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Long read.....A swing and BAD hit.....

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    Long read.....A swing and BAD hit.....

    Well.....it happened. I finally got a deer within LONGBOW range 16-18 yds. It was a buck. He came into some hand corn I had thrown down. He stood straight in front of me for about 11 minutes eating corn and not offering a broadside shot, then finally he takes a couple of steps to the side. I breath, line up, draw and let R' fly. Crap I miss 3" high over his back. He jumps into the woods blows and would you believe it, he steps back out to the corn and offers a second broadside shot. I breath, line up, draw and let R' fly. Crap, it hits him high bout 2" under the spine arrow buried up to the feather, I hear a bone crack and off he goes. I watch him till out of sight. I decide to let him be for a while.

    I get down and go to where I hit him, no blood. I start down the "main" path still no blood. I continue down the path, still no blood, but I find the arrow all intact laying in the path with bright red blood on it. Still no blood to be found other than on the arrow. It started raining but I continued to follow the path with no sight of blood anywhere. I looked for another 3 to 4 hrs. and found no blood or deer.

    I can only hope that it was a non-fatal wound and he is going to make it.

    I have decided to take my compound to the woods for the remainder of the season and keep practicing with my longbow. I was very confident with my longbow prior to this and the hog I hit and did not find.

    I am not sure when or what it will take for me to be mentally ready to take the longbow back to the woods, but I can not keep wounding animals!

    I would appreciate any thoughts or feedback.

    Bill

    #2
    Billy, like i said, dont lose sleep over it. If the hit turns out to be fatal, this is simply the completion of the circle of life. In order for anything to live, something else must die. Coyotes, skunks, coons, buzzards, worms, the soil etc... will benefit. If the deer can lick the wound, then it will probably make it. Keep practicing and someday we will both get our first traditional harvests. Good Luck. Woody

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      #3
      Keep Practicing and never give up!

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        #4
        That is my biggest fear, as I am only shooting 45#. I know I have to make good shots, and while I am really excited about hunting with it, I just dont feel I have the consistancy yet.

        I did take it out last weekend, but that was out of necessity. My compound string was partially cut so it was either hunt with the recurve or pull out the smoke pole, and I did not really want to do that. I had decided that any deer would get a pass unless I just felt it was just perfect. Well, I did not end up seeing anything, so I did not have to worry.

        I need to practice with it more, but since it is getting dark earlier, I can not shoot in the backyard like I do during the summer.

        Things will come together, dont give up, you seem like you have the drive. Just need to hone the skills and you will be there.

        We should get a group together and shoot one weekend. I am in Cypress.

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          #5
          pick a spot and keep your head down.

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            #6
            BMac, I feel your pain brother. Many years ago I got talked into hunting with trad gear before I was confident with it. I lost the first 3 animals I shot, was very down about it, and almost gave up trad shooting all together. After a talk with a local "trad Guru" I reassessed the situation. I spent several months practicing my butt off and finally got to a point where I felt confidrent at close range. From then on my ability and confidence grew. Even after nearly 15 years of trad shooting and hunting I still tend to set up my stand/blind for a 12-14 yard shot and rarely take one over 15-17 yds.

            If you are not confident right now you should go back to your compound and finish the season with it. Lack of confidence with trad equipment usually ends up in a less than perfect shot at an animal. Then after the season is over pull the stick bow out and practice hard with it. Go to every 3-D shoot you can and take advice from trad friends who you know know what they are talking about. Also, when you do go hunt with the stick again KEEP IT CLOSE. You will succeed and then probobly never look back.

            I still lose an animal every now and then and I can tell you there is no worse feeling then when that happens (esp. if I know if it was something stupid that I did). Thankfully, the losses are few and far between. When I take a shot at an animal I know it will be a good one ( at least that is my frame of mind while it is happening). I have passed several shot opportunities because I did not feel I was shooting well at the time or because it just "did not feel right".

            Anyway, stick with it brother and good luck. If I can be of any help at any time don't hesitate to look me up.

            Good luck,

            Bisch

            P.S. - Note for Bullrdr82- I am shooting a 48# recurve now and have taken 9 animals with it this year. You have enough bow. You just need to make sure to take good shots, put the arrow in the right place, and have razor sharp broadheads.
            Last edited by Bisch; 11-29-2008, 12:37 AM.

