Although I've just got into trad hunting this year, I've bow hunted my whole life. My dad wasn't a bow hunter so all the lessons I learned about bow hunting, I learned the hard way. Usually through a mistake I made.

I thought it would be interesting to ask all the hunters on the Wall to share:

Their biggest bow hunting blunder What it cost them-if anything What they learned from it-if anything

Maybe we could all learn something through someone else's bad experience instead of experiencing it on our own.

So, here's mine:

I was in high school, probably 16, so it was 1988. At the time my life revolved around bow hunting and my measure of a successful season was the size of buck I shot. My friend and I had been watching a giant buck all summer. That buck was and still is the biggest I've ever seen in person. It was the last day of archery season in PA and the rut was in full tilt. We knew this buck was tending a couple scrape lines daily. We were in our climbers about 200 yards apart from each other well before the sun came up. It was bitter cold and being typical dumb high school kids neither of us dressed accordingly. I can remember seeing about 15 doe and a few smaller buck but no big boy. Around 10:30, I could hear my friend descending in his stand. Those old Loggy Bayou self climbers made a heck of a racket, especially on wild cherry trees. I was relieved to hear him getting down as I was about frozen and quickly made my way down the tree. We met at my tree, he laid his stand down and his bow on top of it. I left my stand around the base of the tree and laid my bow on it. We exchanged stories of the morning, joked about how cold we were and decided in our infinite wisdom to walk up the hill and scout the other scrape line for "better" afternoon spots. We took off up the hill walking and talking, loudly. We found our "better" spots for the evening and were walking back to retrieve our stands and bows and head for some heat. At about 20 yards from the tree I was in out stepped broadside THE buck. He was standing in a wide open area 10 yards from us looking at us like he was deciding whether or not to kick our a**es. He stood there and stared at us and us at him for a good 5 minutes before he put his head down and nonchalantly walked away. If I close my eyes right now, I can see every detail of that moment and worst of all, my bow lying uselessly on my tree stand at the base of that tree with that buck between me and it. Still makes me wanna kick my own a**. Never saw that buck in the eve and someone shot him on the first day of rifle. What my blunder cost me: A chance at the biggest buck I've ever seen What I learned: I NEVER EVER walk in the woods in archery season without my bow in my hand...EVER. Hope ya'll enjoyed my story and see fit to add your own!

Had me a similar situation...learned the lesson that if you go off distant to take a leak make sure to BRING YOUR BOW WITH:(

First day, first deer hunt, first deer hunt, first light.

I pulled in to the property I was hunting and saw a couple of deer right away. Pulled the Jeep off the road and hopped out while they ran up alongside a windrow.

Rather than mounting the quiver (you know how long it takes to get those Kwikees mounted properly LOL), I just grabbed an arrow. You can see where this is headed, right?

Walked briskly up along the road and stopped where there was an opening. A few seconds later, the deer showed up. Stopped. Looked at me. When one stepped away from the other and turned broadside, I estimated the range and cut loose. There was just exactly enough light for me to see the arrow sail high.

And there they stood.

ALWAYS take the quiver

And NEVER estimate the range unless you ALWAYS estimate the range.

What you had was a great bow hunting experience that you recall clearly years later. Would you recall it as well if you have simply arrowed that buck?

DDave

I could have shot a deer at 15 yards in my yard the other day. No excitement in that for me, and I do not need the meat.

DDave, it was a great bow hunting experience, a painful one but still great. Education is expensive. And yes, I think I would've recalled it as well if I had arrowed him. Just much more pleasantly.

Not going out when I could have. Can't hit them from the couch.

biggist blunder I made was inviting a girl to go a morning hunt. She was quite the archer. I picked her up early and surly she was not hunting bucks. Red lipstick and purfume.She did have on her cammo. I could see deer coming to full halt then exsit left as the purfume was heavy

Had to take a leak, proceeded to let it fly and a buck shows up. I get ready for the shot, he changes course. As I get turned, pants go down to my ankles. Didn’t get the shot, he was moving to fast. Pulled up pants, decided i could hold it lol

Since I plan on living and hunting a few more years, I'm sure I haven't made my biggest one yet!

