This page is dedicated to any member who wants to share pictures and short stories of their hunt. This could be your first deer, turkey, antelope or 30th, let us all celebrate your successes! Email your picture and stories to us or give them to a board member and we will make sure to get them posted. Happy hunting!
2025 - Wayne Tesky
I had one free day to get out and do a quick pronghorn archery hunt before it closed for the rifle season. I have been trying to get a pronghorn with my bow for ten years and on October 3 that finally happened. I went out early Friday morning armed with my bow and two decoys. After finding a good spot on some public land I started to hike in. It did not take long to find a group of pronghorns. After spending and hour stalking in they figured I was not a pronghorn and took off. After taking a water break I spotted a buck out in the prairie about 650 yards out. I moved behind a hill and walked up and down the backside of the hill exposing the decoy over the hill and repeated this until the buck started my direction. Once he closed the distance to about 200 yards, I planted the decoy and prepared for a shot. The buck crested the hill and was facing straight at me at 55 yards, I didn’t have a good shot I needed him to turn broadside. After what seemed like and hour of a stare down, he finally turned and started looking back where he came from. This was my chance I drew back and settled my 60-yard pin and let the arrow fly. My arrow found its mark and made a quick trail. I feel really blessed to have had such an exciting and successful hunt. All the practice at the range paid off with a very ethical hunt!
2025 – Tim Hostetter
I (Tim) was privileged with drawing a Black Hills Archery Elk Tag. A true dream hunt of mine being an archer but also a South Dakotan. After calling my dad once I found out I drew the tag, my next texts/calls went to my good buddies Wayne, Ryan, Andrew, and Joe. All of who said they were coming without being invited. The preparation began. Hiking, shooting my bow as much as possible, countless hours scouting OnX maps, and making gear list all became a priority. Ryan, Wayne, and I got dates set of when we wanted to go. We took a scouting trip and saw some good elk sign in a spot that would be where we hunted. I got some excellent advice from friends Chadd Lundquist and Joe Bailey of spots to check out. After six days of hard hunting and frustrations, we’d come close on a couple bulls but not quite close enough. Thursday morning was our last morning to hunt. We went back to an area we were the morning before. We snuck deeper into the area than we had before. We made to just about the other edge and set up after several bugles. Wayne set up to my left and cow called. I saw a giant bull across the opening so my hopes were high. A satellite bull was closest and came to the calling. He bugled and proceeded to close the distance. I ranged a couple trails I thought he would take. I was anticipating a shot in front of me but the bull decided to take a trail to my left. I slightly adjusted my stance. Set my sight to 33 yards. While this was happening, unbeknownst to me, Wayne sprinted farther back and proceeded to barrel roll over a log to hide from the bull. As the bull was coming, he stopped and bugled behind some sapling fir trees. He took a step to where I ranged the trail. I drew my bow back and watched my arrow disappear into the elk. I watched as he ran and stumbled through the brush. I lost sight of him. I knew I made a pretty good shot. I didn’t know how good. Ryan, Wayne, SR, and Wayne watched the bull through the edge of the trees. They heard him crash. We found my arrow and followed the blood trail just for a bit. There he was 50 yards later. The guys gave me a moment alone walking up to my bull. I said a quick prayer of thanks to God. My dad was my next call. He’s my first “hunting buddy” and knew how excited he would be to know I had taken a bull. I’d like to again thank you Ryan, Wayne SR, and Wayne for coming with and putting in the work. I’d also like to thank Andrew at SoDak Sports for helping with various gear and recommendations.
2021 - Mark Hanley
I went west river opening weekend and had a tough week. Anything that could go wrong did. Before I left I built a ground blind in the middle of a pine thicket in hopes that when I came back in November I could catch some rut activity and avoid the public land pressure. My first morning there I went right to my homemade ground blind. 20 minutes into my sit this guy came in chasing a group of does. 18 yard shot. I knew there were some decent bucks in there, but had no idea this guy was there.
