35 years ago today and a surprise
- Thread starter kansasdad
- Start date
Our youngest, Julia is 16 and a junior in high school. Years ago I had pulled a jake in close with the hope that Julia would get her first turkey. I have recounted on HuntTalk previously how because of that shot taken without hearing protection, and a subsequent shot taken at another turkey that slapped her cheek, she developed a anxiety about any kind of firearms shooting. She would halfheartedly shoot the Ruger 22 semi-auto, but that was it.
Years have passed, and two waterfowl seasons ago she verbalized to me that she really enjoyed going out with me on outdoors adventures, but she thought that maybe she would quit carrying her 20 gauge that I had asked her to carry while we were afield. "Maybe its better if I just bring my camera gear" (and she is quite the photographer) she said, and I was very content to let it stand that way.
On Thursday she texted me and said she wanted to go shooting this weekend. Surprised, I replied that I would love to go and we made plans to go out Saturday. Sydney, Julia's friend was also invited by Julia, as she knew that if Sydney went along, Julia wouldn't "freeze up" when the time to shoot arrived.
Taking the anniversary crossbow (Invader by Wicked Ridge/TenPoint Rut Junkey)
out I wanted to verify that the scope adjustments that I have made on the bore-sighted bow were putting the bolts where the scope said it was going to fly. 20 yards and all was well. Julia went first, and although somewhat nervous acquitted herself very well, putting all three arrows withing a couple of inches from the center dot. Sydney went next, and shot an even tighter group. Both girls were surprised how little the bow "kicked" and seemed very pleased with their successes.
Moving back to 30, we all felt a little competitive juice flowing as I let the girls go first. All six shots would have resulted in dead deer had that been the target instead of layered foam. Stepping to the line, I really forced myself to concentrate on squeezing the trigger and watching the bolt through the scope hit the target. Two more followed and I was patting myself on the back just a little bit.
Now I need to figure out a broadhead for turkeys. Any suggestions??
After the crossbow, Julia and Sydney ran a couple of magazines of 10-22 LR with fine success. And then it was on the the 20 gauge. Julia stepped up to the line and without hesitation splattered the target. "Next shot I probably should keep my eyes open" she said with a little grin. I believe the ice has been broken, and the weird gun-shy anxiety has been relegated to the past.
Years have passed, and two waterfowl seasons ago she verbalized to me that she really enjoyed going out with me on outdoors adventures, but she thought that maybe she would quit carrying her 20 gauge that I had asked her to carry while we were afield. "Maybe its better if I just bring my camera gear" (and she is quite the photographer) she said, and I was very content to let it stand that way.
On Thursday she texted me and said she wanted to go shooting this weekend. Surprised, I replied that I would love to go and we made plans to go out Saturday. Sydney, Julia's friend was also invited by Julia, as she knew that if Sydney went along, Julia wouldn't "freeze up" when the time to shoot arrived.
Taking the anniversary crossbow (Invader by Wicked Ridge/TenPoint Rut Junkey)
out I wanted to verify that the scope adjustments that I have made on the bore-sighted bow were putting the bolts where the scope said it was going to fly. 20 yards and all was well. Julia went first, and although somewhat nervous acquitted herself very well, putting all three arrows withing a couple of inches from the center dot. Sydney went next, and shot an even tighter group. Both girls were surprised how little the bow "kicked" and seemed very pleased with their successes.
Moving back to 30, we all felt a little competitive juice flowing as I let the girls go first. All six shots would have resulted in dead deer had that been the target instead of layered foam. Stepping to the line, I really forced myself to concentrate on squeezing the trigger and watching the bolt through the scope hit the target. Two more followed and I was patting myself on the back just a little bit.
Now I need to figure out a broadhead for turkeys. Any suggestions??
After the crossbow, Julia and Sydney ran a couple of magazines of 10-22 LR with fine success. And then it was on the the 20 gauge. Julia stepped up to the line and without hesitation splattered the target. "Next shot I probably should keep my eyes open" she said with a little grin. I believe the ice has been broken, and the weird gun-shy anxiety has been relegated to the past.
johnp
Well-known member
You are in for a great year!! I had Schwacker broadheads recommended to me for turkey hunting and have had better success with them than I had with fixed blade broadheads. Study shot placement for archery, practice , then go for it !!