Mine was on a larger 4 by 5 in Northeast Iowa. I was hunting in a crevice of a lime stone out cropping. I didn't want the buck to spot me so stayed low. When I shot shot I hit the bottom tip of my 79# Jerry Hill Bamboo special on the rock and blew the bottom tip off of the bow. Yes, I missed by a mile.

Funny thing about hunting. I have deer horns in my garage that I really don't remember much about, but I remember all the blunders and glorious misses that I have made.

Thanks for the memories fellas! I've always felt that blunders and misses make us better hunters. Like I said, education is expensive.

Dropping the bow arm, I still do it 30 years after it cost me the best buck I ever drew down on. Brain dead...

I have left the bow home , i have left the arrows home , I have left the bow on the roof and drove off , ihave shot over , under , ahead and behind the deer. If you can think of an error , I have more then likely been there and done it , and more .

Having a deer step out in front of me while I was walking down a fire break after leaving the bow in the truck so I could use both hands to move a stand.

I hunt on the ground now and ALWAYS have my bow and arrows with me.

Inaccuracy across the board because the majority of trad. bowhunters shoot instinctively plus snap shoot. Very few are accurate enough and when their hunting opportunity presents itself they are virtually gambling on making a good shot. I lost numerous opportunities on big bucks until I changed my entire approach to trad. bowhunting.

Same every year leaving the stand 15 minutes to early to go to work but that will change some year.

"I have left the bow home , i have left the arrows home..."

Hehehe. Went for a day trip out of state, met up with some friends and carpooled. Realized I had left my deer rifle home. No sweat, packing a side arm. Spent the day hunting with a 38 snubbie...

Have walked halfway to my stand and then remembered, the bow is still on the roof of the pick-up...

Yeah, my mis-spent youth still messes with me ;-)

I scrambled home from work on Monday afternoon. Made it home at 3, Superman clothes change while talking (actually listening to my wife tell me about her day), moving a 100 miles an hour trying to get into the woods behind my house by 3:30, run out the door and realize.....NO BOW....run back in the house and the wife is laughing at me holding my bow. Good luck kiss and away I went. If I had a dollar for every time I forgot something I'd have a lot of dollars!

Sitting on my butt on a root of a lodgepole pine next to the Yellowstone Park buffer zone with my bow across my lap, with my hunting buddy hiding behind a root a few yards away. Been working a young sounding bull with bugles and cow talk for over two hours to try to coax him out of the park. Finally sat down to rest. I looked down and saw a 'spike' there about 100 yds down and figured oh well, (not legal). I remained seated, relaxed and not expecting anything, and mewed once more. Suddenly as I got he cow call out through my lips, up ran a young 6x6 and stood broadside at 7 yards looking right at my buddy straight ahead. I sat helpless and watched it unfold. Rob went to draw after about 30 secs. of me unable to move without spooking it into Jellystone's interior, and at the movement, the bull bolted past me in a reverse and ran to 30 yds down the hill. stood broadside again, but I could only see his ribs and back. I shot at ribs, and the arrow saile over his back a foot high. I would have had that bull had I been standing up nest to that lodgepole. I swore I'd never again sit down on wathc for any animal, and I haven't.

Climbing out of the stand and letting go of the string too soon. Patients seems to be a key element.

I have many :( circa 1972...after stalking this feeding doe for 2 hours,I was 18yards and she a heavy quartering away. My 43# Colt Huntsman Hi-Power (always Loved that Name haha) sent a 2016gg with Bear Razorhead w/Bblade deep into my intended spot...The deer crashed away and I looked and listened as she made dash away and then came running back into sight...wher I watched her drop...I took off my hipqiver full of arrows and My Bow leaned them next to the tree I was standing by to mark where I'd been standing and then walked directly to my downed deer...My First Bow Taken Deer(I was 17yrs Young)...After admiring My downed trophy...I walked off to retrieve My Bow and Quiver...being in a "Daze" from finally arrowing a deer and all the Excitement that followed...I walked off not paying attention to the direction...after walking some distance in the Maze of look a like Aspens I realized I had No Clue where My Bow-Arrows- Deer were at...2 hours later I found My Bow and arrows which allowed me to See where the Deer had dropped :0...I try to Pay More Attention Now hahaha...4finger

I can honestly say every time I have had a 150+ class animal in range, something stupid happens before I can get the shot off. The top 3; A true giant coming into my opening at 15 yrds. I have tinks doe in heat scent out. The buck all of a sudden rears up and jumps back 30 yrds. He hit the scent trail of the Tinks and did not like it.

