Trad Gang

Well let me just say that I love reading the many success stories found here on TradGang. But as a traditional archer who has bagged nuthin but squirrels I feel the need to hear some stories about misses. Now what are misses you may be askin? Well To explain let me tell you the story of my most spectacular miss. And perhaps after hearing about one, some of you fine gentlemen/women might realise that you to have missed on occasion.

My most memorable miss occured on the 29th of August last year. My wife and I were out visiting her parents when we noticed a spectacular Mule Deer bedded in the field down the hill from their house. He was about a mile away from us and both my wife and I had Mulie tags. So we flipped a coin and I won dibs on first stalk. Now neither of my inlaws had ever seen a traditional bow let alone an animal taken with one. So I was quite eager to impress. I strung my longbow and headed off, and to make a long story short eventually managed to close the distance to about twenty yards. It was at this moment that I realised that I had forgoten both my armguard and shooting glove in all the excitement. Undetered I attemped to crawl closer but his keen ears picked up my racket and he slowly stood from his bed. Icame to full draw, picked my spot and released! And watched my arrow fly a hands length below his chest. The buck ran off and I was left with the realisation that not only had I blown a once in a lifetime stalk at a once in a lifetime deer. And to make it worse both my inlaws and my wife had watched the whole bloody thing.

So. Is there anyone out there who can relate?

Relate?  Oh yeah, I can relate....
I've certainly had my share, but the one that stands out most vivid in my mind (and I hope like heck I never have one to top it) was the very first morning of a guided elk hunt we were working our way back toward the horses in a snowstorm.  Came upon a small bull, but he was plenty good enough for me, so I crept closer to set up on him with the guide following behind.  I notice movement in the brush, then could make out antlers.  Headed my way!  But it wasn't the small bull we had first seen.  This was a mega 6x6.  Long tines. Extreme mass.  He was huge!  He walked slowly into an opening perfectly broadside and I airmailed an arrow right over his back.  
I will never get over that one.  But what a crystal clear memory!

Yep! The fever will do that too ya.   :biglaugh:

Not laughing at you Whip.  

Not a 'miss' in the most strict definition of the word, but I'm still sick about it. More years ago than I care to remember, I was hunting elk and got a hot response to my bugle right at first light, and he was close! I was below the bull, and he became silouhetted in the first light of morning, screaming his head off and about 20 yards away. I rared back and fired, totally forgetting about picking a spot, and heard a loud 'thwack'. The bull only got madder, and I only got more flustered, deftly emptying my quiver until he finally left the country. As I walked to where he was standing in an attempt to retrieve my arrows, I found a six inch long slice of elk antler, obviously what had caused that 'thwack'. So technically, I didn't really miss.   :banghead:

Mine was a big bull also. A 360 bull I was on 6 days in a row, could never get the right shot. On the seventh day I decided to hunt for Mulies, blew a couple of stalks and headed back to camp midday. Ran into him and his cows bumped him and sprinted through the timber to see cows moving through, got ready and here he came pushing his last cow. I gave a little mew and stopped him braodside at 25 yards, drew back, released and over-neathed him, over actually. Still see it all very clear.

I finally got an elk within range a couple of years ago.  He had to have at least 3 points and with the forest background I couldn't see them clearly.  Finally after staring at his antlers for a thousand lifetimes he relaxed and I counted 4 points.  I quickly drew and loosed an arrow.  RIGHT BETWEEN HIS ANTLERS.
The good news is I stopped him with a loud elk scream. ( sort of) and put him down with a shot to the heart.
I went back to the spot and took a picture of the first arrow last year.

BigArcher

The biggest buck I've seen to date, had my recurve with me at the time, still very new to traditional archery.  I was shaking so bad when he walked through the underbrush, still in velvet from our early season.  I kept thinking he'd stop - I tried and grunt and ended up with a squeek, that didn't work either - and by the time I came to my senses he was practically under me.

I thought I had him dead on the forest floor, instead I watched my arrow with two chartreus and two neon pink feathers dissappear over his back and lodge in the dirt behind him, a puff of fur being my only consolation.

What a wonderful baptism into Traditional.

My first few years into traditional archery just happend to coincide with the period of my carrer where I actually started to get shots at good bucks.  I missed the same 150 to 155 inch 5x5 twice in one season!  Plus some other big ones! Not to mention other species.  I don't miss nearly as often now...but it still happens.  That's part of the fun.

