Horseshoes and hand grenades

[longbow fanatic 1]

I guess close only count in...

I hunted a public land area tonight for the first time. At 5:10 PM, I caught movement ahead of me. As I looked more closely, I noticed a deer coming down a trail, which is cut between two large bluffs. As I watched the deer, later determined to be a nice basket rack buck, quickly make his way down the trail toward my location, my mental distance estimation detector was showing red for don't shoot. Then the buck reached a fork in the trail and began coming my way. As he changed directions and began ambling my direction, he stopped broadside with his vitals sandwiched nicely between two trees, reminiscent of a 3-D target from this past summer. All the sudden, my mental distance estimation detector turned green. I pulled to anchor, carefully aimed and loosed the arrow. The buck wheeled and ran, but I failed to hear the tell-tale smack which I fully expected to hear.

After several minutes, I climbed down and walked straight to the two trees, which had so nicely framed the image of the deer's vitals for me. Right there, betwixt the two trees, was my arrow, stuck in the soil and unstained by blood...A clean miss.

Evidently my mental distance estimation detector was malfunctioning. I thought the deer was in my "wheelhouse." Sadly, he was just beyond the range I had calibrated my brain to shoot.

I am so glad it was a clean miss!

[Hot Hap]

Keep at it. It'll come together. I'm finally going to get out tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Hap

[longbow fanatic 1]

Good luck, Hap!

[ChuckC]

It'll happen.  Keep after em.  Hey you did something right and got a shot !  It is raining here in Wisconsin, again, and it was the youth gun hunt this weekend.  

Hoping I can get out tomorrow afternoon for a sit.

Good luck
ChuckC

[Josh Perdue]

That's happened to everyone that's bow hunted any length of time. Keep at it buddy.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Sound like it time for a cal check  

[longbow fanatic 1]

Thanks guys! ChuckC, yea I avoided WI. this weekend because of youth gun season. I think I may head up tomorrow for an evening hunt too. SouthMS, yea it's funny how you pick out your pre determined distances. The when a buck comes down the trail quickly, you lose sight of exactly where your pre determined max. distance was. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to make the mental correction. As the season progresses, my re-cal will be corrected.  

[beaunaro]

Dennis,
I can just picture your view of the deer. Nice description! Better luck on the next one.
I spent last week in Manitoba and came home with a gorgeous mocha chocolate, 300#  barren sow black bear. We also caught 18 and 20" rainbows and browns every morning.
Sadly, I had to use the rifle on the bear, but they were few and far between,(only saw 3 on camera) and would not cooperate at bow range in shooting light. I didn't feel too bad, therefore, following the outfitter's suggestion and backing off the bait with a ground blind.
I'm hoping to get out this week bowhunting deer at home. No one has hunted my little spot here for 3 weeks.
Come on up and join me.

Sometimes "it" just happens!

Sorry you did not get the deer but glad it was a clean miss and not worse!

Besides, you got to have all of the fun with none of the work!

Better luck next time out.

Bisch

[Boomerang]

So do you think you went over it or under it?

[Hoyt]

Least you got to shoot. Since Oct. 1st I've hunted 5 days behind my house in Shawnee National Forest, seen 39 deer 11 of them racked bucks 7 of them within 10yds of my tree along with 4 does from 5yd to 20 and haven't shot yet.

[VictoryHunter]

Bummer!

[glenbo]

I will take a clean miss over a bad hit any day.

[Cookie125]

Keep at it, I had the same thing happen last weekend with a coyote. Judged him just shy of where he was really at and just shaved some fur off of him. I like a clean miss over a cripple. Good luck with the rest of your season.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by glenbo:
I will take a clean miss over a bad hit any day.

My thoughts exactly!

[longbow fanatic 1]

Hey Irv, Congrats on your Canada bear. That is awesome! I have some 10 days off in November. Maybe I can get up to your place to shoot one of those fat Does!

[longbow fanatic 1]

Boomerang, not sure, but I think I went under him.

[Jayrod]

keep at it man everything happens for a reason maybe the guy above will bless you with a BRUTE!!!