Thread update:
Spring of 2017 turkey season had me taking advantage of early archery season the first weeks of April. Had I been shotgunning it, my season would have ended really fast. Several times I had birds at less than 30 yards, but enough vegetation to prevent an ethical archery shot, while a shotgun would have been a no brainer. kansasson and I tried to double over Easter, but my story is, and I'm sticking to it, he failed to delay his shot the split second needed to allow for the difference in arrow vs shotshell velocity, and my bird ducked the string. I stuck to the crossbow until May arrived, and my hard hunted public land birds were getting warier and fewer. Shotgunning carried the day.
Fall of 2017, I was carrying the crossbow and 12 gauge while going afield, as I was hoping to either harvest a deer or a turkey. I got my fall turkey using both the crossbow, which hit my bird, but I decided to finish him with the shotgun.
As it turns out, Spring of 2018 was a near duplicate of 2017 hunting with the crossbow. Lots of walks taken with a bow only, just never sealed the deal. With the two birds I did kill, I don't think I could have killed them without a shotgun.
This fall I have been out almost every weekend, sometimes twice in a weekend hoping for a bow turkey or deer. I've had my safety off several times, but decided to hold out for a bigger buck, or spare a doe with a small-ish fawn.
Today, I am happy to share that I finally did a full meal deal archery kill getting my first deer with a bow. I arrived very early to my public land spot, and decided to set up across and upstream/downwind of a creek crossing spot (about 100 yards away from where I got my first archery/shotgun turkey last fall). Just over an hour after sunrise, I saw several does coming down the trail. Moving with no hurry, the first one finally stepped out into the clear just beyond where I had ranged a tree stump at 32 yards. I had been on my shooting stick and focused on this spot, so as she exposed herself, I waited for her to bring on onside foreleg forward and squeezed the trigger.
I still have not trained myself to look for the flight of the arrow (I think I shut my eyelids at the noise of the shot). The sound of an arrow striking an inflated basketball resounded in my ears, as she turned to run back the way she had gone. She maybe went 25 yards back up the trail, and then she stopped moving. After a few moments pause, she moved just enough to either fall down out of view, or continue down the trail following the other deer.
I texted my brother Daniel, who has killed many deer with a crossbow. He encouraged me that she probably had gone not further than 50 yards, and as we texted was probably already on her way to deer heaven. I waited for over thirty minutes, and decided it was time to go get my first archery deer. Arriving at the scene of the impact area, there was no hair or blood to be found. But there were heavy deep prints in the mud/leaves that were easy to follow, and right where I had thought I should expect to see her escape route. Slowly moving along the dirt trail, I left the creek bottom and saw her just 30 yards from impact. She had dropped down as I has seen within seconds of the shot.
My bolt entered a bit higher than my aim point, but still on her onside lung. It exited along the opposite flank, and even penetrated her off rear leg. The bolt was laying just behind her when I found her. First solo blood for the 35th anniversary crossbow. Thanks Lynne.
I keep my dad's hunting knife in my kill kit. I used it to cut the hock to allow the zipstrip to secure the tag to her rear leg. I chose to attach to the normal shaped joint, as her other rear leg had some significant deformity present.
Spring of 2017 turkey season had me taking advantage of early archery season the first weeks of April. Had I been shotgunning it, my season would have ended really fast. Several times I had birds at less than 30 yards, but enough vegetation to prevent an ethical archery shot, while a shotgun would have been a no brainer. kansasson and I tried to double over Easter, but my story is, and I'm sticking to it, he failed to delay his shot the split second needed to allow for the difference in arrow vs shotshell velocity, and my bird ducked the string. I stuck to the crossbow until May arrived, and my hard hunted public land birds were getting warier and fewer. Shotgunning carried the day.
Fall of 2017, I was carrying the crossbow and 12 gauge while going afield, as I was hoping to either harvest a deer or a turkey. I got my fall turkey using both the crossbow, which hit my bird, but I decided to finish him with the shotgun.
As it turns out, Spring of 2018 was a near duplicate of 2017 hunting with the crossbow. Lots of walks taken with a bow only, just never sealed the deal. With the two birds I did kill, I don't think I could have killed them without a shotgun.
This fall I have been out almost every weekend, sometimes twice in a weekend hoping for a bow turkey or deer. I've had my safety off several times, but decided to hold out for a bigger buck, or spare a doe with a small-ish fawn.