30 years ago this fall was my first year hunting with a Bear bow. I was 14 years old and knew nothing about treestands and such. I got my bow as a xmas present and practiced every day. I loved shooting my bow. First day of archery season came and a friend of my dad's took me out with him and his son. We parked the car and started up this crab apple choked hollow. About a hundred yards into my first hunt and the father said he could see deer legs up ahead in the thick crabs and we should stay here and he'd see if he could get close enough for a shot. Me and his son couldn't see anything and kind of thought he was crazy. He disappeared and we stood dead center in a deer trail just looking at each other. OH did I mention he took his kids bow? A little upset, I turned to look back at the car and there walking down the trail( we were standing on) was a beautiful 10 point. He had know idea two stupid kids were stand (SHAKING) on that trail. He stopped about 20 yards away broadside eatting apples. Know matter what I couldn't pull that bow back. I tried over and over until I thought I would cry. The buck finally lifted his head and stared a hole through my heart. With one last burst of adrenaline I pulled that bow back, aimed a hole at the lungs, and released. Like in ultra slow motion I watched my arrow heading dead on only to cut a tiny tuffed of hair off the bottom of his chest. To make matters worse he looked behind him at the arrow then back at me and walked away in disgust. My best friend lives about a quarter of a mile from that spot and never do I drive past that parking place that I don't feel like a 14 year old throwing up!
GLENN

one of my most impressive was clean missing an eland bull, buddys didn't let me forget that one in a hurry ..Eland are the largest species of "antelope" in the world

Montana, 1980.  I had just went to a Montana hunting banquet where they had a mount of the state record mulie with a good friend of mine.  We got a good close up look at it and I committed that I had been watching a buck in the Highwoods mountains all season that was every bit as big.  I took my buddy with me the next weekend bowhunting and at first light there was that buck feeding on a very pointy nob just like always.  We tried a stalk on him from two sides but the clouds lowered and we were down to almost zero visibility.  Suddenly the buck walked by in a fog break but was gone just as fast.
    The next weekend I was alone and the wind was blowing the opposite direction due to a front moving in and I made a half mile stalk and was the same height on the nob as he was when he came around the rim and walked down towards the aspen gully he normally bedded in.  he stopped broadside at 18 yds. and I proceeded to shoot 3" over his back!
    Obviously this was a heart breaking miss but it was a great experience to have lived through and I wouldn't trade that miss for anything.

Well, I hate to admit this ...  I was hunting a big set aside field.  Just sitting in the grass, when  buck was chasign a doe right to me.  I wanted to to put a doe in the freezer, so this looked good.  She trotted right past me and stoped just to the left and behind me.  I stood up, took my time and drew on her.  She jsut looked at me, now broad side ( in a field - 10 yards away!!!! )and did not move.  I let fly and shot right right over her back!!

I still can't belive I missed the easiest shot ever offered to me!  Oh the shame of it all!!!   :banghead:    :banghead:    :banghead:

I've hit antlers, too, on the biggest buck I've ever drawn a bow on. P&Y for sure, maybe B&C. I tend to shoot where I look...

A nice big 10 point at 7 yards on the ground, I was standing, he came out of a thicket and was walking by me in an old logging road I had just walked in on 5 minutes before. Yep, 7 yards and he looked as big as a cow, almost cut the hair off his back. Still makes me sick to think about it at the time it would have been my first deer with a recurve   :)

too many to recall.   :biglaugh:

140+ 8pt last season bounced my arrow back at me from his rack...yea I still gotta ask myself just why did I hafta stand "in" his bed    :banghead:    

I'd rather a clean miss then a bad hit.
Allan

Like a lot of guys I have had both, and if you think you beat yourself up about a clean miss, try getting a poor hit out of a miss.  Count your blessings guys.
A.

i guess it would have to be the time i went deer hunting and fell asleep under a teetree tree and missed everything for about 3 hours.  :biglaugh:

My first shot at a deer with traditional tackle was a real nice 8 point at about 15 steps.  I was in a ground blind but he was on full alert.  He knew something wasn't right but couldn't decide what.  He paused behind a tree and I prepared for the shot.  Another step would bring him into the clear for the shot.  

I'll always blame it on that pause. I got amped up and I'm sure I was soaking up the adrenaline as I waited for him to finally move out from behind the tree.  When he did he was tense but moving steadily towards a fresh scrape. Perhaps I should have waited and let him get preoccupied with his goal instead of with his uneasy feeling.

