Well, it can be traced to Jerry Simmons and my grandfather (if you bow hunt in the south, and don't know who Jerry is, shame on you). They lived near each other, and hunted together many moons ago. My father learned from my grandfather, and myself and my brother came along.

It's just what we did, and still do. I've heard countless stories from my grandfather about his hunts, and his friends - including a good many stories about Jerry. I could bore you to death with them - and I'm sure a few of the stories have grown into more fiction than truth - but I could listen to them all day growing up.

I'm late checking this thread and just had coke go up my sinus cavity. Thats hilarious, but a real possibility.

Better get that corrected in the next couple of years or I'll make that you avatar.

Howard Hill and Fred Bear

I read Hills book Hunting the Hard Way before I met him. I shot with him at Vulcan Archery Club, and visited with him and his wife in Vincent Al at their home, when I was 16.

I remember watching Fred Bear on Curt Gowdys American Sportsman show...

I seem to have same story as several. I killed a lot of deer with rifles with my dad age 6-20 or so. The last few years I was working at a farm and responsible for killing most of the does killed on a place outside of Tuscaloosa in Fosters. It just got old, I got burned out.

At the same time my parents moved to Little Rock Arkansas and my dad joined a good club/lease in Stuttgart, so it was perfect. I did that(and still turkey hunting in Alabama) for 5 or 6 years hard.

Then I just decided out of the blue i wanted to try bow hunting. (i had a PSE Nova when i was about 14, and killed one spike with it, but the excitement never stuck). I hoped it would re-ignite the excitement for deer hunting. I walked into Archery Unlimited in Prattville about 2010, bought a bow.

I haven't quit shooting/bowhunting since. Absolutley love it.

There is nothing i would rather do.

Oh boy. No pressure huh? I may have to hunt the whole season with the stick and strings now.

My uncle. He and one of his buddies filmed each other, 30 years ago. After I watched some of their homemade videos I wanted to be like him. Got a bow for Christmas and he and his buddy set it up for me. I stuck a doe my first trip in the woods. Great blood trail but never found her. Liver hit I imagine. I was 13 then. As I grew up, I had my dad and another buddy filming me. I stuck probably half a dozen deer before I finally recovered one. The one day I didn't have anyone filming me, I killed my first with the bow. It also happened to be my first rack buck ever. 1.5 year old 8 point. He was the 10th rack buck in the field. 3 of them were STUDS! Anyhow, I made the shot shaking like a leaf. Hit him forward and low in brisket. It exited and cut an artery in his off side leg. Terrible shot. That was my first shoulder mount as well. Never did get a kill on video.

i was tired of getting into clubs that in my opinion were "brown and down clubs" built their clubs around food plots that deer never came too.

I have always used a bow, but would go to gun later on.

Land opportunity is few and far between. I have always known about wheeler wildlife refugee, but never saw any deer on it driving by. Finally I got sucked in once and saw deer my first day. I probably went 20 times and did not see deer on 3 occasions.

Hunting a bow is less opportunistic, but that allows for the bucks to get bigger. I saw a nice 4.5 year old 8 pointer last year late in the season. Was not able to get a shot on him, but hopefully I will this year!

If that is all I can do, then I'll stick to it. It will make that trophy buck mean that much more to me.

1. Had permission to hunt land in Dekalb county GA that was bow only
2. Getting to hunt that extra time

I hated sitting around twiddling my thumbs when you guys were in the tree hunting!

That plus it's a great way to scout for rifle season

I am not knocking the gun guys at all, but killing a deer with a gun doesn't excite me at all. I will occasionally meat hunt with a gun every couple years but it don't raise my blood pressure even slightly.

Having said all that, Bowhunting just about gives me a chubby. In the beginning of the season even seeing does gets me fired up.

I have been addicted to adrenaline sports my whole life and my body has paid a huge price for it. Now I have gained a lot of weight, had numerous surgeries and am just beat the hell up.

Bowhunting is the one thing that gets me fired the hell up.

I grew up hunting in a traditional bow only club. When I say I grew up, I started when I could draw back enough weight on a stick bow to kill a deer. I always loved the place I hunted and loved simpleness of a stick bow, so I just never had any desire to hunt a different way. I practiced religiously with my bow growing up. The first one was a Black Widow takedown and that is what I shoot to this day. It’s not the same 40# bow. Its around 62#, but it shoots EXACTLY the same way my first bow shot.