A 130 - 140 class is at 10 yards. I draw (Compound Days) and as I get the pin behind his chest I feel my upper limb pushing on something. My stupid bow holder!!! As I tried to push it out of the way, the buck spooked.

130 class but just a gorgeous buck comes at a walk. He will be 15 yards. I have a tree close between me and him. I decide my shot would be on the other side of the tree. As I swing around the tree, the point of my broadhead catches the bark knocking my arrow off the rest and hitting my felt covered shelf. That buck made one side step kick and was gone!!!

A few others that just tick me off thinking about, but that's what keeps us going, right?

Getting down ten minutes before the time I had decided to hunt to.

These are some great stories guys and I can definitely relate to more than a few of them! In my OP I mentioned that my dad was not a bow hunter and everything I learned was trial and error. For me, the fact that it was hard to learn and I made and still make so many mistakes, elevates any success I have with a bow to an experience I can't even put into words. I can still remember how proud my dad was of me when I got my first deer with a bow. I think part of it was he realized how hard I worked at. He gave me a giant hug which was not very common for him being a rough and tumble coal miner and biker. A great memory I'll never forget!

"Getting down ten minutes before the time I had decided to hunt to. "

Or getting to the stand a half hour late and kicking deer out from under it ;-)

Oh man I’ve made so many it’d be tough to narrow down to one

Made a stalk on a doe across an open field next to a road. She kept her rump to me so I kept sneaking. Under 30 yards she turned broadside and I brought the bow up and shot. The arrow went under her belly and she hopped off into the brush and gone. I turned around to walk home only to see 5 cars parked on the shoulder watching me. I felt like a real fool. Long walk home that day.

Jumping a deer that I should have left to bleed out. It is amazing how far a mortally hit deer can run if you bump them... lesson learned.

Drove 120 miles to hunt mule deer. Parked the truck, pulled the strung recurve and one loose broadhead arrow out of the truck and promptly cut the bow string. No spare. End of hunt. Oh, I also forgot my arm guard and shooting glove on the same trip. RKK

I decided my string needed to be waxed. What I didn't realize was at 10 degrees and silent woods my string made a slight noise as it lifted off the limb of my recurve. Too much wax and dead silent woods cost me an 8 yard shot at a beautiful big 10 pt buck the last day of winter archery season.

Hearing squirrels all evening when I thought it was another one, when a big booner stepped out 20 yds away and stopped. Shot and thought I made a good shot but deer didn't act that way. As he slowly kept going. I heard something behind him and here comes his twin and stops same place. I shoot and he reacted the same way. So after 20 min. got down and went to check and both of my arrows were stuck in a grassy dirt pile behind where the bucks were touching each other. I don't remember picking a spot when I shot. I'll remember it always.

I was huntinga big 10 point and had to take a leak. I set my bow against a tree and it fell over and my wood arrows clanged together making a lot of noise. The big 10 point came charging in and I peed all over myself trying to get my bow. He looked at me and turned and walked away at less than 20 yards.

And the winner is...!!!

lmao!