However, I took the first opportunity he presented and blew it all the way around. I didn't pick a spot and probably over-drew the bow.  I hit anchor and shot all at once.  As my arrow streaked across the open space between us, the deer dropped his shoulder and ducked the arrow.  It flew clean over his back.

To make matters worse he trotted off about 50 yards and proceeded to circle me, trying to catch my scent.  I could see him but, even if he had presented a shot, the distance was too great.  I'll never forget the sight of my arrow sailing over his back.  I sure wish I had that moment back for one more chance...     :pray:

Mine would have to be my first Trad turkey season. It was opening day and I was hunting behind my house, at first light the birds were gobbling good, but there were gun hunters all over the place, I saw three different ones. I just decided to sit tight in my blind, I had coffee and snacks with me. I had my decoys set up about 12 yards from the blind, and I just sat and called every once and awhile. It was around 11:30( we can only hunt till noon) I was just about to give up for the day when I spotted a bunch of Jakes around 80 yards off. I got my call and gave a few yelps, they just came in on a string right to the decoys. I remember thinking I can't believe this, I going to get a shot my first time out with a trad bow. I picked out the biggest one and proceeded to miss it clean, there was no second chance that day but I was hooked from that moment on and I haven't gone after them with  gun since that day.

Here's mine:

I was without a place to hunt and a buddy of mine invited me to a small lease he had. When we got there he told me he was going to put me in a tree stand at the front of the place. He was describing the set-up and in doing so said "This stand is set up for a close shot. If you get a shot it will be a Slam Dunk". Well, I spent the afternoon in the tree watching many deer when a real nice 8 pt buck came in. He worked into a good position and I began to draw. He caught movement or heard a noise and looked straight up at me. We began the stareoff. I held my bow up without moving for what seemed like an hour and my arm began to hurt. He finally turned to go back to eating. I thought, OK here's my chance. I drew back, and let the arrow fly. I missed that deer a foot and a half high and off into the woods he went. That was the day that I learned that there is no such thing as a "Slam Dunk" in archery.

Bisch

QuoteOriginally posted by allan f:
I'd rather a clean miss then a bad hit.
Allan

Like a lot of guys I have had both, and if you think you beat yourself up about a clean miss, try getting a poor hit out of a miss.  Count your blessings guys.
A.

X2 - I totally agree with this post!

Bisch

2 yrs ago had a monster black bear @ 12ft and the bottom limb of my bow delamed at fulldraw.Scared me more than the bear.Same year in New Mexico.Stalked w/ in 25yrds of a 200'' 6x6 mulie bedded and just as I was reaching for a arro from my quiver,my hunting partner came down the jeep trail and boogered everything.I still see the ribcage on that buck.
I also have too many to confess

How about missing the same turkey twice, at 5 yds. This actually happened less than a month ago and still stings. The truth of the matter is I missed him 3 times twice at 5 yds and then at 16 yds. The third shot I was a little flustered. Good thing I had 4 arrows as I shot through him at 28 paces. I couldnt understand how one misses twice at 5 yds untill I saw the 2 gaping holes in my brand new hub blind in the shape of a wensel woodsman. And to top it off the tom destroyed my jake decoy after the first shot thinking he was challenging him. I left my face mask on for the rest of the week! Just kidding only wore it for 2 days.

Heck - I've had a number.  This isn't technically a miss but...

A few years ago I was still hunting on a relative's land.  Moving quietly up an abandoned road towards a huge oak, I heard squirrels in the mast.  So I slipped a blunt onto my string and stalked as quietly as I could.  The road curved to the right and I could hear the squirrels plain as day.

It took forever, but finally I had the tree at my 2 o'clock about 20 yards away but still didn't see the squirrels.  Out of the corner of my eye though, at 10 o'clock and 15 feet (not yards), I finally noticed the two does standing there.

They saw me but either they didn't know what I was or couldn't believe their eyes.  Anyway, we stared at each other for about 5 minutes while I tried to figure out how I was going to swap arrows out for something a bit sharper.

Soon the alpha doe started stamping her foot and doing the fake feeding thing.  I knew she was going to snort at me and kept telling myself not to jump when she did it.  Another 5 minutes of foot stomping, fake feeding and she snorted.  I jumped.