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              #7
              Dont give up I had a bad hit a few days ago. I had everything set up perfectly. I had a mid 120s buck come in and I had a broadside shot at 8 yards I thought he was 10 he definatly ducked more than I thought he would I passed thru high. I looked for him for hours and found his trail and followed it to the end. I got up at 3 AM to look for him no dice. I gave up and started to look for buzzards etc. Last night I saw him limping on the front end but doing fine about a half a mile from the house. I turned the car around and got the lights on him and was the same deer. He will make it I am sure he would have died by now if he was going to. He seemed to be getting around just fine.

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                #8
                Thanks for the feedback guys. I do not intend on giving up, just putting it on hold for a bit. I guess I was too confident too soon. Man when it does happen, it will be special!

                I have a bear hunt in April and would love to be ready by then, time will tell. I intend on practicing, practicing, practicing.

                Bullrdr82, ....there are several of us that live in this area, Ol Man, Woody, Skeeter and I am sure a few I have missed. I think it would be benefit all of us to get together. Let's pull something together. My house is an option.


                Bill

                Comment


                  #9
                  Bmac, I think you have missed way more than the buck. It's just too easy to blame something like this on your shooting. I'd bet that your probably a better shot than me and I've shot stick bows for 46 yrs. But the difference between us is how many animals weve killed. You probably tried to shoot the deer at the wrong time, both times. That is the part of your story that needs changing. That's what you need to improve on. Maybe you have been perfect with your machine bow, I don't know. But on the other part of this forum there is a bunch of stories about missing and wounding deer and hauling dogs all over the state to find them, even using the aerial deer dogs to find them.

                  So you might want to think back on the timing of the shots. When to shoot is the most important part of shooting a living animal and is almost never discussed in archery mags. or on forums. I could try to tell you about when to shoot but can't. It's something you have to learn your self by observing deer a lot and shooting at them. When you get back to shooting your stick bow you won't be any closer to getting a deer than you are now, in fact you will be farther from it. Everything you have worked for up till now you will have lost. So, I say you should stay with the stick bow. I don't think you screwed up in your shooting because you were too confident in it. I think you screwed up in your shot timing. You should have waited for the buck to calm back down for the second shot. A shot that is high or low of the kill area is not a bad wound and the deer will recover is a very short time. They hurt them selves worse than that all the time. The only bad hit that makes me angry is a gut shot. They're gonna die but it's going to take a long time. You didn't do that. You didn't do bad.

                  I've read every post youve written since you took up trad and I just knew you'd do it. And I think you will do it, but not if you go back to the machine. I told Rotag that I would take him hunting when his groups were 3" wide. I didn't care how tall his groups were. Well, he has missed a few, all high. He hit one, high. BUT, he killed one, spine shot. He'll learn to aim low and you will too. I'm still taking him hunting so it must be all right.

                  Again, I'm saying don't give up on your stick. Don't lose what you've gained. Watch the animals a little longer and try to pick that perfect time to try your shot. And aim low, at the elbow works for me. Good luck.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thank's Draco and others.........

                    Draco, your response is appreciated. In reading your and all of Rotag's post you must be a real decent guy.

                    You are one of the first to mention it may be just "the timing of the shots" that I have taken and not my shootin. In thinking back, it could very well be just that. Ol Man continues to mentor me to take my time, pick the shot and the spot then follow through. When I take his advice I am pretty accurate. I went to the woods this afternoon with my machine bow feeling a little bit like I had failed with the stick and string. I was thunder stormed out of my tree without seeing anything, it felt appropriate!

                    I am planning on going out for a full day tomorrow and I will take your advice and carry the stick that has provided me with soo much new found archery excitement. I will try and take all of your and the other veterans on this wonderful sites advice.

                    I will keep you and all of the others posted on my progress and thanks for the encouragement!
                    Last edited by BmacBmac1; 11-29-2008, 08:33 PM. Reason: Sp

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by BmacBmac1 View Post
                      Draco, your response is appreciated. In reading your and all of Rotag's post you must be a real decent guy.
                      Bob IS a heck of a good guy.

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                        #12
                        BmacBmac1

                        How did it go?

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Rotag View Post
                          BmacBmac1

                          How did it go?
                          It was one WINDY day........... did not see or shoot at anything. I am going to "stick" with it.

                          Prior to wounding the buck I had already purchased a used Morrison longbow to go along with the Mosshorn I stole from Ol Man. I have only shot it a couple of times, no real practice yet, but it seems like it is goin to be a goodin.

                          Thanks for asking!

                          Bill

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Stay with it Bmac, I just know you can do it. If Rotag can, I'm sure any one can. [just kidding Steve]

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