Today, I am happy to share that I finally did a full meal deal archery kill getting my first deer with a bow. I arrived very early to my public land spot, and decided to set up across and upstream/downwind of a creek crossing spot (about 100 yards away from where I got my first archery/shotgun turkey last fall). Just over an hour after sunrise, I saw several does coming down the trail. Moving with no hurry, the first one finally stepped out into the clear just beyond where I had ranged a tree stump at 32 yards. I had been on my shooting stick and focused on this spot, so as she exposed herself, I waited for her to bring on onside foreleg forward and squeezed the trigger.
I still have not trained myself to look for the flight of the arrow (I think I shut my eyelids at the noise of the shot). The sound of an arrow striking an inflated basketball resounded in my ears, as she turned to run back the way she had gone. She maybe went 25 yards back up the trail, and then she stopped moving. After a few moments pause, she moved just enough to either fall down out of view, or continue down the trail following the other deer.
I texted my brother Daniel, who has killed many deer with a crossbow. He encouraged me that she probably had gone not further than 50 yards, and as we texted was probably already on her way to deer heaven. I waited for over thirty minutes, and decided it was time to go get my first archery deer. Arriving at the scene of the impact area, there was no hair or blood to be found. But there were heavy deep prints in the mud/leaves that were easy to follow, and right where I had thought I should expect to see her escape route. Slowly moving along the dirt trail, I left the creek bottom and saw her just 30 yards from impact. She had dropped down as I has seen within seconds of the shot.
My bolt entered a bit higher than my aim point, but still on her onside lung. It exited along the opposite flank, and even penetrated her off rear leg. The bolt was laying just behind her when I found her. First solo blood for the 35th anniversary crossbow. Thanks Lynne.
I keep my dad's hunting knife in my kill kit. I used it to cut the hock to allow the zipstrip to secure the tag to her rear leg. I chose to attach to the normal shaped joint, as her other rear leg had some significant deformity present.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
...one of the best Fireside threads here.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,689
Congratulations! Good memory making going on!
uncle sage
Member
+1, Life always puts us through trials but you see to have done very well. Thanks for sharing!
rtraverdavis
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2016
- Messages
- 4,078
Yes please!
That’s pretty neat of your wife to surprise you like that, and even neater to use it to provide food.
Bwana
Well-known member
Way to go!!
.....and the gift keeps on giving.
Our youngest daughter has returned home after completing her internship in the Twin Cities. As per my usual practice, I knew that I was going to go hunting this weekend, and so I asked if she wanted to come along. I also asked if she wanted to try for her first deer or turkey. I was quite surprised that she enthusiastically replied "YES!". Taking Julia and friend out this summer to shoot the 35th first date anniversary gift crossbow has broken her of her shooting anxiety, and she has found that she enjoys the discipline of target shooting.
Kansas allows persons over age 16 to hunt without taking a Hunter Safety course, as they are issued a "mentored hunting" license. So we ran down to the local Wallyworld and laid out the coin for the license and permits for deer and turkey. (She will now have up to 2 years of mentored hunting, before she must complete her HS course)
We broke out the target and shot some field points at said target, resulting in lethal zone shots from Julia, and her boyfriend Jeremy. Unspoken, there was some significant competition between the two teenagers as to who might take the title of top-shot. 20 and 30 yard shots were taken to cement the way to compensate for the arcing flight of a crossbolt.
We left the house at O-dark 30 to arrive well before legal shooting time, and on the drive to the public hunting area, we reviewed target zones for deer and turkeys, safety concerns, and we remembered favorite outdoors adventures that we had already enjoyed together. Arriving early, we sat in the car, and enjoyed watching for meteor streaks brightening the northern sky. Finally it was time to finish suiting up, and we made our way to sit just yards away from where I took my first deer with the gift bow earlier this fall.
It was a fairly chilly morning, and as the "magic hour" passed without us seeing any deer activity, we both began to feel the burn of cold toes. Somewhere across the creek and in the adjoining cropfield, someone was either having a spectacular morning of upland hunting, or perhaps having a good morning jump shooting ducks off the creek, or as I suspect, target shooting on public lands contrary to the rules.
We both agreed that it was time to head back to the car, and I told Julia that I wanted to drive around the various hunting areas attached to the state lake, just to see what kind of hunting pressure was still being applied. As we drove towards where I had been hunting the last several weeks, we saw no activity, but did see a couple of boats were on the water.
As we were heading to the last spot I wanted to check out as it is north of "my" bedding zone, we saw 9 deer out in the CRP just a half mile off of the public land. 2 spikes and 7 mature does, this sighting has given me renewed hope that the last deer hasn't left the area.