Cut a very large set of elk tracks in 6 in wet snow in hills south of Bozeman. Single track, had to be a bull. I followed, and crept silently, very quiet stalking in this snow. I stalked for an hour when I looked up in front of me, there lay a very large cow elk, facing away from me. Its whole center body was visible and I had a clear shot at lungs. There was a 6 inch lodgepole standing on either end of its body, head and butt. Her head is facing left. I had the old nemesis Pro-Line compound that I had 'learned' to shoot like a recurve, no sights, no nothing. I didn't like the bow, but I had gotten pretty good with it. But I got real shaky when I see a potential kill at 25 yards not knowing I'm there, and I raise up, draw, and release. Twack! The broadhead thuds into the lodgepole on the left. Wow, Just adds to my 'fever'. The cow stands up an whirls around, somehow still looking the other way, presenting a clear broadside with her head to the right now. I have stealth to remove another arrow, draw and shoot. Steady enough to do that, but not to be accurate I guess. Thud, arrow buries into the tree on the right! Cow bolts in a flurry of flying kicked up snow and I could barf right there thinking about the sequence and blowing that elk twice. Humongous cow, would have been a years supply of meat for this starving MSU student. Live and learn. Hmmm, at least I lived... The following year I tracked her down again thinking it was a bull with a cow (she had a calf this time), but I couldn't shoot her because it was firearms season. That cow and calf were both oversized by comparison with most elk I'd seen.

Great stories and lessons here guys, keep them coming! Still waiting for the inevitable pants around my ankles taking a crap story.

Supernaut, is this close?

Not a bowhunting error but, if you must drop trou, make sure you move your 'hot seat' to one side before proceeding further.

Dana, did you leave it? :)

Yep, that qualifies Dana. I had a buddy crap in the hood of his coveralls in a second season muzzle loader hunt. Forgot to pull it out in front of him when he squatted. Classic.

"Dana, did you leave it? :) "

Plenty of wet snow that morning. Got it clean enough. A bit later I shot an eight pointer who was following three does. (VT rifle season.)

*Mostly* a good day ;-)

That’s a relief! I was afraid there was going to be a new, Can’t Miss deer lure going out of that story!

Glad you are enjoying the thread as much as I am barebow. The idea for this thread popped into my head while I was out hunting the other day. Slow day and I was replaying a few past successes in my head but I realized I had many more blunders in the old coconut than success stories. I thought it would be entertaining and hopefully educational for others to share their bummer moments as well. If we don't learn from our mistakes we are destined to repeat them and hopefully we could all learn a little something from each others mistakes. I'd much rather post a "Congrats" on a successful thread than a "The same thing happened to me once" post on a missed shot or blown opportunity thread.

I've made a bunch of blunders since I first went to bowhunting in 1965. Usually the most notable were getting into trees (no commercial stands back then) and not trying to clear any holes. Took me a while to figure that out and no need to dwell on it. Anyway, I recall a time when I was so intent on following a trail that I walked my bone head into an overhanging limb and darned near gave myself a concussion. Those oaks aren't very forgiving.

But, was the tree OK? Just kidding George. I know I've had my share of moments where I was glad I was in the woods with no one around to see the dumb thing I just did. And more than my share of bone head moves people did see. My wife has sure had some chuckles over the years.

Dana, you must have been down wind... ;)

'I had a buddy crap in the hood of his coveralls.' My wife has told me a story a couple times when her aunt was out snowmobiling and had to pee. She threw open her snowmobile suit in single digit weather and let fly...when she put her suit back on, she had pee in her hood that resulted in yellow icicles hanging off her hair... :/

Bleating to stop a nice eight pointer at a mere 6 yards on the ground who then blew out of the country and is prpbably still running. Should have shot him as he calmly walked by my natural blind. This was two weeks ago. You live and learn.

i was hunting antelope early September here in Wyoming on public land. I was waaaaay back. found a little buck standing in the middle of a prairie dog town about 200 yards away. Didnt figure there was anyway i could get close because the only cover i had was a few rattle snakes between me and him. i figured i might be able to give it a shot if i approach from directly behind him - i heard goats can see about 320 degrees around their heads. i start the stalk, snap a piece of sage, he doesn't move. get closer, still no movement and closer, about 50 yards away, im in the wide open and havent seen the goat move since i started. crap, must be a decoy. i put the arrow in the quiver and start walking towards it. at 30 yards he spins and bolts off at 100 MPH. i stood there motionless for about 5 mins like a decoy.

