How many misses......

[Dannon]

before your first kill? Let me tell you guys a little about my traditional journey. It started back in 06' I bought a bamboo backed osage. Shot it quite a bit and got pretty good with it, I thought. Went out behind my house and snort wheezed a nice 8 pt. to within about 8 yards. Shot right in front of him. A couple of years later I had a guy build me custom R/D longbow, took it hunting and missed a nice 8 pt. two days in a row, same deer. I give up on traditional archery for a few years. Well the bug has never left me so I'm back at it again. This time hunting with an old Bear grizzly I've had for several years that a friend gave me. Went out yesterday morning and had about 115" 8 pt. come by chasing three does. I managed to stop him at about 25 yards and shot right in front of him.    Of all the hours I've put in a tree stand hunting with a compound ive never seen the bucks I see when hunting with traditional equipment. But, man Im ready to kill one!!! So how many misses have you guys had before your first kill?

[tracker12]

I'm not sure how many misses since it was 42 years ago.  But I can tell you I flung a lot of arrows and came home with only a few.  I remember one day where I used up all the arrows in the quiver and had to retrieve one to finally make a kill.  It was a very good spot with lots of doe:)  When I look back on it my shooting was not very ethical but at 18 I guess I didn't think about that.  

I think missing deer is the main reason a lot of guys give up hunting with traditional gear.  I know I have friends that have. It is hard dealing with unsuxxessful hunts.   I took a diffent approach when I started back up a couple years ago.  I did not give up on my Wheel bow and still hunt with it probably 25% of the time.  I also have tried to set myself up for success.  My goals were to take any deer and keep my shots well under 20 yards.  I set up most shots for 15 yards whether in my blind or tree stand.  I shoot daily with most practice coming at 15 or so yards.  So far this year I have taken 4 shots and killed 3 deer. For me 25 yards is to far to be comfortable that I could make a killing shot.  I am spoiled though here in Maryland in that I rarely hit the woods without seeing multiple deer in my urban environment.

[Caughtandhobble]

Dannon, don't sweat the misses just yet, after all you seem to have the hunting part down. I highly recommend working on your shot sequence, keep it all the same every time (backyard or woods).

As far as my misses, I am one for one on traditional deer. I have taken a lot of hogs, I have not missed any but even worse I have lost a couple. OK, I have been known to get turkey fever, I'm only 50% on turkeys. Brother when I tell you I don't push a shot you can believe it. My last hunt I had a P&Y buck at 22 yards that I just watched because that is out of my hunting comfort zone. I like to have my intended live target within 15 yards.

I practice out to 40 yards on a regular basis. I personally believe it is easier to hit a 40 yard 3D deer target than it is to shoot a live critter at 15 yards. I have bowhunted (compounds) most of my life with decent success, but this traditional hunting takes my breath away. Heck I even get pumped up for a hog, and likely always will with a longbow in my hand. When I shot my buck this season I was certain that he could hear my heart beating  

Last season (2012) was the first year that I had confidence enough in my shooting to actually hunt. I gained my confidence when I started shooting 3D with my traditional bows. Hogs make great trad targets to build confidence as well. You have to hit a hog perfect in order to enjoy the pork chops.

Good luck and stick with it, you'll likely do fine in the future. Remember to wait on the perfect shot, the rewards are worth it. Happy New Year!!!

[ron w]

Don't worry about the misses.......your getting shots! Wait for the right moment and then let it happen. Also.......don't wait for a buck, take a doe to start. Then when the buck presents himself go for it.

[bobman]

You're shooting at the whole deer train yourself to pick a single hair on the deer and try and hit it


sounds dumb but it works

only practice on a McKenzie style deer target, never shoot at bullseye type targets you have to train yourself to pick a spot on the deer

[Gordon Jabben]

Dannon, here's what has worked for me and yes I have missed some deer but also taken quite a few.  Practice shooting like you would at game.  Most people will grip their bow when shooting at game because it's only natural, so don't practice with a loose grip.  Practice taking shots through brush and shooting with the bow canted at different angles because shots just don't work out like you think they will on deer and you may have to take unorthodox shots.  As far as I know I have never picked a spot on a deer but I'm sure I look at the area I want to hit.  Practice shooting until it's just automatic and you don't have to do any thinking.  A friend of mine took a nice buck this year and was surprised that he didn't remember anything about the shot.  I think that's what a good hunting shot should be like.  Also shoot broadheads that won't plane if you have a less than perfect release.  Anyway this has worked for me.

[BWallace10327]

My advise is, if you are depending on the meat don't hunt with a traditional bow.  I enjoy hunting in the old ways too, but if there is an empty deep freezer at home the means of filling it become less important, weather that be recurve, longbow, compound, rifle, pistol or shotgun.  I shoot and hunt with my recurve for enjoyment and I find no joy in buying beef at the store.  I missed with my recurve twice this year while doe deer hunting during a rifle season and did not get my deer.  The only reason I didn't use my rife is that I had got my antelope in September and wasn't hurting for meat.

[Looper]

I started out on small game, so, yeah, I had a bunch of misses. I did, however, kill the first deer I shot at with a bow. By then, though, I was a thoroughly hardened squirrel and rabbit shooter,so when that big doe walked in range, she looked as big as a horse.

