From: zwickey chad
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Rick B's thread on accuracy/proficiency brought to mind a bad shot I made almost 10years ago on a nice buck at 7 yds. I'm 51 and been traditional only since age 13. Like you men, I have countless hours of honing my skill to get as close to lazer like accuracy with arrow placement but everything fell apart this particular day and i just cracked! It's going to happen if you bowhunt, and I'm ashamed that I wounded one of God's critters and it bothers me to this day. For a while, it made me feel like I was pathetic excuse for a bowhunter! I told my buddy the next time I did this I would allow him to punch me in the face as a deterrent/motivator for me to back out of the shot next time if it didn't feel right. I've made sure since then I lock in/follow through because I don't want any missing teeth.
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From: Flash
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Yep, I've blown it also. Would have loved to just missed but wasn't so lucky. Takes people who care some time to get through the remorse.
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Yes I have some skeletons in my quiver for sure not that the animal was wounded but because I didn't kill the animal quickly I felt bad over.
I have many animals that healed up so they were flesh wounds and I have ANIMALS THAT OTHERS HAD SHOT THAT I GOT THE NEXT SEASON AS WELL and knew that a buddy had wounded this animal.
Its part of variables and things that happens. Any mortally wounded animal has been recovered that I kept looking till I found it so I learned what the animal did and why. I always felt I owed it to animal to see what happened that has educated me.
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From: Rotten:
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Had a speed goat turn just as I shot. Hit him in the hip. Looked for him for three days, never found him. Still haunts me to this day.
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From: 4nolz@work
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Shot a deer right through the nose looked like a bone in a pygmys nose.Incredible bloodtrails for 3/4 mile never recovered.
Shot a buck through both flanks took 2 giant leaps and died in sight.
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From: ga bowhunter
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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was very deadly when I shot wheels almost automatic kill within 40 yds 10 years ago I picked up traditional bows and the hardest thing for me to learn was not to be too aggressive when attempting to take an animal yes I wounded a few and it made me sick I'm getting better at picking the right time to shoot that's what makes the stick challenging but also rewarding
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From: Lowcountry
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Date: 16-Feb-18 |
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Yep - I have two in a row. Both under 10 yard "chip shots". The first was a rushed shot at a moving deer that resulted in a shoulder shot with very poor penetration. The next morning, it took me 4 hours to follow the blood trail 350 yards before losing the trail in flood water. Maybe wishful thinking, but I'm 90% sure she survived. I talked to the neighboring property manager and asked him to keep a look out, and he never told me he found her.
Last year I shot a little forkhorn at 8-10 yards. I was calm, cool, and collected, and "knew" I made a good shot. The deer ran into a dense 5 acre pine thicket. I waited 30 and got down and started following up, and proceeded to make a series of errors. Briefly lost the trail, so I plowed ahead. Flashlight died, but I continued to fart around. Finally decided to leave and come back in the morning. The next morning, I quickly found the blood trail and easily followed it for 50 yards into the pine thicket to where it ended completely in little pool of blood. Looked for four hours (at least two on me hands and knees) without ever finding another drop of blood. What I finally pieced together after the fact was that the shot I "knew" was good, must have been farther back than I thought, because I had liver blood instead of lung blood. When I fumbled around the night before, I pushed him out of his bed - but after he had laid there long enough for his wounds to clot up. I'm 90% sure that If I had quietly left the area that night, and came back the next morning, I would have found him 50 yards into that pine thicket.
I think about him every single time I go by that thicket.
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From: stykman
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Oh, Hp is over here. I let my insurance lapse, Harry.
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From: Shotkizer
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I really do not have any bad experiences or regrets deer hunting. A few mistakes I won't repeat. It does my heart good to see others very vigilant about tracking and persisting on a deer blood trail. Nothing my pisses me off more than a half ass attempt to recover a deer.
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From: Eric Krewson
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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One from 34 years ago that haunts me and taught me several lessons was a doe I shot while she was walking (don't take walking shots). When I shot she hit the ground like she had been spined, I shot her again while she was thrashing around on the ground and thought that was enough, I had plenty of time for a third shot(if they are still kicking keep putting holes in them).
In an instant she jumped up, put a tree between herself and me and walked of in the monsoon type rainstorm that was going on at the time (don't bow hunt when it is going to rain 4" in an afternoon).
I looked for a long time but couldn't find her. I came back the next day and found her about 20 yards from where I stopped the night before. It was a 70 degree night and she had swelled up like a balloon and spoiled.
I found out my first shot nicked her spine above her hind quarters, I didn't lead her while she was walking. My next shot was a gut shot, I couldn't tell where I hit because of the pouring rain, I should have continued to put arrows in her when I had the chance.
