I feel like, this weekend, I took a huge step toward being a better bowhunter. I did'nt kill anything but I learned volumes.
I'm sure most of you are familiar with the buck I shot on friday night and was never recovered. I was feeling a little down about that today and my wife asked me what was up. I confided in her that because of the lost buck I was feeling a little "gun shy". I was'nt sure how soon I wanted to go back out to hunt. She tried to consul me but it did'nt help much.
This afternoon, when I was finished with my home stuff, I was considering going back to look for that buck again. But I realized that over the last couple days we caused so much commotion and spread so much scent in that area it was best to leave it be. That spot still has a ton of potential and it needs to start settling down before the crops come off and all the deer patterns change. Better bowhunter.
At about 4:00 I sucked it up. The wind was right for a spot I had in mind, the temps were good and it felt like I should get out there. Hows that old saying go about falling off a bike? "Quit your whinning you fuggin pussy and get in your stand". Better bowhunter.
I set up in a 2 man ladder stand on the north west corner of a beanfield, that I like to call, "Hucks stand". The stand sits about twenty yards up along the north edge of this inside corner. The deer like to come in from the corner which offers me a 20 yard shot as they are staging to step in. Or they come in from four different spot along the west edge, and normally work north to the corner and turn east, which offers a 15 yard broadside shot right in front of the stand. I got settled in and, once again, went over fridays shot in my mind. I realized something, I straight up fugged that one up. Truth is I misjudged the yardage, my shot was low, and as a result, there is a decent 8 point buck that is either buzzard / coyote food and will never reach its potential or it is VERY wounded, suffering, and if it lives will never be comfortable coming out during shooting light again. I feel that realizing it was my own cockiness that screwed that up, made me a better bowhunter.
At about 6:30 the wind kicked up, and it started to sprinkle. I looked at weatherbug on my phone, and saw rain moving in. I decided yesterday that I was'nt interested in hunting in the rain anymore. You cant follow a bloodtrail if the rain washes it away. But it looked like it wasnt going to last long so I decided to stick it out for the last hour.
Around 6:45, (which coincidently is the same time that buck stepped out on friday) I noticed twitching ears in the brush about 50 yards up along the west side of the field. The doe stepped out a couple minutes later with her youngun with her. This was one of this years fawns that was now old enough to fend for itself. That put her about 50 yards in front of me, slightly to my right. the wind was swirling a little but for the most part it was coming from behind me to the right. I didnt have to worry about my scent unless she continued straight ahead for about 100 yards. As they worked their way into the field she started to turn my direction. she didnt head towards the corner like I was expecting but if she stayed the way she was going I might be abel to get a shot in front of me.
That is about the time I noticed the 2 bucks that had stepped out in the opposite corner from me. That got her attention and as she was looking at them I had the opportunity to pick my bow off the hanger. To my surprise the to bucks started coming my way too......
....The adrenaline was pumping. felt good.
Neither one of the bucks was a "shooter", but I was still excited.
As the 4 deer fed their way toward me, the wind swirled and the doe caught a whiff of something. She bacame alert and stompped a few times but by then the wind had straightened back out and my scent was ,once again, moving away from them. It didnt matter to her, she still did'nt like it. Now, at this point she is standing broadside, 30 to 35 yards in front of me, with the other doe (fawn) and the 2 small bucks just beyond her. She decided she didnt like it and turned and started to head back the way she came, but the bucks kept coming.
The bigger of the 2 came to a slightly quartering away 30 yard shot in front of me when the wind swirled again. He didnt bolt but he became alert and started sampling the air.
I came to full draw...
At that point my mind said, "remember friday?"
I let off and let him walk.
I decided he needed to grow for one, and I realized that I needed to practice a long shot from an elevated position before I take a chance on wounding another one. It would have been nice to put some meat in the freezer but this weekend I realized it truly isnt the kill it is the thrill of the chase.
After all four deer moved off, not counting the other 2 does that were on the other side of the field, I climbed down and walked out in the opposite direction from where the deer went. As I walked I felt I had made good decisions tonight, and took a step toward being a better bowhunter.
By the way,I am no longer gun shy, I cant wait till I get some time in the stand again. This post may seem a little mellodramatic to some of you But thats alright. I think I just wanted to put this out there for some of the other guys like myself that havent been hunting long. Guys (and gals) if it dont feel right, let em go.
Now I need to get some more practice in at 30 plus yards from an elevated position. I can bang bullseyes from level ground. But before I take any more than a 25 yard shot from a stand I need to feel better about it.
