Spooked

[devildoghawg]

Ive been sick all day...I was hunting out of a small ground blind with my bow this morning due to the rain, and around 8am a true to the word MONSTER walked out infront of me...10 point, would score in the 150-160s...never seen a deer with a bigger body in Arkansas, and his rack was one of the biggest I've seen too...needless to say my nerves were peaked...starting drawing my bow back when he lowered his head to eat, and I couldn't get my bow back!!!! My blind is too narrow!!! Had to lean forward to get it back and when I did he saw me, got spooked, and trotted off...I almost died.  He did hang out in the woods for a couple of minutes out of range of my bow, so maybe he will be back

[Virgil]

I shot right under a 14 point last year that was in my front yard.  I was staring at the horns so much I rushed my shot and I still feel sick about it today.  Bad luck happens sometimes when hunting.  I DO FEEL YOUR PAIN THOUGH. 

[pigture perfect]

Ugh. Nightmares for sure.

[95_alum]

Been there, done that. Sick is an understatement. I was fieldressing a nice buck when two does approached me & began running around in circles. Apparently, I wasn't bothering them, it was what was 40 yards behind me that they were focused on. When I turned to look, my jaw dropped. My smokepole was 30 yards in front of me (at my ground blind). (Might has well been a mile).
I told the land owner that there was a giant behind his house. He thought I was pulling his chain. One night, 3 weeks or so later, he got a knock on his door. It was raining pretty hard at that moment. Anyway, the neighbor said (with a look on his face like he had just seen a ghost), "You're not gonna believe what just jumped the fence on your property."
"The biggest buck you've ever seen in your life?"
"Yes."

      

[Carl Lazlo]

About 5 years ago I missed 4 different nice bucks in 4 consecutive days.  That's what makes bow hunting so awesome.  Firearms just aren't the same.    Hang in there. I finally got a giant 150" 8 point last December.

[AcornHunter]

ddh,

You're disappointed, I know, but it makes for a good hunting tale.  Telling and listening to the after-the-action yarns, to me, is about as enjoyable as the hunt.

You've probably been asked this umpteen times:  why didn't you practice your draw in the blind before the hunt?

When I wore a younger man's camo–sing on Billy while I stiffen this up, I bow-hunted for a few years.  Over that span I missed a doe and hit an armadillo . . . not with the same shot.

I've said and will say again, a bow hunter will learn more in one year that a gun hunter will learn in five.  A bow hunter is a true hunter; especially a longbowman.

Have fun!

[rickm1976]

I couldn't help but laugh at the guy who shot under his buck because he got so nervous he forgot to bring his bow to full draw.  I did that when I was 14, and chalked it up to just being a kid with buck fever.  I did the same thing 35 years later on a lowly six point - just two days after my neighbor's 14 year old daughter made a perfect 40 yard shot on a nice 8 point for her first deer.

[clutch]

ddh,

You're disappointed, I know, but it makes for a good hunting tale.  Telling and listening to the after-the-action yarns, to me, is about as enjoyable as the hunt.

You've probably been asked this umpteen times:  why didn't you practice your draw in the blind before the hunt?

When I wore a younger man's camo–sing on Billy while I stiffen this up, I bow-hunted for a few years.  Over that span I missed a doe and hit an armadillo . . . not with the same shot.

I've said and will say again, a bow hunter will learn more in one year that a gun hunter will learn in five.  A bow hunter is a true hunter; especially a longbowman.

Have fun!

I've been strictly a bow hunter for about 10 years now. In the past 3, I've switched to strictly recurve. I've learned far more in the past 3 years than I did in all my gun hunting years combined I think.

[AcornHunter]

Watch the old film (16mm, as I recall) of Fred Bear shooting ducks on the wing with his recurve.  It'll give you something to aim for.

Have fun!

[DeltaBoy]

Everyone got a bad case of Buck fever before.