First ever whitetail deer with primitive bow in Finland

[Swamp Thang]

Very proud of you!

[willie]

Congratulations on the successful hunt.

This bow I hunt these deers is sinewbackes oak bow, 139 cm long. 55 pounds. Arrows are made from Finnish pine. Self forged arrowheads and fletshing with feathers from our own turkeys.

A few pics of your bow (and arrows) would look nice in the Bow section.

[rautasarvi]

Thank you all for Your nice comments!
Someone was writing that in my pictures there are roedeers. But no, they are whitetaildeers and yes, we have whitetaildeers in Finland. Whitetaildeers have been brought here in 1934 from Virgiana USA. Just few deers and they were released free. It has been a great succes and whitetaildeer is now in our area the main game. So thank you for this great animal. Actually whitetaildeer was first called as a "virginianpeura" which means Virginiadeer. Then it was called as a "Laukonpeura" which means Laukkoīs deer. That name comes from the mansion which land was the first place where whitetaildeers were released. This place is just about 20 kilometers from the place I live and hunt and these areas are most populated by whitetaildeers in Finland.
Whitetaildeers in Finland are quite large. Approximately adult bucks carcass weight is about 70-80kg and the largest are more than 90kg. Does are normally 40-60kg and fawns in hunting season are between 20 and 30kg.
I have heard that in america whitetailbucks antlers are not very solid. I really dont know is this true or not, or are there some major differences between bucks antlers in USA. Finnish whitetailbucks anyway have a very solid and tough antlers. I make a big part of my living by making and selling knives. I use a lot of whitetail antlers and I can say that itīs actually quite rare that adult whitetailbuck has not solid antlers. Also because of cold weather and long winters the fur of the whitetaildeers are very thick and furry in wintertime.
Roedeer is original Finnish animal, but in my area there are much more whitetails than roedeers. Roedeer has always been legal to hunt with bow and arrow and whitetaildeer has just legalized in this Autumn. 

I have made a lot of bows. Hundreds. I use to sell selfbows for many years but nowdays I sell them just randomly and took no more orders. Few last years I have use only sinew backed bows while hunting. I have found that even those are very sensitive with moisture and heath/cold, they are great bows for hunting. Here in Finland temperature can be in hunting season everything between +15C(59F) to -30C(-22). That changes bows features a lot. 45 pound bow turns to over 50 pounds in very cold and dry circumstances. But when you know your bow and know how it works in what ever circumstances, I think short sinewbacked bows are a good choice for a hunter who spends a lot of time in woods.
We just got our moosehunting done. 16 moose down. I shot one bull moose and two fawns. I just hope so much that some day moose is legal to hunt with bow and arrow in Finland. So far I have to use my rifle.
I tried to find some pics about this bow I used with these whitetails.
I will write a little story about these deerhunts for you soon.
There has been quite a lot of interest in Finland about my primitivebow deerhuntings. Iīve already wrote an article in Finnish Bowhunting Associations annual magazine and I will write about primitive bowhunting and primitive bows in to one of the biggest outdoor magazine in Finland "ERÄ-magazine" (I have actually had my own "traditional finnish woodlore"part in this magazine about 2 years. So I really want people to understand what kind of weapons are primitive bows.
Here are some pics about this exact bow I used with whitetailhunting.
By the way; there were quite nicely snow here but it all melted away. So itīs been total darkness here. Only couple of hours in middle day there is some light. But now itīs snowing again! That means more light and good changes to hunt with bow. So maybe I can soon share you some new bowhunting-deers! =D

Here is also one of my quivers. This one is made from roedeers fat tanned fur. Its quiet and very nice to carry.


Raccoon dogs are very common stuff for me to hunt.

I shot these in one night. There is a quite unique story behind this hunt. I first shot the rabbit and while after, I saw fox was fallowing this rabbits tracks. I shot this fox in exactly the same place where I shot the rabbit just a while before. One of the greatest moments for me as a bowhunter!

-Ilkka Seikku
www.rautasarvi.fi

[ksnow]

What an amazing story.  Congratulations on expanding bowhunting in your country.  Would love to see more pictures of your hunting.

