So this is what it feels like to bowhunt.

[Core]

Today was my first day of hunting ever for anything. I am new to archery but can hit within a couple of inches at 30 yards at the range. I know many (most?) are better, but this is ample for taking a deer.

 

I have no stand and was "still hunting" (in double quotes because who knew a single twig can snap 15 times?) state land that I had never scouted. All day long I saw an unreal amount of deer tracks in the mud, including a good amount of fresh scat.

 

4 hours in I hear a thundering coming in my direction and a doe and its fawn stop 20 yards away in thick brush, probably realize they are running toward what they considered danger, and then run off. Nonetheless I get the chance to nock an arrow and consider that a success for the day.

 

2 hours after this I crest a hill and to my shock 40 yards off is the back side of a nice size doe. It hasn't seen me, tail is low as he eats behind a small tree. As luck would have it a huge tree is between us, closer to me. I use this tree to shrink our distance to 30 yards, quietly (but not that quietly on the leaves),and this works perfectly due to this incredibly fortuitous tree. I wait about 8 minutes and it gives me a perfect broadside. Easy shot, it's eating food and never knew what was coming. Was not spooked at all, believe me.

 

I use my 30 yard pin, release, and the arrow skims just over the top of this thing. It bolts 50 yards into the trees, hisses, and I never see it again. My arrow embedded too deep to pull the broad head out, so I had to take the shaft by itself.

 

It's taking me a few hours to get over this. The odds of still hunting a deer with a bow on the first day out are I think very low, and everything was perfect up until that shot missed. I don't have to tell anyone here how upsetting it is to miss such a shot. It was quite literally a perfect shot anybody here could make, but I didn't.

 

I am now off to walmart to buy a range finder. I believe the deer was actually at 20 yards in retrospect and I simply ranged it wrong with my eyes. As I said earlier, new to archery, so I'm not quite the hot sh*t I wanted to believe I was

[fasteddie]

Nice read . Better to have a miss than a bad hit . At least you had a shot . Better luck on your next outing . 

[mxsmitz201]

Sounds just like my opening day in some state lands yesterday except I didn't draw on any of the deer i came across. My experience has told me that judging distance on the ground vs a tree stand is very difficult. Especially in open ground like a field edge

[LIWaterman]

Great first hunt!! Keep at it! A range finder will surely help. At least you know you have a good public spot

[BowmanMike]

Sounds like you had a pretty good time out there. It is hard to keep your cool when get that close to a deer on the ground. Lots of things can go wrong, and it is easy to misjudge the distance as well. Keep at it and practice will make perfect.

Clean miss is better than a bad hit.

[ATbuckhunter]

Well at least now you found have a place to head to when you get that rangefinder. Meybe you can get a small stand so you can hang a stand somewhere there. 

[grampy]

Sounds like you had a really GOOD, first hunt! You were within bow range twice! Had deer sign in abundance. And you didn't wound the deer, you missed. You will get another chance, all of us has missed! Just shake it off and get back out there! Perhaps you could make a natural ground blind in that area? Good luck!

[Nivk]

Well done! Sounds like an eventful day. My first year of ground hunting I saw exactly 0 deer, and not for lack of trying. You must be doing something right.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

[BigVal]

Brings back funny memories of my first ever bow hunt lol no worries at least you got a shot off! I was shaking to much

[greensider]

great hunt and i am sorry to tell you this but you are hooked  lol good luck on the rest of the season

[First-light]

"This is how we roll" get 'em tomorrow!

[NFA-ADK]

I am pretty good at ranging but I have to admit sometimes I am way off so now a range finder helps narrow that margin of error.  Keep at it, as you have found it is the most fun and challenging way to hunt but can be the most rewarding when thing work out.  Sometimes like stated setting up a ground blind in these area's of high travel will make for a better shooting position with known distance.  Good luck, hope to see some pics soon! 

[Mr VJP]

Great story.  It has been said we learn nothing from our success, especially if it is just because of luck.  You have learned something of value and your skills will become better because of it.  Overall, I'd say you did far better on your first hunt than most new hunters do.

 

Now, are you confident you can field dress the deer that you will surely be killing soon?

 

[Core]

Now, are you confident you can field dress the deer that you will surely be killing soon?

Nope. Honestly I brought my cellphone to watch how to do it on youtube while waiting after the shot, if it came to it. I know the basics (seen diagrams) but that's it. I haven't watched a video yet.

 

The main problem with this spot is it is in a swamp area (woods around the side, but have to get through the swamp) and we've not had much rain so it was still accessible, but if we get much more it's going to be super tricky to get to the spots I got to today without getting pretty soaked.

 

I would like to cart a treestand back there (can't be left overnight), but I've spent so much money recently on this (including a range finder an hour ago) that the most I can stomach is probably some cheap ground blind fabric draped between a couple of trees. I was spending some time sitting still on a chair but I'm not sure that's enough...