Those does are probably still running.  :-D

When I first started hunting with a recurve bow for deer (1984?). On a very windy day, I was hunting on the ground and had a young six point walk straight up to me. Halfway between me and my trophy was a vine that kept swinging back and forth in front of its vitals. The buck was probably 15 feet away!I drew back and held my Kodiak Magnum at full draw and tried to time the swinging vine. I timed it all right and center punched it!
The buck ran off but stayed in range for two more
"shoot at the whole deer" clean misses.
Since that day, I've had several more branches sacrifice themselves to save an animal.
I even mounted one on a plaque with the broken arrow after I missed a big buck in Iowa.

All would rather a complete miss than a bad hit. Those ghosts don't go away.

185 fps compound 35(?) years ago. While hunting the fence line, easily one of my top 3 racks of all time coming straight towards me on the other side of the 5-strand barbed wire fence. He went UNDER & stood broadside less than 10 yards! LSS, I shot and he fell under the arrow missing by a hair his backbone. Complete numbness! How did he get that big rack under the fence? How did he fall so far to dodge the arrow? JFTR, I was using aluminum arrows & a spring rest covered w/hard plastic tube shrink. Although I never noticed the 10K times shooting at the range, it sounded like a slot machine.

My most memorable one isnt on a big buck or a tough shot it was probably the easiest shot ive ever had in my life...The first deer i shot at with my recurve sitting in a stream bank watching the corner of a corn field a doe came down the edge of the corn and stopped literally 6 feet away from me broadside...needless to say i never even thought about picking a spot and all i remember is that doe running at me and across the steam at the sound of the arrow tearing through the corn behind her right over her back....still makes me laugh to think about it    :goldtooth:    :biglaugh:

This is mine from a similar thread I started in November of last year:

I went out tonight after not having much time to hunt this season and thought I'd do some ground poundin'. Well, as I aproached an opening in a field I stopped to glass and spotted a doe. There was nothing between she and I except 80 yards of two foot tall grass, so on the belly we go. I crawled across the field in the direction of the doe racing against daylight. Finally at my destination I raised to my knees to situate for a shot and noticed that she was walking right towards me, I didn't think this could get any better. I sat and waited for her to clear some brush so I could shoot but what came out the other side wasn't her. It was a very nice P&Y 8 point! he was walking right past me, upwind with a slight quarter away, no clue I even existed. I estimated the shot to be in the neighborhood of 23 yards, a comfortable shot. I raised my bow, drew the string to my cheek, and sent the arrow on it's way, right past his antlers!  I can remember at the "moment of truth" thinking "I finally done it". Then I began to come apart all in that half second while releasing my arrow.  Guess that's why it's called huntin' and not killin'. Anyone else had these type of bonehead moments at the "moment of truth"?

I was creeping around the edges of on open field one evening on a very, very windy day looking in the high grass/brush surounding the field. I ended up stalking within 10 yards of a bedded doe. I had the wind in my favor. I knew if I waited long enough she would get up. She finally got up and started walking right at me. She ended up coming within about 6 feet of me when she finally figured out something was wrong. She started running past me and I drew hoping she would stop. She did, about 15 yards in the wide open field she stopped to have another look standing perfectly broadside. I released and watched my arrow fly directly over her back. This was the most perfect hunt I ever had, but ended up missing.

The year was 1976.  Hunting a public hunting area in western Iowa.  This was before I had ever taken a deer with a bow.  A yearling whitetail allowed me to shoot all 4 of my arrows at it (3 high, 1 low).  There I stood in my treestand with no arrows til the deer finally wandered off!!!

1999- Hunted a particular buck for 3-years but never got a shot. One evening we saw him hit a field and knew what stands to hunt the next morning. 3 of us were set up in a sort of a triangle and guess what, I picked the right one. He was following about 5 does right up the trail. I readied my bow and waited until he was at 10 yards broadside. I picked my spot and was ready to draw when he looked up at me. I panicked and lost concentration and shot at the body instead of a spot. My broadhead sliced the hair acrossed his back. I never saw the buck again until the night of opening day of gun season. A gun hunter killed him about a mile away on opening morning. He scored 191" non typical and had 16 scorable points.
I hung up my recurve that day and went back to a compound. What a fool I was. After several bucks on the wall I came to my senses and came back to trad a couple seasons ago. That day taught me a lesson that took 7 years to realize. It wasn't the buck I was after, but the hunt itself. That is the most memorable hunt I have, not most memorable kill. And thats what is is all about isn't it? One mistake I'll never make again. 1st year back into trad I was blessed with a 150" 9 pointer. But the hunt is what I cherish most.