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From: NOVA7
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I once took five shots at two deer under 12 yards and missed low on every shot.
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From: ny yankee
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Long, long ago,I tried to stalk a doe that was feeding with her back to me on the edge of a cut corn field. I walked along that edge slowly sneaking up to her and losing sight once in a while. Amazingly, I got to within bow range and drew the old compound, shooting off the shelf, fingers and no sights. She turned broadside and I shot. The arrow flew in a rainbow ark and flew under her. She bounded off. I never did figure why I missed.
As I turned to go home, I looked up and saw 3 cars sitting on the side of the road at the head of the field watching me. They just drove off. I felt like the biggest fool.
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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When you arrow multitudes of game the law of averages will play out eventually and not go as intended. In a handful or several you might be able to contain things but eventually you will need your trailing skills.
I don't know anyone who hasn't missed. Had I not missed myself I would have several giants P and Y way up at the top of the books that includes some of them that will haunt me to the day I die.
Every now and then I see those shots and the animals that were involved and think had I been a little more down on him or a little more over or not broken form or rushed the shot. He was right there for the taking I practiced these shots on targets I should of been able to make that shot. Not so its a live animal and things happen and animals do move they don'[t stand there like a 3D target does or a pie plate you can place multiple arrows in and beat your chest look at me i can hit a pie plate.
Its the real world not what someone else wants to push an agenda!
That's our experiences as well as our emotions and our maturity s.
I've missed rutting running bucks while on the ground many times with multiple arrows in the past and because of emotions no matter how hard i tried I couldn't get an arrow in them always saying better than wounding what an experience I just had.
Work on emotions you know you can shoot well enough. Some things just aren't meant to be also.
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From: zwickey chad
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I got lost in familiar woods trying to track my deer. I was so intent on finding him I was crawling through briars and underbrush and when I realized it was dark and blood trail was gone I stood up and had no idea where I was. It was freezing and It was a night when the moon came up late. I had to wait until I saw the moon to know which way to head out. Even then it was not easy. Looked for the deer with a good tracking buddy the next 2 days but....nothing!
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From: Greyfox
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Three years ago, I was deer hunting. Hadn't seen a deer all morning, a squirrel came out in front of a tree 30 yards away. My arrow barely missed and stuck in the tree. It took a while to dig that Bear razor head out. Haven't shot at a squirrel since, not worth loosing a broad head. Might have seen a deer if I hadn't messed with the squirrel. Good luck
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From: reddogge
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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In the early 70s watched a large 10 point bed down 100 yards from me and after an hour the deer parade started in my direction with him at the end. After passing up some closer nice bucks I drew on him at 30 yards with a DH Super Diablo and let fly only to see the arrow hit the shoulder and bounce out. Penetration was about 1/2" so the deer only had a sore shoulder. But it still haunts me these decades later since it was the biggest buck I've ever had a chance on.
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From: Bob Rowlands
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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errant flight shot arrow caught a tail wind and :SMACK: killed the neighbors roof. they thought they,d been hit by meteor and were upstairs looking around when i rang the bell. lol dumbass
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From: reddogge
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I can't classify mine as a bad shot since it was 30 yards and the deer was walking. Maybe an unlucky shot 1" from being perfect.
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From: Greyfox
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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In 1997, I was hunting from a tree stand in Atoka county. A nice 7 point came slipping by. When I shot, he ran, jumped a fence and ran some more before expiring. He had a swollen place on shoulder with a hole where a broad head had met bone. That was someone else's close miss. Didn't seem to affect his mobility. Reddogge kindled my memory.
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From: Trooper
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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If you bowhunt long enough you will have memories like these mentioned; that's what makes the good kill shots so sweet! I'm 65 now and have been hunting strictly with my recurve for the last 15 yrs or so. I've killed over 50 deer with my bow and I shoot my recurve every day during the hunting season and during the off season. I've won several tournaments with my Bear t/d and yet just this past season I had the prettiest 10 pt buck step out in front of me at 10 yards, broadside and looking away and I just fell apart and missed clean! LOL, that's what it's all about; no guarantees.
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From: Tomas de Gato
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Took a clean shot on giant buck in December. Deer ducked the string and I hit him high in the shoulder. Watch 160" plus 300 lbs 8 pt run off with 30" of arrow sticking out of him. My arrow went exactly where I was aiming. The deer just moved. I almost smashed my bow against a tree. Think I have PTSD.
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From: kevo
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over and expect the same results. Well, I did that for too long & finally lost one too many. I never shot over 20 yes either. I lost any confidence I might have had Frustrating thing was that I was as good as anybody at targets. In fact, I just came in from shooting my longbow and I was hitting the target right where I needed too. Anyway, I swallowed by pride & bought a compound Lost who I thought was a good friend over it too. I think that's bothered me as much as any deer I've lost.
