First deer with a bow from the ground

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I've been bowhunting seriously for about 25yrs. I really enjoy it. Shot a decent amount of deer over the years. When I started bow hunting, I spent a ton of time practicing and prepping. I tinkered with my bow, my gear, etc... all the time. I bowhunted basically every weekend, and every day off I could get. I shot my bow every day (or on a bad year, every other day), usually beginning in June or July. I wouldn't even think about going out in the woods without many, many hours of prep and practice and feeling 100% prepared.

I now have 2 kids, 15 & 12. As they have gotten older, I have not had as much time to hunt as I would like. Every year has seemed to be less and less. Last year I hardly got any time to bowhunt. I did get some muzzleloading and rifle hunting in, and still killed a few does for the freezer. This year, my son plays varsity football and that is almost a full time job, (for him and me!).

Based on our crazy busy schedule, I had basically written off getting any time to bowhunt this year, and had not even lifted my bow off the hanger since last season. I was ok with that... I'd just get some ML and rifle hunting done in Nov & Dec. Well, several guys touched base last week and wanted to head to our cabin this past weekend... and since my son's football team had a bye this week, we jumped at the opportunity. We planned to do some work, hang out, shoot some guns, and maybe bowhunt or squirrel hunt on Saturday. This trip kinda popped up on us, so Friday afternnon I pulled my bow off the hook and wiped off the dust (literally), and went outside to shoot. First 3 shots at 20yds were in about a 2" group. I shot about 5 or 6 more groups, out to 25yds (my self imposed limit) and was very accurate. I kinda chuckled...how much easier technology has made it now. Its like I had been shooting all summer. My bow is about 5yrs old, Bowtech Allegiance. I love it. Fast, quiet, deadly accurate. I have not changed anything on it since I set it up when I got it.

My kids planned to squirrel hunt with their cousins, I brought my bow. I figured I might make it out, but didn't even bring a stand with me. We did some work much of the day, and Sat evening I decided to head out for the last 90 mins. I drove up a logging road and parked near a field. My plan was to slip across to the other side where the deer usually came out into the field in the evenings. I was easing along a brushy fenceline and noticed a doe out in the field, heading my way. I thought wow, wouldn't that be cool if she came right by. So I nocked a arrow... eased into some scrubby trees for cover, and waited. Sure as heck, she came right towards me. Within about 1 minute of seeing her, she stepped into a shooting lane about 20yds away. I was standing there in a little clump of trees drawn back and ready. I put the pin on her heart and thwack. She ran about 40yds (towards my truck) and stopped and stood there a few seconds, then did the stiff legged fall over. I had been out of my truck a total of about 5-7 minutes and killed what was my first deer ever with a bow from the ground. I smiled, thanked the Lord for my good fortune. I went and picked up my arrow and walked over to my doe. My drag was 10yds to my truck. LOL.

I was thinking about this hunt yesterday. There was a time in my life that I would have come down on someone who just picked up there bow to go hunting, without practicing for months. That is not something I would normally do, but wow...technology sure has made it much easier. I also think I'm gonna spend some more time hunting on the ground...that was cool. Up until now, my 30 some kills were all from a stand.

I didn't get any good pics, just the one I snapped where she fell. She had an "X" in the heart from my slick trick :yeah:

bcf0c4f5-94a7-4d18-8e7d-d5887ec80f82_zpsa4d87427.jpg
 
Very cool story congrats. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good! Enjoy the good eating.

I had a similar situation a few years ago with our late muzzleloading hunt in mid December. We had a blizzard the night before I was supposed to head up to my camp. Well after plowing all night I made the 3 hour drive and proceeded to plow the 2 miles of logging roads to even get to camp. Decided to still hunt cause I knew siting in the stand would turn into a nap from being up all night working. 20 mins into my still hunt and only a few hundred yards from camp I had my tag filled with a nice fat doe.
 
:D

Congrats :!: :!: :!: Thanks for sharing that story. Things fell into place for you just right. Enjoy those back straps :!: :!:

Ray.......... :wink:
 
Congratulations... nice looking deer.