Start off with a rainy day. Add one yellow rubber rain suit and a gun hunter that needed to answer nature's call. While squatting and thinking, a buck enters the picture. Without thinking, said hunter touches off his ol' 12ga. in the direction of said deer. Every action has a reaction and said hunter rolls over backwards in the wet leaves and the business at hand. By popular demand, said hunter rode home in the back of the pickup. I don't recall if he got the deer or not. bvd

Always hunted with a bow quiver and got use to always having my arrows there. Decided one year to try a side quiver. Drove to my hunting spot and climbed up into my stand and realized I had no arrows.

Wish I had a dollar for every time I forgot something key hunting or fishing!

Shot a deer close range. Arrow went funky and slapped into her completely sideways. Lesson? Never leave an arrow in the quiver without a point on it. Scaring the crap out of them will never kill them.

I also found that if I don't stay down on the bow and break form and look up I will be high.

Same goes for pushing bow to peek. We need to stay down on our form and not break at the shot.

Just like a pointing dog that breaks either before the shot. Steady at the shot with a clean follow through.

I thought long and hard... and I have it.

My cousin (then 14 or so) got a crossbow for Christmas. So... I (20 or so)thought it would be great if he and I hunted together. There was a spot where the deer ALWAYS came... EVERY... DAY. So we painted our faces and I put him in a tree... and me in a tree about 40 yards apart. Sure enough here comes a doe- and she's gonna walk underneath me at no more than 15 yards. I look at my cousin, he nods and gives me a huge smile. All I can see is teeth against the backdrop of his ridiculous "all black camo face paint." She approaches... in the still I can hear her every foot-fall. I draw. And in that instant JUST before I reached full draw my cousin rips a HUGE fart. Along with being super loud, it's kind of a screaming fart. The doe jumps about 6' in the air... and then bounds away... despite being furious I laughed myself to tears...

My blunder was ever thinking taking him hunting was a good idea...

R.I.P. John... I'm kicking your butt when we meet again...

Not going when I could, or should have.

Rick

Every time I fart while hunting I think "Geez, I figured that would be a little more silent" Love the story Jarhead!

Not sure which is worse for hunting, the noisy ones, or the smelly SBDs.

Climbed in stand got everything all set, sat quietly as the sun made it's way up. Then heard a small crash behind me. I slowly turned to look for the big buck. Nothing! I happen to look down my bowquiver with arrows, fell. I sat shaking my head and then felt something drop as the arrow on my string fell. I sat frustrated, figuring out how to get them and back up before the deer moved. I then turned to my left and standing just 12 yards away, was an awesome 10 point buck, looking toward the stuff that hit the ground. He just browsed around for good 30 minutes, then walked off. I swear I could hear him laughing and tell another deer, "go that way, the guys an idiot".

Total rookie manuvre - Sitting at the edge of an alfalfa field in the wrong place, without practicing with EVERY piece of gear that I was hunting with... A really nice 4x4 comes walking the field edge towards me and - first blunder - I realize that I am way to close to he trail so when I raise up my longbow, with that buck at 12 yards, he bolts into the field.... luckily, he stops and looks back at me. Second blunder - I let fly with an arrow, but the strap on my booney hat has fallen between my bow string and bow.... When I let fly that bowstring catches the hat strap and snugs that booney hat right down to my %$*& chin... and the Arrow?? It slowly sails like an underhanded Nerf ball toss and hits the dirt at the feet of this nice buck. He runs off only to stop and look back 100 yards away on the other side of the field to try and figure out what had just happened.

Take away? think about where you are putting yourself at Shot time and work with EVERY piece of gear before you hunt with it. JW

I recalled another epic blunder earlier today…

On an afternoon said, I heard the sound of some raccoons right close by, and turned to see one climbing down the tree just a few yards away. When he got to the ground, I thought maybe I would like to collect a raccoon pelt...

The coon waddled almost directly under my stand; it was a climbrmeith a shooting rail, and I had set the rail just at the height of my crotch.

In order to make the shot, I canted the bow counterclockwise ‘til the upper limb tip was at 9:00; I had my thighs braced against the shooting rail, and the coon was moving under my feet as I hit full draw and loosed the string, which (naturally!) returned to brace height, catching (just enough) on its way past, on the fly of my BDU pants.... and the contents thereof... before smacking into the shooting rail.