Have you figured out exactly why you are missing? Pinpointing the cause might go a long way in preventing more. There are several causes of missing. Most are pretty easy to fix, but you need to identify them first.

[-snypershot317-]

i agree with BWallace...if you are relying on the meat the means of filling the freezer dont matter. I do rely on meat that i kill and gather and unfortunately i was not able to harvest a deer this year, not only to life changing (found out wife was pregnant which meant a move closer to her family    :rolleyes:   ) but also working a lot through the season, so it means buying beef from the store      i can say that while relying on deer meat i have had a lot of misses...not with just a trad bow but also with my deer gun and muzzleloader a like. i prefer my bow because i enjoy the challenge of it. but come december if i have yet to knock something down, i break out the smoke pole so i can fill my freezer and then i go back to trad hunting.

it sounds to me like you have the hunting down but i may also suggest this..during the off season dont just settle for shooting at paper or targets; go out after frogs and squirrels and small game with blunts (or whatever SGH you prefer). i offer this on a few simple points: tagets dont move, and they cant bust you...small game can and will. you will have A LOT of misses but it will strengthen your shooting skills and the ability to pick a spot and shot sequence. I hope this new year is a good year for you and everyone else. I also hope that is blessed with family friends and a good time. Mine already has and I hope yours is too    Happy Hunting and may God bless you on your next adventure  

[TooManyHobbies]

I think I only missed one (big 8pt), then killed my second (9pt). Since then....ugh. I've taken two more does with my recurve. I lost 4 I think. 0/6 turkeys. 0/1 coyote. 0/3 gray squirrels.

Then, I got a longbow. In three years, I'm 0/4 (two losses) on deer. 1/4 on turkeys. 0/2 coyotes.
I know I can make the shots, but screw it up one way or the other, i.e. hit lower limb on stand, hit a branch, flinch at release, etc. I'm determined not to go back to the compound, but it's hard. I want a year like Bisch.

[bofish-IL]

It sounds like you are too excited and not picking a spot to shoot in front of the deer. I still get excited but try to relax myself and keep telling myself to pick a spot.

If a big deer comes in I force myself not to focus much on his antlers.

[Dannon]

Thanks guys for all the positive responses. I'm not needing meat, im hunting just for the fun and challenge of hunting with traditional equipment. I've sold my compound as I am totally committed to traditional archery. I'm going this weekend to pick up another longbow, I cant wait to get into a tree with it! I practice at a 3d deer target and can consistently hit it in the vitals out to 20 yards. I'm going to hang a tree stand in the back yard and start practicing out of it. Good luck to everyone in 2014! I hope your blessings are many and your worries are few!
Dannon

[reddogge]

I was lucky. First arrow I shot at a deer I killed it. Poor deer jumped the string but into the path of the arrow which opened his femoral artery and disembowled him. He died very quickly.

[durp]

after 47 years i cant remember all the misses...i can tell you that i missed 3 bucks in one sit about 7 or 8 years ago.

just keep having fun and it will all come together soon.

[Hoyt]

One thing I think causes a lot of misses and not pointing your arrow where you would like to hit is the fear of the deer..in most cases..spooking when you draw and running off before you get the shot off.

This will cause you to look at the whole body..it's attitude and especially it's head and eyes instead of zeroing in on one little spot you want to hit.

[jjwaldman]

I can't even do a decent job on a non moving backyard target after 2 years, so don't feel so bad.

[VictoryHunter]

Didn't miss any before my first but I've missed plenty since always because I didn't stop the deer and pick a spot.

[kennym]

Not sure, but once I emptied my quiver at a flock of dumb turkeys without harm.

Then as I was bent over gathering arrows, I straightened up to see a great 10 point about 10 yds right out in front of my stand.

Did I mention I dislike turkeys a lot?

[akaboomer]

I see your from Camden, target rich locale last time I was down there. I killed my first whitetail just south of there, Mount Holly.

Keep after it. Take the advice given and limit your shots to half of your effective range on the 3D target and it will happen.

I do rely on deer for most of my families meat, so you can do it. We have lower deer density here in the Ouchta foothills.  Set yourset up for success.  Treat each practice shot as if it were that buck your after. Visualization in practice will help. It has worked for me. I have missed one out of the last nine shots.

Looking forward to a success story.

Chris

[30coupe]

I think this quote from John Wayne in the shootist sums it up pretty well:

John Bernard Books: Sometimes it isn't being fast that counts, or even accurate; but willing. Most men will draw a breath or blink an eye before they shoot. I won't.

I know it's a somewhat different subject, but I've often felt I go into kind of a killer mode when I'm hunting. If I decide I'm going to take an animal, my focus is strictly on making the kill. I don't think much about picking a spot, but I have one picked long before the animal moves into my kill zone. I don't think about it after that, it just happens. I don't think about draw, anchor, aiming...just making the kill. I'm usually kind of surprised when the arrow leaves my bow, to be honest. Once it's on its way, my vision kind of zooms out and I take in the whole picture again.

It is hard to explain in words really, but I think you just have to have that killer instinct mindset. I've missed game for sure, but when I have, I don't think I was in that state of mind. Hope this makes some kind of sense. I do practice quite often, which may be why the shot sequence has just sort of become automatic. Whatever it is, it works for me.