Confidential-my love/Hate relationship with traditional archery.

[Legolas]

As it happens I got what I thought was a good arrow into a doe and it turned out that due to a twig in the way, deer motion, my over estimation of what was a green light for taking a shot, or just a poor shot I did not retrieve. In the future
I just MUST  make the shot from a distance that is a gimme. I love the limitation that primitive archery puts on me and I also  HATE  it. All my hunting buds have gone to compounds and the kill is way up.

I apologize to all of you for representing us in a poor light. I apologize to the animal also.

Paul

[rawshaft]

No such thing as a gimme with any equipment....

[madness522]

Sorry to hear!  Like rawshaft says there is no gimme shots with trad gear.  If it were easy we wouldn't be doing it.

[md126]

it happens bro....  the CP kill for your buddies may be way up but for me the enjoyment would be WAY down.

my cousin picked up his CP after a year w/o shooting and had 2" groups after 1/2 hour. too damn easy for me

"poor light"  is taking 50+ yd shots at game b/c you can do it on the range w/ the wheels.....

[B.O.D.]

I feel for you Paul, I had a similar thing happen yesterday. I was very blue and if not for the help of my friends and family; I was on the verge of giving it up for the season.
I have killed far more deer than the couple(2) that I have wounded, but it feels awful and I felt sick inside for the day and the night.
They are living, breathing, family oriented beings that are not targets for our pleasure. With some words of encouragement from someone I respect greatly and looking at it in a different light; I am once again ready to get on the horse again.
From now on, little details like "REMEMBERING TO PUT MY ARMGUARD ON!!!" and making sure the deer is still and relaxed, small things like that can make the difference between no deer and a clean kill.
The deer deserve our best and the field is no place for small details that go astray; from now on, they will get my very best, nothing less than 100%.
BD    

[WildmanSC]

I have personally been involved in hunts where those shooting compound bows shot and lost a minimum of 6 deer.  During that time span, only one other deer was shot and recovered.  My shots?  None!  I know my limitations and therefore I sometimes go several years without shooting.

Bill

[Tom Leemans]

Anyone can go do what it takes kill something as easy as possible. I like huntin'.

[Shakes.602]

Yeah, But Stand Back, Away From The Situation....
And  LOOK AT ALL THE FUN YOU HAD!!!      

[Numitokayo]

Lots of wisdom on this tread !!!

DQ

[the Ferret]

Animals get wounded with high powered rifles with scopes. Asking you to try your best and shoot within your limitations is the most we can ask. The rest is up to fate.

If it's any consolation. not all arrow hit animals die, many recover from their wounds.

[eagle24]

Shake it off Paul!  The fact that you hate it happened and the fact that you are thinking about what you can do to prevent it in the future shows that you are an ethical hunter.  My first two years of hunting with a longbow I was 100% recovering deer that I shot.  I had 1 clean miss during that time.  The 3rd year, I lost 3 deer in one week.  One jumped just as I released, one was hit well and I still can't believe I lost her, and one was just a downright horrible botched shot.  All three were 15 yards or less and like you, I felt horrible.  My point is, sometimes despite all the preparation and ethics in taking the right shot, things don't go the way we plan.  I suspect sometime in the future, you will experience this again.  I don't know what distance your shot was, but before you are to limiting on yourself, keep in mind that the odds of recovering EVERY deer you shoot will probably fall short of 100%.  Only you can say whether it was a shot you should or should not have taken.  The fact you lost the deer has absolutely zero to do with the answer.  We should probably be just as mad at ourselves when we make a clean miss, but it does'nt work that way.  For some reason, we shake those off a lot quicker.

[Littlefeather]

 I love the limitation that primitive archery puts on me and I also HATE it

Humm? Sounds a lot like marriage......     CK

[heydeerman]

I've been there a couple times. It is especially troubling after you put a perfect shot on an animal and it cannot be found.

[Legolas]

All the replies to this are heart taken and appreciated. I have been here before and I guess that is what is sticking in my crawl. I really  have not accepted the limitations . I want those 25-27 yard shots but am certain that 17 and under are what I should do. I  love love love my longbow and hunting with it. Man when I released that arrow and the soft thump of the bow sent that arrow into the deer it felt like it was meant to be. But the end result      
   
 ..I can not ever imagine shooting a weapon that needs little practice to be proficient and have the range to take stealth out of the hunt.

 The dilema of our restrictions makes us know who we are and face our shortcommings. It also rewards us with  a deep sense of humble bliss when things go well and we have played the game correctly and it all came together.  It feels reverent and it should because we put our soul into the effort.

Paul

[mcgroundstalker]

I like to think that our range limitations adds to the thrill of hunting with a bow. I try to explain this to my rifle hunting friends. The best come back was: "If you want to get close, just get a bigger scope!"  

... mike ...

[User Name]

[User Name]

 

Originally posted by rawshaft:
[qb] No such thing as a gimme with any equipment.... [/b]

Exactly.  If I went back to compound I would just miss longer shots.

[CJ Pearson]

know your effective killing distance and live within that distance. There will no longer be string jump, no ducking animals, no other stuff to blame the "miss" on once you are effectively shooting in your effective killing distance.
Best advice I believe anyone can receive, or give,    

[NDTerminator]

It happens...

Last night I finally had the buck I've been hunting since September at 17 yards for 5 minutes and passed.  He never gave me the angle I wanted.  

The way I see it, even if I never tag him I still won...

[draco]

Last year I got to watch my hunting buddy,Andy shoot a big 8 pt. He was about 120 yds.away.The deer was in front of him for almost an hour,never over 25yds.away. While watching I was doing some serioustalking to him telepathicly. He waited till he was perfect,broadside,at 15 yds,head down,looking for acorns. Just as he shot, the deer jerked his head around to scratch his head with his hind leg. He hit the deer behind the ear on the opposite side he was aiming at. The deer fell over,flopping around then got back up just in time for his second arrow to take him thru the chest. So even a perfect setup shot can still go wrong. At least with a stick bow that second shot was very quick and very deadly.