I missed again............

[highpoint forge]

Got up late Sat AM and on the way in, I jumped a NICE mature buck coming into the woods, off a road next to a huge acorn loaded oak in an oak mott with  no brush around it....perfect treestand spot for later this season. On to the hunt......

On Fri I picked a slightly elevated spot above  a road through this 2000 acre private place. This spot is a sideways X with a feeder on the corner. It's literally a 4 way stop for deer and hogs, pretty wide open and sandy, surrounded by tall pines and oaks, and broomweeds near the roadbed. I pulled weeds up by the roots and basically built a hut and sealed myself inside. I was super well hidden.

So on Sat, I sat from 10am to 7pm in my Huntmore 360 with an extra pad, comfortably, and had deer all around banging trees in the woods. Wind swirled all over and at all velocities...I thought I was sunk for sure. Surprisingly,  a yearling buck breezed by at 10' and never even knew I was there....3 does came in to the fence corner behind the feeder and left at 3pm after a big sniff of something.

I had driven to within 1/4 mi of the blind and put on my camo in the field, and I sprayed myself down with scent killer in the blind.

After kneeling to take a leak in my blind (ran out of bottles), I finally around 4 caught sight of a 8pt buck way off in the woods to the right looking my way. I thought had been rubbing trees behind me as I'd heard branches breaking all day and the day before a deer walked right up behind me, and when I stretched it thundered off snorting for a full two minutes. This time I was totally camo'd in from behind and started softly grunting on a tube, which I think made him curious. He disappeared.

By 415 he was back, and  walked right in front of this opening as I wasn't paying attention, and on in to the feeder where he acted skittish and sniffed the swirling winds. I crouched in my seat and tried to remain calm. The feeder went off, at last he relaxed, dropped his head broadside and I shot right over him I was so jacked up on adrenaline.

At first I thought I saw the arrow fly WIDE left and I had gut shot him for sure, but the buck had dropped and rolled at the sound of the bow PLUS I didn't bend at the waist as I was 4-5' ABOVE that road. I guess I saw the first few flexes of the arrow in flight and thought, "wuh-oh....not good". I don't remember my release or relaxing much. I was using a backup tab even.....

The buck startled at the arrow hitting behind him, and took a few steps, looked around like they always do, and I nocked a second arrow. By then he was casually walking away from me to the right, he paused at 35 yds, and walked off.  Around 5 he came back all the way across that road 50 yds, stopped to sniff a pine tree, and kept walking.

By dark I could see my lumenok on the ground, and the shot was dead nuts straight though that opening and at the vitals of that deer. It either went high or low, but I'm pretty damn sure I didn't relax, pick a spot, and calmly release (don't remember at all). What fooled me was the paradox of the arrow flexing.

I didn't wound him thank god. The elevated shot while sitting is a bitch.........for me that is.

shooting lane dead ahead:

         

another slightly right:

         

looking left:


         

yours truly:

         

READY TO FIRE!

         

[Longspur77]

Great story, you sound like me. Total blackout at crunch time

[highpoint forge]

I get to the release and that's where all reason is consumed by adrenaline......

[bad arrow]

I tend to beat myself up over missed shots or rather, opportunities. I missed a turkey @ 15 yds. the day before thanksgiving. Always tomorrow!....Phil

[Wile E. Coyote]

Try this mental trick. Tell yourself you are just going to draw and aim at the deer. That you are NOT going to release. That is your goal. That is all you need to achieve at this point. You may even want to draw, aim and let down. You need to do this in order to execute the shot sequence without pressure of success.

At the time you complete drawing and aiming, while you are on target, tell yourself its ok to shoot. Before that you should not even consider that you are going to shoot, only that you are going to draw and aim at game.

If you follow this sequence you may be able to bypass the adrenaline rush that is causing you to miss the shot. Basically you are hyperintending, putting too much emphasise on the outcome and not executing the individual steps that you do while practicing without the pressure of taking game.  

May sound strange but give it a try. Has worked for many people with your problem.

[Gulf Coast Archer]

Adrenaline is a funny thing.  Some of my most memorable hunts were misses and mess ups.  Also the best learning tools. Thanks for sharing.

[highpoint forge]

Same spot from the treestand there, I am off to left:

   

   

   

   

[ChristopherO]

Sounds like I am in good company when it comes to game shots with my bow.  Chip shots are blown due to feeling pressured to get it done before they are on to me.  I screw it up everytime due to this impusion.  Maybe I need to use a treestand for a while so I don't feel the need to shoot so quickly.  Frustrating when they walk away unscathed knowing you could have just killed that buck, isn't it.  I'm with you on that one!

[Mike Spaulding]

I've missed many more than I've killed... but killed my share too.  right after missing it's tough, but then I just tell myself that I was able to get a deer (and not just any deer, one that I wanted to kill!) within 25 yards.. that is an accomplishment and my hunting skills are good!  I was watching a show on discovery or one of those channels and it was about cheetahs.. said for every 10 attempts at a kill they are successful on 1 or there abouts.. and that's life or death for them!  my average is better than that, so I feel pretty good!      :D  
I guess Im just trying to say we all miss!  Keep at it!

[highpoint forge]

I was talking with my archery mentor and a online archery buddy. I didn't wound him and my gameplan was solid, which worked flawlessly, my groundblind was awesome, I drew undetected, he didn't smell me or see me or have any clue that an arrow jut missed him by inches. That's success. A kill is icing on the cake.

[mcgroundstalker]

Yes, Yes, YES! Just hunt another day.......

... mike ...

[Mike Spaulding]

That is success!  You did great!

[KSdan]

Get Jay Kidwell's book- "Instinctive Archery Insights."  He is a sports psychologist.  He will educate you on how to train your brain. Most never work on this. . . it is the "key."

[highpoint forge]

I will look it up...my brain needs training.....

[bigbadjon]

You say you have a hard time with this sitting shot. Do you practice from a sitting position? Alot of guys try to pin misses on a mental thing when they need to adapt their practice to simulate hunting shots. You have to know how your equipment performs and you have to practice difficult shot from uncomfortable positions. That is the only way to take shots with confidence.

[highpoint forge]

I'm not practicing enough to be sure...especially while sitting. You are correct.

[bigbadjon]

I reread my post and I think I sounded harsh, and I'm not some great hunting authority, so let me tell you where I'm coming from. I was in the same boat as you, I'd missed a few deer over the years and tried to find solutions. During practice I worked on perfect form and all before it hit me. Hunting you will almost never have perfect form, level footing, clear line of sight, or a perfect broadside shot. Since I switched introducing lots of variables to my practice I have been making shots in the woods, and I also don't get adrenaline blackout.
Two things you should consider adding. One is varying positions. I find that as long as you upper body is in alignment then your legs and waist position are marginalized. Also when you shoot at your 3-d deer shoot through the vitals not at the score marks.  I think lots of bad shots are from people wanting to hit deer where the are marked on the target rather than picking angles through the animals vitals.

[R. W. Mackey]

Hey Forge:  Don't beat yourself up about this, it was just a missed shot. You look to be a young hunter, think of it as a learning experience. I've hunted for 46 years and still mess up, it's just part of bow hunting. I can tell you your shot was just fine, the deer just jumped your string.  These Texas deer are the hardest I have ever hunted and I have hunted in several states. This has happened to me so many times I could write a book about it.  Try this, next time you get a shot, aim at the white patch in the arm pit area of the deer, don't think you will miss low, wont happen, they will drop a full body width before the arrow gets there.  RW

[highpoint forge]

Agree to all comments...I got another 50 years to get it right!

[Charles K.]

You will kill a deer with your set-up....be patient...it will happen!