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Still after them

3K views 30 replies 8 participants last post by  jlt 
#1 ·
Due to hurricane Ida and trying to get our house repairs underway I have not had many chances to get out and hunt so far this season. I made 2 evening and 2 morning hunts so far, saw 3 does a spike and two 6pts but didn't get a shot on any. Trying to get out there this weekend for a few sits and hopefully my first trad kill so stay tuned.
 
#5 ·
bigsmoke, we will make you an honorary member of the group....though you still my be required to shoot a stick every once in a while if the shoulder gets better:) I will let you borrow one.

As far as Kansas 8upbowhunter1, I'm going to a new location that has very restricted access this year. We will just have to see how this one turns out; but as always, I'm expecting a great hunt. I don't see 50 miles an hour winds in this years extended forecast. I don't think I will ever forget that and living off MRE's for 17 days:)
 
#11 ·
Anyone here located in south Mississippi ? I am around tylertown and trying to learn this traditional shooting on my own is wracking my brain, I have connections in Tennessee but that's too far to drive for advice.

My miss hunt a couple of weeks back...
I have one area on my property that has a few oak trees. Back in July my son and I set up a ladder stand in that location to take advantage of dropping oaks. The hurricane messed up the woods pretty good so on Saturday we took out the chain saw and did some trimming. Sunday morning rolls around with no wind and a chill in the air, why not take a chance i figured. Woods were dead until 8:50 when I spotted a doe and fawn about 40 yards out, they crossed the creek and gave me an opportunity at 15 yards. I could see the fawn was still small so those two had a free pass. 10minutes later a spike moves through the same area, sure he was not a trophy but with the trad bow he would be in my book. 17 yards and 4 inches over his back. He took off into the thick stuff so I blew my grunt call hoping to pull him back into range. Instead a second spike crossed the creek at 15 yards. I was high the first time so figured i would aim a bit lower behind the shoulder... of course I shoot right under him.

So in 20 minutes I had 4 deer within 20 yards, awesome to watch and experience. This is only my second year with the trad bow and it has taught me so much about bow hunting. With my compound anything within 35 yards was in range. With the recurve it a far shot at 20. With the compound it always felt like I wanted to see how far I could harvest a deer.. with the traditional equipment I like to see how close I can get them... totally different worlds and a different level of skill all together.
 
#12 · (Edited)
This traditional archery thing started with me when I was 12 and now I'm approaching "old geezer" status at 63. Other than two or three years in the 80's with a compound, the go to bow has always been a recurve..... the last 36 being all that I have hunted with. I love it more than what is reasonable and often obsess about how many more years I have left do it. Being blessed with good health in terms of mobility; it isn't a problem yet.

The odd thing is I still can't give a simple answer to anyone as to why I do it. It just seems 'right.' I get asked a lot though......

I don't think ever think anybody ever becomes an expert as a trad bowhunter. Maybe all we do is merely strive to reach for a higher level of mediocracy.... and maybe on your best day you approach 'good'? That's kind of the way it is for me.

I’ve taken over 100 whitetails with a traditional bow; not counting the other critters like numerous bear, elk, mule deer, turkey, caribou, antelope, pigs, javelina and too many other smaller stuff to mention. Least you think of the last sentence as a brag, please understand we are talking about 50+ years of bowhunting. As Glenn St Charles once told me, at his age you could have just shot arrows blindly in the air for all those years and it would have landed on something. I know that is true for me.

I think I mentioned that I have taken a doe this year. I would post a picture but I'm not sure I can post on this format anymore; besides it was just a picture of the deer as the mosquitoes were killing me. I did miss a deer the very next morning though. It's the first time I ever missed so badly that I lost flight of the arrow. At 12 yards, I was so confident that I texted a friend to say I had killed one. I didn't see the arrow but there was no way I could miss....right? Only on the next trip to that same stand did I see the upper limb of the bow hit a tree limb. I drove myself crazy up to that point trying to understand what had happened. I still don't remember a jar in the bow at the shot. Compound and crossbow guys probably don't have bow limbs that hit trees very often. I guess that why I like traditional bows. Some of you know what I mean.

This Kansas thing has me pumped. Truck is already completely loaded, gassed, washed, and cleaned a full four days before my departure. I hate to be going alone but that's the way it is this year. It's only an 8 day hunt so I might try to post something each day. I plan to sit 11 hours each day in the stand. I think I will have plenty of time:)

Lastly, to anyone who needs trad advice and would want to talk to me; just PM me and I will give you my number to call or text as you need it. I have helped folks before and I think they all say it has worked well for them.j
 

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#15 ·
It will be pretty windy for a couple days after this front but should calm down in a couple day's. Either way you can't beat ole mother nature' just make the best of it. I've hunted in the rain several times with the compound but really try to avoid it with trad if I can help it. If I were in your shoes on an out of state trip I probably would take a lot more chances with the rain. Good luck, shoot straight and stay dry.
 
#18 ·
its with the ease he makes those shots that’s nuts!!! That was no fluke. The elk shot was very impressive but the grizzly that could eat him be shot was equally as impressive. He says he shoots everyday out to 120yds. I would lose more arrows than he shoots!!!!! That elk shot was a shot a lot of people couldn’t have pulled off with a rifle and scope!!!!
 
#19 · (Edited)
I know Tim was slated to be the MBA banquet speaker in Merigold the year covid first hit. I think the banquet was rescheduled the next year but I'm not sure he came for that one.

No doubt that Tim is the greatest instinctive archer since Howard Hill though I do wonder how good he would be with a stickbow. My bet is he would still be amazing. I watched an episode a few years ago where he was hunting wolf in 20 below zero weather in the sub artic. It was a dark film that reeked of frozen desolation. In the end, he took a 100+ yard shot over a frozen lake in fading light and I watched the lighted nock tract across the frozen darkness to take the wolf perfectly.

I sometimes think about how many people are inspired to try the same type shots. I doubt that there will ever be another Tim Wells (or Howard Hill)
 
#24 ·
Yesterday evening I saw a total of 5 but no shots. Had 2 does at 4:00 feeding towards me about 80 yards out, got to 40yds and they bedded down for 20 minutes. When they got up they browsed off back the way they came.
This morning around 7:30 I see 3 deer coming my way. I stand and get in position for a shot. They got to about 15 yds to my left but no shot there. The lead deer a 3pt goes behind me while a doe and 6pt start to head in front of my stand. Just before the doe gets in an opening the 3pt behind me spooks and they all run back where they came from. They stood there about 25yds away for about 10 minutes looking around and occasionally browsing before walking off. At around 8:30 I saw another deer a ways off and I am pretty sure it was a racked buck. I never got a shot this morning but it was a good sit. Maybe this evening.
 
#29 ·
Stickbow hunting is hard....but I think its the hard part that keeps it interesting. I've always thought that there is some informal fraternal bond among traditional shooters; meaning that I usually find that we are all often very much alike.

I contribute that primarily to the hardship and sometimes difficult learning curve that ever trad hunter has to go through. Most people eventually give up on something that they perceive as too hard, those few that push through and persevere come out the other side amazingly similar.

It will happen for you. I think you have a great deal of what older folks call 'grit'
 
#30 ·
Hopefully they will move this morning for the kids, good luck Rancher.

Stringwacker I think you are right in your statement above. Yes it’s hard and not for everyone but I know eventually it will happen. I just keep trying when I get the chance. I have let several deer go that I would have shot with my compound due to their positioning or the distance.We are headed home today so I didn’t hunt this morning. That stand needs a break anyway, next trip I will set up another stand to keep the pressure off of them.
 
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