Kyle

[GlisGlis]

Amazing hunts and beatiful knives and carvings !! exceptionals 

[Hawkdancer]

Quite an accomplishment, making the hunter and the hunted into quarry!  You are are obviously a master hunter!  Please post more pictures of your hunts and your gear!  Like your picture in the night!
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

That's some  mighty fine hunting. Thanks for sharing the pictures stories and information.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

rautasarvi.....Good shooting and nice pics.Keep em coming.Your a great ambassador of primitive weapon usage.Nice 5 curve type bow pictured.Congrats on your moose also.Thanks for sharing your pictures and accomplishments.I personally am staying at it here to harvest a whitetail into the early winter late fall with primitive weapons.
The white tail deer here in southern Iowa and generally in the midwest can get some good size to them too.Over 300 pounds is not unheard of.Lets' see 300 divided by 2.2[kg]=135kg.Usually that will be at least a 5 to 6 year old animal.Horns are hard as a rock.They get a very good diet here of grain crops seems to help them here,but generally fall into the range of weight you stated.It gets plenty cold in northern midwest here for good hair coats too.-20 to -30 below F. happens every year.
Keeping close track of any lame diseases like CWD etc. should be monitered.It is in the states that's for sure.Is there any studies on that in Finland?

[GlisGlis]

Raccon where imported too?
I believed them not to be an european species

[rautasarvi]

Raccon where imported too?
I believed them not to be an european species

Hello GlisGlis. Raccoon(Procyon lotor) is different species than raccoon dog(Nyctereutes procyonoides).
Raccoon dog is very common in Finland. Itīs not original animal in Finland. It has come to Finland from Russia but itīs not original in Russia either. Itīs origin is from East-Asia and it was came to Finland while raccoon dogs were import to western side of Ural in Russia.

Just before Christmas I got again one whitetaildeer with primitive bow. This is third deer with primitive bow and this time I got a little 5 point buck.
I made just a while ago one quite short and simple ash bow. I have quite a lot of bows, ofcourse, but I wanted to make this and try to get it made so that my deer arrows will be use with this bow. It became quite heavy and speedy bow. I usually change my sinew backed bow to wooden bow while it starts to get colder. Letīs say colder than -10C(14F).
This ash bow is a bit more than 60pounds and Im going to take it a bit lighter. As the temperature goes colder that -20C(4F) itīs not comfortable at all to shoot with hevier than 50-55pound bow while youīve wait animal for many hours still.
So about this deerhunt..
I was waiting about one and half hour while I saw a deer coming. That was grown up female and I was sure it does not have fawns. I have still few licenses and can shoot fawns, does and bucks. I really try to find a good spot but it was impossible even this doe was few times very close. Suddenly it raises its head and starts to stare on one point. I was still keeping my eyes on that doe and find good place to shoot. Doe quickly turns away and runs a bit further. "Thatīs it" I was thinking..
But at the same time I heard how snow made sounds while deer steps on it. Finally I also saw whatīs coming. Little buck with 5point antlers. Not anything great but anyway this would be my first buck with primitive bow.
It came right infront of me, little by little. It was very alert and I was trying to stand still. After maybe couple of minutes I saw it starts to relax. "Now itīs my time to make the move.."
I rise my bow carefully and all the time carefully watch where the ears and eyes of this buck are observing.
I got full draw and release the arrow. Fine sound and I actually saw how the arrow hit in front parts of lungs. "Yes!"
Buck turns and runs about 40 meters beeing all the time sso that I could see it. Then it stops. And falls on the snow.
After hit I started to count seconds; "one, two, th.." it really took less than three second to buck to run 40 meters and faal down. Quick death, I have to say. No movement of anykind.
I have a lot of antler and skull trophies. I have years took these kind of little antlers just for knifehandles etc. but this one Iīll surely make a trophy. Itīs a little one, but way more important than any of my 10+pointers shot with rifle. This is my first buck shot with primitive bow. And at the same time ofcourse the first whitetaildeer buck ever shot with primitive bow in Finland =D

[bjrogg]

Congratulations again Rautasarvi. I know exactly what you mean by it being a bigger trophy than your ten point. I'm pretty sure that this won't be your last Buck with your Primitive Bow
Bjrogg

[StickMark]

Waking up to read that another country is allowing large game bow hunting is uplifting.  Thanks for posting.  I enjoy reading about archers in other nations.  An old photo essay of the rural Finns making a composite bow of compression pine backed with birch still lingers in my mind. 
Congratulations on the deer. 

[Chief RID]

 (S)How great is that. Congrats on taking another great deer.

