I’ll stick with the rifle

[johnpoulan83]

Props to you guys who hunt and kill these big bucks with your bows. I have always been a “gun hunter” throughout my hunting career and have picked up a crossbow a few times just to get out early and be able to hunt a little sooner. Well this year I had what would have been my biggest 8 point I would have taken that was showing up regularly for the past couple weeks right at dark. So last Saturday I decided to go with my son and sit in the stand where he had been coming out every night just before dark. And I’m talking with 2 or 3 minutes left of shooting light, he was cutting it close. We got in the tower stand where we had been seeing him come out about 430. All was slow until about 730 and out came the same deer that would come out before him every night leading up to that night , I told my son that this is what the deer have been doing and I had a good feeling the big boy was going to be right on schedule. About 10 till dark there were a couple young bucks and does at the corn where they had been comin out, all the sudden they stopped and were looking back in the overgrown brush nervously where they had all came out from. I new it was him that was about to pop out. Next thing i now he comes out headed straight to the corn with about 5 minutes left of light. I grabbed my crossbow got on him with what I thought would have been a perfect broadside shot, light was fading by the second I pulled the trigger from 50 yards and hurt a loud “schwack”!!!! I watched him run through the peanut field and he stopped and kind of shuffled and stumbled a few times right before he went back in the woods about 100 yards away at this point. I was certain I had smoked him . We gave him about an hour and called a buddy and went down to look for blood thinking it was going to be everywhere. To our surprise there wasn’t a lick of blood and couldn’t find the arrow. We looked for a couple hours and called a guy that had a thermal drone to help us out. He looked for as long as his batteries aloud prob a good hour with no luck of my buck. To say I was sick was an understatement , to my surprise the next mornin I woke up and sure enough he was back at the corn pile at 530 the next mornin with a gash in the top of his shoulder, I guess when I shot he ducked the arrow and what I heard was a
High shoulder shot. The good news is he looks like he’s fine and didn’t seem to be hurt. Hopefully he thinks it might have been a bee sting or somethin and he still stays around for gun season. I’ve got the pictures showin the shot placement and before.

 

[kmckinnie]

50 yds is a good ways. There reflex time to noise is incredible. May of hit the shoulder bone head on and it stopped the arrow also. Who knows.
Good thing is he’s ok.

 

[Dupree]

I’d recommend setting up for a 30 yard shot. I’ve got a ravin r10 that I’m confident shooting way off at a target, but I hunt within 30 yards of where I expect them to be, albeit corn, acorns, trail, etc.

Move your corn closer to the shooting house you are hunting.

I’d also suggest moving into the woods he is coming from and he will likely come in with more shooting light.

 

[kmckinnie]

Yea that looks like a glance. He ducked.

 

[johnpoulan83]

50 yds is a good ways. There reflex time to noise is incredible. May of hit the shoulder bone head on and it stopped the arrow also. Who knows.
Good thing is he’s ok.

I was shooting a raven r10 and had practiced routinely at that distance and had always been on so I was confident in the shot

 

[johnpoulan83]

I’d recommend setting up for a 30 yard shot. I’ve got a ravin r10 that I’m confident shooting way off at a target, but I hunt within 30 yards of where I expect them to be, albeit corn, acorns, trail, etc.

Move your corn closer to the shooting house you are hunting.

I’d also suggest moving into the woods he is coming from and he will likely come in with more shooting light.

Problem is the bedding area and property line is not to far and not really a spot to get into I did think about that

 

[Blackston]

At least ya know he ain’t buzzard meat !!!! I predict we get a redemption pic

 

[johnpoulan83]

I’d recommend setting up for a 30 yard shot. I’ve got a ravin r10 that I’m confident shooting way off at a target, but I hunt within 30 yards of where I expect them to be, albeit corn, acorns, trail, etc.

Move your corn closer to the shooting house you are hunting.

I’d also suggest moving into the woods he is coming from and he will likely come in with more shooting light.

I didn’t have the time to move things being that I’m 5 hours away and had been watching him on cell cams, and the day I got there is the day I hunted him and he was patterned . But hindsight yes would have moved it 20 yards closer.

 

[johnpoulan83]

At least ya know he ain’t buzzard meat !!!! I predict we get a redemption pic

Thanks I hope so !

 

[Jim Boyd]

Sorry for the tough luck.

I have been bow hunting 40+ years and never taken a deer outside of 30 yards.

Distance multiplies problems on a very non-linear scale.

 

[Blackston]

Thanks I hope so !

I did this on a 5 yo 8pt last year …. Never seen him again I’m still sick about it

 

[johnpoulan83]

I did this on a 5 yo 8pt last year …. Never seen him again I’m still sick about it View attachment 1257683

Man that looks like good blood and a pass through, what happened you just ran out of blood?? I know the feeling man ‍ it makes you sick

 

[HarryO45]

Always tough to not recover any animal after the shot. Hunt long enough and it will happen.

When i was young it happened to
me several times and i wouldn't tell a soul. As i got older i learned it is better to talk about with your friends. I found that experienced hunters will support your grief, as long as, it is the exception and not the rule.

 

[Big7]

Everyone on here should know by now I'm strictly in the "if it's legal" camp but I think we should use the best tools available to ethically harvest game animals.

There was a time when a bow and arrow was high tech and the best tool for the job. The same could probably be said for using a sharp stick or driving game off a steep cliff.

Those days have long been gone and in my not so humble opinion a modern rifle or at least a shotgun slug or buckshot is the way to go nowadays.

But for the guys and gals that bow hunt, more power to you as long as it's on the books as legal.


We could debate whether or not bows and muzzle loaders should get the jump over "modern" rifles as far as a few days early in the season and "quota" hunts tho. That's a different thread. PS.. In line MLs ARE modern rifles.

