# Well... I had my chances



## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Dissapointed in myself to say the least. 1st morning i had 5 does come in on me at 15 yrds. Picked out the biggest and hit it a little high on the shoulder. let it sit for an hour then picked up the blood trail. And not much blood at all. Hard to fallow. I think we bumped here out of the area and we never found her. I feel terrible about wasting that deer.

day 2. Missed hogzilla just high. That afternoon i missed another doe High. I went back to the camp after the hog and shot at 20yds and was dead on. Must have been jerking the release. Every shot was high.

the weird thing is... I was shooting at PSC for week from an elevated stand and everying was a little low (just a few inches). In the feild i was high.

Anyway, I will keep practicing this week and go get on em this weekend.

I will say, My heart was POUNDING when those 1st one came in. LOVE it.


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## devil1824 (Sep 4, 2010)

**** chaser said:


> Dissapointed in myself to say the least. 1st morning i had 5 does come in on me at 15 yrds. Picked out the biggest and hit it a little high on the shoulder. let it sit for an hour then picked up the blood trail. And not much blood at all. Hard to fallow. I think we bumped here out of the area and we never found her. I feel terrible about wasting that deer.
> 
> day 2. Missed hogzilla just high. That afternoon i missed another doe High. I went back to the camp after the hog and shot at 20yds and was dead on. Must have been jerking the release. Every shot was high.
> 
> ...


Been there,Done that. My first hunt ever, I missed a buck high. That night I hit a doe bad. Found her about 5hrs. later and the yotes ate her butt out. Nasty critters. 
Took me several yrs. later to finally get my buck with a doe. Bow hunting is tough. I get crazy excited every time a deer walks in. It's so up and personal. If your heart isn't pounding you need to quit hunting. 
Keep practicing! Do you stand up or sit down when you shoot during hunting? One of my mistakes was I always stood up practicing and I have never stood up when hunting.


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Dont sweat it Keith. It happens to everyone.


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

I try to always aim lower third of body. Almost feels to low but once you developed that habit you will kill a lot more animals. G- luck and hang in there...


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## altez (Sep 12, 2012)

Happens to me as well .. You practice and practice but once the animals come - all the things you told yourself to do suddenly goes out the window. Keep it at !


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Buck fever! Its a free rush. Enjoy it. You'll getting em next time. Sounds like you had fun.


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Had a blast... I have shot a lot of deer. but the bow hunting is the real deal. I find myself constantly thinking about being up a tree and letting that arrow loose. I'm hooked.


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

I do have a question... If you are not sure about your shot or you know you didnt hit vitals well and/or you didnt here the deer crash.

What is a good rule of thumb for time given before you start to track it? How much time should you give em?


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Couple hours if you can...


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## nhampton (Aug 8, 2007)

A couple of thoughts on what I do. Practice from the position you will hunt in. I always hunt from a seat so I have a bucket I sit on to practice. In practice my range is flat so when hunting, I bring my bow up and sight it horizontally. So when I hunt I bring my bow up and draw it horizontally. Then I bend my back to get the bow on target. It's a little more movement but I feel like I keep my anchor point more consistent. I aim for the top of the heart. If I'm a little low, I still get the heart. If its much lower than that I graze the brisket, a survivable wound. If I'm even several inches high I still have a double lung on a broadside deer. Also I've found a lower body cavity hit have a much better blood trail to follow. For high hits there will be very little blood till the body cavity fills up. By then you could get a blood clot to seal the wound making it difficult to recover. Another possibility is that your arrow speed is slow enough to allow them to "jump the string". My bow is +/- 300 fps and I haven't had that problem out to a little under 30 yards so I limit my shots to that. Since it seems you are consistently high, there's probably a common cause.
That's the thing about bow hunting, there's always something to go wrong but that's what makes it challenging and enjoyable. Sounds like youâ€™re hooked. Enjoy and good luck.


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## nhampton (Aug 8, 2007)

On how long to wait I wait at least 30 min if I can't see the deer down. The first thing I do is to recover the arrow and mark the spot. Then I smell the arrow to see if it has any "gut" smell. If it doesn't I'll begin trailing. If it does I'll wait an additional 1 to 2 hours. If you were quiet before and after the shot, the deer will probably stop in a concealed place to try and figure out what happened. The sooner he does this the less the distance he will travel before he expires making recovery much easier.


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

I need to google Jumping the string... i dont know what that is. My bow is the same spped as yours. I practice from an elevated postion but whats interesting is, my first few shots at the range (elevated or not) are always a few inches low and an in or so right. then i settle in and focus and start getting tight groups out to 30yrds. at 40yds the groups get a little looser. But, my point is, during proctice sessions, my misses are low. Even when i went back to the camp to ensure i was still zeroed, my miss was low, then sarted center pounching the target.

I think what happend is durring the excitement, i didnt hit my anchor points. So i think more practice will work that out. Going to PSC agan in the morning and try to work it out.

Thanks for the input... all great stuff.

Ahhh just google it... a deer dipping when you release. The doe i missed could have verry well jumped the string. Not sure about the 1st. The pig did not. I shot right over that one. LOL. It was funny. There were 20+ pigs in a mass under my feeder with this monster in the middle. I wanted him gone so i too a shot. 20 yrads. How i didnt hit pork in that mass i'll never know. it was pig for 20 sq ft. LOL. oh well


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## Buckerup (Feb 19, 2009)

When hunting, the 1st shot is the one that counts. I think maybe you're shooting low and then making an adjustment so that after several shots you're on. You might try changing you're sights so that 1st shot is on, and then not have to adjust. Just my thoughts.


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Ill get it figured out. no worries. I am patient and will get many chances this year.


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## devil1824 (Sep 4, 2010)

Just like buckerup said. The first shot counts. One more very important part of my practice. My first practice shot I treat it like I'm hunting. I draw super slow, try not to make any noise or any sudden movements. Visualize a buck in front of you and take your time. 
Too many times during practice you get used to muscling the bow back, changing your feet, moving your arms around. At least I did. I had to slow everything down like I was really hunting. It sounds like you just need to keep flinging arrows. Best of luck!


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Rack Ranch said:


> Couple hours if you can...


I would agree except in this heat. I would say an hour. Longer if cold outside. This is after I check the impact site for the arrow, blood, blood trail. If you can hit the bulls eye on the target you can shoot with the same accuracy on an animal. The hard part there is trying to compose yourself, steady yourself and not make your self rushed even if that means letting the animal walk. The adrenaline will screw you. I shot two pigs this weekend, neither ran further than forty yards. The first one I shot I was shaking( yes even over a pig.) I had to undraw my bow and take a few breathes and calm myself down before I drew again. Thats what its about. I have lost a few deer and thinking back they were all because of my own mistakes, feeling rushed, adrenaline pumping and making a bad shot because of it.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

If you're sitting are you sitting on the same stool, chair whatever that you hunt off of or at least one like it? You could be changing your anchor point and not even know it.

Get a video camera and record your shots. 

You'll learn a lot from watching the video and you will see what kind of shot placement you had on the deer you just shot. That will help you to decide how long to wait.

TH


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## Chunky (Oct 15, 2006)

I am sorry you lost your animals, and I know how you feel. I really hate when that happens.

I have a saying that everyone that knows me has heard...It goes like this. I WOULD RATHER MISS LOW, THAN HIT HIGH!

I always aim at the bottom of the chest. If the deer goes down, I normally still get it. if it doesn't, I am still in the bottom of the chest. In my opinion, you can't be too low, as long as you are in the chest caviety.

I don't believe that any bow is fast enough to keep a deer from jumping the string. You can minimize it by having a quiet bow, and by watching the deer and shooting when they seem relaxed and not on edge. If you shoot at a deer that is freaking wired and ready to expode, I don't care where you are aiming....good luck on getting that deer. They are going down to load up on their legs to jump away, they do not see the arrow and try and duck it.

If you have been doing this for a while, and you see where your arrow hit...you have an idea of how long to wait. The general rule of thumb, is at least 30 minutes unless you see the deer fall dead. If you know it is back and maybe liver, it might take a couple of hours, if it is guts, it might take a couple of days. Lot's of things, like tempurture, rain, predators, etc...factor into how quick you should push it or leave it lay. One thing for certain, if you jump a bedded wounded deer and they run, your chances of getting that deer are very low. There will be no more blood after they have laid down and clotted up.

Best of luck on the next one.


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

X2 about simulating at home your stand situation.

Chunky has great points also. Also Keith. I have been hitting bulls eyes at home. When I got to the lease I shot my target and was hitting high about 2 inches. Not sure why. A quick adjustment and was dead on again.


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Thanks guys... All good stuff and i am taking it all in. I am learning on the fly here. only one other bow hunter on my lease and he is a virgin as well. I have confidance in my shooting skills. I just need some more time in the tree. I also like the idea of a camera. i will hook that up this weekend.

Thanks again!!!


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Keith you didnt get eaten alive by skeeters? If it werent for them bieng so bad I might have stayed until wednesday


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

no... just one or 2 on monday morning. tons of love bugs still but they dont bother anything but my windsheild. I am going back friday and staying until i get it done with a bow or tuesday


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

I learned a tough lesson on a doe a few years back. I did the typical wait thirty minutes and go check the arrow, and I did so very carefully and quietly. As soon as I bent over to pick up the arrow I heard a deer blow and take off. I hoped it was the other doe with her but I suspected otherwise. As I followed a steady blood trail right to where that deer jumped up, my heart sunk. A round bed in a pool of liver blood with no deer in it and no blood trail leading out, a mile and a half hike from the truck. After 8 hours of a grid search, I was out of food, water, energy, and hope. Had I been more patient that deer would have been Latin at the end of a 50 yard blood trail.

Now, if I am not 100% sure of the hit, I don't even get out of my stand for a couple of hours so that I don't risk jumping a deer. When I do I'm very cautious, almost like still hunting and ready to back out if needed. This had paid big dividends and savede a deer last year. Treat the hunt after the shot with the same patience and dedication to discipline as you treat the hunt before the shot.

The only exception that I make is if there is a high likelihood of rain. If rather get what blood trail I have before it gets washed out. Heat is overrated and not a major concern with a deer. A 3 or 4 hour recovery is no big deal as long as it isn't laying out in the sun, and if it is it shouldnt take long to find.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

PC, also..shoot when the deer has its head up...not down while eating.

They can't drop as far with their heads up as they can with their head down while eating.

TH


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Cool. Both had their heads down. good to know.

Also...Thanks capn


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

You did not bend at your waist, >>anytime you don't you will be 6"+high<< its due to your anchor pt changing, you don't realize it BUT it does. I mite be alone here but I aim where I want to hit just low of center shoulder, BUT I never shoot at a deer that >>is, or has been alarmed<<. I have shot 1 deer thru the holler spot but she was spooked to begin with. If I know I made a good hit thru the lungs I will smoke 1 cig then get down, look at blood on arrow and on the ground, within a few steps you should know where you hit it, if its lung blood I will trail then. You should be able to tell pretty quick from the blood whether its lung, heart, liver, gut....WW


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Trouthunter said:


> PC, also..shoot when the deer has its head up...not down while eating.
> 
> They can't drop as far with their heads up as they can with their head down while eating.
> 
> TH


Not saying I disagree with the dropping as fast or as far BUT I take a shot when its presents itself head up or down just as long as the deer is NOT alarmed, and I've taken 40-50 deer with a bow. I know there are a lots of folks that have taken lots more and are better archers BUT it has worked for me going on 33-34yrs. I've also heard to shoot when the deer has weight on 3 legs but as said above I shoot when given the shot...WW


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## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

fixin to beat feet back to the lease. good luck fellas


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Good luck.


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## MLK (Oct 5, 2009)

I aim a little low seems to put more animals on the ground a d if they don't flinch they still leave a nice trail being hit in lower portion allowing blood to come out easier and quicker.


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