I just about saw stars.

Hunting Oregon Wenaha and down the Little Looking glass. It was mid day. The bulls were quiet. I shot a grouse. field dressed the bird after photos. Put bird and camera back in my pack. I meandered my way working upwards toward the ridge road. Maybe mile and half; I felt sort of unbalanced or something. I did not have my bow in my hand. Had to backtrack and it was difficult to find my way back to my bow. That was over 25 years ago. That bow hangs on my brothers garage wall. If I live long enough; that old Golden Eagle with E-wheels just might become "traditional."

I've made more than my share, like the time I missed a doe, standing broadside at -20 yards, while she was taking a dump. Yup... missed her twice! Forgot to pick a spot.

These are some great stories of woe fellas! JW, you bring up two awesome points at the conclusion of your tale: Where you are putting yourself at shot time and practicing with ALL of your gear. These are two issues that cost me numerous times when I was learning to bow hunt. It's a pain practicing with all your gear on but it beats the heck out of realizing you cant get to full draw looking like the kid from Christmas Story in second season. I won't even get into some of the "spots" I thought would be great for my portable or a brush blind when I was beginning bow hunter.

Driving 10 miles up a logging road, walking to a crossing a mile or so to a good cut only to find I left my bow quiver home. Forgot to attach my catquiver to my Waldrop pacseat. Said the heck with it and took a nice nap in the woods. Very relaxed afternoon.

New one ocurred today , So I am sitting in a hollow along a brush line , I saw a deer walk in to 20 minutes earlier. I am watching a trail that exits the other side . I waited as long as I could and got this idea to brake some branches and kick some brush for 3 seconds and see what happens. I have been listening to foot steps back there for a while but they stoped .. Acouple seconds later I wip out my Ecig and notice its a tad low , so I like a dumb arse set my bow down and start filling it. guess who started walking up ? I could hear it getting closer but I thought it was further then it was , Wrong ! My head net just made it seem further , 30 ft away he stand there starring a me with my hands full of everything except my bow.

Another good reason to quit!

There WAS the only time I’ve ever been unhappy to meet another stickbow shooter in the woods.... Because it was the one season I was trying to hunt Elk with wheels.

The guy was a neighbor; I’d headed up the hill without my dang release and was hoping he’d have a spare...

Nope.

That was just one of three times in about 4 days that I swore I’d never pack wheels again... And that’s not counting all the times I told myself the weight just wasn’t worth it....

That day I wont soon forget. It was a total screwup. I was in the stand late rather than get up when I should have and so I was in a big hurry. Half way up into the stand I noticed I'd left my down jacket on the ground. I clambered back down to get it and then scrambled back up the tree. OK time to get settled. Once into the stand I set my recurve into the bow holder, promptly knocked it out of the holder and it fell to the ground, turning inside out. Back down to get it. When I got back up to the stand I put the bow back into the holder, dropping my shooting glove in the process. This time I used a treble hook attached to a cord to retrieve it. It works great by the way. And then believe it or not I managed to knock my bow out of the holder a second time. Oh dear Lord please help me. I used the hook to retrieve both it and my arrow that had been in the arrow holder. A bit later when I went to use the rattling antlers I got them tangled up in the bow hoist line. Disgusted with myself I tossed them to the ground. I finally got settled and and then someone started a power saw across the canyon. At that point I should have gone home because no self respecting deer was going to show up after this performance. But I stuck around because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

There are days when I think the good Lord and St. Pete are are tired of working and just want to have some fun. I can just see one chuckling as he says to the other "Hey watch this..."

Coyote, I'm sure glad I'm not the only one that has dropped just about everything from the stand after I've "settled" in and secured my harness. Never a bow yet but I'm sure it's only a matter of time until that "Hey watch this...." moment. Had a buddy when we were younger that actually threw his compound out of the tree after missing a big buck.

Come to the conclusion my biggest blunder is buying a tag every year. :)

I have lowered my bow to get down only to have two bucks show up and step over my bow on the ground. I have been half way down a tree on my screw in steps and had the same thing happen.