[rautasarvi]

Here we go again!
I got my fourth whitetaildeer with primitive bow couple days ago. There has been a lot of lynx-activity and deers have been very alert and hiding in very difficult places.
I shot this fawn from 10 meters and 3 meters high.
Simply ash bow, without nocking point or arrow rest or neither anything else.
There was quite a heavy snowing and not much of light when I saw two deers walking towards me. Doe and a fawn.
They stopped in about 30 meters. Suddenly a 6 point buck came there too. Doe gave him some claw and buck turned away. I decided to wait if that buck came back. But it did not came back, even it stayed quite close. I saw it many times in about 50 meters from me.
All the sudden there was another fawn too. I have no idea where it came. It was clearly smaller than the other one. I decided that Iīll shoot his little one. Very often these fawns which are clearly smaller, does not survive from the winter here.
So now my target was this fawn. I watched it while it was still in 30-40 meters and I was trying to "read" itīs behavior.
Not very alert and I noticed that it took few steps and stayed still for longer than deers normally. It was clearly hard for it to walk in deep snow.
Finally the bigger fawn started to walk closer. And after that, also doe and the small one walked closer. I rised my bow while the small one turned its side towards me in about 18 meters. Good spot, but the other fawn came in front of it. They stand there side by side about minute or so and then also the doe came in front of both fawns. Damn!
I watched them and beacause it was quite dark also, it was very hard to see from this one big black spot that whose head belongs to who!
Now one fawn turned other way, but I really couldnt be sure which one it is. I really wanted to shoot the little one, so it wouldnt starve to death during hard winter.
So I waited to be sure and also there were this buck still on the background so if these doe and fawns goes away, Im sure that this buck will fallow their tracks!
Now the doe walked suddenly very close to me. It was in about 6-7 meters from me and I saw how the little fawn follows it! But how in the hell could I get my bow up now while the doe is in front of me and her ears were observing my place!!??
Little by little the doe turns itīs head away from me and took few steps on the side. And there was the little fawn walking straight toward me. It stayed in about 10 meters and turned a little bit sideways. I didīn wait anymore; I rised my bow and let the arrow fly immediately. Good sound!
Fawn runs and other deers also.
I did not see clearly where this fawn went, but in a clean white snow, tracking is ridiculously easy, so I decided to wait.
I was sure for deadly shoot, so I was very comfort.
The thing I actually was waiting is doe and other fawn to came back. I have shot over hundred deers and observed nature and hunted all my life, and itīs sure thing that if doe does not see the fawn fall, it comes to check where the fawn has gone. It might take an hour or three, but it will come.
I saw just after a couple of minute that there were deer coming. But it was a fawn. Couldn be sure if itīs the one I have shoot or the other..
It stopped and stnad still in maybe 60 meters. I was thinking that could it be the fawn I just shot?? Maybe the shot was bad and go on stomach and now the deer just stands because walking is painful!?!?
But no. Suddenly this fawn walked away normally and I decided to wait no more. It was snowing so heavily that even the greatest blood tack goes away in few minutes.
First blood tracks were in about 10 meters from the place where the deer was while I shot it. It was easy to say, that the arrow has penetrate lungs. Track was clear and in about 50 meter there was whitetaildeer laying on the deep snow.Arrow was still attached in deer. Actually I saw first the arrow fletching, because the deer was so deep in the snow and about half of the arrow was outside.
The shot was a bit up and back but still clearly on the lungs. Lung are actually very large vitals. Iīve seen a lot of totally wrong anatomy in 3-d deers and other targets. Usually in those kind of targets the anatomy is same as it is with dead deers. With alive deer, lungs are much much bigger and also the place of for example heart, is a bit different.
I took the inserts and skin the deer. Weight a bit more than 20kg. Nice little fawn and easy to carry even in deep snow =)

I have now four whitetail deer with primitive bow. I know only one bowhunter who have took more deers with bow(compound bow) and thatīs five. So I have still one to go..
There are still few days this season and I try to get more deers with primitive bow. I think that would be a quite nice thing if the one who has get most deers with bow in Finlands first ever whitetail-bow-season, got those deers with a simple primitive bow. 

[BowEd]

Nice shooting and story.Congrats.Good eating on the agenda there.It's good your a trail blazer in your country hunting with primitive bows and arrows.Others might take up the challenge too.In the states here I would say it's still a very small percentage of bow hunters hunting with primitive bows and arrows but we do what we do to please ourselves.Nice hunting set up also.Your coming along fine.
Good to see a later posting of deer kills into the season.I hunt on snow here too many many times.It's always a nice experience.I like the quietness of it all myself.
Good luck on getting your final record breaking deer kill.