Insanity

[TooManyHobbies]

Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Settled in my stand a few minutes before 6:00. At 6:10 a deer comes in, stays 40 yards out eating acorns. Five minutes later a small doe/skipper comes running through, more to have fun I think than to a destination. The one I was watching follows, I think it was a spike.
7:50 I see movement. Three does working towards me. They go from my 12 to my 9, then one finally walks to me. At 7 yards, she turns broadside, giving me her left side. I draw, settle, shoot....right over her back.      
She hops and looks around. I slowly reach for another arrow. Get it on the string. Wait. Now at 15 yards, she gives me her right side. I PICK a spot, settle...release. DAMMIT, right over her back again.      
Again, she hops and stares. Again, I reach for an arrow. As she's walking around in front of me, looking like she knows something is up, but no clue. Once again she gives me her left side at 15. Pick a spot again and aim lower. Arrow away....WTH?? Killed a tree (high again too      . This is crazy. She is the most tolerant doe I've ever had in front of me. But, she doesn't leave. So, again, I grab my last broadhead arrow. At 20 yards, I draw. As I hit anchor, she turns away, no shot. She meanders back and forth until reaching arrow #2. Stops and sniffs. Recoils backward, then slowly walks behind my tree. I turn to get her coming around the other side, but she hits my trail in. Again she recoils and changes direction. Circles back around to where my arrow garden is and gives me a broadside shot. I'm just reaching anchor, when she turns away, bounds off blowing. 45 minutes from first sight to last. Drew five times and missed three shots.
My broadhead is still in tree from #3, my #2 broadhead has a curl to it. It was a great morning, no blood to worry about, all clean misses. Ridiculous.
I know you're all wondering if I even practice, LOL. I do, and have been shooting very well. I don't have a clue what's happening when a deer is in front of me, but I always seem to shoot high.

I'm going back out this afternoon....with my RECURVE. Longbow don't work.

[SportHunter]

Got me laughing now, funny hunt for sure.

[KentuckyTJ]

Heck just think, you got all the fun with no work. Perfect day.

[A.S.]

Sounds like catch and release to me.  Get her next time.

Haha!!! That same sort of scenario has happened to most of us at one time or another! For me, one morning a few years back, it was the last arrow out of 5 in my quiver that finally killed a turkey!

Good luck with the recurve this afternoon!

Bisch

[Fletcher]

Its a fun day when you have to retrieve arrows so you can keep hunting.

Usually when I miss high, I have my head up instead of locking into the shot.

[Izzy]

Sorry to laugh at ya but dang, its funny looking in from the outside. I've been down a similar trail.

[fnshtr]

I miss high when shooting down at an angle and not bending at the waist. I even put most of my weight on my forward foot.

As to your situation, all you can do afterwards is laugh, it's better than crying.

Got the misses out of your system, now go get the next one.

[Michael Arnette]

Well on a happier note, at least it wasn't a monster buck?

[acedoc]

What fnshtr said ! Most of my misses when shooting low (at targets ) are due to forgetting to bend at the waist.

[Over&Under]

On the bright side...your longbow must be quiet:)

[DennyK]

I can relate, a few years ago I missed a nice spike 3 TIMES. Somehow the forth arrow did not miss. God must have been laughing at me and cut me alittle slack!      

Denny

[Whitetail Addict]

Well, like my Grandfather used to say, "there'll be days like that".

It probably won't make you feel any better, but I left my house one morning years ago with eight arrows. I shot at four different bucks that day, never cut a hair and lost all but one arrow.  :rolleyes:

Try not to dwell on it, and get back out there after 'em.    Good luck!

Bob

[centaur]

Well, that has never happened to me. I have never missed an animal, ever. I promise. Honest. I swear. Scouts honor.

[pdk25]

Probably not bending at the waist and just dropping bow arm to aim.  What has worked for me is to make a conscious effort to stick by butt out to the side before drawing, which forces me to bend at the waist.  Glad you had some great encounters, though.

[woodchucker]

Yup!!! Been there... Done that.....

[ozy clint]

We've all planted arrow gardens at some stage. Don't give up.

[TooManyHobbies]

Thanks all for the kind words, and similar stories.
Almost had some redemption this afternoon with my recurve. Two fawns and a doe came down on trail on public land, just as I had hoped. I was sitting on Big Jim's seat on the ground. Had them at 12 yards for 19 minutes at my 9 o'clock. Do you think all three could look away at once. Nope. They finally had enough of the blob next to tree. Great day overall.

[Cavscout9753]

Haha, goes that way sometimes! Lots of good ideas of things to look into. If I may add a suggestion, how good are you at range estimation? Lots of things can effect how far things seem. I'm sure you know the ranges and stuff, just an idea. In low light I always shoot high.

[mangonboat]

A great story! Been there, done that, and it puts all of this in perspective. Going out there with a stick and string is a choice and that choice opens up a whole new world of possibilities, some of which are mighty funny and some are mighty embarrassing...but the rest are so much sweeter.