Where, when, why etc......

[12pointWoody]

I started bowhunting when I was 31(2009)
Bought my first bow off my brother in law a Browning coyote cx8a
Great - my first bow Buck was around 120 inches I was sitting on the ground in a fence line near a creek when he came in hit him at 7 yards clean pass through. I had never seen a animal act so non chalant after being shot he stood there took a few steps, peed, and walked off along the creek and I thought to myself "great I missed " to my surprise he was dead just out of sight in the creek bottom. Been hooked ever since.
Currently shooting a PSE Stinger and wow what a difference 20 - 30 years had made in bows

 

[hillrunner]

I was 11
I don't remember the brand but it came from Bledsoes Archery in Sioux falls.
My first time out a coyote came walking right by but I didn't dare draw for fear he would pick me off. (go figure, I was a whopping 6 feet up in a plywood stand nailed into the crotch of a tree directly above the trail)

 

[Liv4Rut]

The first real bow I got when I was 10 in 1993.

My dad bought it from a buddy it was his wifes target bow. Back then they didnt really have any good youth options.

It was a red colored pearson that went to 50lbs. Dad spray painted it up and painted in some oak leaves. Looked pretty cool.

Good experience was the first deer I shot which was a doe on october 10th, 1993. A little 6 pointer came in first and I was shaking uncontrollably and he spooked. It was getting pretty dark in the full canopy woods when a big doe came behind me. I drew back and shot. I heard her run and crash. My dad actually got out early and was sitting above me along the field edge having a smoke waiting for it to get dark. He said he started thinking how crazy it was he just threw me up in a treestand and left. He heard me shoot and couldn't believe it. We only found one drop of blood and it wasn't looking good and then there she was. Perfect shot just did not penetrate all the way through.

 

[cda77]

Started bow hunting in 1997 (20 years old). First bow was a Bear Whitetail Master. First year got to 3/4 draw on a nice buck from the ground. My arrow came off the rest and hit the riser. He took a couple leaps and stopped at about 30 yards. I shot under him. Shot a button buck right at dark my second year hunting. Been hooked ever since.

 

[Altiman94]

Started bow hunting at 12.

Had a few bows before I could pull hunting weight but that bow was a PSE of some sort.

 

[bowman]

My first bow real bow, a woman's model Bear, was given to me when I was 12 and I traded that one in for a Golden Eagle (unknown model) that was non-adjustable 50 lbs. I shot my first buck in 1990 at age 16 with full length XX75 aluminum arrows in snake skin camo (man I thought those were cool) tipped with Bear Razorhead 145 grain broadheads and shot instinctive.

I built stands out of 2x4s and plywood or just stood on branches. Safety harnesses were unheard of. Built my first portable stand in metals class my sophmore year out of tube iron so it was far from portable. Infact I even built my first set of screw in steps in that same class but I messed up and they were reverse threaded. My first store bought portable was an API bought from Bass Pro in 1993. That was also when I bought my first camo outside of army surplus green camo or garage sale trebark. I thought I was looking pretty good in my new Realtree duds!:way: I also had the theme song for Jackie Bushman's Buckmasters on TNN (The Nashville Network) memorized. I'm embarassed to say I can still sing some of it today.

My bows then went from Golden Eagle to High Country (with an overdraw) a Proline Riptide to XI Legend Magnum to Mathews (Ultra Light and FX and Switchback) to my current Bowtech Captain.

Great thread! Really brought back some memories.

 

[SeIowa69]

1. 22 years old (2013) two guys from work were getting on my case hard about buying a bow knowing how much I love the outdoors, I've thought about it b4 in the passed I just didn't no were to start, So after two years i finally did!! And Want to say thanks 2 Devin and Dave 4 helping me thur the process/giving me pointers/ and answer all my ?'s witch never end

2.Ez living sports center, Milan, Illinois

3. I bought a mission venture lost camo (2012 model not 100% sure),g5 peep,rip cord rest, apache stabilizer, apex quiver, axion sight, true fire release,nockturnals, Easton Bemon 340's, and swhacker heads plus, string wax, tools, etc. Set me back at about 1300$. sucks starting out from scratch but u have to start from sum were lol

