Sharing Failures

[JamesD]

It’s human nature to tell everyone about what we accomplish. I believe that there is as much if not more to learn, when we share our mistakes and failures with each other.  The photos attached below are from a shot opportunity this past season, that occurred  thirty minutes into the waiting  period for the first doe that harvested/arrowed this year. I realize in posting these photos that many will not take shots at animals that are quartering to you. I do, and the point of this post is not to discuss or debate taking or not taking a shot at this angle on an animal. What I want to discuss is that I did not pick up on the doe going from relaxed to full alert while I was at full draw. The result was a deer that ducked just before the arrow got to her and a non lethal wound, but a wound nevertheless. Just for reference, this was a ten to twelve yard shot. The third photo has my arrow circled in red before the doe had moved. Before I reviewed the video these still shots are taken from, I was really down on myself for making such a bad shot. After reviewing the video, I realized my shot execution wasn’t the problem. The fact that the doe went on alert and I released an arrow at her was the issue. The photos below show how much an alert animal can/will move in a very short period of time.   

[GCook]

They are fast. 
Most people don't share failures because they are embarrassed and sick about it.  But they are opportunities to learn.
There will always be a few who will treat you like a tied up, ugly, redheaded stepchild for missing or wounding but you gotta ignore them.
Most hunters who tell you they've never missed or wounded an animal either are lying or haven't shot at many. 
I've lost 4 pigs this past season. Fortunately no deer lost yet but it has happened in the past.  Lethal and nonlethal wounds.  Just trying to pick the right shot often leads to me passing up opportunities.   Because I fear making a bad shot on a deer. 
All you can do is learn from it and push forward.

[dnovo]

I've learned way more from my mistakes than from any thing that went right.  Many years ago I shot a big bodied spike buck straight down from my stand. I was shooting a 65# bow and heavy arrows at the time with a 2 blade Magnus head.  Long story is I never found that deer with ne exit wound. I've had opportunities but never took that shot again.  That's what you learn from.

[Wudstix]

I had a young six point buck at approximately 8 yards, totally switch ends and instead of a behind the shoulder hit, take the arrow in the rear ham.  Luck smiled on me that day and he only made it 30 yards.  That was with a Browning Tracker compound.  It turned out well, but could have been very ugly.  I feel for you.

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[Al Dente]

My most important failure, is the reason why I switched 100% to traditional archery tackle.  It was the early 2000's and I was hunting with my compound.  I had a nice 8 point about 20 yards from me, broadside, in an open field.  I drew, looked through the peep and lined up my pin.  Released the arrow, and watch it bury into the ground directly in front of him.  Needless to say, that he took off.  When I looked at my bow, my sight was way out of position, as I must've hit it on the way in while waling in the dark.  I never checked, and this was the turning point for me.

From that moment on, I have never hunted or shot any compound bow ever again.  If I miss, it is all on me, not an equipment failure.  Just me, the stick, and the string, and that's how I like it.

As was mentioned above, we can always learn from our mistakes, and I learned a valuable lesson that December day.

[Bowwild]

I know this is a serious thread, and thanks to those who are sharing.

I once shot over a carp, so I aimed lower next time.

Seriously, one afternoon hunt in Missouri I nicked both a deer and a turkey (low) on the same hunt. Long term (progressively worsened over 10 year period) target panic had finally got the best of me. I switched to left hand shooting after that hunt.

It took me about 8 months to conquer the LH, but it has been my answer since 1995. Now I know what causes it and I focus on the process instead of the result and it has never reared its ugly head again.

[LookMomNoSights]

I think that if you hunt with the stick and string passionately,  these things either have happened or will happen,  with enough time in the woods..... regardless of how experienced you are.  People with decades under their belts...... the stories they can tell.... of fortune AND misfortune......success and mistakes.  I would raise an eyebrow in suspicion to any seasoned individual who claimed that they NEVER experienced a situation that went other than perfect and resulted in either clean misses or that pinch or wounded animal we all strive to avoid happening.   What you take away from it is a gift..... or at least should be recognized as such. These occurrences contribute to experience every bit as much as the times we get the meat to the table.  I have certainly made mistakes and thought I would hope for not,  I could never say it would never happen again.  Crazy things happen in the woods too.  I try to learn from my experiences to make myself a better hunter and that’s the best I can do.

