Hey Gang,
tonight I am filled with so many emotions I don't know what to make of it.
The last couple years of bowhunting have been tough in their own way. Last year I shot a deer while stillhunting through what looked like high through the lungs and was unable to find it after hours of searching. The year before this I had another solid hit in which the deer just stopped bleeding and went into an area with tracks everywhere...no sight of the deer after hours of searching. Man o man that sucks.
Bowhunting this year has been tough. I couldn't even tell you how many days and hours I logged in the woods scouting, setting up, hunting and planning this year...a lot let me tell you. Then add in all the time spent building my bows, tuning arrows, and all that...a lot of effort. All this bow season(both early and late season) I had not had a decent shot opportunity on any deer. It would always be they're either too far or running or something where I couldn't get a shot. I did end up getting a doe with the gun, but that's nothing like the close in experience of the bow. Nonetheless I kept going knowing that someday it would come together. Well, tonight was that night...sort of.
I went out and sat this afternoon over one of our bait sites in a cedar swamp that was getting hit really hard. My friend had seen deer there every time he sat. I was pretty excited and slipped into the spot as quietly as possible in order not to spook any deer bedded nearby. The wind was perfect for this blind and I proceeded to place the two gallons of bait I had brought in about 18 yards away from the blind in the shooting lane. I then settled in for the evening sit. I made sure this night to move as little as possible as the deer show up so close in the thick swamp.
Well, 4:00 rolls around and I look up and there behind my bait is a nice doe. My heart begins to race as I look down to nock a zwickey tipped arrow. She proceeds slowly in checking all around her before she begins to feed. That's when she catches sight of me. She would stare at me, go down for a mouthful, then go right back up again and stare at me while she chewed and swallowed. I could not get the draw off. This went on for probably 15 minutes when a fawn comes in. The doe seems to be moving off and I don't want her to take the fawn with so I keep my draw hand out ready for the shot when it comes. Well, the doe comes back in doing the same thing; staring, grabbing a mouthful, staring, etc. Well, by this time my bare hands have been exposed in 20 degree cold for at least 25 minutes. The fingers on my draw hand are numb, but I don't want to warm them and miss a shot opportunity. Well, I decided I was going to give it a go and shoot the next time she put her head down. There it goes, my draw hand comes back, I reach anchor and release...since my fingers were numb I ended up pulling the shot and shot right over the top of her burying the arrow into a cedar tree behind her. Both deer run off not sure what to think of what just happened.
And so here I am; I just had the shot opportunity I had been waiting and working 4 months for and I miss. But, then the shakes start to come...the ones that come after an encounter like this, the uncontrollable ones. There is no other feeling like this and I am filled with joy for having had that opportunity. I just don't know what to make of it. I feel both joy and heartbreak, thankfullness for the opportunity yet dissapointment at myself at the same time. What's a guy to do? It's like all my hard work is not paying off, but it is. Man, I'm confused! :( ......
Topic: The joy and the pain... (Read 407 times)