Mike

The first year I started hunting "slick top whities" in Montana.  I had been driven out to a treestand and was told to wait there till they came back, along with that instruction was the one: Wait for the last one or you will mess it up for the rest of the season.  Well that evening 85 deer passed with in 18 yards of my stand.  When the last one came I was pretty tuned in and some of the excitment factor had worn off, or so I thought........As she came by I proceeded to place an arrow right where I saw the crease behind the shoulder, only to see her run back in the direction she had come from untouched by the broadhead.  She ran about 40 yards, turned around, and looked back in my direction.  After she huffed and puffed for about 2-3 minutes, much to my surprise she came back, only this time she was closer to the tree!  Wow!!!!!  I was thinkin' this one needs to be removed from the gene pool, or she has a death wish?  Neither proved to be right as the second arrow pretty much followed the path of the second!

My most memorable miss was my first time I ever pulled back on an animal hunting with a Longbow, this last season and also my first season with the Longbow in tow. I had a 2 Does come right into my set up. I thought, how perfect, my first kill with my longbow, awesome. The big Doe comes into the clearing, stops broadside on her own 2o yards out, I draw, release and right over her back! Ouch! She had no idea what just happened. I reach behind me, pull out an arrow from my arrowmaster trying to move as slow as possible because the other Doe was directly underneath me. I get an arrow nocked without looking, bring my bow up to draw, dang, it has a judo tip on it. I manage to get another arrow out, this time with the correct head on it and bring my bow up to draw, the Doe got nervous and moved offering no shot. I look down and the 2nd Doe was about 12 yards out....... done deal........... I missed again! It was AWESOME!!!! In the matter of 3 minutes I missed twice on 2 different deer. I was hooked from that point on. I killed plenty of deer with my gun and compound but these 2 misses had me shaking soooo bad, I looked down at my knees and literally could not stop them from shaking! I love it!

Very first hunt with Trad gear five years ago.  Caribou hunting in Quebec.  Staked to a P&Y bull to about 8 yards.  I had been practicing all summer in 100 degree Texas heat with a tee shirt and shorts.  I drew on the bedded bull and released with the string slapping my heavy clothing and sticking the arrow into the ground about 10 ft. in front of me.  He got up and looked around but I was back behind a tree and he just took a few steps and looked the other way.  I drew again..he was now about 12 yards and I proceeded to shoot under him.  Now he KNEW something was amiss and ran up a hillside and was about 30 yards away.  I drew for a third time and made my first clean release of the day.  Right behind the shoulder and through the other side.  Missed two chip shots and heart shot the third which I probably should not have taken.

In the mid 80's or so,  I decided to try a compound bow.  Up till then it had always used a recurve.  On about the second day of deer season I saw a huge muley buck that would cross a steep meadow each morning to the timbered edge as sun came up. This was the biggest mule deer I had ever seen.

So next morning I hiked in the dark to the point just below where the buck would hit the timber and waited.  As the sun rose the buck as if on a string appeared and walked down the trial toward me.  

Besides the new compound I was using vanes on my aluminum shafts for the first time and one of those crosswire sights that were popular then.  Since I already knew where he would walk I felt pretty cocky about my chances with my new fangled bow.

As the buck came closer I drew back and anchored sure he would soon be mine.  This should have been my first clue something bad was going to happen.  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that one of the vanes was only attached by it's tip, the rest hung down from the shaft.  Frantic I slowly and quietly let down so I could change arrows.  I still had just enough time before he would hit the timber above me at about 20 yards.  Unfortunately I dropped the bad arrow on the only rock near me. In the early morning mountain air the normally small tick sounded like a firecracker going off.  The now nervous deer angled up across the meadow at about 40 yards.  Rushing to shoot I drew back, looked at the maze of wires on the sight and let fly, 4 feet over his back and at least that far behind him. To say I was dejected would be an understatement.  Worse as I stood feeling sorry of myself a bowhunter toting a recurve stepped out from a rock at the top of the meadow.  He had seen it all, and had the same idea after he too spotted the deer the day before.  Having a witness to my biggest failure to date was more then I could take.  The recurve was back in business soon after.

