Frustration!!!

[MERGANZER]

I switched to trad gear 3 years ago.  I own a Matthews Q2XL that hasnt seen daylight since.  In that time I have had a few Booners walk by that I could have taken with the wheel bow but I never have regretted it.  I have missed a doe (underneath her)  an 8 point (right over him) I was having target panic and looking at the whole animal instead of picking a spot.  Sunday morning was a beautiful morning.  I had bucks chasing doe's and deer everywhere right as soon as I entered the stand.  Then I look up and I have a doe headed my way and quickly.  I didnt have time to stand as she was headed right at me.  I told myself to make a full draw and pick a spot.  Over and over I said that to myself.  She came to 15 yard and stopped.  I drew and focused......  Let the bow down and took another breath then drew and focused again. I released the string and if felt good.  Then it all went to hell.  I heard a crack like I shot at a 2x4.  Sure enough I hit her right in the shoulder and had alot of arrow sticking out as she ran off.  I decided to back out of there and wait.  I took up the trail with a friend of mine after 12pm (5 hours after the shot) We found a total of 6 drops of blood in 120 yards then nothing.  We decided to walk the creek bank, the thickets, the field and cover the woods.  NOTHING!  I knew this gamw was a challenging one when I took it up and I have killed many deer with archery equipment just not trad archery gear.  I didnt sleep much lastnight and I pray this deer will be okay.  I am just so frustrated with myself.  I practice and do very well, I have killed numerous deer with a bow.  Why do I act like I am 10 when a deer comes in with a recurve.  I have the utmost respect and envy of all of you here that post picture after picture of your successful hunts.  I just hope to close the deal sometime soon.

Adam

[ddauler]

When you quit feeling like you are 10 when you get close to a deer with your bow of choice in hand find something else to do! Hang in there it happens to all of us some just seldom admit it. You will close the deal if you stay after them.

[Kc kreger]

Hang in there Adam.  With no more sign than you described it sounds like she was hit in the shoulder and will most likely be just fine.  Did you ever find your arrow?

A couple of years ago I had the same thing happen when I was hunting with a compound.  The hit looked great but the arrow did not go in as far as I had hoped.  About 2 or 3 weeks latter this deer showed up on our trail cameras with a huge scab on the off side shoulder.  Apparently the broadhead did make it to the other side but the hit was higher than I had intended and too far forward.

By the end of the season the scab looked like it had scarred over and the deer was as healthy looking as the morning I shot it.

K.C.

[YORNOC]

Originally posted by ddauler:
When you quit feeling like you are 10 when you get close to a deer with your bow of choice in hand find something else to do! Hang in there it happens to all of us some just seldom admit it. You will close the deal if you stay after them.

X2.
Without being there to watch you its tough to help from here. But you have a HUGE advantage, you are seeing lots of deer. Many guys only see a few at most and dont get the sheer experience you are getting at having deer close.
A couple of things to try:
Since you do see quite a bit, make a mental decision not to put an arrow on the shelf. When a deer comes by, don't look at the whole animal, pick the spot instantly, even if its far away. Try and watch for this spot all the way in. When its close enough for a shot, draw back(no arrow) and lazer in on that spot, draw and hold at your full anchor. Keep it on the deer as long as you can. If it spooks, big deal. You have plenty of deer out there. But you have to learn to handle this. And you can.
 Full draw is essential.
 Do it on tv all the time watching hunting shows. Draw your bow and hold on that spot as long as you can.
Frustration is not fun. Try and prioritize this OVERshooting a deer for now, and you will enjoy yourself much more in the very near future.

[MERGANZER]

Thanks guys!  The frustration isnt in the game itself.  I had an amazing saturday night watching 6 bucks and over a dozen doe's all aroound me.  The frustration is in myself not closing the deal when I have done it hundreds of times with a target and not doing it properly with a beautiful animal that i respect and admire.  The frustration is in the not knowing of what I did to this animal and what its fate is from here on out.  I believe the deer will be fine but it didnt need to suffer through the pain I inflicted upon it.  We all want a quick clean and painless kill everytime in the woods and I failed in that.

Adam

[Whip]

I've been in your shoes more often than I like to admit.  I've also enjoyed my share of success.  Why do we feel like a 10 year old?  Because hunting with trad gear is the pinnacle of excitement of any type of hunting you could choose.  We don't do this because it's easy.  We do it for the pure excitement you can't get anywhere else.
Hang in there- it will come!

