Free: Contests & Raffles.
This is a bowhunting thread, correct? Some of these answers are kind of impressive. Three years for me on an archery 5 point elk, 19 years old. Passed many smaller bulls in search for a good one. As far as deer, with a bow, never. About 6 or 7 seasons in and have taken one shot, clean miss. Once again, passed some smaller bucks looking for a bigger buck. I may be trying all my life, who knows. If we are talking hunting in general, I got my first elk at age 16 with a rifle, rag horn, 2 days into my hunting career. Deer was season two, 17 years old.
Honest to God 40 minutes. I had always enjoyed archery shooting since at 10. I was 16 years old and worked at a feed store and a coworker took me to Pe Ell bow hunting. I decended a ridge and jumped a 2 point black tail 40 minutes into shooting light. I literally crawled on my hands and knees under the jack firs and brush. The closest I got was about 15 yards. (close enought to smell that nasty wet dog smell deer have). After another 40-50 minutes the buck spooked and jumped down about 35 yards. He spotted my buddy up on top of the next ridge and he was locked on to him so I was able to stand and draw down on him. The shot was perfect broadside. I let it fly and the arrow passed through and stuck on the opposite ridge about 40 yards away. I honestly believed I shot high and missed since it was down hill and the arrow did not appear to wobble or veer off trajectory. the buck trotted around another jack fir tree out of my sight. My buddy stood and walked down the hill. I called for him to hide as to not scare the deer. He yelled back "Scare what? The dead deer." Still probably my best hunting story ever. I loved that I got home and was able to really rub it in to my father who thought bow hunting was a joke. needless to say I am still hooked on bowhunting. still looking to bag my first elk with a bow. I have the antlers on the wall of my man cave. The year was 1982. The bow a Jennings Woody that was a compound bow with a maple riser.
I was 28 first season hunting for turkey I killed a sparrow with the truck on the first day dose that count. But kill my backtail on my first archery late season. I dont really put to much time in elk hunting mostly deer
Still after that first one..
I hunted deer with rifle for my first two seasons and never got anything. Then my third year I bought my archery tag and have killed a deer every year since except last year (14 years in a row if I remember right). It took me 4 years to get my first archery bull.
Second season I got a nice bull elk. Spent a full year practicing shooting form, the first season was good and I had elk in range most days. The next year I spent more time with calls which made a big difference.
