Two weeks ago I got this guy on camera:
https://youtu.be/xi2QRRcFwTM
Yesterday: I got in my stand a few minutes before first light. At 0620, six does came single file down the trail. There are many intersecting trails and they just happened to be 20 yards away. I tried to get a shot at the last doe, but she stepped forward just as I reached anchor. I let them walk off..not that I could do anything to stop them. 3 minutes later, I heard a grunt. Sure enough, two bucks on their trail. At 20, the lead buck, the 10 point above, turned my way and stopped at 8 yards...broadside...with nothing in the way. I rushed the shot and zipped one right over his back. He ran off towards the does, stopped for a couple seconds and followed them. The next buck was an 8 pt. He made 3 scrapes while I watched. He fought with every low hanging branch and even one that he stood straight up in the air to lick. He grunted so loud and often, it was more of a bellow. He didn't stop in an opening and continued on towards the herd, ignoring my futile grunting and bleating.
20 minutes later as I sat crying into my tag soup, I hear a snap. Looking to my left was a nice mature 8 pt coming right at me. I was only 10-12' up in my hang-on stand and he was uphill from me. I didn't think I had a chance. He came in front of me as I got to my feet. I stopped him at 8 yards....yup, same spot, within 3' of where the 10pt stood. Broadside and wide open, I slowly hit anchor, picked a spot low on his chest behind the crease and let another arrow loose. That one too zipped over his back, hit a rock and snapped in two. I don't know what it is about deer that are close, but they are harder to hit than a 20 yarder. Even back to my compound days I would shoot high. I think it's such a chip shot, that I can't miss, then I do. Probably forgot to bend at waist or something.
So, instead of two bucks in the truck, it was just me smiling (kinda) about a wonderful day in the woods.
I have a theory on why I shoot high, or used to. When in a stand, if you look at the center mass of a deer(right behind shoulder of course) , at that angle you are already shooting high , you need to aim at the heart area which will be down on the side further.
Add the change of visual angle if you don't bend at the waist, and if the deer is the least bit wired, guaranteed high shot.
hey we all miss and sometimes we miss close and make the shots we shouldn't have tried....bowhunting! im sure you will get it done soon! sounds like your hunting a great spot!!!
Bending at the waist is important ,shooting down without bending changes your anchor.
Man I'm sorry to hear that :(
Don't sweat it. It's been a few years (thankfully) but I had a day when I missed 3 different 8 pointers in one day. Shot over every one of them.
It teaches you about how to focus on the shot.
Man, sorry you did not get to fill out a tag, but that does sound like a great morning in the deer woods!
Better luck next time out!
Bisch
I usually shoot over a couple every year,my high shots are from shooting at the whole animal not just a spot.It's good I get lots of shots.
You may already have tried this but I put a ladder stand in my yard to practice elevated shots. You can learn a lot from this. Keeping your chin down is another biggie. Keep flinging em. You'll connect.
The way my year has been going, I'd consider it a success just to see that many bucks within range. Sounds like you have found the proverbial "honey hole". I have a feeling your drought won't last much longer. :thumbsup:
I had been working on a very big buck. I had him on a pattern. One day, considering the wind, I knew that I needed to use my Huntmore chair and my Bush In A Bag against a couple of cedar shrubs, so I packed my Bush Bag into my Huntmore bag. I forgot it and all I had to sit on was my butt pad. I sat in my tree chair right handed that night, ready for action and perfectly comfortable. My buck came in from a small wood brush trail with many sticks across it with his massive antlers low to the ground, pushy the sticks out of his way, directly down thermal to me. I guess the combination of buck grunt and fawn bleat got him excited. My tree chair had three trunks, the trunk on my right would have even prevented a left hand shot. At twenty yards he got a nose full of me spun and bolted. The next day a compound kid shot him on the neighboring private land. 155 P&Y and 6.5 years old I've heard. OH well, antler stew tastes terrible and some times old rutting bucks don't eat so well either. Those antlers are all about testosterone, both for the deer and the hunter. Time to hunt with my stomach, that's more fun anyway.
Back when I first started bowhunting (about 45 years ago), I missed the same deer five times in the space of about five minutes. Sure wish I had known then what I know now!
Kenny, the 10 pt I aimed center chest and knew when I released it was going over. The 8 pt, I aimed low and still screwed up.
Bucknut, I have a ladder in my yard and shoot fine with it at things that don't move. lol. First thing I did when I got home was climb in and fling a few. No problems when I bend at the waist.
Newhouse, I missed a doe 3x in five minutes last season. All close shots and all over the back. Funny how in practice you repeat: bend, aim, follow through. Then put a deer in front of you and just fling an arrow and hope. They get me excited and I can't think straight. Hitting the same spot tomorrow.