Lastnight I was out there watching a group of three doe's moving steaduly my way for about 20 minutes. I stood up and was breathing slow and telling myself aim small and pick a spot just pick a spot and take your time..... Well the largest doe stopped at 18 yards and I began to make my move. She looked away and I drew the bow back and let it fly! I watched the fletchings go right over her back! She had no idea what happened and I almost got a second chance at her but then she cautiously walked away and I saw the white fletchigs sticking in a root behind where she stood so perfectly for me. My first attempt at an actual game animal was an epic fail! My friends all told me lastnight "if you had your Matthews thats a dead deer you know that right?" My response was "right, it woulda been dead and wouldnt have meant much to me at all" I will feel a real sense of accomplishment when I connect with the curve. I always assumed that but after watching the arrow miss its mark I know it now. I will try again in a few days/
Good luck everyone and "pick a spot"
Ganzer
Congrats on the encounter, now that you have your "fail" out of the way, GO CONNECT!!
God Bless,
Nathan
There is nothing at all wrong with missing a shot. I've been bow hunting for a long number of years and I've shot over and under and behind them and on occasion, straight threw them. The kill, atleast to me, is almost anticlimactic.
Don't beat yourself up. I've missed, we've all missed and guess what, even compounders miss from time to time. Takes time to become proficient. If every shot was a sure thing with trad gear we would all be hunting with a pocket knife. That is why we choose this way. Make sure you hit your normal anchor point and follow through. Its so easy to over draw or snap in the heat of the moment.
As someone has already posted:if it were that easy it would be killing and not hunting!Anyway also Kompaunders miss.A clean miss is better than a bad hit to me.
I fail to see how you failed at all. You got her close, you were quiet enough to get a shot and you missed. It was a close miss at that. Happens. The misses just make the connections that much sweeter. It if was easy everybody would do it.
I agree with a clean miss being better I was releived to see there was no damage done when I got down. Thanks for the kind words it wasnt a complete failure I guess it was just so perfect lol. Everyting fell right into place except the arrow! Well as stated this is what I got into it for. That was the firsdt ime in a long time I was that worked up watching a doe walk in. Almost like my first time bowhunting ever and I have been doing this for over 20 years!!! Dont get me wrong I dont want it easy, but i have made that shot countless times in the past few months and i let the adrenalin get the better of me I guess is all. It was a beautiful night however and I didnt have to drag a deer in the 70 degree heat.
Ganzer
You have the right attitude and it will come together the more time spent with stick in hand. A lesson is learned on all shots taken, some are harder than others but with a positive mindset you will prevail. Good luck.
Keep at it. I shoot for top of the heart. I'd rather miss low than high.
Next time it will all come together for you, You've got the right attitude. Perhaps next time don't think yardage. I know a lot of very proficient compound shooters that would connect every shot if they could accurately estimate yardage. With them they end up using the wrong site pin. For you it will cause you to hold to high or to low. Just shoot a lot at different distances and allow your mind to decide where to hold your bow arm. It can become very good at making the decision if you don't second guess it.
Misses keep us humble so we can be sympathic with our fellow man when things don't come together for them. God, I must have an issue with pride cuz I keep getting the humble lesson each year. LOL
When it comes together you will appreciate that the first one didn't come easy.
I didnt know Mathews built a recurve........? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Have fun ganzer!
P.S.
If it makes you feel better, I missed an 8 point and a doe last night at 20 yards. Both high as usual. It happens, even with experince under your belt.
I was also impressed with your attitude about a kill not being as important as "How" you do it. You're in the right place. Good luck!
We all do it from time to time... saying pick a spot is good...real good!!! But actually slowing down and bearing down on a spot is hard, real hard at times...
I do it less as I hold a sec or 10 at anchor, but I still do it "in the heat of the moment" from time to time... It's that adrenaline overload and it is a buooger at times to control...especially early in the season...
Keep at it, you'll be fine!!!
Sounds like a fun hunt to me!
Those who believe a wheel bow is an automatic are mistaken. It might be automatic shooting targets in the back yard. I hear of numerous misses each year when that monster buck has turned their nerves into a frazzle. Good Luck!
QuoteOriginally posted by DannyBows:
I was also impressed with your attitude about a kill not being as important as "How" you do it. You're in the right place. Good luck!
Dannybows nailed it as far as I can tell.
I'm also impressed with your attitude. You are welcome to my campfire any time.