2021 - Jen Alsleben
This hunt was by far one of the coolest experiences I have ever had in the woods. It was a Mid-November morning when I glassed this buck on lock down with a doe about 600 yards out. I was bummed, because I thought I’d never have a chance at him with a doe at his side. I watched the two for a while and then lost sight of them. About 15 minutes later, they showed back up making their way my direction. I forgot to mention, on my little bit of land I have two stands up that are easy to see the other when sitting in. Of course, you probably guessed where this is going, both deer hopped the fence right under the stand that I wasn’t in! I thought to myself, “you picked the wrong stand!” Again, I watched them play follow the leader for quiet a while when I decided to use my doe bleat can. I figured I had nothing to lose because I didn’t have a shot at either one. Every time I used that call, the buck grunted back to me, something I had never witnessed before. Figuring the doe would lead him astray from my chance of a shot, I still was thrilled for the experience. Just a few short minutes later I saw the doe making a bee-line right to my stand. She came in at 8 yards, stamped her feet, twitched her ears, and stood there a bit. I held my breath because I thought for sure I was busted! But she then turned broadside and bedded down under a fallen tree. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the buck following her same path towards me, so while a limb was covering her eye, I drew my bow back and waited. He walked right to me and at 7 yards. My adrenaline was too high to wait and see if he was going to turn broadside as well, so I made the choice of a neck shot. You would think my story ends here, but one more unbelievable part is the doe never got up after I shot him. Archery hunting is by far the coolest sport and although it’s a male dominant one; girls can do it too!
2021 - Dan Rosenbaum
First, I’d like to thank the Whitetail Bowmen Archery Club for all the help provided to me this year. I’m less than one year into archery and it has been a great sport with welcoming people.
I filled my first archery tag this year on October 14th. After 6 weeks of mistakes as a rookie archer, I was finally able to connect with this doe as she and another doe came within 10 yards. With a little more confidence and many hours in stands and blinds, I had an incredible Halloween morning. It started with a small buck grunting and chasing a doe within about 30 yards of my stand at first light. Then the buck I eventually shot moved through the trees out of range and bedded in a nearby slough. Shortly after, I had a doe and another small buck mill around my stand at 14 yards. As time passed, I had another small buck walking up the edge of the slough and I made my first attempt to rattle in a deer. He worked closer and then quickly turned and headed the other way. Thinking I had blown it somehow, I realized the larger buck had gotten up to get in on the action. He came just inside of 20 yards when he finally turned enough to give me a broadside shot. I was thankful for all the practice in summer & hunter leagues as I watched him tip over just 51 yards away.
2021 - Jim Zirbel
Shot this buck this year while hunting from a ground blind using a half rack buck decoy. I love using a decoy!
2021 - Daniel Studelska
5 yard shot from the ground.
2020 - Tyler Efriamson
2018 -
Bobbie Zirbel
Archery buck shot on October 13th, 2018
2018 - Scott With Horn
October 5th, 2018 a dream came true!
4:00 a.m. we started out reaching our destination not long after. We readied with prayer and headed off into the timber. After multiple encounters, Bulls screaming in our faces all morning, 1 missed shot over the shoulders at a broken up herd Bull. On our way back to the truck we herd a Bull bugle about 60 yards from where we were. My Koda (friend/brother) Aka The Elk Whisperer bugled back and got a reply quickly. I hurried to the edge of the quakes and nocked an arrow. As the Bull skimmed the edge of the timber, working his way into a clearing, I laced his chest +/- 33 yards. He didn't go far! Laying down in sight and the rest is/are wonderful memories! We gave thanks, took a few photos then the real work started. A dream come true meaning in 2016 my first ever archery elk hunt was a success however, with my compound. Most of you know I'm a traditional archery hunter and my new recurve had not been completed. Last year was tough hunting and I returned home with an unfilled tag. This year it happened! Arrowing my first Bull Elk with my Talltine recurve!