Advice needed to get back in the tree

mn.moose · 10-17-2012, 01:10 PM

Wanted to say that I missed my very first kill with a bow the other week and having troubles dealing with it. I have been a long time hunter and thought after 2 year of practice thought I would try the bow. Scoped out my location and came up with a game plan. Cut a small lane for identifying then I left a big section of tall weeds as a natural screen. Then I cut a wide section for the kill, followed by another screen of weeds before another small shooting lane. Behind me is a creek with a steep bank, followed by my 23 yards of woods that leads to a bean/corn field. So just as I planned a real nice shooter buck comes out of no where and is in my first cut and looking right at me, I wait for him to get in the screen area and stand up and draw. At this point 30 seconds has gone by and he has his full body into my shooting lane. I give a quick grunt noise to stop him and release the arrow. At this point I cannot believe that my plan has worked as designed, I have spent only 3 hours in the tree total! BUT... I stuck it right in the should bone and barely penetrated.

Needless to say the deer is still running and counting it's lucky stars. Everyone keep telling me that it happens to every bow hunter but I cannot help but feel irresponsible for my poor shot. Any advice that can help me get back in the tree?

Buckslayer24 · 10-18-2012, 02:17 AM

I feel your pain brother. I have been there before. The only thing i can say about that is a few years ago i was pretty much in the same scenario, wanting to shoot myself in the foot for wounding such a nice deer.

. Three weeks after my poor shooting episode my brother-in-law killed the buck i had previously shot with my bow.Had the scar high in his shoulder to prove it. He was chasing a doe, so i assume he was doing ok. The only thing you can do, is hope the deer servives, learn from this, and become a better hunter for it. Good luck and stay after it.

Ohansolo · 10-23-2012, 04:32 PM

Irresponsible would be if you don't feel that way. It is an accomplishment to get any deer with a bow. stick with it. lots of bow hunters will wait for the close leg to be forward to shoot. I don't and it is hard to do that if you have to stop the deer. IMHO the hardest two parts about bow hunting are getting them close which it sounds like you have handled. the other is making the perfict shots on deer like you do on a target. when they are close it is hard to keep from just letting fly. And remember that even pros make bad shots sometimes. heck what happened to you happens with gun hunters too as i am sure you know.

Ohansolo · 10-23-2012, 04:38 PM

Also I only use slick tricks 1 inch because I know I will get through a shoulder. the doe I took this year was quarted at me hard. I went through the spine of the shoulder then through the shoulder blade its self. not saying tricks are the only head that will do that but that is why I use a smaller cut diameter head. get back out there and give em hell. you will be happy you did.