I can remember one doe I took from the ground with no plan of hunt. My friend told me of a tree stand back in his woods. Said I could use it and the area was "thick with does" as he put it. So I hiked in and found it. One of them where they nailed old boards to a tree and there was a tiny platform up in the crotch of the tree. But I wanted to hunt so up them old board ladder rungs I started. Got about six feet up when that sickening feeling came.. the rung broke and down I came. I sat there on the ground in a pile of leaves and thought how lucky I was not to be hurt. I was about to leave but it was too nice of an afternoon, so I pushed some leaves up against an old limb on the ground as an improvised blind and just sat. Sure enough, twenty minutes later a nice doe came in. Now I had never practiced with my bow, sitting on my backside, and leaning to one side so I admit I was nervous. But I pulled back, set the pin and let fly. I watched that arrow move right through that deer. She took off of course, but I watched her run maybe thirty yards and fall over. The very next year I purchased a portable ground blind and have implemented that in my hunting stands now.
 
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: I'm a fan of hunting from the ground too. :yeah:
 
Congrats! What a great experience.

I actually shot a nice 6 point this year from the ground also. I out-thought myself and moved my stand up a tree line 50 yards only to find the "trail" changed. Ended up sitting under a pin oak tree. Shot him at 15 yards.

It was great fun, but a little nerve racking too.
 
I've been bowhunting seriously for about 25yrs. I really enjoy it. Shot a decent amount of deer over the years. When I started bow hunting, I spent a ton of time practicing and prepping. I tinkered with my bow, my gear, etc... all the time. I bowhunted basically every weekend, and every day off I could get. I shot my bow every day (or on a bad year, every other day), usually beginning in June or July. I wouldn't even think about going out in the woods without many, many hours of prep and practice and feeling 100% prepared.

I now have 2 kids, 15 & 12. As they have gotten older, I have not had as much time to hunt as I would like. Every year has seemed to be less and less. Last year I hardly got any time to bowhunt. I did get some muzzleloading and rifle hunting in, and still killed a few does for the freezer. This year, my son plays varsity football and that is almost a full time job, (for him and me!).

Based on our crazy busy schedule, I had basically written off getting any time to bowhunt this year, and had not even lifted my bow off the hanger since last season. I was ok with that... I'd just get some ML and rifle hunting done in Nov & Dec. Well, several guys touched base last week and wanted to head to our cabin this past weekend... and since my son's football team had a bye this week, we jumped at the opportunity. We planned to do some work, hang out, shoot some guns, and maybe bowhunt or squirrel hunt on Saturday. This trip kinda popped up on us, so Friday afternnon I pulled my bow off the hook and wiped off the dust (literally), and went outside to shoot. First 3 shots at 20yds were in about a 2" group. I shot about 5 or 6 more groups, out to 25yds (my self imposed limit) and was very accurate. I kinda chuckled...how much easier technology has made it now. Its like I had been shooting all summer. My bow is about 5yrs old, Bowtech Allegiance. I love it. Fast, quiet, deadly accurate. I have not changed anything on it since I set it up when I got it.

My kids planned to squirrel hunt with their cousins, I brought my bow. I figured I might make it out, but didn't even bring a stand with me. We did some work much of the day, and Sat evening I decided to head out for the last 90 mins. I drove up a logging road and parked near a field. My plan was to slip across to the other side where the deer usually came out into the field in the evenings. I was easing along a brushy fenceline and noticed a doe out in the field, heading my way. I thought wow, wouldn't that be cool if she came right by. So I nocked a arrow... eased into some scrubby trees for cover, and waited. Sure as heck, she came right towards me. Within about 1 minute of seeing her, she stepped into a shooting lane about 20yds away. I was standing there in a little clump of trees drawn back and ready. I put the pin on her heart and thwack. She ran about 40yds (towards my truck) and stopped and stood there a few seconds, then did the stiff legged fall over. I had been out of my truck a total of about 5-7 minutes and killed what was my first deer ever with a bow from the ground. I smiled, thanked the Lord for my good fortune. I went and picked up my arrow and walked over to my doe. My drag was 10yds to my truck. LOL.

I was thinking about this hunt yesterday. There was a time in my life that I would have come down on someone who just picked up there bow to go hunting, without practicing for months. That is not something I would normally do, but wow...technology sure has made it much easier. I also think I'm gonna spend some more time hunting on the ground...that was cool. Up until now, my 30 some kills were all from a stand.

I didn't get any good pics, just the one I snapped where she fell. She had an "X" in the heart from my slick trick :yeah:

bcf0c4f5-94a7-4d18-8e7d-d5887ec80f82_zpsa4d87427.jpg
 

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