[Mr VJP]

I wouldn't put anything out there the deer are not used to at this point.  Better to just find a good size tree to stand by.  It breaks up your outline.  Or find some natural cover to use.  I sometimes find some ground cover I can get into and still shoot out of.  Just stand still or take a seat on a stool and use your ears more than your eyes if it requires moving your head.  Good camo will work, just be aware of the way the wind is carrying your scent since you're on the ground.  Keep it simple.  Complicating things can just cause problems.  Good Luck!

[Lawdwaz]

Nope. Honestly I brought my cellphone to watch how to do it on youtube while waiting after the shot, if it came to it. I know the basics (seen diagrams) but that's it. I haven't watched a video yet.

 

 

One of the most important (and I know you didn't ask for the help) things when field dressing is NOT and I mean NOT spilling stomach contents all over the place. 

 

Study that aspect of the process before you need to........I can still mess it up after many deer if I'm rushing and then I pay the price.   Dry Heaves sometimes from the smell  (puzzy I know) and then having to rinse the chest cavity good are the consequences.  

 

Any questions?  The folks here will give you an overload of good help in that matter. 

 

Shoot straight!

 

[moog5050]

Wow Core, sounds like a great first day stalking the swamp. U will get the next one. Good point from Law, don't puncture stomach, intestine or bladder.

[DirtTime]

You had your "Initiation Day: Part 1". Part 2 is getting busted while trying to do what nature and our bodies make us do. You will never forget the first time a deer comes in on you while doing your business and just cocks it's head, stares at you for a minute, then walks off as if to say "Really? In my woods?".

 

You had a good day. You learned and you will progress. Good luck the rest of the season.

[Elmo]

Some people hunt for years and never get the kind of opportunity you got on your first day.  I remember my first as well.  Had two chances as well but never did release the arrow because I didn't want to take a bad shot.

 

Shooting at the range on flat ground is much different than shooting in the woods with uneven conditions.  I always make sure I hit the 3D range several times before the season starts.

 

Good luck on your hunts.  I sense that you're now hooked.  Welcome to the brotherhood.

[ny hunter]

look at all the action you saw on the first day...............what well the next day bring?                               good luck ..............

[Larry]

good first hunt its hard to still hunt with a bow good luck

[HuntOrBeHunted]

That's one reason why I only use one pin. Compensate for the distance otherwise.

 

On the bright side you took in a great day of hunting and at least it was a pretty clean miss.

Good story to read. And well put. Better luck to ya, it happens to the best of us.

[Core]

Although I would need to get back to the spot to know for sure, with my range finder I"m really struggling now to think that deer was any closer than around 24 yards. I wasn't so jacked up that I was shaking the bow, and the difference with the 30 yard pin and even low 20's shouldn't be enough to totally miss. I am starting to think maybe it did duck the string a bit even though it was completely calm.

 

I am shooting about 52 lb but with 340 grain arrows, so they are not going super fast (I know I need lighter arrows if I'm unwilling to raise draw weight) . I wonder if it flinched. I couldn't tell at the time. Even if it had flinched and I had used in between 20 and 30, I would have ended putting an arrow through its spine. So there may be a combination of me poorly ranging and it ducking. Dunno. 

 

My wife said I could take the day again but if I came back without a deer I'd hate losing two days of family time, so probably going to say no to it at this point, though I will be at the range first thing today to see if I'm still shooting okay!

[Doc]

They do have the reflexes of a fly .... lol. When they decide to go, the first movement is down-ish. They may also be turning at the same time but the escape motion is first down to load up their legs for that first bound. So it is possible that the deer "jumped-the-string". So many ways for the bowhunter to get screwed .... ha-ha. That's all part of the bowhunting challenge and what can make it so exciting, but occasionally frustrating too.

 

That's one of the reasons why the old pieplate-sized target accuracy may not be good enough. A lot of guys are now trying to aim at the lower third of the deer's body (heart area) to kind of hedge their bets a little against the old string-jump trick. That does require some additional precision shooting.

[Core]

They do have the reflexes of a fly .... lol. When they decide to go, the first movement is down-ish. They may also be turning at the same time but the escape motion is first down to load up their legs for that first bound. So it is possible that the deer "jumped-the-string". So many ways for the bowhunter to get screwed .... ha-ha. That's all part of the bowhunting challenge and what can make it so exciting, but occasionally frustrating too.

 

That's one of the reasons why the old pieplate-sized target accuracy may not be good enough. A lot of guys are now trying to aim at the lower third of the deer's body (heart area) to kind of hedge their bets a little against the old string-jump trick. That does require some additional precision shooting.

Yep! I am going to try this. I just did some reading about it, and there appear a sizable number of people who deliberately aim low--for the heart, but like you said you need to have much better accuracy to pull this off, so you're trading in the deer's potential reflexes for accuracy. I wouldn't have believed a deer could respond in time to these to do anything, as I'm positive a human couldn't at all. I almost thought it physically impossible; like their mass cannot actually drop that quickly (would have to go faster than gravity), but it seems they can

 

So next shot I will go for a heart and then post back about how it went under the belly!