Bow hunter downs moose with single arrow
Photo courtesy Ben’s Trading Post
BRITTANY HUMPHREY, of New Gloucester, got this 828-pound moose with a single arrow while hunting in Easton Sept. 25. Here the bull is weighed at Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle.
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Hunting moose can be difficult for even the most experienced hunter using a rifle, but one young lady proved recently she can down big game with a bow and arrow just as easily as she can with a gun.
“Brittany Humphrey, of New Gloucester, got an 828-pound bull on Sept. 25 in Easton. It’s only about the third bow kill I’ve tagged since opening my business,” said Ben LeBlanc I, owner of Ben’s Trading Post in Presque Isle.
Ben LeBlanc II, who’s in charge of tagging, said this was the second bow kill this year.
“Don Hensel, of Marion, Ohio, got a bull weighing around 800 pounds in E Township,” said Ben II.
“Bow season for deer opens Oct. 3. It should be a bigger crowd, since hunters can shoot does during archery season,” said Ben II.
He said he hopes interest in the sport continues to grow. To encourage the sport, an indoor archery center will soon be established in the basement of the store.
“We’ll be opening the indoor archery center probably within a couple weeks. We’re basically the only such archery shop in the region. The next closest to shoot at is in Old Town,” said Ben II.
Brittany said although she’s been hunting for several years, bow hunting is a relatively new thing for her.
“I bought my bow last summer — July 2012; it’s a PSE Rally. I use Beman arrows and G5 Montec broadheads. I grew up in a big hunting family, watching my dad and brother shoot out in the yard at targets and use their bows during deer season. When I graduated from UMPI, I knew I would have more time to hunt so I went out and bought a bow from Central Maine Archery. I have had some great success hunting for deer and moose with my rifle and shotgun, so I thought it would be fun to try something more challenging,” said Brittany.
As luck would have it, Brittany didn’t have to wait long to get her moose.
“I shot one arrow at the moose. That’s all it took,” she said. “My brother had the permit and I was sub-permittee.”
She said several members of her family made the trip to The County to go hunting last week.
“My brother, Cody (Humphrey), and my dad, Lonnie (Humphrey) — both from New Gloucester — were with me when I shot the moose Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. My uncle, Mark Rawnsley of Cumberland and brother-in-law Tyler Delaney, of New Gloucester, were up to scout on Sunday and for the hunt all day Monday, but had to head home on Tuesday mid-day,” she said.
Brittany said this isn’t her first moose hunt, noting the family’s had exceptional luck with being drawn for the annual event.
“I have been on six successful Humphrey family moose hunts. My mom, Pam (Humphrey), got the first permit of the family in 1998 when I was 9 years old. My twin sister, Danni (Delaney) got a permit the first year she put in for one in 2000, when we were 10 years old. My mom got drawn again in 2007, when I was 18, but let me shoot the moose as her sub-permittee. In 2010, my dad got drawn, and in 2012 I got drawn but since I had already gotten a moose, I let my brother, Cody, shoot it. This year, Cody was drawn and returned the favor and let me shoot my second moose,” said Brittany.
She said she’s been hunting for as long as she can remember.
“Before I could carry a gun, I would go and sit with my mom and dad when they went out hunting. I started to carry a gun when I was 10 years old. I have shot a deer every year since I was 10. My biggest deer was just last fall when I shot a 10-point, 209-pound buck. He was a beautiful deer,” she said.
Like Brittany, her sister and mother have both hunted for numerous years and have shot moose and multiple deer.
“My sister, Danni, shot her biggest buck in the fall of 2011 weighing in at 235 pounds and was a 10-point,” she said.
She said she might not have been successful, had it not been for the help of a friend with a tracking dog.
“I’d like to thank Susanne Hamilton and her tracking dog, Buster, for driving up from the Belfast area in the middle of the night to track and find my moose at 3 a.m. They’re the best,” she said.
For others interested in archery, Brittany offered a few tips.
“The more you practice, the more confident you will feel with your shot. Make sure you are always trying to do your repetitions the same way each and every time. The more of a habit it becomes, the easier and more natural it will feel when you are out shooting live game. There are some great archery programs available; consult your local archery store for more information,” said Brittany.
Brittany, Danni and Cody are all graduates of the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Hunting brings them back to an area they’ve grown to love.
“I graduated from UMPI in 2011, along with my twin sister. Cody just graduated this past spring. Spending four years in The County was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I’m really glad I was able to have the opportunity to travel back up and shoot a moose in the area,” said Brittany.
To learn more about the family’s latest hunting adventures, look for Humphrey Family Outdoors on Facebook.