4.Bads- I had only shot 2 deer in my life I was a 1st gun slugger- I lost my only piece of private 120 acres( were I spot the 2) n 2010 my buddy's Gpas health was getting in pretty bad shape so they sold the farm and moved to town
- now all I had was public land
- wish I wood of started bow hunting years ago

Goods-the amount of time I could spend in a tree/hunting the rut
-oct 1 seen 3 does and got a shot off at one but missed under, I didn't kill that deer but the rush I got from haveing 1 that close with out a clue I was there was unreal!! I Instantly was hooked.
- I ended up shooting 3 deer. doe oct 4 / butten Nov 15/ and 11 pt dec 3
-the feeling u get when all ur hard work/time/ money and dedication PAYS OFF!!!!!




By the way great post pretty neat reading about everyone's rookie years.

 

[dblmainbeam]

1. I was 14 and was on vacation in Iowa visiting family.
2. My dad and uncle took me to a shop where we picked out a bow and was given a quick lesson.
3. It was a York youth compound.
4. Bad...I practiced the rest of the summer and fall. I couldn't wait for the season to start. One of my dads buddies had some stands in a tree grove and said we could come hunt with him. I was so excited!
I wasn't in the stand 10 minutes when a doe came in. I had never been close to a live deer and she looked huge.
I took a shot and hit her. My dad had told me to wait 30 minutes so I did. When I got down she jumped up and ran.
When we met up my dads buddy was all pissed and said a fawn came by his stand trying to shove its guts back in with its nose. I was sick.
I didn't pick up my bow for 12 years.

 

[12twal]

1. I was 14 and was on vacation in Iowa visiting family. 2. My dad and uncle took me to a shop where we picked out a bow and was given a quick lesson. 3. It was a York youth compound. 4. Bad...I practiced the rest of the summer and fall. I couldn't wait for the season to start. One of my dads buddies had some stands in a tree grove and said we could come hunt with him. I was so excited! I wasn't in the stand 10 minutes when a doe came in. I had never been close to a live deer and she looked huge. I took a shot and hit her. My dad had told me to wait 30 minutes so I did. When I got down she jumped up and ran. When we met up my dads buddy was all pissed and said a fawn came by his stand trying to shove its guts back in with its nose. I was sick. I didn't pick up my bow for 12 years.

Too bad you had an unfortunate situation like that to start your bowhunting. We all try to make sure the animal we are shooting at expires as soon as possible but sometimes a deer takes an extra step or we don't execute the shot like we want to. It happens to everyone who bowhunts and if anyone says "Its never happened to me" they just haven't hunted long enough.

 

[hoosierhunter]

: 1. How old were you when you began bowhunting? 2. Where did you buy your first bow? 3. What was your first bow? 4. What stands out about your first experience (good or bad) of buying a bow and bowhunting!

I was 16 years old when I started bowhunting I think.

My first bow was a gift from dad and it was an Alpine bow.

My first bow deer was a little 1.5 year old 6 point. I got done with football practice early and got on stand at 4:50. I just pulled my bow up and he was in the tall weeds at 85 yards. He came right in and walked behind me then under me. I was so shook that I twice tried to pull my bow back and I couldn't do it. Then he started walking quartering away and I finally go her back. I double lunged him at 32 yards with a razorback 5.

 

[Hanyak]

I was 16 years old when I started bowhunting I think.

My first bow was a gift from dad and it was an Alpine bow.

My first bow deer was a little 1.5 year old 6 point. I got done with football practice early and got on stand at 4:50. I just pulled my bow up and he was in the tall weeds at 85 yards. He came right in and walked behind me then under me. I was so shook that I twice tried to pull my bow back and I couldn't do it. Then he started walking quartering away and I finally go her back. I double lunged him at 32 yards with a razorback 5.

You bet - buck fever has hopefully happened to all of us (makes you feel alive!). One time about 10 years into my bowhunting career I had an average buck come through and I tried three times to draw my bow back and it was like I had a brick wall behind me and I wasn't able to draw. Never felt shook in the stand that time, no heavy breathing, no shakes nothing - but for the love of god I couldn't pull that bow back .