Great start to the season.

[J. Cook]

Friday saw a major drop in temps for NC and luckily I was able to get out and hunt that evening.  I found a white oak that was dropping and got climbed in and set.  I had low expectations as I've had very little time to scout this year.  I sat maybe an hour enjoying the evening and hear the sound of footsteps... Immediately I see a spike coming and I relaxed as I knew I wasn't shooting that particular deer.  As I watched, I hear a second set of steps and see a small basket rack buck emerge and that got my adrenaline up.  That is my barometer to shoot or not - regardless of size, if I get "that" feeling...I'm shooting.

He fed into 12 yards, I drew, focused on a single hair, and made the exact shot I was intending to.  This is the first deer I've ever shot with a bow where I did not break a rib on either side.  This particular deer took three big bounds (unalarmed) at the sound of the shot and then slowly walked out to about 40 yd from my tree stand.  He stood there for 10 or 15 seconds, then fell over stone dead. 

My equipment is a wapiti recurve that I bought some years back in horrible shape as a project bow.  I completely stripped the bow, repaired the limbs and the tips, did a refinish with the cloth copperhead skins, and put it back together.  It's now 55 at 28, and shoots like a dream.  I had woodsman heads on this particular setup.

This is a great start to a season for me... Coincidentally it's also the first deer I've ever killed in the month of September.  For the first 20 plus years of My bow hunting life our season didn't come in until mid October (WV), and I've just never had luck these last 10 seasons in September.

Good luck to everyone this season.

[Roy from Pa]

Awesome, congrats Jonathan..

[kennym]

Great job!! 

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Awesome 

[Pointed_stick]

That's great! Best of luck in the rest of your hunt. Our season starts October 17, looking forward to getting some of my own pics next month. 

[mgf]

Congrats!

[durp]

 

[JakeD]

Congratulations!  That 2nd pic is very nice by the way.  It's tasteful and shows the deer some respect. 

[rastaman]

Way to go sir! Congratulations!

[supernaut]

Congrats great shot on a nice buck!

[TIM B]

Attaboy!  Nice shot!
Tim B

[Michael Guran]

Congrats on getting it done in September!  I hunted outside of Charlotte for over 15 years can only remember a couple of times that September temps weren't in the 80s or 90s.

[Friend]

Superb start....Congrats!!!

[Sam McMichael]

Good job!

[Joeabowhunter]

Great pics and congratulations.

[arrow30]

congratts! looks like you did a nice job on the bow too.

[Bisch]

Congrats!!!

Bisch

[GCook]

Congratulations!!!  That's a great way to start your season!

[MnFn]

I have BARELY. been in the woods looking around.  I went thru this period of time where my kids were active in high school sports and I supported them.  And now, I am going thru it again supporting my grandkids so we are traveling a lot more watching them compete.

I love them and love watching them, but at the same time it is killing me not to be out in the woods at this time of the year.

[J. Cook]

I have BARELY. been in the woods looking around.  I went thru this period of time where my kids were active in high school sports and I supported them.  And now, I am going thru it again supporting my grandkids so we are traveling a lot more watching them compete.

I love them and love watching them, but at the same time it is killing me not to be out in the woods at this time of the year.

I understand completely - my son is about to turn 15 and my daughter is 12 and are both very involved in travel sports and school sports.  My oldest plays high school football which is like a full-time job.  So I am even more thankful for this deer as it was only my second time in the woods this year, and I don't have a ton of "openings" coming up.  Makes it even sweeter to have gotten the opportunity and have the freezer built back up a bit, even if only a little bit.