Any bowhunter success?

[crazy4COUES]

Just checking in to see if any fellow CWT bowhunting members have stories to share. If so lets hear about them, good bad and ugly. Any story is a good story as long as it has some truth to it.

[mattys281]

I had four days planned for the opening weekend and, as usual, turned into my own worst enemy & blew the whole thing up in my face. Had planned on packing into an area I knew pretty well in 24b, but made the mistake of discussing my plans with a buddy of mine the night before I was supposed to leave. He informed me that a late season rifle hunt was starting the same friday & the spot I was talking about usually took lots of pressure. After hearing that I altered course & headed into the Superstition Wilderness area on a trail I was interested in, but hadn't scouted. I hit the trail and it looked like good country near the trail head, so I was optimistic, but decided to push in further to get away from the road. After the first couple of mile things starting getting thick. Being stubborn, and not wanting to head back towards the road, I pushed on, and it got thicker yet. In parts I'd loose the trail altogether & have to find it further on, and at other parts the trail was so overgrown that I had to literally push my way through 30+ yard stretches of cat-claw & white oak with a 65lb. pack while holding my bow over my head to try and protect it. By Saturday afternoon I was approximately 8-10 miles deep and the hills were covered so thick that even if I had spotted something I never would have been able to stalk it. In fact, the one deer I did see in there (a doe) was standing about fifteen yards above the trail I was on and I never even saw her until I had already rounded a bend and was heading out on the other side of the drainage. I stopped for a breather and looked back and there she was, staring right at me. I think my pack must have kept her from identifying me as the enemy, because she never flagged or bolted. Just kind of meandered off, looking back at me every couple of steps. A few miles further I found myself on a hill top surrounded by the "thick stuff" for as far as I could see. That was the point of moral defeat. My legs were dead & I was sick to my stomach at the thought of having wasted two of my four days. I sat in the shade for about twenty minutes trying to decide whether I should cry or cuss over the whole ordeal. Losing to the mountains is bad enough, losing because you were stupid is even worse. Finally, I got up & put the pack back on. I turned tail & headed back to the car at break neck speed in an effort to salvage as much of my weekend as I could. I made it back right at dark. That little jog left me with my arms scratched & bleeding from fingertips to shoulders, one of the feet on my tripod busted, and three arrows with fletchings ripped of from the brush. Needless to say, after that exercise in self-mutilation I wasn't worth a crap on Sunday, so I rest up watching movies & hit it again on Monday. My legs were still pretty sore, so I took it easy & hunted close to the road in the area I had originally planned on going into. I saw 3 herds of does, no bucks, &, of course no hunters! So much for heavy pressure! Turns out there was only 50 tags issued for that rifle hunt. Should have checked the regs. before scrapping my orginal plan . I was kinda peeved with myself after that little misadventure. I know better than to waste hunting days in areas I haven't scouted yet, but oh well. Some lessons are best learned the hard way, even if it's not the first time you've learned them. I'll be back at it this weekend and have another week long trip planned in Jan. Hope some of you other guys fared better than I did.

[azryan]

that area is really thick matty....u dont have to worry much about the late season rifle there was only 50 tags...my buddy had one tag....we didnt see anyone else...just one archery hunter....that catclaw is nasty stuff.but the whitetail love it...we have seen 30+ deer but all does and fawns....it was pretty sad...but had a good time...we were there on the 23rd...on the way out of a deep canyon at dark..it started sleeting and then we got heavy snow on the way out...it took awhile to get out of there...but having the snow that heavy was a good experience.

[galiuro mountain man]

Well, I am getting shots, just keep misjudging distance. I have had 3 shots at 3 different big mule deer, and have been barely missing low. I will connect though, I am going to try again tomorrow. I am going into a new area so we will see how I do.

 

I did call one of them in though, he was grunting and mad, tearing up trees. This was after I had shot once, and I was calling him back. About the time he got back close enough he realized his does had walked off. So he turned and walked away.

 

Then on Christmas afternoon I was able to watch 2 big bucks fight. I tried to slip up on them, but I had to take it easy because the does would bust me, and when the does were out of the picture, they quit fighting. I almost called them in too, but they stopped at about 100 yards from me.

 

GMM

[James Gleave]

Missed a small whitetail this past weekend, hit low by about 1ft. Ill try again this coming weekend, good luck to everyone.

[huntallday]

Hey GMM those are some pretty sweet experiences you got. Maybe i should do what you're doing and go after some mulies. The whitetail this year just ain't doing to well during the bow season. Idk i'm more of the whitetail guy but we'll see how things go. I'm trying to get my older brother a bow kill, but all we're seeing are does does does. Seen about 20+. haven't got a story to tell this december it seems the bucks grew some wings and flew away. Good luck to ya'll! Hope you'll able to get a good story soon or maybe in Jan. Good luck and Keep huntin'

 

dan - shortshooter

[IHunt2live]

Got to within 40 yards of two modest three points but they busted out of there before I could get a shot. A doe spoiled another stock on I was making on a spike. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I have yet to get a deer with my bow so I'm not to picky right now.

