The Agony of Defeat...Again (Updated)

[Triple C]

No pics - Just a short story. Now into my 5th year of trad bow hunting, I had my first up close and personal encounter with 2 shooter bucks Friday afternoon. Pure adrenalin rush of the highest order. Had to watch first buck for 30ish minutes as he worked his way from a food plot about 90 yds away from me and over into a hardwood draw where I was sitting on the edge of the draw and the plot. He was with a doe and her fawn but no chasing. Just a little sniffing between the two. Within 10 minutes or so the doe n fawn show up behind me. I know buck has to be coming and sure enough, he shows up eating acorns not more than 15 yds from my stand. I drew twice but never released due to fear of hitting twigs, limbs, leaves, etc. Had to watch him for another 10 minutes or so just right behind me. Nerve racking.

Doe n fawn move from timber back into food plot and walked almost directly under me. Buck hangs back munching on acorns. I'm glancing at doe n fawn and back at buck for what seems like an eternity. Just when it's getting almost too dark to shoot into the timber, I glance over my shoulder to check on doe n fawn and much to my amazement was another buck walking down the plot not more than 20 yds from me. I turn to this buck, wait for him to clear the cedar tree in front of me, and then draw as he's standing broadside. Heart pounding... I release and watch the arrow fly right over his back. He jumps and walks about 10 yds farter away. I nock another arrow but just have to watch him drift down the plot as dark approaches. Perhaps the most exciting 40 minutes or so I've ever experienced in a stand.

Next time...

 

[bowhunterdavid]

That was a exciting hunt for sure. I know what you mean about getting a adrenaline rush, the first buck i shot at with a trad bow i shot two feet over his back. Get back on the horse and get after them again, it's going to happen, Good luck.

 

[longbowdave1]

Great hunt.

 

[dpoole]

Ain’t it fun

 

[Triple C]

Ain’t it fun

Only thing I can compare it to is having to watch a turkey come in drumming and strutting. Seemed like it was an eternity from first sighting till arrow release.

 

[twoheartedale]

Tough break! Been there done that! Got a tshirt.

 

[sawtooth]

Next time he’d better look out.

 

[Clipper]

Glad you had the experience! That's what it's all about.

 

[dm/wolfskin]

No pics - Just a short story. Now into my 5th year of trad bow hunting, I had my first up close and personal encounter with 2 shooter bucks Friday afternoon. Pure adrenalin rush of the highest order. Had to watch first buck for 30ish minutes as he worked his way from a food plot about 90 yds away from me and over into a hardwood draw where I was sitting on the edge of the draw and the plot. He was with a doe and her fawn but no chasing. Just a little sniffing between the two. Within 10 minutes or so the doe n fawn show up behind me. I know buck has to be coming and sure enough, he shows up eating acorns not more than 15 yds from my stand. I drew twice but never released due to fear of hitting twigs, limbs, leaves, etc. Had to watch him for another 10 minutes or so just right behind me. Nerve racking.

Doe n fawn move from timber back into food plot and walked almost directly under me. Buck hangs back munching on acorns. I'm glancing at doe n fawn and back at buck for what seems like an eternity. Just when it's getting almost too dark to shoot into the timber, I glance over my shoulder to check on doe n fawn and much to my amazement was another buck walking down the plot not more than 20 yds from me. I turn to this buck, wait for him to clear the cedar tree in front of me, and then draw as he's standing broadside. Heart pounding... I release and watch the arrow fly right over his back. He jumps and walks about 10 yds farter away. I nock another arrow but just have to watch him drift down the plot as dark approaches. Perhaps the most exciting 40 minutes or so I've ever experienced in a stand.

Next time...

Fun ain't it. Keep after them AC. I know about over the back.

 

[Al33]

We ALL have shot over, under, and into trees or limbs shooting at deer, it’s all part of traditional bow hunting and I suspect it’s these challenges that are the reason we hunt this way. I know you are a good shot so I also know it will happen for you. The adrenalin rushes can really mess your focus up so try to remember; You are the predator!!! ?? Great read we all can relate to!!

