# Firearms and Shooting > Archery >  First animal in 28 years with the bow

## stug

Back in 1991 I started bow hunting. I shot a few goats, rabbits, possums and flounder. In Dec 1992 I managed to get a deer. 
I was bush stalking on a soaking wet day in Waihaha, Pureora. I was hunting up a ridge when a deer appeared across the gully to my right at about 30yds. I managed to get an arrow in it, she took off running across infront of me and stopping perfectly broadside. I dont know what I did but I managed to hit it in the knee joint. I have it 15 minutes and followed it up. After 50-60yds I could see her standing quartering away. This time I placed a better shot behind the front leg, angling forward through the heart and out the brisket. I gave her another 15 minutes and found her dead not long after. 


 I gave up bow hunting a year or so later, breaking arrows etc was quite expensive compared to buying ammo. 
Roll forward 28 years to April 2020. Stuck at home over lockdown I watched few YouTube archery hunts and got inspired to get a bow again. Having a 31.5 draw limits the bows available. I eventually decided to get a PSE EVO NXT 33 70lb. I fitted it out with a Black Gold Mountain lite 3 pin slider sight, Hamskea limb driven rest and tight spot quiver. 
Finding arrows was bit difficult but eventually found some Victory RIP TKO and used a 170gr Tusker two blade broadhead. The arrow ended up weighing 527gr with 19%FOC. Im really glad it ended up that high. 
Last night I was up in the hills looking for a deer. I had sidled down a brushy face looking for a deer I had seen. I could t find the deer but heard some stones rolling round to my right. I sidled 10 closer. I heard a few more rocks rolling and was surprised when a big pig appeared. He was about 48yds away and moving down hill. When he went behind some brush I dropped slightly lower and closer. The boar came out again at 32 yds and about 25 degrees below me. Looking at the chart on my rangefinder I figured I needed to use my 20yd pin. 
I drew back and looked through the peep sight and put the pin behind his front leg. Releasing the arrow I saw it hit where I wanted and the boar dropped at the shot and then rolled down the hill about 50 metres. 
I had to go about 100m back up the hill to get my pack and then back down to the boar. He was still alive, moving his head but nothing else. I figured I must have spined him so I went over and stuck him
When I was cutting him up I worked out what the arrow had done. 
Id hit him higher than I thought with the arrow just clipping his shoulder blade it went went toward through the spine and exited at the back of his cheek. It hadnt entered his chest cavity at all. He must have quarter away further than I had thought. I had also bracketed the 20and 30yd pins on him rather than just using the 20yd. 
I was really glad of the mass and FOC of the arrow. Smashing and severing his spine was impressive damage. I managed to find the broadhead and it was completely unmarked. 
I was stoked to get another animal with the bow,  is I just need to get a deer.

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## jakewire

Well done, jeez you were a good looking bugger back in the day Stug.

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## caberslash

Awesome writeup @stug, nice setup you have there!

I used to do target archery but quit as it is very expensive and got boring after a few years.

Bowhunting would get me back shooting tomorrow but sadly it's illegal here.

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## bigbear

Solid looking pig, with the price of ammo arrows might be cheaper. Good effort to finish the year off

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## stug

@bigbear my arrows are $30 each plus the broadhead. Broke 1 and lost 2 practising. The arrow I shot the pig broke as he rolled down the hill. So gets expensive. I also lost one out of my quiver on the walk in, had my bow strapped to my pack. Didn’t find it until the work out, so that saved $40 odd dollars.

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## dannyb

@stug be like.......

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## silentscope

Awesome stuff, this has given me the motivation i needed to get my bow out again! thanks

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## Ryan_Songhurst

Good stuff @stug now you need to do it with a proper bow!

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## stug

When I first tried bow hunting I tried without sights. Man that was difficult. I did use bare fingers though. Release aids were only just coming out then.

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## Sako851

Nice work there Stug

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## outdoorlad

Nice work Stu

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## Rees

good on ya.  a real nice challenge... one im not really prepared for with sambar but those kiwi deer,...   Good on ya mate

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## Sowslayer

Nice one

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