[Mike Most]

Originally posted by Whip:
 Because hunting with trad gear is the pinnacle of excitement of any type of hunting you could choose.  We don't do this because it's easy.  We do it for the pure excitement you can't get anywhere else.
 

x2 brother..... That close intimate contact with the quarry..  

[MERGANZER]

I agree!  I love the flight of the arrow, the looks of the equipment and knowing I have a bow nobody else does.  Its the simplicity of it too.  Myfriends grab thier bow and check the sights grab the release and go over the whole thing to make sure all is tightened up and not goiong to fail (wich is what I did before as well)  Now I grab one of thier bows and think to myself WOW is that thing heavy!  LOL.  I am frustrated but I do love this game and I love seeing the various bows available.  I can alwaysd fill the freezer in the late doe season with the smoke pole.

Adam

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Self confidence is a huge part of shooting instinctively.... once it comes together for you it will be worth the wait me thinks....

Getting a bad placed arrow now and then is part of hunting. Very few hunters can honestly claim they've never lost animals while archery hunting if they've been in the sport very long.. it happens....

[YORNOC]

Originally posted by MERGANZER:
I agree!  I love the flight of the arrow, the looks of the equipment and knowing I have a bow nobody else does.  Its the simplicity of it too.  Myfriends grab thier bow and check the sights grab the release and go over the whole thing to make sure all is tightened up and not goiong to fail (wich is what I did before as well)  Now I grab one of thier bows and think to myself WOW is that thing heavy!  LOL.  I am frustrated but I do love this game and I love seeing the various bows available.  I can alwaysd fill the freezer in the late doe season with the smoke pole.

Adam

You're right! You can fill the freezer later. Practice now with the trad bow. You dont HAVE to shoot at game with it yet if you arent feeling good about it yet.I totally understand about the wretched feeling if you've wounded an animal. I've let so many animals pass if I wasnt 100% confident. But even then it happens. Deer are moving all the time. You never know. When it happens, just do your best to follow up. Hopefully she will pull through, but if she does die somewhere mother nature will make quick work of her. Deer escape from car hits and predator attacks all the time only to expire some time later. Life is tough.
All you can do is your best. You obviously have the respect part of it just fine. You just need to hone your skills to get your confidence up. Try my advice above, and hopefully you'll get some more good suggestions. It will all come together sooner than you think.  

[medic77]

Man I am in your same shoes, I had the same thing happen to me too.   I just asked this question last night and got a very good PM that really put things in perspective.  Everyone here is great for this kind of stuff and we need to stick together and pat each other on the back when necessary.

[MERGANZER]

Thank you to everyone for the support.  Hopefully I will have a much better story to share in the near future.

Good luck to you all and be safe

Adam

[Plumber]

look these things happen, you have to regroup things will get better dont give up it is a processe. no pain no gain.we all went through it an some times it still happens its all in your head.

[ddauler]

The area I hunt 20 years ago we saw deer like that and I hunted every day of season. Now I see prob 8 or 10 a season we have a lot less deer and I get to hunt a lot less. Shots are few and when I screw them up it is really frustrating. In the old days with a lot of critters around you had many chances to redeem yourself! Hang in there.

[Tajue17]

I do what Yornoc does,,, immediately after seeing the animal I only watch behind the shoulder with my secondary vission watching the head and body language.  

never never look at horns and I never look at the eyes only the ears which is a dead giveaway if a another deer is there that you havent noticed yet and I try to only draw when the ears are facing away usually the ear hears you first then the eyes..

as far as you,, if I where you I'd put a deer in the freezer with the wheel bow and then once that is out of the way then head out with the stickbow because you don't have as much pressure on yourself..  some people here might have a problem with that but in my camp your always welcome to bring both  if you totally fazed out the wheels then lots of advice here..

[Tom Leemans]

All part of it bud. Most of us have been there. There's a much needed element that you didn't need so badly with the wheel bow, and that's extreme concentration. Concentration on form, on picking that tiny spot, on a smooth release, on keeping a solid bow arm, etc. Practice will get you there. Lots more to think about before and during the shot.

There's what I call a somewhat false confidence that goes with wheel bows. You "dial in" all the sights and stuff and put the pin on the spot you want to hit and pull the trigger, kinda like shooting a gun. It takes the skill out of the picture, in my opinion.