first trad miss

[B-DOG]

i've been seeing deer all week. had several come in close and could not get a shot. tonight one came in close. saw something she did'nt like and started stomping at me. after a 5 minute stare down she settled down and turned broad side and you guess it, i rushed the shot and shot right over her back. i've been bowhunting for 20 yrs with compounds and have killed around 25 deer. i love this traditional hunting but man it will humble you.

                      b-dog

[Kevin L.]

Don't feel too bad, we've all done something similar. My first trad shot at a deer was a low miss @ 12yds. Thankfully, my next shot ten seconds or so later was right in the boiler room. Thank God for second chances.

[rybohunter]

I had my first miss tonight too. well first in over 20 years from my first year of hunting.
about 15 yds, and she ducked. My arrow was flying true, she dropped pretty quick though.

[J-dog]

Yeah, know how ya feel-I even got the T-Shirt (minus the shirt tale)LOL!!

[mcgroundstalker]

Same happened to me at twelve yards! When deer are wired up they react very quick to the sound of your bowstring. Maybe your shot was true but she wasn't gonna wait for your arrow to get there.  :rolleyes:

... mike ...

[Kip]

B-Dog  I killed my first in 1976 and killed my share  and a few hogs  since but last year early season shot a small buck in the neck ,brisket and lost him,have had some grazed deer before but never one that may have died and not recovered (still bothers me).Shortly after at my other property a doe came running and stopped and I missed ,one minute later the buck chasing her stood in the same place and guess what.Then about two weeks later I made a great shot on a big doe and had an easy tracking job and great eating.They will humble you(my head still hurts from the tree beating after the doe and buck)but I love it don't give up.Kip

[B-DOG]

i'm not going to give up kip. thanks for all the stories to make me feel better. if i gave up every time i missed a deer i would have just quit a long time ago.

[paleFace]

B-Dog you will remember that doe for a long time, probably forever. i can still see the first one i shot at and missed with a traditional bow. i was so excited i think i probably pulled the string back passed my head and shot right over her back as well. just made me even more determined.  

hunt hard your time is coming for sure.

[Chortdraw]

  How would you like to get a shot at this guy? Got within 50yds of him in yellowstone and figured that was close enough

[Chortdraw]

Wrong picture?

[Hot Hap]

I found it on page 2. Grizzly

[Danny Roberts]

Same here, 8 yds.
DR

[Brian Krebs]

Misses count as memories too.

 We all strive to be good shots on game; but animals move and we err; and its been going on for at least 7,500 thousand years.                            
                       
You often will see a compound shooter on tape make a deer bleat to make the deer stop for the shot; if your doing that....don't.
                                         
Best thing is to either not let the deer hear anything before the release; it will then turn its head - and allow a hit; instead of being wired up: and going down for a leap out of there.

[madness522]

While it sucks to miss (already done that this year) the real joy is being in the woods and be blessed with the opportunity to take a shot.

[Rusty in Fla.]

Don't feel too bad. I heard about a Texan who was a very good shot, but he missed a 25 yard broadside shot at an elephant WITH A RIFLE.

     Rusty <><

[Allan Hundeby]

I missed a ~25 yard shot on a muley doe yesterday.  However, though I "failed" to make a kill shot, I have to think about all the other things I did correctly to even get me up to that point:

Successes:
I chose land that deer travel through.
I gained permission to hunt on that land.
I found deer trails on that land.
I guessed a trail that mule deer use.
I hunted on a day when mule deer chose to use that trail.
I judged the deers travel time, and picked a location on the trail which would give me an opportunity to shoot during daylight.
I set up in the correct location near that trail to get within range of a deer.
I got to the blind well before the deer arrived and was prepared. (i.e. I got up at 4:45am on a SATURDAY!).
I camofluaged myself well enough to fool the deers' eyes.
I "de-scented" my gear well enough to fool the deers' noses as I walked to my blind.
I judged the wind correctly enough to fool the deers' noses as I waited.
I was quiet enough to fool the deers' ears.
I waited to get a broadside shot.
I waited until the deer was stopped.
I moved slowly enough in drawing my bow to fool SEVEN pairs of mule deer eyes. (!)
I shot at an unalarmed deer who was not aware of my presence.
I didn't succumb to target panic.
I released my arrow cleanly.
I was able to get my broadheads sharp enough to shave with.
I did not simply wound a deer.
I found my arrow!  (        )
I saw a beautiful sunrise.
I got to hunt with my brother.

Failures:
I judged yardage incorrectly in lowlight conditions.     :rolleyes:    


So... I'm learning that a "successful" bowhunt means a whole lot more than killing a deer!


P.S.  My brother killed two muley does later that day with a muzzle-loader.  

Successes:
I was able to push the deer right to his stand.
I field-dressed one of his deer without contaminating the meat with intestinal contents.  (And without cutting myself!)