 

[Blackston]

Man that looks like good blood and a pass through, what happened you just ran out of blood?? I know the feeling man ‍ it makes you sick

Good blood , then light blood, then NO blood … called dog he took us 300 more yds , at a creek crossing ( dry) their was a vine ( the kind u can cut and it bleeds white milky stuff) across trail and on under side of vine was a big blood stain , I’m guessing I sliced him good through the back strap but I’ll never know

 

[bfriendly]

It’s a tough break no doubt, especially on such a nice buck.….tough boy too! Not sure putting down the Xbow is the answer, but I sure get where you are coming from. I’d say get back after him…..the same way!

 

[slow motion]

Props to you guys who hunt and kill these big bucks with your bows. I have always been a “gun hunter” throughout my hunting career and have picked up a crossbow a few times just to get out early and be able to hunt a little sooner. Well this year I had what would have been my biggest 8 point I would have taken that was showing up regularly for the past couple weeks right at dark. So last Saturday I decided to go with my son and sit in the stand where he had been coming out every night just before dark. And I’m talking with 2 or 3 minutes left of shooting light, he was cutting it close. We got in the tower stand where we had been seeing him come out about 430. All was slow until about 730 and out came the same deer that would come out before him every night leading up to that night , I told my son that this is what the deer have been doing and I had a good feeling the big boy was going to be right on schedule. About 10 till dark there were a couple young bucks and does at the corn where they had been comin out, all the sudden they stopped and were looking back in the overgrown brush nervously where they had all came out from. I new it was him that was about to pop out. Next thing i now he comes out headed straight to the corn with about 5 minutes left of light. I grabbed my crossbow got on him with what I thought would have been a perfect broadside shot, light was fading by the second I pulled the trigger from 50 yards and hurt a loud “schwack”!!!! I watched him run through the peanut field and he stopped and kind of shuffled and stumbled a few times right before he went back in the woods about 100 yards away at this point. I was certain I had smoked him . We gave him about an hour and called a buddy and went down to look for blood thinking it was going to be everywhere. To our surprise there wasn’t a lick of blood and couldn’t find the arrow. We looked for a couple hours and called a guy that had a thermal drone to help us out. He looked for as long as his batteries aloud prob a good hour with no luck of my buck. To say I was sick was an understatement , to my surprise the next mornin I woke up and sure enough he was back at the corn pile at 530 the next mornin with a gash in the top of his shoulder, I guess when I shot he ducked the arrow and what I heard was a
High shoulder shot. The good news is he looks like he’s fine and didn’t seem to be hurt. Hopefully he thinks it might have been a bee sting or somethin and he still stays around for gun season. I’ve got the pictures showin the shot placement and before.

These things happen. The fact that you are regretful and then elated to see the deer was fine says it all. We all need to be humbled on occasion. Get back after em. Good luck. Post up a hero pic when you get him.

 

[flatsmaster]

My son got a pass thru on this buck and blood to the nock … I just no a dead deer
We gave him overnight and looked next morning then I brought a dog in and he said I think he might be ok … I’m thinking no way dead buck on neighbors but I was wrong … at the distance he shot it was a much flatter angle add in deer drop and he put it thru the soft ball size no mans land above vitals and below spine … hits him there at 20 with steeper angle and less deer drop and dead deer IMO… got pic in Jan of buck now called Scar … good feeling to see them ok and not wasted … keep swinging !!! Good luck he’s a good’un

 

[Buckstop]

That was the second best result. Way better than the third best. I bet you get him with the rifle since he didnt leave the spot.

 

[DynamicDennis]

Props to you guys who hunt and kill these big bucks with your bows. I have always been a “gun hunter” throughout my hunting career and have picked up a crossbow a few times just to get out early and be able to hunt a little sooner. Well this year I had what would have been my biggest 8 point I would have taken that was showing up regularly for the past couple weeks right at dark. So last Saturday I decided to go with my son and sit in the stand where he had been coming out every night just before dark. And I’m talking with 2 or 3 minutes left of shooting light, he was cutting it close. We got in the tower stand where we had been seeing him come out about 430. All was slow until about 730 and out came the same deer that would come out before him every night leading up to that night , I told my son that this is what the deer have been doing and I had a good feeling the big boy was going to be right on schedule. About 10 till dark there were a couple young bucks and does at the corn where they had been comin out, all the sudden they stopped and were looking back in the overgrown brush nervously where they had all came out from. I new it was him that was about to pop out. Next thing i now he comes out headed straight to the corn with about 5 minutes left of light. I grabbed my crossbow got on him with what I thought would have been a perfect broadside shot, light was fading by the second I pulled the trigger from 50 yards and hurt a loud “schwack”!!!! I watched him run through the peanut field and he stopped and kind of shuffled and stumbled a few times right before he went back in the woods about 100 yards away at this point. I was certain I had smoked him . We gave him about an hour and called a buddy and went down to look for blood thinking it was going to be everywhere. To our surprise there wasn’t a lick of blood and couldn’t find the arrow. We looked for a couple hours and called a guy that had a thermal drone to help us out. He looked for as long as his batteries aloud prob a good hour with no luck of my buck. To say I was sick was an understatement , to my surprise the next mornin I woke up and sure enough he was back at the corn pile at 530 the next mornin with a gash in the top of his shoulder, I guess when I shot he ducked the arrow and what I heard was a
High shoulder shot. The good news is he looks like he’s fine and didn’t seem to be hurt. Hopefully he thinks it might have been a bee sting or somethin and he still stays around for gun season. I’ve got the pictures showin the shot placement and before.

I'll be up there waiting on rifle myself, no reason to chance it for me. I certainly do not have the time to practice, or the desire to hunt early season. I want to feel some cold, before I really can get jacked up to be in the deer woods.