Stupid Mistake.... Lesson learned ....Good day nevertheless.

[BEN]

Made a REAL stupid mistake today and cost me what would have been my first Trad-buck, only 2nd. trad-deer. Not a monster, not even a bragger, just a scraggly little 6 pt with a busted up head (looked like he tangled with somebody bigger than him).
Any way, first mistake I guess, was I didn't stand up and turn towards him when I saw him out 60-70 yds to my left. I waited till I was sure he was coming in and then it was amazing how fast he covered ground. I got stood up, but that  was it, before he was 15 yds and closer. I didn't dare turn and figured he would come past me. He did---after he walked directly under and stopped under my stand! I was watching him through the steel mesh. Then he angled out away to my front/right.
Second mistake was instead of thinking "you're dead", I was thinking " man, he's close, I hope he doesn't see me make this move."
Final BIG mistake: I was looking at my spot and noticed my broadhead in my peripheral. I thought I'd use the tip to keep 'on' him since he was walking and in so doing raised my arm up to do so and let it loose. Arrow zipped right over his shoulder @ 20 FEET.      
He jumped like someone kicked him, ran justa little ways and started high-stepping around with his head up high like "what was that!" Then just calmly walked away.

10 min. later 2 does angled in from my right and fed on hillside for about 45 minutes, never closer than 30 yds. While I was watching them a nice 8 pt. buck angled in after them. Still not closer than 30 yds. He followed them over the ridge and 10 minutes later came back on my side but farther down and all I could do was watch him make his rounds to my left and back behind me. This all happened between 8-9 am. By about 10, I was tired of seeing my arrow sticking up in the leaves and decided to call it quits. Lots of hair on the ground around my arrow, not a drop of blood--so clean, "Close shave with Death" for him   :D  and lesson learned for me   :rolleyes:

Might be out of luck for awhile now. Supposed to rain better part of next 36 hours and I gotta work 8 days (12 hours) straight after that. Maybe a day or so around Thanksgiving, but then gun season is upon us.    

Good luck out there!

Ben  

[hit or miss]

I shot under a buck last night and over a doe!

I feel like a moron, I've never had so much trouble picking a spot as I have since I started hunting again.

[vermonster13]

You were having that much action and left! You Ohio boys are spoiled I tell you what.    

[bowhunterfrompast]

Originally posted by vermonster13:
You were having that much action and left! You Ohio boys are spoiled I tell you what.      

 no way I would let a little arrow make me leave all that action.

[BEN]

Yeah, well, in my defense, I did have to go to the dentist    
Went out tonight in my little 4 acre woods behind my house. Saw 36 turkeys, several squirrels---no deer. Guess what, my wife saw 4 does walk just within our woodline, behind the dog kennel, not 20 yds from the back door. talk about ironic!          

Ben