First year bowhunting.............What should I do???

[firehawk87]

This won't be my first bow kill. I recently took a black bear with my bow. It was an awesome hunt and I put a lot of work into it before hand. I guess you could say that I was hunting two months prior to me taking him with all the preparation and patterning of the bear. I've had about a month of preparation for deer season and there are two bucks I'n the area, but I might take a doe since there are so many I'n the area. I think deer is going to be 5x easier hunting with a now than this bear was. I'd never been that close to a bear I'n the wild before. The first day I got him I couldn't even shoot because I was shaking so hard.I figured I might as well just jump right into bowhunting and go for a big predator. Lol.

[Tacomahunter]

Its my first year also, I think I'm going to take my first shot. Only because for my first year I don't want to go unsuccessful. I'll give myself more of a challenge once I've taken one. Good luck.
Nate

[colockumelk]

Well if you have patterned those two bucks good enough then hold out for a buck for the first couple of days.  After that I would take a doe so you can concentrate on elk hunting.  The elk is going to be the challenge. 

[buckfvr]

Not knowing what you have for time, where you are, where you are willing to go....I'd not waste my tag early if you can still hunt a good spot late.....for me, everything that leads up to the kill, is the hunt....I like everything about the hunt....love to kill too, that is what makes the hunt successful, but I hate for it to end.  I love all the anticipation and scouting, daydreaming, fantasizing....seeing the shot in your head over and over til its happened.  I tend to be way selective early, knowing I can take a doe in the end if I want to.  Now elk......I wont pass a legal animal because the meat is what I am really after.....first legal elk gets it, and its any elk here.....if you can find one.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

while I tend to focus on stocking the freezer, I'd say the first deer you have a clean shot at that isnt a yearling..

Mmmm yearling.  30 lbs of meat is better than no meat. 

third year out no deer Down not from lack of trying lol  shoot the first deer you can ethically

[Battle Ready]

I like to tell people to read a few books. Cameron Hanes, and Boyd Iverson both have exceptional reads on Blacktail hunting. Also larry D Jones, and Dwight. Its nice to have those books to help you put some of those pieces together. Remember that a trophy deer is in the eye of the beholder. If you dont score in the early season..dont frett...late season around thanksgiving is much better anyway.