First Bow shot
10-06-2007, 07:58 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 957
First Bow shot
Well, I've been holding off on this thread. LoL
This past Tuesday morning I shot at my first deer with my bow. And I missed!!!!
Here's the story.
I was hunting the Cuddo Wildlife Refuge. Its only open two weeks out of the year and the main goal is to thin the deer heard b/c it is awaterfowl refuge. The area I was hunting was a rub and scrape line that lead to a dranage (bedding area).I got into the stand well before day light. Beautiful morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Leaned back, gazing at the stars, saying a prayer and lighting my ThermaCell.
I am sittin' about 14ft up a pine tree with the trail 25yds in front of me. I was hunting an "ambush" set up. I only had a narrow shot window. (you can not cut a single limb on this land)
The sun came up. A few tree rats are down in the leaves below me gathering the fresh acorns. As time passes I start to wonder if this is a good set up. At excatly 7:10am I hear a deer coming down the trail. The deer is blowing. Not a "i busted you" blow, but a strange, "i'm blowing b/c I can" blow. Well I never did see this deer. At 7:20am I hear a faint rustle in the leaves and movement catches my eye. It was a deer coming down the trail from my left to right. Perfect. Just as it was "planned". I immeditalyseen that it was a big bodied deer so I stood up and grabbed my bow off of the hanger. The deer still coming down the trail, I seen antlers. It was a small 4 or 6pt, but I would say an avg. SC public land buck. My heart was pounding. I remember saying to myself. OMG...this is it...this is the way its supposed to happen. With the deer 30yds and closing, I draw and settle on an opening. The buck gets to the opening, but doesn't stop. I move fwd. to another opening and he stops. PERFECT!!!!!! 20-25yd broadsided shot.
I settle the pin right behind his shoulder (as much as I could b/c I was still shaking so hard I could barely stand) I let the arrow fly. As soon as the arrow left the string I noticed SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT!!!!!
The arrow was very loud and the buck ducked it before it was even close. Keep in mind that I am shooting right at 300fps and this buck was less than 30yds from me. He took a few steps then mozied into the sawgrass flickering his ears...He never knew I was there.
With my heart on the ground, I decided to climb down and see what in the world happened. Well, when I inspected my arrow, I kicked myself in the ass. The day before I was practicing and obviously hit my arrow with another and busted my knock and cut my blazer. This accounts for why the arrow was so loud. So two things happened. The noise of the arrow alerted the buck and i am sure that from all the shaking that my shot was probably a little high to begin with.
The first deer I've ever missed while still hunting and IT WAS WITH MY BOW!!!![:'(]
I will say that I am glad that I got a clean miss though.
I have NEVER felt that kind of feeling while shooting at deer with a rifle. Don't get me wrong, i've been excited, but nothing to that amount.
I am sure that it won't be my last that I miss, but man it would have been nice to have gotten my first deer. At least now I know what its going to feel like when another gives me the shot, so I can control it better!!!!
And I will know now to make sure I inspect EVERY arrow that goes into my quiver!!!!
This past Tuesday morning I shot at my first deer with my bow. And I missed!!!!
Here's the story.
I was hunting the Cuddo Wildlife Refuge. Its only open two weeks out of the year and the main goal is to thin the deer heard b/c it is awaterfowl refuge. The area I was hunting was a rub and scrape line that lead to a dranage (bedding area).I got into the stand well before day light. Beautiful morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Leaned back, gazing at the stars, saying a prayer and lighting my ThermaCell.
I am sittin' about 14ft up a pine tree with the trail 25yds in front of me. I was hunting an "ambush" set up. I only had a narrow shot window. (you can not cut a single limb on this land)
The sun came up. A few tree rats are down in the leaves below me gathering the fresh acorns. As time passes I start to wonder if this is a good set up. At excatly 7:10am I hear a deer coming down the trail. The deer is blowing. Not a "i busted you" blow, but a strange, "i'm blowing b/c I can" blow. Well I never did see this deer. At 7:20am I hear a faint rustle in the leaves and movement catches my eye. It was a deer coming down the trail from my left to right. Perfect. Just as it was "planned". I immeditalyseen that it was a big bodied deer so I stood up and grabbed my bow off of the hanger. The deer still coming down the trail, I seen antlers. It was a small 4 or 6pt, but I would say an avg. SC public land buck. My heart was pounding. I remember saying to myself. OMG...this is it...this is the way its supposed to happen. With the deer 30yds and closing, I draw and settle on an opening. The buck gets to the opening, but doesn't stop. I move fwd. to another opening and he stops. PERFECT!!!!!! 20-25yd broadsided shot.
I settle the pin right behind his shoulder (as much as I could b/c I was still shaking so hard I could barely stand) I let the arrow fly. As soon as the arrow left the string I noticed SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT!!!!!
The arrow was very loud and the buck ducked it before it was even close. Keep in mind that I am shooting right at 300fps and this buck was less than 30yds from me. He took a few steps then mozied into the sawgrass flickering his ears...He never knew I was there.
With my heart on the ground, I decided to climb down and see what in the world happened. Well, when I inspected my arrow, I kicked myself in the ass. The day before I was practicing and obviously hit my arrow with another and busted my knock and cut my blazer. This accounts for why the arrow was so loud. So two things happened. The noise of the arrow alerted the buck and i am sure that from all the shaking that my shot was probably a little high to begin with.
The first deer I've ever missed while still hunting and IT WAS WITH MY BOW!!!![:'(]
I will say that I am glad that I got a clean miss though.
I have NEVER felt that kind of feeling while shooting at deer with a rifle. Don't get me wrong, i've been excited, but nothing to that amount.
I am sure that it won't be my last that I miss, but man it would have been nice to have gotten my first deer. At least now I know what its going to feel like when another gives me the shot, so I can control it better!!!!
And I will know now to make sure I inspect EVERY arrow that goes into my quiver!!!!
10-06-2007, 08:13 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,867
RE: First Bow shot
do not feel to bad i took my first shot with my bow thursday and missed i had a doe come in to my right about 15 yards way got walk a circle around me about half way around i noticed her and she looked at me and we traded off she looks i move she looks then i move . by the time i get my release on she knows soemthings up and she starts to move quickly not running but moving quickly
i draw and she stops and looks at me i am to the left and she is to the right. She starts moving quickly again i turn fast as she heads up a trail and give a little bleap out of my mouth she stops turns broad side perfect shot.
But wait theres a tree in the way so i figure i'll let her walk when i went to let my draw down i sliped my release and right over her head my arrow goes .
hang in there i am sure were both get one good luck andstay safe
i draw and she stops and looks at me i am to the left and she is to the right. She starts moving quickly again i turn fast as she heads up a trail and give a little bleap out of my mouth she stops turns broad side perfect shot.
But wait theres a tree in the way so i figure i'll let her walk when i went to let my draw down i sliped my release and right over her head my arrow goes .
hang in there i am sure were both get one good luck andstay safe
10-06-2007, 08:13 PM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Roanoke, Va
Posts: 3,562
RE: First Bow shot
Sounds like a good lesson learned.
Also, don't forget to shoot all the arrows in your quiver with a broadhead before hunting. One arrow may shoot fine and you think you are tuned (which you very well could be) but something could be askew with a different arrow.
Also, don't forget to shoot all the arrows in your quiver with a broadhead before hunting. One arrow may shoot fine and you think you are tuned (which you very well could be) but something could be askew with a different arrow.
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