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From: Elkpacker1
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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my first gided elk hunt I was 27/28. Everybody in camp was shooting bighorns. This guy from FLA hit elk twice and never recovered them. Both shots looked good and one was complete pass thru. Stuff happens.
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From: reddogge
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I will say I have more long lasting memories of the buck that got away than any girl that got away.
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From: Longtrad
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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took a head shot at a rabbit and sliced his ears off... man that really bothered me. took me a few days to find him and put him down with a 22. I go for body shots on rabbits now.
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From: StickandString
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Last season I hit one high at 10 yards and never recovered that deer. In the past I have had one other hit just like that because in both cases I lost concentration.
I have been shooting instinctively for over 50 years but the bad hit last year caused meto rethink everything. I almost decided to give it up but decided to experiment with fixed crawl to give me an aid. Been shooting fixed crawl since last spring and my accuracy and confidence have really improved.
Unfortunately due to a bad foot I was only able to hunt twice this season and never had a deer in range. Will keep working on fixed crawl and use it next fall. I am convinced that using the point of the arrow as an aid is going to prevent my lose of picking a spot.
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From: Rick Barbee
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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All of them.
The most memorable "BAD" shot I ever made was kinda like 4Nolz's through the flank shot.
It was big sow. Shot way back & a little high, but the arrow cut both femoral arteries right after they split from the spine. She actually went down real quick, but before she did, she was spinning, and spurting blood like one of them two arm/outlet spinning yard sprinklers.
Rick
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From: Tomas de Gato
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Yeah, the deer I hit in the shoulder walked in front of a sho nuff klller of a guy about two weeks later with a machinebow. Dude said he drilled him broadside through the last rib with a Rage. Complete pass through. Never found the deer. He said, do you think it's the same deer? I replied, was he 300lbs plus, 8.5" bases, 27" beams, heavy mass out to the tips, 18" wide and tall 8 point, mid 160's, looks like a freaking donkey walking through the woods? He said, yep, that's him.
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From: CMF_3
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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Lol longtrad.
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From: Bear 1955
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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I haven't been bow hunting very long. Had a spike bull at 10 or so yards. things up to that point were happening real fast. there were perhaps 70 head of elk running down a hill with some real big bull and cows all mixed to gather it was real exciting. that herd hit the bottom of that hill some went one way and some went the other way it was really wild. and that was happening at about 20 to 30 yards away and none were stopping to take a look around. about that time that spike come broad side and stop down hill at a slight angle you might say it was a chip shot. I drew back and let fly and watch that arrow fly right over his back. Didn't pick a spot and I haven't had elk stop broad side since. But it sure was fun at the time.
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From: LKH
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Date: 17-Feb-18 |
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A string of 5 nice to very big 6 point elk that I hit in the front leg bone. In most cases the broadhead didn't even have blood on it. twice the bull ran out a ways and started bugling at me.
Not sure why I did it but I stared aiming back 8-10" and that cured it.
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From: Aeronut
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Date: 20-Feb-18 |
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I was stillhunting and took a shot at a doe from ground level. Upper limb hit a small tree limb and I wound up hitting her in the neck. She ran off just out of range and stood there looking around trying to figure out what had happened with the arrow hanging out of one side of her neck. After about five minutes I decided to try another shot just as she was turning to leave and shot under her. I looked for her for two days and never found a trace. I hope she finally able to get the arrow out and healed up.
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From: jjs
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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Caught a buck coming up a hedge role and was losing light fast do to heavy clouds moving in and shot him about 5 yards away with a snuffer on the ground. He shot across the pasture to a set of ridges and decided to let him be for an hour. Got back to the truck and the weather came on about severe storms coming in with heavy rains, decided to go track him down and found where he first laid down, there was massive amount of blood and chunks of lung, follow him another 80 yards and still was large amount of blood and lung material, end of story never did find him even after the storm. Went out for 4 days and look and sat for crows that may be on the carrion but to no avail. Talked to a neighbor a week later and said he seen a couple of young men loading up a decent seize buck into a pickup box and drove off that evening and that was the end of story. Just couldn't believe how the buck could survive with the massive amount of blood and lung material that I was finding, must have hit him high lung area and never did find the arrow either.
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From: TrapperKayak
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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TNTM. Some nice elk and deer got away untouched. A couple were touched though - bad.
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From: Muskrat
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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I have a permanent memory of a big 8-point broadside at 20 yards and the skinny vine between my broadhead and his chest, the vine I never saw, until my arrow hit it and deflected to the ground under his chest. I pulled the same trick on a couple of does over the years, but losing out on this big buck meant a lot more to me. Good news is it didn't turn into a bad hit and an unrecovered wounded deer, which it certainly could have.