December 17th, 1983 was a great day for me, as I promised to love, honor and cherish Mrs kansasdad, all the days of my life. And so on the last day of our 34th year together, I am grateful to her for the first date anniversary gift, a gift that keeps on giving.
Our youngest daughter has returned home after completing her internship in the Twin Cities. As per my usual practice, I knew that I was going to go hunting this weekend, and so I asked if she wanted to come along. I also asked if she wanted to try for her first deer or turkey. I was quite surprised that she enthusiastically replied "YES!". Taking Julia and friend out this summer to shoot the 35th first date anniversary gift crossbow has broken her of her shooting anxiety, and she has found that she enjoys the discipline of target shooting.
Kansas allows persons over age 16 to hunt without taking a Hunter Safety course, as they are issued a "mentored hunting" license. So we ran down to the local Wallyworld and laid out the coin for the license and permits for deer and turkey. (She will now have up to 2 years of mentored hunting, before she must complete her HS course)
We broke out the target and shot some field points at said target, resulting in lethal zone shots from Julia, and her boyfriend Jeremy. Unspoken, there was some significant competition between the two teenagers as to who might take the title of top-shot. 20 and 30 yard shots were taken to cement the way to compensate for the arcing flight of a crossbolt.
We left the house at O-dark 30 to arrive well before legal shooting time, and on the drive to the public hunting area, we reviewed target zones for deer and turkeys, safety concerns, and we remembered favorite outdoors adventures that we had already enjoyed together. Arriving early, we sat in the car, and enjoyed watching for meteor streaks brightening the northern sky. Finally it was time to finish suiting up, and we made our way to sit just yards away from where I took my first deer with the gift bow earlier this fall.
It was a fairly chilly morning, and as the "magic hour" passed without us seeing any deer activity, we both began to feel the burn of cold toes. Somewhere across the creek and in the adjoining cropfield, someone was either having a spectacular morning of upland hunting, or perhaps having a good morning jump shooting ducks off the creek, or as I suspect, target shooting on public lands contrary to the rules.
We both agreed that it was time to head back to the car, and I told Julia that I wanted to drive around the various hunting areas attached to the state lake, just to see what kind of hunting pressure was still being applied. As we drove towards where I had been hunting the last several weeks, we saw no activity, but did see a couple of boats were on the water.
As we were heading to the last spot I wanted to check out as it is north of "my" bedding zone, we saw 9 deer out in the CRP just a half mile off of the public land. 2 spikes and 7 mature does, this sighting has given me renewed hope that the last deer hasn't left the area.
December 17th, 1983 was a great day for me, as I promised to love, honor and cherish Mrs kansasdad, all the days of my life. And so on the last day of our 34th year together, I am grateful to her for the first date anniversary gift, a gift that keeps on giving.
Walking back to the SUV in the growing darkness, I made certain to miss the root that tripped me up the last time I walked that path. Upon arrival at the car, I leaned the crossbow up against the car after removing the quiver. Loading the de-cocking bolt, I fired into the opposite side of the roadside ditch. "KA-thunk, wobble wobble" and I realized that something wasn't right. By the car's domelight I could see that the bowstring had jumped off the cams, and I knew that the anniversary gift was going to need a trip to the archery techs to get it back running.
Cabelas archery guys suggested that I get the string and the cable from a local supplier, as they don't stock it, or order it directly from 10point. A phone call to the local archery-only shop found them in stock, and although it will cost more, I'm having the archery shop restring for me to guarantee it will be ready for play or work this Thanksgiving break.
Cabelas archery guys suggested that I get the string and the cable from a local supplier, as they don't stock it, or order it directly from 10point. A phone call to the local archery-only shop found them in stock, and although it will cost more, I'm having the archery shop restring for me to guarantee it will be ready for play or work this Thanksgiving break.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
definitely late to this party, but great thread. I love a good love story. Hope you get the string and cable in time for a happy ending.
The anniversary crossbow made for good target practice this year for myself and some family members as well. It went on many armed hikes this year, with no meat to show for it. And on every one of those walks it was good to remember the story of how it came to live with me.
I am 38 years in to my life with Mrs kansasdad, and life is very very good. Life is good, life with the right-partner-for-you is fantastic.
I am 38 years in to my life with Mrs kansasdad, and life is very very good. Life is good, life with the right-partner-for-you is fantastic.
