clean miss or bad hit that is the question

[Traditional-Archer]

Friend brings up some great points and a reflection of my points, if we look at shooting game with a respect that is completely unwavering and has a 100% of our attention and focus, we probably would make very few shot mistakes. Knowing our limits, our effective range, and our tracking ability  probably is the main ingredient here. And if we should bring with us from the field a lesson learned from a great hunt or a bad experience we succeed.  Now understand I am not judging anyone I am talking to myself as much as trying to share an interesting view I was looking at from outside myself recently.
What is a successful hunt? To me I know I put everything I could into preparing for the game I am pursuing and can take that knowledge into the field and am able to execute and succeed in the shot.
If I miss an animal I know I did something wrong I was not properly prepared for what came about. I try to limit myself to set points I put on myself. For instance, keeping my shots within my effective range and hunting on days with high recovery expectations, not in the rain. And the list can go on for each person it is different. When we cheat and go outside these limits we are setting ourselves up for a bad shot or the same thing missed shot.

[bswear]

But the fear of failure is one of the strongest obstacles humans face.  As strong as this emotion is, fear of success in a strange way also holds us back.   In any athletic endeavor, from football to archery, fundamentals are the foundation that allows the task to be completed under great emotional pressure.  If your form is solid the  fears either pro or con will not prevent a good shot.  This traditional archery is very complex, but you will only perform when the chips are down if you have mastered the fundamentals.

[bswear]

But the fear of failure is one of the strongest obstacles humans face.  As strong as this emotion is, fear of success in a strange way also holds us back.   In any athletic endeavor, from football to archery, fundamentals are the foundation that allows the task to be completed under great emotional pressure.  If your form is solid the  fears either pro or con will not prevent a good shot.  This traditional archery is very complex, but you will only perform when the chips are down if you have mastered the fundamentals.

[Onehair]

I had a bad run, mostly not controlling my emotions and thought process during the shot. Lots of long bloodtrails as well as some clean misses. The turning point was missing a doe 3 times at easy yardage. Kind of an eye opener for a guy that has been at this for 30 years. Any way I attached a SR sight, took a nice buck the first day. Got the monkey off my back , removed the SR ,determined to never take a shot that I was not sure of and if I didn't have the "look", I let down. 14 in a row piled up in sight but then last year after a perfect execution, I lost a doe. It can happen as we are only a part of the equation.

[reddogge]

I had a clean miss on a big 8 point a couple of years ago that still haunts me. I was in a ground blind during an early heavy wet snow storm and dusk was approaching quickly. Several does came through and were followed by this buck I'd seen before. He stopped 12 yards from me but facing me and fed unconcerned for 15 minutes while I was quickly loosing light. It was rally dingy when he turned broadside and I drew and let the arrow go. Much to my horror he just stood there and then took off not too quickly.

It was dark enough I couldn't see the arrow flight at all. I wasn't nervous as I watched him for 15 minutes up close. The shot felt perfect. The arrow was found with no blood, hair...a clean miss. My only explanation was the arrow clipped an unseen twig in the natural pine bough blind.

A clean miss is better than a wounded and unrecovered animal.

[Traditional-Archer]

Onehair, I had a similar scenario last year, that is a big part for the idea of this thread. I was having trouble with my shoulder; I was convinced my rotator cuff was shot. I miss a buck at 12 yards again at 15 yards I believe he turned around and pointed his middle hoof at me when I missed again at 20 yards. I could not believe I missed three times in twenty yards, all three shots over his back right in line with his vitals. I was ready to give up that night because of the problems I was having. The next day I put an arrow right in the boiler.
I went home and stopped shooting, I had to come up with a plan. I decided to, not shoot for at least three month, it was hard but I did it. My brother came into town and I got the bow out to shoot with my best friend of 45 years. My shoulder felt great and still does, I have limited my shooting now to a 20 to 30 minute practice a day instead of an hour or better. I’m shooting better now than I have ever shot. Practice smarter not harder. I did shoot a doe at twenty yards last year before the buck incident but I did not hit her where I wanted to, I was lucky to find her.

[NYArrow]

Clean miss is the same as wounded animal in my book. Obviously circumstances will change and we all miss or make poor shots. However, for every time this has happened I have lost sleep - tossed, turned and tracked for hours to try and resolve my guilt.

It's inexcusable to miss or wound a deer. Extenuating circumstances exist, challenges present themselves - and that is what hunting is about! However, if your're not harvesting animals 4 out of 5 shots then you shouldn't be hunting with that weapon.

[Pine]

I have missed because of unseen obstructions like a green brier . I am glad at that point that the arrow never hit the deer and I feel in a case like that the miss is better . I do see what you are getting at though .

[Clinglish]

For me personally I prefer to miss than wound but both occasions have me analyzing my shot sequence to try to see what I forgot, most of the time it's not picking a spot that leads to the chance to learn.

[Roger Norris]

Originally posted by longbow fanatic 1:
Bruce,

Interesting point. For may trad archers who shoot more instinctively, the miss may be caused by many different factors but that is another issue for discussion later. A miss from this type of shooter is, in many ways, similar to an arrant throw by an MLB third baseman. How can that happen? This professional athlete has made that throw tens of thousands of times in his life and hundreds, if not more, of times each season. That said, misses happen, especially when eye hand coordinations issues come into play.

