I've seen more deer so far this year than I remember in previous years. And I've had 3 now within range and I didn't draw.
First was a doe that crossed in front of me about 10 yards away. Nice doe, well within range, and broadside. I told myself if she would stop I would shoot. She kept walking slowly and I never raised the bow.
Second was a nice buck a couple of nights ago at dusk. He was (I thought) about 30 yards out. He stopped for a good 30 seconds perfectly broadside, silhouetted against the sky. I was standing with an arrow nocked and still, never took the shot. I told myself he was too far away to be safe, and I hoped he would turn and come down to a scrape I was setting near. But the next day when I went back there and checked it out in better light, I think he was more like 25 yards out. I'm now kicking myself about that one. Again, I never even drew the string.
Last night I was walking in after work, about 4:00 pm. The wind was bad so I was walking fairly fast and just trying to get to a place where I could circle back into my position for the hunt. Even with the wind at my back, I suddenly looked up and discovered I had walked up on 2 nice does. One was standing in the trail looking at me, only about 10 yards away, again perfectly broadside. Of course, since I didn't have an arrow nocked (I usually don't when walking), I stood there and stared at her. Had I had an arrow on the string, I might have tried a shot. As it was, I never got to draw.
SO... am I just not quick enough on the draw here? I am still haunted by the monster buck that walked by me about 4 years ago while I sat on a stool along a trail in the morning. He was not 10 feet from me, and I was frozen to the stool. Never brought up the bow, and he eventually winded me and ran out.
How quick are you to fling an arrow? How can someone with my apparent slowness issue speed things up? Should I? I'm struggling with the realization that I probably should have 3 in the freezer and 1 on the wall so far this season!
BillJ
3 days in a row i had deer come out directly behind me which offerd NO shot between 5 and 10 yards! one was a nice buck. i did attempt to raise the bow on a doe at 5 yards but she busted me and took off.
Walking deer, too far a shot, no arrow on string, sounds like you did every thing right to me...it will happen. It is frustrating not being able to get a shot off, but when you rush a shot there are several things that can happen...most of which are not good!
Sounds like you are having a good season though.. :)
you have to just do it. After a few attempts, good or bad, you get past the "freeze" stage. After a number of encounters, again, good and bad, you start to develop a sense of reading the situation... what can you get away with (In terms of what motion and when you can do it). You just get better with experience. But without experience, you just keep having these issues. Look at it this way, you may spook them with your motion, but that really isn't any worse than what is happeneing already.
Try it ! I suggest you not wait till they are any less than 20 yards away before you start bringing up the bow.. slowly or that you do so when their face (eyes) are behind a tree or brush.
Either way.... fun isn't it !
editing this.. I re-read my post and you know... I don't mean just shoot at everything no matter the situation.. I was thinking more in line with going thru the motions of preping... right up to the shot, so that you are ready to actually do it. I have a buddy who went (and is still going thru) this. He should have killed deer many by now, but he doesn't initiate and then never gets the shot.
Shots are sometimes a very fleeting thing... by that I mean at times a deer may stand broadside for minutes..seemingly with a rag tied around his / her face and a target drawn on its side.
Most times that is not the case and if you are ready for that 2-3 second opportunity it is there for the taking.
ChuckC
Bowhunting is hard. You made good choices. I would have probably bleated with my mouth to stop the first doe and I definitely would have tried to have my bow up as soon as I saw the deer. You have to be ready and not hesitate when it feels right but you have to make good decisions too.
Take the first good shot you have. Don't wait for an illusory perfect shot.
Other than not having an arrow already nocked, which I don't do when walking in thick stuff, or when I'm in a hurry, nothing was wrong.
You'll know when the time is right. Some deer have been close to me, offered the shots, but something just didn't seem right to me, and they walked away.
Give it time and a shot will happen. The ones that get away have just as much memory space in the brain, as those that walk away.
Every situation is different. You learn from experience in how you read the deer's posture/body language. I think you've got to scare or at least alert a few before you know what you can or can't get away with.
When it comes to drawing on deer, trial and error is the best teacher because each situation has its own variables.
I'll tell you one thing, it's hard to be on the ground and draw on a deer that's 10 feet away and not spook it. I wouldn't regret any deer encounter - instead, think of each one as training. You're bound to do things differently next time. This is how we get better.
Every situation is different. You learn from experience in how you read the deer's posture/body language. I think you've got to scare or at least alert a few before you know what you can or can't get away with.
When it comes to drawing on deer, trial and error is the best teacher because each situation has its own variables.
I'll tell you one thing, it's hard to be on the ground and draw on a deer that's 10 feet away and not spook it. I wouldn't regret any deer encounter - instead, think of each one as training. You're bound to do things differently next time. This is how we get better.
Thanks for all the advice. I've re-read my post a couple of times now, and I guess I'm pretty convinced I would do the same thing in each case. Except maybe the walking deer... ;-)
I have drawn on and shot at deer. And as I think about each case, I realize that the comments above are spot on. Each time when I DID draw and / or shoot, it was a time when I just knew it was right.
So I'll keep at it.
BillJ