But I was able to harvest this bobcat with my bow when our paths just hapened to cross. We spotted eachother at 20 yards it tried to lay low in the tall grass and stayed there long enough for me to knock and arrow and get a shot off. I had a dificult time seeing it in the tall grass as it faced me but i was able to make out the cat and get my shot off. It didn't run more then 10 yards and it was all over in less then 30 sec.

[Coues79]

Got to within 40 yards of two modest three points but they busted out of there before I could get a shot. A doe spoiled another stock on I was making on a spike. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I have yet to get a deer with my bow so I'm not to picky right now.

But I was able to harvest this bobcat with my bow when our paths just hapened to cross. We spotted eachother at 20 yards it tried to lay low in the tall grass and stayed there long enough for me to knock and arrow and get a shot off. I had a dificult time seeing it in the tall grass as it faced me but i was able to make out the cat and get my shot off. It didn't run more then 10 yards and it was all over in less then 30 sec.

Man that is awesome to arrow a bobcat. Not too many people can say that they have done that. Way to go!!

[mattys281]

You're not alone in the "yet to arrow a deer" boat. I'm there too, and also am willing to go after any thing with an inch or more of bone on it's head.

Congrats on you kitty. That's an awesome trophy to have.

[mikep35]

I have yet to arrow a deer as well. I've got a pig tag for Jan, ( actually deer hunting, but if I cross a pig, he's gonna git it. ) I just got my first kill with a bow, a cow elk this past september, so if I see as so much as a nuckle on a deer's head, I'm flingin an arrow!

[galiuro mountain man]

Went out again today. I checked out another place and saw nothing. It is a really good looking area, but no sign what so ever. I called it a day early because I was snowed out. Icouldnt even see 30 yards at times. Most of the time it was around 50 to 60 yards. I had to do some work to my truck anyways so it was good I came home early. Sunday and monday I will go out, and I have a pigalina tag also, so hopefully I have a story then.

 

GMM

[Traveler]

Another day in the snow and fog, Still seeing unattended does, hope one gets hot quick before I have to get backt to work.

 

I am taking my daughter out tomorrow in 33. She has firestick tag. Hope to glass one up for her. She is anxious to shoot anything with antlers.

 

Good Luck everyone

[crazy4COUES]

Got to within 40 yards of two modest three points but they busted out of there before I could get a shot. A doe spoiled another stock on I was making on a spike. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I have yet to get a deer with my bow so I'm not to picky right now.

But I was able to harvest this bobcat with my bow when our paths just hapened to cross. We spotted eachother at 20 yards it tried to lay low in the tall grass and stayed there long enough for me to knock and arrow and get a shot off. I had a dificult time seeing it in the tall grass as it faced me but i was able to make out the cat and get my shot off. It didn't run more then 10 yards and it was all over in less then 30 sec.

 

 

Ihunt2live that is freakin' sweet! Congrats on your CAT. I have missed many opportunity and/or shots. This year I harvested my first big game animal in Jan. It was a Javelina. Shot him through both lungs @ 22 yds. he went about 10 feet and it was over. Now this Dec. I was fortunate to tag my first deer ever, a coues whitetail! I was able to get 52 yds from him. He was a spike positioned a little uphill from my location. I knelt down under the limbs of a juniper tree. Drew back my bowtech, settled my 50 yd pin in the upper half of his chest and let it fly. The arrow smacked him threw the front shoulders as he tried to jump the string. He never took another step. Man does he taste good! In Jan. I am going for the big one, hopefully my luck hasn't run out.

 

So as this year comes to an end, I am happy to share my first time kills of 2006 with you all. As well I would like to say thanks to my friends and family whom have helped support me with all their time and effort, THANK YOU! HAPPY NEW YEAR bring on 2007.

[ScottAF]

I haven't had a chance to get out yet.But I'm all set for January.I have been out glassing as much as I could a few weeks ago.But all from the vehical I had my two year old daughter with me.I seen one fork and tons of does in 34A on the Madera Canyon side of the moutains.I'm planing on hunting down in 34B around the J-6 Ranch area.Last bow season I hunted it was like a safari down there.There's this Couse down there that decided to come down the hill right at me with a big tall rack stop at about 50 yards and turn broadside.As soon as I realesed he decided to duck and my arrow flew over him .But i saw three other couse bucks. And two hugh mulies down in the flats on the way out.I hope it's that way this year.Best of luck to everyone.

[TEAM TOAD]

This buck was taken by my buddy on December 26th. 25 yard shot, the deer didn't go 40 yards after the shot. It was absolutely amazing and what a rush!! Put a tape on the deer, should go right around 95 inches. I will have some better (field) pictures next week. Hope the picture shows up??