I was talking to a friend who drove up in his jeep on day, recurve tip on the toe of my boot, hand at the top string nock. I slid my hand down the limb to grab the handle forgetting about the uncovered razor sharp broadheads in the Kwikee Kwiver, I can still see the bad scar from the cut today, 50 years later.

I shot over 11 deer in a row when I took up a recurve again after years on the dark side because I didn't pick a spot

I bought a Baker Treestand, nuff said.

I thought I would also share this one, I was reminded of the other night when talking with my nephew. This happened about 20 years ago. My buddy and me would get up and drive an hour and half to hunt deer and turkey (at the time this was the only real close place to hunt turkeys, and we was still learning about them). Picture, as we all been there, middle night, throwing everything from one vehicle to other, jump in truck and ready to roll. We get to our destination, we are excited to hunt. We start grabbing everything, and I cann't find my hunting jacket. I have on camo pants, a red plaid shirt, long underwear. But to no avail a camo hunting jacket. I decide, plenty of people have shot deer with this on. So, grabbing stand and stick ladder, we seperate and off I trapes into the timber. I come upon a nice place to hunt. I set up the ladder and stand, get all situated, with my linemans belt (no harness's at the time). I sit there, sweat drying in the cold morning breeze, as the sun comes up. The cold hit's me and I am curled up in a small ball of sun light, trying to keep warm. The sun ends up coming up, the warmth washes over me and all is good as hypothermia is avoided. About an hour later, I hear a deer coming, I look to my right and she is running full bore down a corn field about 30 yards from me. I get stood and ready, as she comes to the trail, to enter the woods, then decides, to run down the other way. The wind blows and leaves are falling. I sit down, and ponder what could of made her run like that. I then hear back to my left a rustling, down a draw. I look, but do not see anything and think, that sounds like someone walking. A short time goes by and I look back that way and here comes a small flock of turkeys, scratching there way through the draw, at about 20 yards. I get my bow raised, and let loose an arrow, and hear loud "thunk", as it sinks into a log across the draw. The turkeys, begin to feed up the draw to my left and behind me. I slowly get another arrow out, and cann't help thinking, I am in a red flannel shirt and I am getting away with this with turkeys. I finally get an arrow out, on the string. I lean around for the shot, and cann't get it, as my bow arm is touching the tree, and my linemans belt is not letting me lean forward. I reach back, to undo the lineman belt, and my camo jersey glove get's caught in the caribiner. I try and get it out, but I cann't, the turkeys are taking their time feeding. As I try to get my glove out, I place my longbow between my legs, reach across and get my glove un-clipped, then my arrow falls to the ground. I get another arrow out of the quiver, get it on the string, as the last two turkeys feed up the ridge, I then turn to get the shot and they decide to move off to another area. I sit there, thinking of all that transpired and my bad impression of an irish jig, and laugh to myself. What a great morning, but this is just part 1 of the "Jig Hunt".

Looking forward to part 2 todd!

"Jig Hunt" part 2. So, the turkeys moved off to better feeding grounds, I sat there bewildered that I got away with so much, wearing a red flannel plaid shirt. After two more hours after the action, and the decision to meet back at the truck at a set time. I got down and removed my stand, packed it all up, retrieved my arrow from earlier. All packed up I began my trex, back. As I came up over the ridge, I realized, that I never went "this way before", and decided why not. Well, after going down 15 feet, across 5 and up 20 feet twice in these deep ravines, I came to a broad open grown over grass area. From the lay out, I could tell that long ago it was once a grazing field for cattle. I stood under a hedge tree, taking in the view (one of the great things I love of hunting). I noticed something move through the grass, as the wind blew.

I reached into my cargo pocket of my camo pants and retrieved a monocule to scan the movement, as I placed it to my eye, I noticed it was covered in mud. So, back in the pocket it went. I then noticed other movement. I decided, it was turkeys, so I slid my ladder stand down and my stand off my back. I stood there, for a few minutes taking there movement, and convincing myself, that a stalk with a red shirt would work, finally "I am here to hunt, what the heck". I slid down to the ground and began a crawl stalk into the brown grass, headed in the general direction the whole flock was feeding. Every once and while I would look up to get my bearings and the animals location.