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From: Justin
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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This is very embarrassing for me but... In the past 20 years I’ve missed 18 shots at large whitetails because I was “shooting at the whole deer” rather than picking a spot!!
Grrrrrr.
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From: Orion
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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I try not to think about them. :>)
Actually, not all misses/wounding shots are the bowhunter's fault. Animals can make some amazing moves sometimes that can cause a less than good hit, even when not on full alert and unaware of the hunter.
Admittedly, though, most of my misses and bad shots over the past 50 years have been my fault.
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From: limbwalker
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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Pretty sure I "win" (or lose, however you want to look at it) this topic. ha, ha.
Anyone else here make a shot seen by 4 million people that cost your team an Olympic medal?
Nope, I didn't think so. :D
I don't take it as hard as some people wish I would, as it's part of life. But I do think about it from time to time. Mostly because it felt like a good shot and I was shocked to learn where it landed.
Oh well. Win some and lose some. Life goes on.
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From: GF
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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Can’t touch that one, John! But the important thing is that you didn’t let it caused you to quit.
Worst one for me was actually a very good shot in some respects... I just didn’t realize it at the time.
Doe mulie at well under 20; she was locked onto my brother - She wasn’t sure what he was, so she was literally stalking in on him, determined to find out. She’d take a couple steps, then lock up like a bird dog on point for a few beats, so I drew and anchored as she was stepping forward, then picked my spot as soon as she stopped. At which point she picked up a hind foot to take another step, and I missed that hoof by a whisker - probably only because she froze at the sound of the string, and I would have sworn that the shaft passed between her toes.
As I recalled it in the moment, though, the step had happened after I’d released, and to my mind at the time... I had missed my mark by a solid foot and a half. After all the hours of practice, HOW could that have happened??
And so it was that a few days later, afer doing a pretty nifty job of playing the thermals to intercept a herd, I eased around the trunk of a stout old Doug Fir To see a big cow elk at about a dozen yards… just as perfect a shot as you could ever ask for... And I chose not to take the shot because I simply didn’t have the confidence to make it.
Wasn’t til years later that I realized that the doe had picked up that hoof as I was settling myself for the shot, and when my attention went to that hoof, so did the arrow.
So it was the best of shots, and it was the worst of shots... but at least no blood was spilled. Just kind of a bummer that I didn’t recognize my error for what it was at the time.
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From: Kodiaktd
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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John I seen that on youtube.
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From: Justin
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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One of misses in1989 stuck with me about a year. I’ve missed so many since then I am never surprised anymore! I’d be shocked if I hit what I was aiming at!!!
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From: GLF
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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The shame is guys would rather go back to compound or wound animals than pu a good sight on their recurve. Not everyone is going to be a good shot barebow. For some it takes endless hours of practice to be a mediocre shot barebow when sight could make them a pretty hood shot almost right away.
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From: limbwalker
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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"John I seen that on youtube..."
Yea, lucky for me YouTube had just come of age. Then someone (and I think I know who) made sure THAT shot was the first thing that people saw, all because I wasn't one of "their" products.
It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly petty and childish some adults can be.
Americans rooting for fellow Americans to lose at the Olympics. Incredible, but true.
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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If you can't get over the butcher shop that it can be at times you better lay down the sticks.
With any weapon it can be good or bad and not end well and if you don't understand that then maybe not shot enough times.
There's certainly bad choices we have made and should have let off than let the arrow fly but if the arrow don't fly the animal won't die will it.
You think we can do something when its a variable that might come into place and screw up shot and before you know it you have an issue.
Sleepless nights can follow all part of maturity at times and rushing things ect.
Variables
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From: lawdy
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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I have about 40 of them hare hunting this winter. When snow is gone I will go find the 40 or so arrows I have lost in hare covers with our deep snows. Until I make more, I am relegated to my Tulle de Chasse or a handgun.
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From: Stew
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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Nov. 2009 I had a 140 P/Y Ten point circle my decoy and come past my tree stand at 8 yards. Some how I kept my calm and drilled him a little high, with a 33" cedar shaft. He took off with the shaft wagging like a flag and busted it off going against a big tree. I watched him run across a creek then stop and look back about 100 yards away behind a pole building. He then walked off across a road out of sight. I retrieved the broken shaft and 9 "s was missing . I spent three days looking for with no luck. My neighbor saw him three weeks later hunched up still alive. I changed to aluminum for five years before getting enough confindence to go back to wood shafts.
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From: limbwalker
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Date: 21-Feb-18 |
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I think RymanCat is actually a random internet word generator.
Nah, that would actually make more sense.
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