Let me try this again!
My name is Bobby Minchew. I’m 44 years old.Born in Houston, raised in Conroe, and live in Kingwood now.Grew up in a hunting household, but never went deer hunting.My dad raised powerful coon hounds and we went hunting a lot.Rabbits and squirrels were my favorite critters to chase.
I killed a deer on Thanksgiving day when I was 16. It was a freak thing with a 20 gauge and I’m not sure that the statutes of limitations have expired so we will keep at that.
I joined the Marines when I was 17. I served 4 years in an infantry unit and got to see a lot of places. I got out shortly after Desert Storm and hired on with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 1992. I’ve been there ever since and just hit my 22nd anniversary. I also teach undergraduate Criminal Justice at Lonestar College.
I’m currently assigned as a sergeant/investigator in the Cold Case (Homicide) unit.
I’m married to Mary Dee (also works for the Sheriff’s Office).I have 5 kids and 3 grandkids.
Back to hunting…I have an Uncle that took me deer hunting a few times. I didn’t get anything, but knew that I wanted to deer hunt.Uncle Joe got me on his east Tx timber lease in San Jacinto County around 2001.I hunted there for 3 years.I shot a few small bucks and was able to get a couple of my kids on their first deer.I would watch my uncle go out in bow season with a very old PSE bow and wearing his work clothes and Wal-Mart loafers.He got a deer every year.I started getting the bow itch.
My wife bought me a Hoyt Magnatec with all the trimmings. I couldn’t wait to shoot a big old buck with my bow.I knew it would be easy since my uncle did it every year.But just to make sure I had no problems, I went ahead and purchased about $400 worth of Scentlock clothing and some other cool products that my uncle wasn’t using. I don’t think I have to tell you how my first deer hunting season turned out.I got busted by so many deer that they started coming in just for the comic relief aspect of it.
We ended up losing the east Tx lease and got on one in Rocksprings. It was a big change.I was determined to get a deer with my bow but it didn’t work out.I hurt my hand at work and couldn’t shoot a bow at all.But I did get my first real buck!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLuH-lns0c"]Rocksprings Buck - YouTube[/ame]
I got an invite to a good lease in Kerrville from TBH’er Doug and was finally able to connect on my first deer with a bow.
I ended up joining that lease and shooting a few more deer with my bow.
I really learned a lot about bowhunting from my friend Charlie Cheatom (Saltwaterslick). He started inviting me to his awesome lease in Del Rio and shot a LOT of deer, turkey, and javelin.I also went hunting with TBHer Coup de Grace out there.Target rich environment to say the least.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3Yy-_A0Cs"]Big 8pt Down in Del Rio - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbEKLPYBX9o"]3 Bow Kills in Del Rio - YouTube[/ame]
Around 2007 I scored a nice lease in Schleicher County. I was there for 3 years.I shot some nice deer there as well.
The best part of all my hunting….all 5 of my kids have bow kills! I’m very proud of that.
So….how did I get interested in Traditional Archery? I would say TBH had a big influence on that.I saw the tight-knit community here and had some friends that shot trad bows.I ended up buying a Hoyt Dorado recurve.I practiced a lot and ended up shooting a hog with it on my first hunting trip with it.
I drew back on a few deer with the bow but just never got the close, relaxed shot that I wanted. And then life happened.
2009…colon cancer. Surgery, chemo.
2010….the cancer came back. Surgery chemo.
2011…the cancer came back. Surgery and removal of my entire colon.
I didn’t hunt much during those 3 years but I did get to go to Canada (Manitoba) in between my chemo sessions. I shot the buck of my lifetime (a 325 lb. 163” 9 point).It was a muzzleloader hunt but I was very proud of that deer.
TBH really saved me and my family while I was fighting cancer. Lots of fundraisers and auctions.A friend of Saltwaterslick’s gave him a recurve bow to give to me.He told me to either sell it and raise money or shoot it.It was so nice, I just couldn’t part with it.Palmer Classic take-down recurve.
I got fired up about trad shooting again after my life settled down a bit.
I shot a few hogs on a liberty county lease.
Later I ended up at a TBH Trad hunt at Buff’s place. Chunky was there along with several other trad guys whom I admired.I ended up shooting a fallow doe on video.I was very proud of that deer and the fact that all of my practice had paid off with a perfect shot.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02iWDU4CbY"]Traditional Bowhunters Rendezvous II @ bigoakbowhunting.com - YouTube[/ame]
I continued to practice in hopes of getting my first trad whitetail but it wasn’t meant to be. I developed a bad case of tendonitis in my left elbow and I couldn’t draw a bow without pain.I put the bow up and worked on getting my elbow better (cortisone shots, PT, rest).It’s finally feeling better and Sacajawea seemed to be a better fit for me (less weight, smoother draw).
I was only able to target shoot with her for the first two weeks. I didn’t have any arrows to work with except for the ones that are tuned to my Palmer. But I was able to get her to group fairly well (but to the left).I used a little Kentucky windage and got pretty good with her in a short time.
I took her to our place in Centerville to shoot some rabbits. As luck would have it, I went from being surrounded by rabbits to only seeing a few.I took a few shots at a couple rabbits.The first one I hit left (surprise) and the second one I hit just a tad low and scraped his belly.
I wish I could have done more with the bow but I’m glad I got to shoot her and hope that not too much of my bad luck rubbed off on her.
Thanks to Mark and to the Sarrels' for making this possible.