For archers who shoot the gap method, misses can occur by misjudging yardage and simply shooting the wrong gap estimation.

A very good trad archer friend of mine, who has attended Rick Welch's archery lessons, said to me that the left to right arrows we shoot are the arrows we need to be most concerned with. Those are form breakdowns. The high and low arrows are simply a misjudging of distance, which if you shoot archery long enough and happens to us all.

Dennis

The left/right high/low observation is an excellent point.

[Bowwild]

Great point KSDan.  I suppose the only time a 1" "miss" is truly that is if a person was shooting at the eye of a turkey.

Over the years a common comment I've heard from mostly new archers is that they didn't "kill one" but they hit one.  It's as if the "hit" (wound) is a consolation prize and evidence that they are almost competent. Now, the fellows that I've heard say this aren't bad folks or even unethical. They just have some maturing to do.

I have a theory about folks who don't feel bad enough when they wound an animal, no matter what kind of equipment (bows and guns) they used.  Folks that shrug off a wound don't spend enough time following up.  

When I've made a poor shot I know that I've just committed myself, and probably my son to many hours of very difficult and most likely disappointing follow-up.  This costs time, energy, emotion, and really spreads human scent and commotion throughout the hunting area.

I can think of nothing in hunting that I despise or regret more than a shot gone wrong. Personally, I've found the only thing that speeds up putting this behind me is a shot gone right.

A pet peeve of mine is the comment that some will make about very large deer. I've heard folks comment that they would shoot further than they feel competent if the deer was super big. That's exactly the animal I would take no chances with.

I'm a wildlife biologist so before someone thinks I put too much weight on the impacts on the animal, that's not where I'm coming from. Its the impact on my hunter psyche that I regard the highest. I love wildlife but I also know they are put here for my wise use and enjoyment.

[Traditional-Archer]

Wow interesting bowild, all though I agree will much of what you say here. I can't say I distinguish one animals importance from another. I feel if a shot is good for one specimen it is good for all the same regardless of the trophy size. Each person has there belief of what a large trophy is and it should never matter what size it is to determine if you shoot or not. Either you have a good shot or you don't.

[vermonster13]

My arrows always go to the spot I pick. Sometimes there is something in the spot closer than my actual target, sometimes I pick the wrong spot, but it is never the arrow or bows fault. They're spot on.    

[Traditional-Archer]

Vermonster13, you have a way of explaining the whole truth and nothing but.

Like your bow and arrows my bow does not complain about the direction it is shot in. Although my arrows do sometimes especially if there is a rock at the other end.

[Bow Bum]

I've had the fortune, or misfortune of only missing 2 of some 20+ collective deer. Unfortunately a percentage larger than I prefer have been wounded and unrecovered. I do get some crap occasionally from folks who have accrued less wounded, but more blatently missed deer. So who would be considered a "better" or "worse" hunter... EVERY clean miss has an exact equal opportunity to be a wounded animal. I take a clean miss as serious as a wounding shot, because to me, they might as well be the same.

Great subject!

B

[Traditional-Archer]

Bow Bum, I don't think you are alone many feel the same way about missed game. This sport is very hard and there are so many different situations that we are exsposed to in the field while hunting. There is no way a person can have a perfect record of success by bringing home the game we pursue every time. We are human and we make mistakes. You and I get that like so many here. I relate with you on your belief. Thanks for joining in on the conversation.
 Bruce

[wandering monk]

very interseting topic...I would have to say for myself that most oppurtunitys bowhunting that have eneded up in misses or bad hits were 100% my own fault...

so that means if I practice with my gear...and also learn to excersize discipline when taking a shot...or better yet letting the ctritter pass for another day is , and has been the most important thing I have learned in several decades of doing this...

it only took a few sleepless nights hoping I would find that game the next day to make me take this all a lot more seriously...

a lot of folks are enamored with the romance of traditional archery, but never truly understand that the gear we use does make it not only more difficult, but require a greater amount of discipline and awareness of what we are doing...not too mention the skill required to get closer to game that maybe 40 yards...how about 20...

actually I like 15 a whole lot!!

I would rather much more hear about a trad guys harvest of a doe than a nice buck(after a few losses)...

we all have to live with our own decisions and regulation on what we do...

[Traditional-Archer]

Wandering monk, I'm with you on the 20 yard and even 15 yard limits. I never took a shot more than 30 yards even when I shot trainingwheels, I think these hero's shooting 40,50 and even out to 80 yards on the hunting shows are stupid. Not only for taking those shots but for televising such hunts and making every guy watching the show think they can do the same thing, if they only use the gadgets on the hunt that the hero is using. Now that is a very strong opinion I know, another day another topic.
   

[wandering monk]

no need to apologize for common sense and wisdom...the shooters that are going way out there are reckless and have never watched a critter winter through one of their botched attempts...

a deer shot with perfect accuracy in one second or less( the time even a fast arrow takes to connect) can move enough to make that perfect double lung turn into a miserable gut or non lethal leg shot..

maybe they dont care as much as we do about the creatures, and are looking for some kind of gratifafacation from a kill...

I do...and unless I am using a 30/06 or similar I will continue my discipline of the close ins...