 

[splatek]

Man, heartbreaking except for the fact that you got to witness and experience all that great wilderness, which is way easier for me to say, because it was you not me. Just teasing.
You'll get him next time!
I am certain that if/when a big boy comes rolling up on me I am probably going to forget how to draw the bow... The few times I've seen mature bucks in the wild it seemed like I was poisoned: I could hear my heartbeat, my tongue started to tingle, I felt like I was blushing... my vision seemed to go crazy... Buck Fever ain't no joke,

 

[Triple C]

Well...It happened again. 0 for 2 on bucks this year. This one at 8 yds. Missed right in front of his brisket. I did have a better excuse this time - Son and I were scheduled to leave for NE tomorrow but things just didn't work out. I had already shipped my bow out there so I was hunting with my son's recurve. I had shot it quite a bit but tended to shoot low and right and would correct on subsequent shots. I shot low and right on the buck. Here's the story...

Friday afternoon I arrived at the farm and decided to sit in the Redneck blind overlooking our largest 6 acre field just to count the deer. Didn't take a weapon - just binoculars. Beginning around 5:00 I had deer in the field until dark. Several small bucks pushing doe around but none of the ladies had the slightest interest. Around 6:00, a funky racked buck comes into the field all swelled up and still walking around. Really weird rack with like 4 on one side and a narly long broken spike look on the other. 20 minutes later or so a bigger buck comes in and these two square off and put on a show for about 10 minutes out in front of me, pushing one another around. The bigger buck eventually got the best of the other. I let dark settle...climbed down from the redneck and headed back to the cabin.

Saturday morn, I head down to a ladder stand on the edge of our bottoms in what we call the buck draw. The stand faces back into the bottom land that is full of river cane, beaver sloughs and the like. Seems to be a honey hole for bucks during the mornings as we catch them coming in and out of this area. I bump a deer heading into the stand but pay it no attention and climb the ladder with the deer blowing at me from inside the bottoms.

About 8:00, I see my first buck of the morning. It's that funky racked buck from the afternoon before. He appears out of the bottoms. I stand, position my feet for a shot and wait for him to continue on toward me. On que, he crosses the little drainage in front of me and begins quartering right to me. Has no clue I'm around. I can't take the shot with him quartering to me so just have to watch as he closes the gap to probably 10 yds. My heart is about to pound out of my chest. He turns broadside and gives me the perfect shot at 8 yds. I draw...anchor...pick my spot and release. Arrow flies right in front of his brisket. He hops a couple of yards and just kinda looks around. I grab another arrow as he's walking back in the direction he came but couldn't pull another shot off. He just disappeared back into the bottoms.

3 more bucks came by that morning along with a doe and her fawn which walked right under my stand. It was a glorious morning to be on stand. To top the morning off...maybe 5 to 10 minutes after I missed, I heard a scream that sounded like a huge cat - a sound I never recall hearing. Much to my amazement, I look up into a crystal blue sky to see 4 bald eagles...yep - 4 of em, soaring directly above me. One of the coolest morning sits I can ever recall.

Before this season is over I'm surely gonna connect on a buck. Stay tuned...

No blood on this arrow.


Looking back at my stand from where I missed.

 

[bowhunterdavid]

That was a great morning even if you missed. Hang in there!

 

[Triple C]

That was a great morning even if you missed. Hang in there!

Thx bowhunterdavid! Thrill of victory is gonna be even more rewarding when it happens. It was an incredible morning sit.

 

[dm/wolfskin]

You'll get it done AC. I've seen you shoot. It more of a mental game.

 

[longbowdave1]

Keep at it. Sounds like a whole lot of fun.

 

[Stephen Dendy]

Keep at it! The hardest part in my opinion is getting them close and you've got that down.

 

[Al33]

Great stories TC!! As I have said before, all our failures just sweeten the pot of success, and there have been times when my pot was full of syrup. Wishing you the best of good fortune tomorrow morning.

 

[hambone76]

Hate that you missed, but everything else you mentioned made that sound like a really successful and great outing!