Mine is a miss that turned into a hit last year. Was down in the river bottom and seen a bunch of hogs down the pipeline and put a stalk on them. As I got into range I saw a nice eatin size hog bedded down asleep at about 14yds. She was in a rooted out hole and only half visible but I felt good about the shot and let fly. I hit the ground just in front of her and the arrow richocheted(spell) right into her. she jumped up squealing and mad with a snuffer stickin out the other side, giving me time to grab another arrow and miss clean!! At that shot she took off but only made it 50yds before going down for good.

my most memorable miss was actually that i didnt shoot.i believe it was 1999,i had chased this big bull around on the juniper flats in my hunting area for three years in a row,i named this bull groaner because he never bugled just a deep deep groan would echo through the junipers.the third year i hunted this bull i finally worked my way into his herd.it took me several hours of working back and forth keeping the wind in my face.i was talking back and forth with his cows with my mouth reed.i crept closer and closer making sure not to be to quiet as this is a dead giveaway to elk.i finally saw his huge heavy rack in front of me,he was just ten yds away,i peeked around an 8ft pine and there he was standing there in all his glory looking away from me at his cows.i i rough scored him at 340-350 heavy all the way back huge thirds at least 25 inches.i pulled my string back picked a spot then something hit me like a ton of bricks...this bull had led me on many a chase through those junipers and he was up on me at least 20 to 1....i let down turned and walked off.what would i do without these memories this old bull had given me,i love the hunt the kill is not important to me.i could care less if i ever kill another bull....yes i have and will kill more for the meat but the hunt is what its all about....larry    :notworthy:  groaner you are the bull   :notworthy:

All of them!!

Hunted the Beltsville, MD ag farm with my buddy Mike. Still had not connected on anykind of animal except the littler ones, squirrels,nutrias, frogs. Ag farm rules stated a doe first. Doe comes in at 8 yrds and I'm ready to take the shot. I don't hunt with a ball type hat on, but had one this day for some reason I can't remember now. Of course the string hit the bill and I looked up just as let go. Watched as the arrow flew a couple inches over her back. To add insult to injury she moved 10ft into a bit of cover and stood for 20 minutes stamping her foot and making noises. Dang critters.

There was a very heavy bodied spike on our farm that we had been seeing in various places.  It was said that since it was my first year toting the traditional equipment I should be the one to try and get a shot at that very deer.  We did a small nudge and got him moving in my direction.  I remember seeing him coming down the trail on a slow trot.  I could see my friend coming up the wooded draw behind him and had my best friend standing 50 yards behind me.  The buck stopped turned broadside.  I drew, hit anchor and watched as my blue and white feathers zipped just over his back.  I felt so helpless when the arrow was on its way.  I couldnt believe I had missed.  But having the two guys that got me started in traditional archery watch that hunt unfold in realtime, was absolutely priceless.

Arrowed this deer in 1995. The year after I found his identical brother feeding like clockwork in an alfalfa field every evening about a month and a half before our season opened. I checked on him a few more times prior to the opening day and he was still showing.

The opening day came and I couldn't hunt the stand I'd hung on his entrance trail due to a bad wind. Three nights went by and I couldn't stand it any longer. I devised a ground blind attack plan. That fourth afternoon found me hacking out tall weeds on the opposite side of his entrance trail about 10 yards from the trail itself. A 5 gallon bucket would be my stand this fateful night.

Shortly before last light I had seen nothing. Right before I was ready to pack my stuff and go I put on my jacket and stood up to take one last peek over the 4 foot tall weeds.  This time I was surprised to see his buddy (a respectable 8 point) and him in tow coming right down the trail my way fast. I immediately sat on my bucket grabbed my bow and waited. With no hesitation the two deer walked right by my at 10 yards and straight out into the knee high hay field.

After watching them for a second the big deer put his face down in the food standing broadside at 20 yards directly in front of me. I lifted up, drew and let it go. My string hit the puffy jacket sleeve I had just put on (without an arm guard) and the arrow pasted just under his belly. The deer lumbered off into the woods never to be seen again.

I'll never forget the nightmares I had for several months after that hunt.

(http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/kyTJ/Mounts/P6030037.jpg)

First time I ever shot at an animal from a treestand with my recurve. Nice hog, probly not more than 10 yards away, in a group of about 15 hogs all feeding on corn.

I thought I had it down, aiming just a little lower than normal. Until I saw that arrow go so close over her back I swear it rubbed her. On cue all 15 pigs raised hell in every direction. I started laughing so hard I dropped arrows out of the tree.