My name is Bobby Minchew. I’m 44 years old.Born in Houston, raised in Conroe, and live in Kingwood now.Grew up in a hunting household, but never went deer hunting.My dad raised powerful coon hounds and we went hunting a lot.Rabbits and squirrels were my favorite critters to chase.
I killed a deer on Thanksgiving day when I was 16. It was a freak thing with a 20 gauge and I’m not sure that the statutes of limitations have expired so we will keep at that.
I joined the Marines when I was 17. I served 4 years in an infantry unit and got to see a lot of places. I got out shortly after Desert Storm and hired on with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 1992. I’ve been there ever since and just hit my 22nd anniversary. I also teach undergraduate Criminal Justice at Lonestar College.
I’m currently assigned as a sergeant/investigator in the Cold Case (Homicide) unit.
I’m married to Mary Dee (also works for the Sheriff’s Office).I have 5 kids and 3 grandkids.
Back to hunting…I have an Uncle that took me deer hunting a few times. I didn’t get anything, but knew that I wanted to deer hunt.Uncle Joe got me on his east Tx timber lease in San Jacinto County around 2001.I hunted there for 3 years.I shot a few small bucks and was able to get a couple of my kids on their first deer.I would watch my uncle go out in bow season with a very old PSE bow and wearing his work clothes and Wal-Mart loafers.He got a deer every year.I started getting the bow itch.
My wife bought me a Hoyt Magnatec with all the trimmings. I couldn’t wait to shoot a big old buck with my bow.I knew it would be easy since my uncle did it every year.But just to make sure I had no problems, I went ahead and purchased about $400 worth of Scentlock clothing and some other cool products that my uncle wasn’t using. I don’t think I have to tell you how my first deer hunting season turned out.I got busted by so many deer that they started coming in just for the comic relief aspect of it.
We ended up losing the east Tx lease and got on one in Rocksprings. It was a big change.I was determined to get a deer with my bow but it didn’t work out.I hurt my hand at work and couldn’t shoot a bow at all.But I did get my first real buck!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLuH-lns0c"]Rocksprings Buck - YouTube[/ame]
I got an invite to a good lease in Kerrville from TBH’er Doug and was finally able to connect on my first deer with a bow.
I ended up joining that lease and shooting a few more deer with my bow.
I really learned a lot about bowhunting from my friend Charlie Cheatom (Saltwaterslick). He started inviting me to his awesome lease in Del Rio and shot a LOT of deer, turkey, and javelin.I also went hunting with TBHer Coup de Grace out there.Target rich environment to say the least.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3Yy-_A0Cs"]Big 8pt Down in Del Rio - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbEKLPYBX9o"]3 Bow Kills in Del Rio - YouTube[/ame]
Around 2007 I scored a nice lease in Schleicher County. I was there for 3 years.I shot some nice deer there as well.
The best part of all my hunting….all 5 of my kids have bow kills! I’m very proud of that.
So….how did I get interested in Traditional Archery? I would say TBH had a big influence on that.I saw the tight-knit community here and had some friends that shot trad bows.I ended up buying a Hoyt Dorado recurve.I practiced a lot and ended up shooting a hog with it on my first hunting trip with it.
I drew back on a few deer with the bow but just never got the close, relaxed shot that I wanted. And then life happened.
2009…colon cancer. Surgery, chemo.
2010….the cancer came back. Surgery chemo.
2011…the cancer came back. Surgery and removal of my entire colon.
I didn’t hunt much during those 3 years but I did get to go to Canada (Manitoba) in between my chemo sessions. I shot the buck of my lifetime (a 325 lb. 163” 9 point).It was a muzzleloader hunt but I was very proud of that deer.
TBH really saved me and my family while I was fighting cancer. Lots of fundraisers and auctions.A friend of Saltwaterslick’s gave him a recurve bow to give to me.He told me to either sell it and raise money or shoot it.It was so nice, I just couldn’t part with it.Palmer Classic take-down recurve.
I got fired up about trad shooting again after my life settled down a bit.
I shot a few hogs on a liberty county lease.
Later I ended up at a TBH Trad hunt at Buff’s place. Chunky was there along with several other trad guys whom I admired.I ended up shooting a fallow doe on video.I was very proud of that deer and the fact that all of my practice had paid off with a perfect shot.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02iWDU4CbY"]Traditional Bowhunters Rendezvous II @ bigoakbowhunting.com - YouTube[/ame]
I continued to practice in hopes of getting my first trad whitetail but it wasn’t meant to be. I developed a bad case of tendonitis in my left elbow and I couldn’t draw a bow without pain.I put the bow up and worked on getting my elbow better (cortisone shots, PT, rest).It’s finally feeling better and Sacajawea seemed to be a better fit for me (less weight, smoother draw).
I was only able to target shoot with her for the first two weeks. I didn’t have any arrows to work with except for the ones that are tuned to my Palmer. But I was able to get her to group fairly well (but to the left).I used a little Kentucky windage and got pretty good with her in a short time.
I took her to our place in Centerville to shoot some rabbits. As luck would have it, I went from being surrounded by rabbits to only seeing a few.I took a few shots at a couple rabbits.The first one I hit left (surprise) and the second one I hit just a tad low and scraped his belly.
I wish I could have done more with the bow but I’m glad I got to shoot her and hope that not too much of my bad luck rubbed off on her.
Thanks to Mark and to the Sarrels' for making this possible.
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