Tell me about your first trad kill

[North Idaho Stickbow]

My first trad kill was a porcupine. I shot 3 arrows with BHs through it and off into who knows where before I realized what I was doing and how much those lost arrows cost....

Was delicious though!

Ditto. Killed a porcupine during an elk hunt, and I remember how amazed I was at how much damage that tradbow really did! I found out later from a buddy that the bigger quills are actually worth something, after I left the remains up in the woods.

 

[smoke]

1975 - I was 15 years old. I fell asleep in a large cottonwood tree about 20 feet up. Of course in those years, you didn't wear a safety harness so I'm lucky I didn't fall out and get killed. In any event, I woke up and saw a small whitetail about 15 yards from my tree. Pretty much without thinking, I drew back my 45# Ben Pearson Mustang and let the arrow fly. It was a terrible shot but a lucky one - hit the femoral artery and the deer went down in about 40 yards. That was an exciting evening for me!

 

[Kevin Dill]

Well my very first kill was with a little recurve. The city of Phoenix used to drain the canal which ran right behind our home. The canal held rough fish and BIG crayfish. There would always be shallow pools of water left when it was drained, and those pools were teeming with things to shoot. I took my recurve and some cheap arrows to the canal and went to work. I probably shot 20 bullheads and carp....and no small amount of crayfish at point-blank range. I came home covered in mud, blood, slime and smelling of dead things. What a great day!!!

My first mammal kill was a desert jackrabbit. I spotted him sitting beside a creosote bush maybe 50 yards from the house. I took a wild hope-shot with a field point and drilled him. Damn thing started screaming and running in tight circles with the arrow banging around. I ran out there....chased him down...skinned my knees...and choked him to death.

That was a time when I loved taking scalps. Today....it's more about counting coup and knowing I could.

 

[Tradchef]

My first kill was shortnose gar, Pike, Bowfin,Carp and muskrat growing up in Vermont. I hunted deer and big game with a compound but shot fish by the barrel full with an old Redwing Hunter. First big game animal was a spike buck when I stopped compound hunting almost 10 years ago.
North Carolina has some killer deer hunting man. Lots of pigs and good turkey hunting. You just need to meet some folks to point you in the right direction.

 

[RickBo]

My gosh I may not remember the year but it was a while back maybe 1985. My weapon was a Pearson 65 lbs. draw. I had been hunting on the edge of a field next to a thick cutover. It was almost dark and all of a sudden , there he was. A beautiful 10 point or 4x4 whichever way you prefer, in velvet. He stood about 100 yds. from me. Time running out, I hit the grunt call. He looked around to locate me. I hit it again. to my surprise , he takes off running straight to me. He stops less than 15 yds. from me. I come to full draw and wouldn't you know it, I cant see him through the peep. So, that wonderful sound when I let off and he blew.
I went back the next afternoon in hopes that at some outside chance that he would return. It was nearing dark again as I caught movement off to my left. I watch as the movement came closer. To my disappointment , it was a doe. As she came to a stop almost directly under me ,again , I came to full draw. I aimed my first pin in between her shoulder blades. I touched my release and the arrow was away. Striking exactly where I had aimed. The 3 blade 125 gr. broadhead did the trick. No tracking required as it appears the blood was everywhere. Never forget the first kill...…...Good Luck and Good hunting to all coming up this season. No longer hunting in tree's, I hunt Idaho. Beautiful Place.

 

[Nick Muche]

Hope to post mine next month.

View attachment 118841

You getter done ol Bruce?

 

[Newtosavage]

First trad kill... Hmmm. Are we counting birds?

First "real" trad kill was a pretty epic experience for me. My brother and I were hunting deer and javelina in W. Texas. He busted a herd of javi's when he took a shot at one, and they scattered through the ravine and hills. One came screaming past me at 15 yards, full "woof woof" tilt. I dropped to a knee and without even realizing what I was doing, drew my 45# Montgomery Ward's recurve, led him about a foot, and sent an aluminum arrow tipped with a Bear Razorhead, right through the boiler room. He had arrow sticking out of both sides as he made a running loop and headed back straight toward me. I nocked another arrow, drew back and was aiming at his head when he nosedived into the rock creek bed just 10 yards in front of me and died. I looked up the ridge at my brother - who saw the whole thing go down - and he was up there doing the two-hand "I'm not worthy" bow. He didn't have to say a thing. What a memory he and I will never forget.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

You getter done ol Bruce?

Missed a 380ish bull elk last season, shot right under him. Clean miss 9" under the heart. (((heavy sigh)))

 

[MtnOyster]

First trad kill was a whitetail doe, 30 years ago, she was straight down under my stand and I was way too high up in the tree for a trad shot like that...………….I aimed dead center behind the top of her shoulders (heart,lungs) and hit her right through the top of the head.
I couldn't believe I was that far off but never practiced shooting straight down, needless to say she dropped stone dead.

 

[LostArra]

I guess I was a much better shot as a kid. Using poorly tuned arrows from a hardware store (more like totally untuned) we killed ground squirrels, rabbits and birds. My first broadhead kill was a rabbit that was completely disemboweled. I had a lot of respect for broadheads after that.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Raccoon off the back porch in high school. The sneaky guy was eating dog food every night. After several unsuccessful sneak attempts I wised up and took the window screen out, and just sat quietly in the dark. Once I heard crunching dog food I hit full draw with my longbow and my brother flipped on the porch light. The arrow hit home about the time his eyes finished popping out of his head.

 

[Jimbo2312]

Hey rhendrix, if you ever find yourself in Illinois, we have some great public whitetail in the central and south part of the state, PM me dood.

The only thing I have taken with a trad bow is a carp.. haven't felt confident enough with instinct even after 10 years, but "The Push" changed that... hopefully this year IS the year!

 

[Ddog]

Had a stand behind camp about 75 yards, I could hear my buddies and some guests yacking it up having a few beers when a doe walks through at 12ish yards. Sent a 2117 tipped with a Magnus Nugent blade zipping through her heart. After probably 3 years and several misses I was jacked up. I walked back to the campers and got a couple buddies to help track, but it looked like someone poured two paint cans of red 30 yards right to her. We ate (and drank) like kings that night.

 

[Enel]

Will post my when it happens

 

[CoyoteTree]

A small whitetail buck was my first. It was mid October and that morning it had been the first frost of the season. I hadn’t seen any deer all morning when all of a sudden at 10:30 AM, this small buck comes running in straight to me. He stopped perfectly at 8 yards slightly quartering away and I made a double lung shot. He ran about 100 yards. It was a good feeling walking back to the truck to show my boyfriend and his dad a blood soaked arrow.

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

^ that’s a helluva first! Sure beats my porcupine...

 

[bjfoxhoven]

Will post my when it happens

Dido.

 

[bjfoxhoven]

Hopefully tomorrow morning, public land, 0750ish on a strutting Tom at 15ish yards out of the tree saddle. If they stick to what I saw two mornings ago I should at least get a draw on one.

 

[Halleywood]

Happened today. Stalker coyote 46# @ 29" i bought this bow in 2014 and have never felt comfortable shooting enough to hunt with it. This year i have been shooting quite a bit and i changed my approach. I also added a clicker which was a game changer for me. He came in to my set strutting the while time and turned his back to me to let me draw. I held until he turned broadside pulled through my clicker and dropped him. 10 yards.

 

[Trey Arentz]