Syracuse.com - First time bow hunting is the charm -- a 9-point buck

[HuntingNY-News]

Finally, the buck stepped into the opening. In my head, I must have said, "Shoot!" three times before I saw the arrow fly.

Submitted photoTim Bahia and his buck.

Tim Bahia poses with a nice 9-point buck he got recently -- his first deer with a bow.

Tim Oakleaf, of Fayetteville wrote: "For several years now our archery club has offered instruction to inner city kids and home schooling families. Tim Bahia had decided to try shooting a bow and decided he liked it. Last year he progressed to where he was assisting with the instruction. He also decided he would like to try bow hunting.

"Yesterday, Nov. 12, at 5:30 am we headed out together to my two-person tree stand.

"My old, over-grown apple orchard had been hunted hard for a week already and the local deer population had quit using the funnel. On the way in we saw all kinds of tracks in the fields and meadows, but nothing fresh entering the orchard. I told Tim if we saw anything odds were good it would be an interloper and not a member of the local deer population.

"We got up into my stand by about 6:30 am. At 7:15 am we were still settling in, with me pointing out the shooting lanes and twigs to be avoided, when I caught a shadow through the brush out in the meadow. Then I saw saplings moving as a buck rubbed them with his antlers. But we had yet to lay our eyes on the deer.

"It seemed to take forever to decide whether to enter the apple orchard or go around through the swamp and into the meadow on the other side. I had us both standing with bows ready when suddenly his head appeared at 40 yards through the thick scrub bordering the orchard.

" He slowly meandered into the orchard. Not knowing how long he would take to enter a shooting lane, and having instructed Tim to take the first good shooting opportunity he was offered, I instructed Tim to draw his bow.

"Just at that moment the buck stopped. There were too many branches for a shot. Tim never started shaking, though I thought he might have to let down the bow before too long. He never did. He simply swung through to the first shooting lane and waited. He held his drawn bow for what must have been 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes at least, though it seemed much longer than that!

"Finally, the buck stepped into the opening. In my head, I must have said, "Shoot!" three times before I saw the arrow fly.

"The results are in the picture. Not bad for the first time ever bow hunting, and less than 30 minutes after sun up. Nine points and 150 pounds field dressed. He got one or both lungs and the liver. The buck went about 80 yards.

"The light covering of snow made for easy tracking. He is having it mounted. After 14 years of hunting I am still hoping to get one this nice some day!"

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog