Bow hunting is truly humbling

Hunted all my life with a rifle, never missed until I was well into my teens and then it was only trying head/neck shots

Started bow hunting, that went right out the window. I can drill silver dollars at 20 yards but give me a live animal and I have hell

Just had a group of gobblers come into the feeder, 20 yards, drew back, got too excited, rushed the shot and whiffed













Did get his buddy though, corn buzzard down!

Live target practice is always good

I've been drilling my practice shots very consistently. First ever shot at anything alive Sunday morning had a big doe at about 15 yards. Calm as a cucumber.... put my finger on the release and I had a mini grand mall seizure. Whiffed the shot... by a mile it felt like

A wise man suggested I set my feeders to go off twice per set.


Glad I listened I got the bird and the arrow now back in the stand. 30 min till second feeding

Good luck!

Post pics!

Well what happened after the corn buzzard went down?

Thats what you call a "good miss"

No that is what you calling lining them up for skillet shot and missing high

Well, the feeder went off for the second time, that one doe I was telling you about showed up, offered no shot then circled the blind and snorted and stomped and ran off


Then more corn buzzards showed up. Another went down

I don't have that issue until it's a nice buck. Shot a doe last night at 20 yards. Drew up, picked a spot, squeezed the release and followed through. She dropped right tbere. Crawled 10 feet and bled out in about 60 seconds. Big buck I get a little adrenaline rush but I just focus on my form and the spot.

You're not alone in that. We had a few hunters make some bad shots at close ranges, but could shoot practice targets just fine.

I'm just rushing the shots and not following thru

Need to practice that more, accuracy is not my issue its the follow thru

Age and experience help. I'm pretty sure when I finally feel comfortable enough with my recurve to hunt I will feel the humility bug in a whole new way.

My first bow buck is still running around Goldthwaite somewhere. I was so worried about lining up the perfect shot and placement that I forgot to set my anchor. Luckily, I missed bad and only hit some rocks. For me, I need to set a pre-shot routine into my practice targets to develop a mental checklist for game time so I can methodically prepare and make the shot to prevent or reduce that adrenaline surge looking at a live target. 2nd deer which was a doe is in my freezer. That works for me. Will see if a nice buck ever gets back into range.

Well fortunately those of you that took a shot missed. I've been bowhunting for the past 10 years and have taken a number of deer mostly does and one buck the year prior. I had the largest buck I've seen on the property come around with his buddy Saturday evening - right at 7:06 PM. Both bucks were awesome, typical 10 pt and the the other was at least a 10 pt, both 4.5-5.5 YO, the one I wanted had some gnarly headgear - a few kickers and a split brow.

I could feel the adrenaline kick in with the dreaded buck fever happening. I was shaking like a leaf that I could barely keep the arrow on the rest. After a few deep breathes and focusing on the target I settled down. The buck I targeted was 26 yards out, broadside. Easy shot. I consistently group 20 - 30 yard shots a thousand times. I set the 30 yard pin on the back shoulder and released the arrow. Mistake 1 & 2, using the 30 yrd pin and aiming at where he was and not taking in to account he was in between 20 and 30 yards. Mistake 3. The buck jumped the string, and the arrow lodged high and back, right in to the backstrap. He ran off like a dart with the arrow in his back.

Needless to say, I'm just sick with the thought of what I did. I didn't take in to account the potential of a drop. But I also think I pulled the shot as well. I'm praying that he survives and I'll get another shot at him. I've read from other accounts that there is a high likelihood based on where I shot him, that he'll probably survived or could possibly die from infection. I searched nearly 600 yards in the direction he headed as well as the opposite direction the following day and no blood. I'm heading out there on Friday to see if he shows up on camera, but to say the least I'm humbled, saddened, disgusted and mad about the situation. The whole event continues to replay in my mind. I'm done with bowhunting for this season.

I did the exact same thing on a large boar hog a few years back. arrow stuck in him about 4" and he ran off.

the next morning I took a shot at a javalina that was quartering towards me, and hit him in the jaw and he ran off.


not proud of it but taught me to take my time (somewhat, I still get nervous and rush things) the next animal I shot (deer) I watched for 5 min and was very comfortable and relaxed when I shot, hit him right where I was aiming and he didn't go 30 yards.



Its a trial and error sport. don't give up I bet that buck lives.

I hit a buck high in the top of the shoulder blade and watched him run off, stop and take off. I do not know if he ducked the arrow I just made a bad shot. I Looked for 3 hours for him. He was a nice Hill Country 9 pt that season. Six weeks later he was back at the same feeder with a doe at the end of the rut. Was thin and could see the scar on the upper shoulder blade. He made the season and I killed him the next season at the same feeder with a better shot. He went 35 yards and was dead. He was now a 5x5. When I cleaned him there was no sign of the old wound or shot. I was 100% sure it was the same buck by his coat and face color.

That's great to hear. Deer are pretty resilient animals.

Humbling is the word..It will separate the Hunters from the Boys..

I see. Well, the one guy we had out here a few months ago was blowing nocks off his arrows at 60 yards and messed up on his shot at 35. Another shot he took went over an axis doe. Following through is important. You will get back into it, I'm sure. If you sitting in your blind when you shoot(some are standing, don't know your situation) maybe take a few practice shots sitting as well. I have seen that set some people off sometimes. Either gets them off balance or they are just not used to the feel of sitting and shooting and get to thinking about something else. Make one little change and it can set everything off.

I live by a few codes in my life and one of them is experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want-I feel like with bow hunting I am always learning something new after each shot and trying to reapply it in practice but practice is never the same as the real thing - I have missed some shots I wish I could redo and will share my best one with you but I can tell you what has helped me is get real comfortable shooting no matter if you’re sitting, standing, on your knees, legs together, legs apart, whatever do it all- I find it’s a confidence game the more I have the better I do- also draw your bow and hold it back for longer than normal when you practice- I can’t tell you how many times I draw back then the animal moves and I have to keep it drawn back a lot longer than I do in practice also this year to get me even more ready I got a 3d target- shooting a nice big target is great you won’t lose arrows if you have a woops but with a 3d will really help you make sure you know where to aim and it feels more real again all about confidence

my first bow shot on a live animal was the biggest buck I have seen while hunting to data- I had practiced sitting down standing up, everything I could think of- I was doing a spot and stalk with a guide in south TX and we were stalking a nice 8 point that was with 2 does eating corn off a road we had corned that afternoon- we crawl and get 25 yards and I draw back while on my knees and as I am getting set the does and buck lift their heads and look into the tree line on the side of the road the guide and I are sitting and then buck bolts and the does start trotting towards us- as the does start coming towards us down the middle of that dirt road, we see what made that buck I was about to shoot run off- out steps this huge 8, like something out of TV I can still remember he was so wide and his antlers were so thick he was amazing-he has his noise to the ground chasing the does, it’s looking like it’s going to work out for me great he has his noise down only thinking about these does and I hear the guide telling me the yardage as all 3 are getting closer- after 10 yards the guide figured out I didn’t need him to tell me they were even closer than that but I couldn’t get a clear shot on the buck and none of them had stopped moving but all of the sudden when the does are 5 yards away at max they turn right at us to go into the woods not knowing we are there, me on my knees still bow still drawn back and when the 2 does do notice us at 5 yards they freak and run, one takes off to the left the other to the right and in the middle is that buck and he is staring right at me - when the does spooked and ran like that it made me kind of flinch and at this point my whole upper body is burning- from having to hold the bow drawn back for this long being in the awkward position body twisted in a funny but I get back on that buck put it dead center chest and release- well while I release he starts turning and ducking to run off and that arrow that was going dead center is now hitting a shoulder blade but didn’t go in, instead it deflected off the shoulder blade not doing any real damage- I missed the biggest buck I have seen to date at 5 yards but it’s also the most amazing hunt I have ever been on and really sums up why I love bow hunting so much

Great story and it's more common than not when the deer wins.
I've always believed that you have to pay your dues and when you finally score it's the best feeling of accomplishment there is.
I don't understand folks who think it's as easy a just picking up a stick and string shoot a few arrows into a still target and then head to the woods and call themselves a bowhunter.
It's not fair to the animal and really shows disrespect for the animal. Chances are they aren't going to be a bowhunter for very long and the animal will pay the price.
I'm off my soapbox now!

Your not the only one I promise. I try to watch what ever critter as long as I can to settle myself down.

Hmmm, good point. I shoot sitting in the blind but standing when practicing



That and I think maybe shooting a 3D target will help.

How high off the ground is your stand?

I had a 3d target which I need to get a new one. My wife used it for Christmas decoration one year and someone stole it out of my front yard.

But great points above, previously I tended to practice standing but on occasion would shoot from sitting position. This year, I began sitting more in the same chair I use in the blinds.

as pappy once said: if ya wanna learn hunting, put down the gun & pic up a bow ...

Pappy was Correct..It can be Humbling too

I think what pappy really meant was...."If you just want to kill deer, pick up a gun, but if you really want to learn how to hunt, pick up a bow!"

So my and wife went out to the camp this past weekend. After having a bad shot on a buck last week I was needless to say, a bit hesitant on pulling the trigger. We sat in the ground blind and low and behold a big 9 came in right before dark, a little further out than I wanted to shoot - 35 yrds. Then another even bigger buck I've never seen before came out and was right at 30 yards. But after last weeks incident - I could not release the arrow. I wanted him closer at least 25 yards in. Even though I had been practicing all week at 30 - 35 yards, I had so much doubt and fear that I ended up letting him walk. I was definitely trigger shy. Hopefully this new guy will stay in the area.

Wounding one should give you doubt and hesitation. That is what will drive you to get better and make better shot decisions.