A new first for me

[Big Cliff]

For a few years now I have been thinking about getting into bow hunting but it was just one of those things that got put on the back burner for a variety of reasons. Cost, and lack of knowledge in what I needed and where to get it........ were a few of them but I had decided that crossbow was the way I wanted to go.

 

Last year with the help of my friend DT-Sam I decided that now was the time so Sam took the time to set me up with everything I needed, delivered it to me up here in Lindsay, and even took the time to teach me how to use it: how is that for customer service? I did get out ith it a few times but never saw anything to shoot at, well, that's not quite true I saw lots just no deer.

 

This year was a new fresh start and the little meadow that I love to hunt was loaded with fresh sign so I got all my gear together the other evening and headed out to spend some quiet time in my tree stand. I wasn't in my stand for very long and a beautiful and very large wolf walked out 20' from my stand, he had no idea I was even around. He spent a good 10 minutes walking around checking things out, I really wish I'd had a camera with me. I did ponder shooting him but for what? I was deer hunting. (The farmer where I was hunting did tell me after that I should have shot it because it was going after his cattle). Anyway inspite of lots of fresh deer sign, nothing came out that night.

 

The following afternoon as I headed back to my stand a beautiful dow was standing almost right under my stand and I got withn about 200 yards of her before she took off, was I getting there too late? Well I climbed up into my stand anyway and settled in. It was a Kodak evening, light breeze, a trace of cloud, I really didn't care if I saw a deer or not, there is nothing like sitting there and becoming one with the bush around you.

 

Then it happened, 6:18 pm and I catch a flick of movement slightly to my left, I slowly turn my head and there 25 yards from me is a nice young buck about a year old (actually I didn't find out it was a buck until after). His ears were going a mile a minute as if he sensed something was around but after a few seconds he put his head down and started to eat. Slowly, oh so very slowly I picked up my crossbow, put the cross hair juwst behind the sholder, slipped the safety off, and fired.

 

I have to admit, I have only ever shot deer with a gun before and I wasn't sure what to expect with a crossbow. I wasn't sure that it would be as quick or as clean a kill. Well, let me tell you, that deer was down within about 3 seconds of being hit and it was only a few more seconds before it was dead. I have to admit I was surprised and very pleased!

 

Anyway, I now have venison in the freezer and a lot of respect for the power of a crossbow.

 

Thanks Sam for all your help in getting me started with the right equipment and for taking the time to make sure I knew how to use it properly!

[Roy]

Great great story Cliff. Congrats to you, Bud.

[Jay T]

That's awesome Big Cliff. You will never go back to hunting deer with a gun. I love to bow hunt I only use my muzzleloader in the Dec controled hunt as a last resort.

I have seen a lot of deer this year so far in the bush. I have passed on a set of twins 1 1/2 yrs old 5 pointers at 10 yrds, and probably 8 does and fawns. On an average I see about 6-14 deer in one night. I am holding out for a nice mature buck.

A big congrats to your first harvest with a bow .

 

Jay

[tinbanger]

congrats on your succesful harvest !

Great report felt like I was there with you !

 

Have an old crossbow (30 yrs) that I have target shot with a few times , quite the powerful weapon.

 

I as you have only hunted with a rifle . Used to regularily hunt every fall but over the last several years have found it difficult to take a full week away from home to hunt .

I like the bow idea as it would open up closer to home opportunities . Would need to upgarde the equipment of course.

 

 

TB

[Whopper]

Congrats Cliff.

Thanks for sharing your experience

[Beans]

Oh No !!!...I hope that wasn't Bambi !!!

 

Just kidding pal...Congrats !

Edited October 18, 2007 by Beans

[tonyb]

That's great! Nothing like following through on a renewed interest and especially having success. Great story...so when is dinner?

 

Tony

[ecmilley]

great going, now we gonna have a sturgeon lake bbq?

The odd thing cliff I had a rathe large wolf run across the road right in front of me on my way to work tuesday morning about 200 yards from snug harbour rd. and he jump the fence into the cattle field

[cityfisher]

congrats ! what kind of crossbow did you buy ? scoped ?

 

I have been thinking of getting into it the last couple years but never seem to have the time for it. Maybe next year !

[Headhunter]

Congrats Cliff... did someone say PEPPERETTES!

HH

[wuchikubo]

Congrats on your first successful crossbow hunt. It made me start to consider taking up crossbow hunting. Mind you I don't think I'd be ready for deer yet, maybe smaller game or wild birds.

 

Congrats again.

[Terry]

very nice

I have been thinking about hunting with a crossbow myself....

a way to still hunt without registering rifles and all the other crap that goes with buying a gun

[glen]

Nice shooting.

[misfish]

Cliff well done bud. I love the bow season. You see so much for alot of time that is aloted for the hunt. You did well my friend.

 

Great story .

TFS

[Mattitude]

Congratulations! That was a great read! Kudos to you for not shooting that wolf.

Edited October 18, 2007 by Mattitude

[oxcowboy]

great job, im new to bow hunting as well, bought a bow off of ebay on a low bid, so far i like it, as a matter of fact that just made up my mind, gonna go out this evening.

 

jason

[motv8tr]

Congrats Cliff, but I bet you didn't save anything for my pups did you ??? Oh well maybe next year

 

Steve has been toying with getting a cross bow, for target practice that is, I might drag him up to your place one day

 

Good to hear you're not working all the time

 

Maureen

[Hookset]

Well done Cliff,

 

Congrats on the deer and the quick kill.

Nice Shootin'.

And great story too.

 

 

Hookset.

[Big Cliff]

cityfisher, the bow is a Middelton; it is Canadian made and exceeds any of the other bows on the market in many ways, if you need specifics talk to DT Sam and he can give you all the details. About the best I can tell you is it is that it is the fastest, most powerful one on the market or was when I bought it last year. Anyway I like it a lot and yes, it does have a scope which is more for gathering light than anything as a lot of deer hunting is done at dawn and dusk.

 

motv8tr; I am putting together a box of bones and some other freezer burned stuff for your pups, don't wory, I'll never forget and the season is still young. Hope you have lots of room in your freezer.

 

To those of you that are considering the bow hunting; I had been thinking about it for a long time, my only regret is that I waited so long! Actually though it was probably all for the best because I was lucky enough to find someone that would listen to what I thought I wanted and then advise me of what I really did need. That made a lot of difference!

 

If we were ever going to start another section on this board I would suggest that it might be a Q&A on hunting with some advice offered by people that really know their stuff. We have an endless supply of resourses available right here!

 

HearingFish: While I have no trouble hitting a 2" dia. target with this thing at 30-40 yards (in fact I won't shoot at the same 2" target twice in a row, the accuracy is so good that I fear hitting my first arrow= "expensive")! Modern day crossbows are so powerful that my bolt went clear through this deer and about another 10" into the ground which was hard packed. Don't worry about starting out with larger game!

[Sinker]

WTG Cliff!!

 

Congrats on your first with the bow!!

 

Sinker