Hey all this is my first post on this site. Been reading the posts on here for some months and wanted to start participating. This is my second year hunting, 23 years old, poor vet student. I make my own laminated recurves and longbows and just had my first truly close encounter and wanted to know if anyone else has had their first opportunity at making meat go this way.
I am hunting on a friend's property and have been watching the movements on the property for 5 days solid morning and evening. Finally started feeling out their patterns and set up on the ground tucked in some trees nice and hidden. Sit down at 5:30 pm and knock an arrow on my 53# recurve and play the waiting game.
At 6:10 a 4 pointer walks out 15 feet from my seat coming from the right side (not the direction i was expecting) he stares in my general directing for about 10 mins and then keeps moving right into my shooting lane. I draw back on him while he is 20 yards out and loose the arrow when, Whack!!! the string pops (first time in a month that it made a sound) and the deer jumps and dashes, my arrow missing by inches. 10 minutes later, two 6 pointers, three 4 pointers, and a small doe work out in front of my position just as the last deer had and i wait for them to move in closer (didn't want them to be able to jumo the second attempt). I watch them for 20 minutes as they graze to the left of me and out of range behind some heavy foliage when i peer to my left and see a big bodied 6 pointer with a huge rack for a 6 point grazing unnoticed by me 15 yards to my right. I turn to set up on him and wait for him to get a little closer. After 5 minutes he starts moving again right in front of my position right where i need him to be when i notice behind him there is an even bigger 8 pointer followed by an absolutely huge 10 pointer (the giant buck my friend had told me was on his property). Needless to say, I couldn't believe it. I try to stop my heart from exploding out of my chest and draw back as the 8 pointer moves into my shooting lane 10 yards out (didn't want to kill my friend's 10 pointer and the 8 was in front anyway). He stops at 10 yards and I shoot. The string makes a dull thump and the arrow flies true, but no sooner had i let it go than the buck reared back and turned on his two back legs causing the arrow to pass under his neck (think the Matrix).
I am crushed and wait 20 more minutes for another 4 pointer to come up again in front 15 yards out, i shoot and he jumps my arrow.
3 shots, 3 misses, total of 9 deer including the biggest bucks i've ever seen in person and I am sick for having spoiled my first real opportunity, the opportunity I have dreamed about for 2 years. And now I can bearly fall asleep for being haunted by this event and I am driving my wife crazy telling the story of the encouter over and over. Going to try there again in 2 nights and have been practicing those shots over and over and fixing my bow to make it whisper silent.
Anyone else ever have this happen to them so that I don't feel quite so bad about botching the chance of a lifetime 3 times in one night. Any of those shots would have been not only my first deer with trad gear, but my first deer period.
Topic: First Close Encounter (Read 382 times)
