I cried a little today · TradBowhunter-Ethical Predator

I cried a little today

If you remember in August I was not able to recover a bear that I had shot. The shot was a bit quartering away. We looked consecutive days for hours without success. I was devastated. Actually hanging up the bow and reconsidering much of my journey with traditional archery. Those that know me, know that I practice relentlessly. I shoot from treestand, ground blinds. On chairs, off my knees and compete. No shortage of shooting. Most shots are a realistic as I can make them. That’s what hurt the most along with injuring an animal.

It took a couple months before picking up any bow again. After a much needed reset, visiting with family and friends I started over for whitetail. I practiced out of a ground blind. Drawing, shooting. Getting the right cant to the bow as the top limb if not perfect will hit the roof. I shot and shot and shot….making sure that wasn’t going to happen. I got up early today. High winds and blowing snow was what Mother Nature had in store for me. I know deer will move in windy weather but very cautiously. As I sat in the blind I received a message from my wife about a large poplar tree that had just fallen in our yard. Fortunately away from the house. As I contemplated packing up, out of the corner of my eye I spot an antlerless deer making its way through the bush towards me. It came in front of the blind giving me a slight quartering away shot. I’d be lying if I’d say the shot on the bear wasn’t on my mind at moment. I drew the bow and settled in just behind the shoulder. As I loosed the arrow the top limb hit the roof ripping a large hole in it. The shot ended up further back than I’d have liked. I set the bow down and put my head in my hands in disbelief. An hour later I got out of the blind. Located the arrow and found good blood. A short track of 30 yards for the recovery. I knelt beside the “button buck” placing my hand on its chest and cried. I was so relieved to have taken this deer. I feel blessed. Sorry for the long post.

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