My most unique miss came when I followed a young mulie buck who I watched drop down into a steep-sided creek bed.  The creek was dry and as I peered over the edge, I could see the deer standing in the rocky bed about 15 feet straight below me.  I released an arrow just as the deer took a small bound over a rock.  My arrow hit right between his feet at the exact momement he landed from his leap.  The arrow didn't skip off the rocky bed, but rather stuck in the bed, between some rocks.  It made a terrible loud noise.  Yet the buck didn't even seem to notice.  He must have just thought it was his massive frame that shook the creek bed (young bucks can be so arrogant!) He took one step forward and I sent a second arrow that passed through his lungs.  He only ran about forty yards and piled up.  This was my first buck, a modest 1X2.  I have plenty of missed shots that still wake me up at night, but I'd have to say this is my most memorable miss.

Without a doubt it would be the big 10 pt. whitetail I missed the year before last.It was in the evening and I was in a treestand between a bedding area and a field set-up next to the only appletree around.The deer like to check for drops under it and the wind was perfect for this stand that evening.Half hour before dark I hear something behind me to my left and here he comes.Did my best to compose myself and as he came up broaside at about 10 yds. I drew and let it fly...right over his back.He ran about 20yds. down the hill and stood there staring in my diretion for a few minites then turned and stomped off into the thicket below never to be seen again.Looking back,my mind went blank drawing on him and I just looked at the whole deer and never picked a spot.He would have easily been my biggest deer with a bow,compound or stick,but definitely not the first one I've whiffed on.Gotta remember to focus on the spot....   :knothead:

A good as place as any to say Hello to all. My first post.

Hardly new to trad, 57 this peak of the rut in Nov and started shooting at age 6 much to my Dad's angst, since he had never shot a bow in his life.

I 'bout drove the family nuts buying thost 25 cent arrows at the hardware....or harping for some.

Lots of "Oh MAN!" hunts since my first one but one that has to be a bit unique was one of the LAST TIME's I hunted in a tree stand some time ago.

Hunting what I only knew was NOT a year old buck due to rubs and hoof depth, I held out looking for a shot at him.

ON MY BIRTHDAY, Nov 13 I was determined that it was GOING TO BE that day and I was going to stay out ALL day in my attempt.

Knowing how my posterior feels after several hours on my home made stand I took a boat cushion.
A RED one.

By about 10 AM I was even more confident that day was going to be MY day to take him with my Bighorn recurve TD and hand made D.Fir. Deer were MOVING big time..and bucks were running those does back and forth.

Off to my right, I could see a larger deer coming straight at me through the woods heading for the swamp on the other side.

YEP! THAT WOULD BE HIM!! Nice long tall 10 pt, swollen neck, the whole bit.

Closer, Closer, CLOSER? oh MAN...he stops RIGHT under me but with his body on my right side.

Ever so slowly I stood up, knowing he would be passing under me and into my shooting area in seconds.

Last I saw of that seat cushion it was hanging on some long tines sticking above the horseweeds bounding through the swamp.

I hunt on the ground now, LOL! WAS NOT funny at the time but IS NOW!

Steve

I hunted unit 34 in New Mexico three years ago had three chances but could not close the deal. I had one bull come into a wallow with nine cows looking to kill something. He ripped out brush. He threw mud thirty feet in the air. He was screaming and pissing himself. That bull had my heart pumping so hard it almost blew the buttons off my shirt. He gave me a broadside and I shot over him at 31 yards!!! Can you imagine that, 31 yards? Without any exaggeration that bull was 320 plus with the widest antlers I've ever seen, they were flat with sweeps at the tips. I felt like a 15 year old on his first deer hunt. I had two more chances with no shot opportunities, one 3 by 4 and one 5 by 5. This hunt was amazing I saw and heard more elk than I thought existed.
I just started to bow hunt a few years ago. I've hunted with a gun for 40+ years and harvested many animals. I have never had a rush like this one!!! This up close and personal, WOW !!!
Good luck with your hunts!!! I drew the same unit 34 NM tags again (twice in four years, Maybe time to go to Vegas?) Hope I can keep my heart rate down this time? I know were they live  :)

1967 missed a doe in Pa at 8 yards wide open shot, shot over her back.....  Go figure

My first shot with a trad bow was also they biggest buck I had ever been in bow range of. I caught site of him several hundred yards away I watched him come down the trail I expected he would. He stopped perfectly broadside at 5 yards or so I drew and shot right over his back. The worst part was finding his remains after rifle season the same year. I assume someone shot him during gun season and did not recover him. I missed quite a few with a compound as a teen also.