First miss of the year

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Last Saturday was the deer opener but I couldn't get out until this morning.

Set up in a ground blind about an hour and a half before sun up.  Had one decent and one small buck walk by me at 7 yards, but in the early NJ bow season we have to take a doe first.

About 10am a doe and a fawn started walking in.

The wind was in my favor and this blind has been in the same spot for 3 or 4 years now so they don't pay it any attention.

The doe never gave me a shot but the fawn did at a little less than 20 yards.  And who doesn't like fawn meat?

I pulled back, picked my spot (a white one) and...

Missed about a foot high.

I have seen deer duck an arrow before, but this fawn literally did a belly flop.  I swear it dropped two feet.

It only ran about 15 yards but I never had another shot.

Next time, I think I'll aim for a hoof.  

Also, my string hit my shirt, just slightly.  I don't think it changed the flight of the arrow but it did make a noise.  I am guessing it was just bunched up from me being seated, but I have never had this problem before.  You think it's a form issue or just bad luck?  It was a pretty loose shirt.

Anyway, I am heading back out to a different spot this afternoon.  Going to try my Guido's Web and ClimbPaws.

[ThePushArchery]

Sorry to hear that. I know what you are going through.

A two week early doe season opened up today here in Western PA for a Wildlife Managment Unit 20 minutes from home. I was late walking in, and had 3 Does in the general area of where I was going to set up (on the ground), 2 of which were within 15 yards of my target set-up.

The rest of the morning was un-eventful until I spotted a button buck 25 yards out and heading my way. (button bucks are considered Does in PA)

The dang thing veered ofcourse on a bearing straight at me. By the time he decided I was a threat, his nose was literally 1 foot away from my broadhead that was on my string.

He exploded out into the field but stopped at 12 yards away giving me a perfect quartering away shot. I failed to pck a spot as usual, and it always results in an arrow over the back by an inch or two. Well history repeated itself, and I gave yet another gift to the queen of the field... (easton arrow and new broadhead)...

Two hours in to my 2010 season and already have a miss under my belt... Geez oh man...

Good hunting. Think good thoughts for me this evening and I'll do the same for you. Maybe we can get some MOJO ESP going between us.

[Ben Tstic]

opened saturday (11th) here...hung stands 9th & 10th,saw nothing A.M., on the way to P.M. stand walked up on 3 does, missed after the staring match...continued to stand, saw 3 more one at a time at about 1/2 hr. intervals, finally ended up shooting the smallest...next day got a shot at a forky in velvet on the way in to a different stand...missed him, too.
Got ate up by chiggers & skeeters, and I'm covered in poison oak...
So far, my best season in years...had a great time

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Well, I went back out like I said I would.  Took the Guido web but someone else was parked where I planned to use it so I moved to another spot.

No need to go up a tree in this spot as there's a huge boulder and two fallen trees that make a perfect ground blind.

Well, almost perfect.  Once you get settled in there isn't much room but... well, read on.

Just around 6:30 I see a doe out of the corner of my eye.  But she's to my left.  I am expecting to see deer to my right, not my left.  That's the pattern I am used to seeing in this spot.  I am a lefty so I can't make the shot.  She veers off and ends up going behind the boulder I am leaned against.  And she's being followed by a buck, a doe and two more deer too far for me to make out their sex.

The buck knew something wasn't right and stared me down for a good 10 minutes.  All the time my neck is craned hard left.  Eventually he decides to move off and the deer that were trailing him go back the way they came.

But that first doe is MIA.  I figure she's still behind the boulder and one of two things will happen.  She will keep going or turn around and go with the other deer.

I took this opportunity to spin around so I could get off a shot to that side should one present itself.

And sure enough this doe turned around and started after the others.  She passed behing a tree, I drew, she stepped out about 17 yards away, looking toward the departing group she arrived with and I let one fly.

And hit a branch.

And wounded the doe.

And I feel terrible.

I waited about 30 minutes and went looking for blood and my arrow.  I didn't see the hit, but it wasn't where I was aiming.  I heard the arrow "tick" a branch and I heard it smack into the doe.  She took off like a rocket and I saw her make a left about 30 yards down the trail.

Never found my arrow, but I did find blood.  Not good blood.  Enough for me to track, but no bubbles and not a crimson trail.  I assume I hit her in the butt.

Tracked her as far as I could.  I lost the trail after about 75 yards in a swampy patch.  Couldn't find any more blood in that muck and there's about a million tracks in it.  I walked to the other side of the patch and looked for blood but didn't see anything.

Man, bad hits really tear me up.  Makes me almost want to put the bow on the rack.

[COOCH]

If you hit her in the ham she is in bad trouble,she won't be to far away keep looking in the am. Good luck

[caleb7mm]

mitch,

  the same thing happened to me last sat on our opener. Missed a doe at 6 yards (over her back by an inch)then she ran to 17 yards and I hit her in the ham as she moved on my quartering away shot(I was in a tree). I had to watch her run 200 yards through a field with my arrow in her. 400 yards down the blood trail I find my arrow. 200 yards later no more blood. I spent most of an entire day searching until the rain came. Very dissapointing! I was ready to hang it up on the first day. Keep at it man! I am. It still makes me sick that I wounded one but we move on right?

 

[Greyfox54]

Optimistic persistence pays off . We all have glitches at times , anyone who doesn't hasn't hunted long enough . I believe it's not the cercomstances in our life that shape us but how we handle them that makes us who we are . Babe Ruth said it best  " Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from swinging " Where you at in Jersey ? sounds like North . I'm in  Ocean County and if your not too far I can come help you look after Church tomorrow . Best of luck either way , Fred

[Mitch-In-NJ]

Well, I went out this morning and looked but was unable to pick up the blood trail on the other side of the swampy patch.

I looked for about 2 and a half hours and didn't even find my arrow much less any more blood.  And I had help.  It sure sounded like a positive hit, so I don't think it was a glancing blow but I sure wish it was.

Yep.  I feel sick about it.  But I am not going to stop hunting.  Didn't mean to give that impression.  I just feel low about wounding this animal.

Fred, thanks for the offer.  I didn't read it until now.  And I am about as far north as you can go in NJ.  It's about 2 hours to Red Bank from here.

[mambashooter]

too bad :