I'm sure most of you are familiar with the buck I shot on friday night and was never recovered. I was feeling a little down about that today and my wife asked me what was up. I confided in her that because of the lost buck I was feeling a little "gun shy". I was'nt sure how soon I wanted to go back out to hunt. She tried to consul me but it did'nt help much.
This afternoon, when I was finished with my home stuff, I was considering going back to look for that buck again. But I realized that over the last couple days we caused so much commotion and spread so much scent in that area it was best to leave it be. That spot still has a ton of potential and it needs to start settling down before the crops come off and all the deer patterns change. Better bowhunter.
At about 4:00 I sucked it up. The wind was right for a spot I had in mind, the temps were good and it felt like I should get out there. Hows that old saying go about falling off a bike? "Quit your whinning you fuggin pussy and get in your stand". Better bowhunter.
I set up in a 2 man ladder stand on the north west corner of a beanfield, that I like to call, "Hucks stand". The stand sits about twenty yards up along the north edge of this inside corner. The deer like to come in from the corner which offers me a 20 yard shot as they are staging to step in. Or they come in from four different spot along the west edge, and normally work north to the corner and turn east, which offers a 15 yard broadside shot right in front of the stand. I got settled in and, once again, went over fridays shot in my mind. I realized something, I straight up fugged that one up. Truth is I misjudged the yardage, my shot was low, and as a result, there is a decent 8 point buck that is either buzzard / coyote food and will never reach its potential or it is VERY wounded, suffering, and if it lives will never be comfortable coming out during shooting light again. I feel that realizing it was my own cockiness that screwed that up, made me a better bowhunter.
At about 6:30 the wind kicked up, and it started to sprinkle. I looked at weatherbug on my phone, and saw rain moving in. I decided yesterday that I was'nt interested in hunting in the rain anymore. You cant follow a bloodtrail if the rain washes it away. But it looked like it wasnt going to last long so I decided to stick it out for the last hour.
Around 6:45, (which coincidently is the same time that buck stepped out on friday) I noticed twitching ears in the brush about 50 yards up along the west side of the field. The doe stepped out a couple minutes later with her youngun with her. This was one of this years fawns that was now old enough to fend for itself. That put her about 50 yards in front of me, slightly to my right. the wind was swirling a little but for the most part it was coming from behind me to the right. I didnt have to worry about my scent unless she continued straight ahead for about 100 yards. As they worked their way into the field she started to turn my direction. she didnt head towards the corner like I was expecting but if she stayed the way she was going I might be abel to get a shot in front of me.
That is about the time I noticed the 2 bucks that had stepped out in the opposite corner from me. That got her attention and as she was looking at them I had the opportunity to pick my bow off the hanger. To my surprise the to bucks started coming my way too......
....The adrenaline was pumping. felt good.
Neither one of the bucks was a "shooter", but I was still excited.
As the 4 deer fed their way toward me, the wind swirled and the doe caught a whiff of something. She bacame alert and stompped a few times but by then the wind had straightened back out and my scent was ,once again, moving away from them. It didnt matter to her, she still did'nt like it. Now, at this point she is standing broadside, 30 to 35 yards in front of me, with the other doe (fawn) and the 2 small bucks just beyond her. She decided she didnt like it and turned and started to head back the way she came, but the bucks kept coming.
The bigger of the 2 came to a slightly quartering away 30 yard shot in front of me when the wind swirled again. He didnt bolt but he became alert and started sampling the air.
I came to full draw...
At that point my mind said, "remember friday?"
I let off and let him walk.
I decided he needed to grow for one, and I realized that I needed to practice a long shot from an elevated position before I take a chance on wounding another one. It would have been nice to put some meat in the freezer but this weekend I realized it truly isnt the kill it is the thrill of the chase.
After all four deer moved off, not counting the other 2 does that were on the other side of the field, I climbed down and walked out in the opposite direction from where the deer went. As I walked I felt I had made good decisions tonight, and took a step toward being a better bowhunter.
By the way,I am no longer gun shy, I cant wait till I get some time in the stand again. This post may seem a little mellodramatic to some of you But thats alright. I think I just wanted to put this out there for some of the other guys like myself that havent been hunting long. Guys (and gals) if it dont feel right, let em go.
Now I need to get some more practice in at 30 plus yards from an elevated position. I can bang bullseyes from level ground. But before I take any more than a 25 yard shot from a stand I need to feel better about it.