I slowly moved through the grass, toward where I last seen a turkey, about 30 yards away. I came to the conclusion that this would have to be the spot to work. I slowly came up to my knees (back when I could). I sat there, on my knees, looking through the grass, for the prey. I then caught movement to my right, I slowly turned my head, and there was a Jake about 16 yards feeding. I slowly moved around for a shot, as he kept scratching and bobbing up and down. As the wind parted the grass, his body exposed, the bow came up and the shot was loosed. The bird, jumped then started to run. I came up on my feet and ran to where the bird was, looking down for sign, "Bam" I smacked a limb hanging low. I stand there holding my nose, looking both for blood from my nose and the turkey.

I noticed feathers, that led down another draw. I slid down into the draw, and in the middle was my arrow. I retrieved it and looked and smelled it for sign. I "knew" I hit him, so started down the draw, to look for him, slowly creeping. The draw took a bend, as I approached with the wind hidden overhead, I could hear faint scratching. I nocked and arrow, and began to come around the bend. Up on the opposite side, there was the turkey, scratching for food, like just another day. I watched for about 10 minutes, trying to figure out what he was going to do, as It was going to be a 30 yard shot. I then decided to try. I began to raise my bow, then from behind me I heard a "Thud", that could only be a stomp from a deer. I slowly turned to look, at 13 yards behind me stood a massive boone/crocket buck, looking at me.

I began to spin to take the shot, when he took off on a dead run, clearing the draw with ease, as I watched him disappear. I then turned back around to see the turkey run down the draw to also disappear. I stood there, swinging back and forth, looking across draw, and my need to shoot took over, and I drew and shot a mud clot, which turned out to be a rock. After, collecting my broken arrow, all my gear I made it back to the truck. My hunting buddy asked "See anything", I stood there in frustration, and said "Nope, not a thing". He then seen the broken arrow and asked again. I told him the tale and we both laughed. One of my fond memories, when I have days of frustration and "slow" hunts, I remember it, and rejuvenates that can happen again anytime. I love bow hunting.

That was a great story todd, thanks for sharing it! I do the same replaying of great successes and failures on slow days of hunting and fishing. It always amazes me how vividly I can recall even the smallest of details. I hope that eventually time and old age wont erase them from my mind. I had my 12 year old son out yesterday for the opening of PA rifle season. It was truly a miserable day weather wise. We saw a buck at first light but still too dark to shoot and that was it. We talked a lot and I shared some hunting stories with him. When we got back to the house yesterday evening he gave me a hug, told me he loved me and had a great day hunting. What better memory could a dad ask for? I hope when he's my age he will remember days like that as vividly as I do.

A compound-shooting buddy of mine decided to put a stand in a 'hot' area he'd scouted that morning. Early afternoon, stand and steps packed on his back, he's going in and wow! Huge buck thirty yards away, busy opening a scrape. My buddy ducks down behind a tree, slips the pack off, nocks an arrow and then "where's my release?"

He finally got the release out of the pack but the buck had him zeroed by then. buh-bye!

And that's why I like a tab that slips around to the back of my hand ;-)

I had more than my share of "forgot my release" moments in my compound days. You'd think after the first one or two times I would make a conscious effort to double check before I scrambled out the door. Nope. And of course always discovered after I was in the tree and hooked into my harness.

Great thread. I have a short one. On one of my first trad hunts after switching over from my "wheels" I had doe come under my tree stand at like 8 or 10 yards. I shot my first arrow and it landed right underneath her. She didn't move. 2nd arrow same thing. 3rd arrow same thing. Finally on the 4th arrow...........wait for it..........I did exactly the same thing!! The deer hardly moved. I had a fifth arrow, but I couldn't bring myself even to nock it. I spoke out loud to her and said today is your lucky day. She looked up at me and kind of gave me a wink and moved off. I remember thinking to myself that this is a hard sport and fell in love with it:-).

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