[Roy from Pa]

In my early years of bow hunting, I was a pretty decent shot. I string walked and shot decent scores indoors and at field targets.
However I had never taken a deer yet with a bow. So I'm hiding inside a huge hollowed out oak tree and would peak out around every minute or so. Well here comes a spike buck up behind me. I step backwards outside of the tree cavity and come to full draw on him and he stops  at 5 yards, maybe even 4 yards, LOL.
Shot right under his chest, he runs 5 yards and stops broadside at 9 yards, shot another arrow right under his chest, he runs maybe 5 yards and stops broadside again at about 14 yards. Yup shot right under his chest...

He took 2 steps and stood there broadside looking at me. I yelled at him, "You win now get the hell out of here..." LMAO

So that day taught me to concentrate on a small spot on the deer....

I laughed for a good while after he finally left..

[Dave Lay]

We all make mistakes, or use bad judgement, hopefully we learn from them to avoid a possible wound/lost animal.

[Cory Mattson]

Yes guys we all make mistakes- goal is to never make the same mistake twice especially if it resulted in a bad hit. Good stuff on the camera we can all learn from being able to go back and look. I’ve thought about filming but I’m probably too old and I do try every year to travel lighter not heavier. I’ve got a LONG list of what not to do or when not to shoot. I’ve had 50 years to perfect that lol we can cover later
Be safe guys - dodging ice today
Eating onion soup and hot chocolate
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[Roy from Pa]

Eating onion soup and hot chocolate

Oh Boy, LOL

[Doug S]

  I have made soo many mistakes my mind went on overload when I read this.  But thankfully not as many as Roy!
If you pick a certain animal I could zero it down.

[Roy from Pa]

Ok, a bull elephant.

LOL

[Doug S]

 
  Namibia.  05.  Had pink eye so stayed at camp . Could hardly see. I heard some elephant watered nearby so i took a walk to the water hole. Really dumb on my part . Big bull elephant came to water .  I hid in the rocks but he cought my wind and pointed his trunk right at me. About 15 yards away .Thought I was a gonner but he didn't charge.
Hadn't thought of that in years. Thanks Roy!

[beendare]

I had a very disappointing DIY hunt, call it a failure on mule deer and Coues  I just got back from in the southwest desert. It’s big wide open country. The only thing funneling them is water and unfortunately it rained 3 inches the week before we got there so there was water everywhere.

I’ve hunted this ranch enough to know some patterns. This year the patterns changed. Spot and stalking in rough open country is possible with a compound but very difficult with a stickbow to get inside that extra 20-30yds I needed for a solid shot.

I had multiple 3 to 4 hour stalks blown. Im 6’3”, 240 and old…. I May need to take up yoga or something as I’m not as limber and stealthy as I used to be. Grin

 It only takes one rock grinding against another and those Coues are out of there. Frustrating.

I tried ground blinds on water for a few days thinking they might still use these habitually as a hub. Nope.

I studied topography trying to apply what I already know about those deer, I came up empty. Maybe if I had 2 weeks….

Same thing happened to me on a sheep hunt in an open unit in Alaska. I spent 5 days trying to get inside 200 yds on the only legal Dall sheep we found in rain, sleet and snow.

Bottom line, we are using a short range weapon and sometimes the conditions make it tough.

.

[goingoldskool]

I've not had good luck stopping deer...  maybe I'm too loud with my "Meh",I don't know??? They are picking me off every time. All I do know is I will NOT try to stop them until the very last moment, if at all.

[Roy from Pa]

LOL Doug, could have been very interesting.

Was it mating season?

 

[Bisch]

IMO, the successes lose a lot of their importance if a guy is not honest enough to share the mess ups too!

Bisch

[Doug S]

   Pretty sure it was for me.  Him apparently not

[Roy from Pa]