God bless,Mudd
a swing and a miss ,, no worries at least you did not wound her another time it will be diffrent ,, I bet the thrill of haveing them close was just as much fun,,and yea most of us have missed some time.
It happens to everyone and anybody that says it doesn't has a bit of soul seachen to do. Failure to pic a micromic spot and looking at the whole animal is pretty common. I've done it to many time to remember! As far as your buds go it's kinda like riding a Harley. If I have to explain you wouldn't understand!! Stick with it you'll blaze one soon enough. Good Luck
A warning shot is only sporting, don`t you think?
We give a wolf howl when we get out of the vehicle, to let them know we are coming. If they don`t heed the warning, then what happens, happens.
Seriously, your statement about it meaning more with a trad bow is spot on. I guarantee all your compound friends are thinking about how you are hunting... Wondering. When you do finally take a super smart Michigan whitetail, they will wonder even more. Your commitment runs deeper than you know. All eyes are on you. Hunt hard brother.
It will click when you finally get it done. It is all about having control to complete the shot. FULL DRAW, SOLID ANCHOR, all the while BURNING A HOLE where you want the arrow.
Easy to say... :campfire:
It happens to all us from time to time.
No blood.....No foul my friend.
I'm still waiting for my first one too, and I'll take a clean miss anyday over a less than perfect hit. Knock the dirt off your broadhead, touch up the edge on it and keep on going to the next encounter.....that's what I do. I figure it will happen eventually and I try to replay the scenerio back over in my mind and determine what I did wrong.
One of the guys nailed it already and said that we sometimes try to "Overthink" the shot instead of just letting our instincts take control. That's why I missed, I tried to think too hard about the shot instead of just picking a spot and letting it happen.
well brother, join the crowd. it does happen. a couple years ago. i got all shuck up over a doe, i thought, what the heck! it's like so many have said, when we stop having that feeling, it's time to quit. that's a good adreniline rush, for me, jumping out of a good airplane ain't. your gonna get another chance, but if that shoot doesn't open, there's gonna be blood. getting that close to a whitetail is aready a great accomplishment. count that total miss and encounter as a blessing. as for as your buddies go, it makes me feel good when someone says, look at his bucks on the wall, he did it the hard way. for me it's not bragging rights, but a good feeling inside. i remember the movie " COOL HAND LUKE" shaking that bush boss, shaking that bush. keep on shaking, when your on target again, let'er fly. you'll be shaking even more when you find her dead. may GOD bless your next time out.
No epic failure at all. Just another outstanding memory to carry with you!
Keep after them - it will come together.
Don't feel bad at all. I finished me 2nd selfbow back in April and tried to get a shot at a turkey with but no luck. Just about 2 weeks ago I had 14 turkeys in the field about 30 yards from me with nothing between me and them but air. I managed to get my bow up, get drawn and let fly with ever being noticed. It was a clean miss wide left. Was fun though.
Thanks for all the kind words in hindsight i named the thread incorrectly i guess. In retrospect it was the best miss I have ever made. I felt 12 again shaking like a leaf over a big old doe that I was expecting to make me at any moment. My friends arent that bad at all either they gave me grief about going trad for a bit till we hit the 3D course this summer and they said WOW! That thing can zing an arrow and WOW, you can shoot pretty good with that thing lol! Sunday night I got home and replayed the whole thing over and over in my head. it was a good night even with the miss. I sat down turned on the tube, poored a cold one and began resharpening the snuffer. All in all a good night. But that being said i still smile and shake my head as I replay the "chip shot" in my head but I remember that doe mare than any of the ones that fell to that mathews. Speaking of that mathews....poor fella hasnt seen the light of day since the curve was brought home ahahaha...
Thanks guys!!!!
Ganzer
I had a simular miss this season. Everyone misses! Your assessment of the sense of accomplishment you will feel when you get your first trad harvest will be very rewarding, to be sure.
You sound very disciplined, so I am sure it won't take long. Hey, at least you didn't wound her!
Good luck and good shooting,
Dennis
Good hunt! You got the right attitude. Hang in there, sucess will come.
This is a good thread for sure. I have had an epic success already with my first season of traditional bow hunting. I've managed to shoot at 2 does, 1 buck, 2 turkeys, and 5 squirrels all from the ground still-hunting. I did kill one of the does and she was my 3rd shot. Everything else was nice misses. There is no better fun than be able to get so close to these animals and just be able to get a shot off.