm sure my first was probably a chipmunk or rabbit, but the first "real kill" was a spike whitetail. I just remenmber him coming in and thinking: "What the hell! Nothing to aim at and he's so small I can't see how I'm going to hit him"
I picked a spot, focused, came to full draw and released. I was shocked when the arrow passed through his chest, and delighted when he took two bounds, turned around to see what made that noise, and then toppled over in less than 30 seconds. Unforgettable!

 

[Bighunt531]

Cedar swamp northern Michigan, opening week of bow season 2012, 55lb omp recurve smoked a doe 3 steps from my cedar tree been hooked ever since

 

[Squattingcoyote]

Mine was earlier this year after a good rain. Softshell turtle in a flooded part of my yard. Damn the eating those turtles provide is a real treat.....

 

[Medicineman7]

A mouse at 4 years old. I was shooting a convenience store special all plastic longbow with a matching set of 3 arrows tipped with state of the art red suction cup tips. I'm not sure if the thing ended up dying of blunt force trauma from repeated hits, or if it was a heart attack that finally did him in, but in the end I finally got him. My mom actually videoed the entire rodeo. Been hooked ever since.

 

[Mule34]

Mine was an old whitetail. He was out chasing a doe around in circles at about 200 yards. I took cover and was slowly gaining ground on him. I decided to do a quick rattle (have never had this work before) the buck stopped. looked in my direction, I did it one more time and he ran a straight line right to me. I got nervous at about 8 yards because I was on the ground. I started to draw back and he looked confused, he turned broadside for a split second and I just let it fly, shot was on the money and he tumbled in 15 yards. Biggest rush hunting I have ever had. So close and personal! Anyway this is a handmade longbow by a local guy.

 

[Geewhiz]

Started this journey last summer and killed a bull last Wednesday. There's nothing like it.

 

[Spm]

I’m dyiiiiiing to go hunting this year, it’s been two years since I’ve pulled a string back on a live animal and I’m finally getting settled enough to POSSIBLY go hunting this year (thanks divorce and moving to a state with some of the worst public land hunting I’ve ever experienced). So....to aid in my very obvious withdraws, I wanna hear about your first trad kill. I don’t care if it’s a squirrel, turkey, whitetail, elk...whatever. Let’s hear the story in every little intimate detail so I can keep this fire stoked until I get out and make it happen. Hopefully this year is THE year.

Ron

Mine was a white tale doe borrowed my brother's super kodiak and some vintage wood arrows. She came about 12yards under my tree I hit her right in the ham. She took two jumps and the arrow fell out. I thought that was the last time I would see her and then less than 75yrds out she fell over dead!