OK, so, after findinganother stand, near my set-up, on Friday, I take the high road and go to another spot a mile or so away. This is a spot I always wanted to sit. I sit form dark until 11:00 am without a single deer sighting. I decide to move farther in. So flash forward to 1:00 pm I've found a nice spot. Somewhat of an oak clearing surrounded by thick old pine and a mountain rising to my south-east. I usually postion my stand so the tree is between me and the expected deer travel route. Having never been here before, it's an educated guess.
MY routine, climb the tree, get safety harness secure, put in tree hooks, pull up bow and fanny pack. Hang everything, nock arrow, after a quick look around, start getting ranges. (We've had this discussion before..I'm a rangeing nut..if I'm on stand, 99% of the time my range finder is in my hand! I'll even range deer if conditions permit just prior to the shot) NOW having said this, as an archer a golfer and an athlete, I'm also very good at free hand estimating of yardage.
Back to the hunt... I just get my bow and pack pulled up and hung. I look to my right and see a deer slipping through the pines about 70-80 yards and heading directly away from me. I don't know why, but I thought it was a buck, but a small one. (Maybe I saw brows only, but I though it was a spike). I grunted at it...still going away...I grunt louder and more intently..next time I see him he's coming up at me..grab bow..nock arrow (hadn't even had a chance to do that yet) DAMN, SHOOTER.. not the biggest I've seen this year, probably not even top 5 but no way I'm passing at this juncture! He is straight off the end of my stand heading up the hill and will pass from right to left, in 15 more yards he'll clear the thick stuff and I'll have a broadside shot of about 30 yards. BUT wait..now instead of keeping his heading, he turns and walks right at me!!! RIGHT AT ME!
6 yards from the base of my tree he looks up! CRAP I am so busted! He swings his head around and lopes once..twice..three times...maaa Maaa MAAAA I say, and he stops. I have 2 trees of about a 5 inch diameter that make an X about 5 feet up. So I have a window to his vitals of about 6 inches (which is more than enough room for a good shot) GUESTIMATE THE YARDAGE AT 25 yds and slide my single pin to that spot.
The computer is in auto pilot..The nerves are well in check as gametime is here..the draw is quick and smooth, the anchor is high and tight, the spot is picked a bit farther back than normal as he is quartering away hard. The glowing green dot settles and the arrow is on the way. As fast as it started it's over..my arrow sailed low..Perfect bodywise..but low!
There was no need to wait in my stand, I collected myself and climbed down to get the arrow. I misjudged, I hadn't had time to range.. After the shot I did! The little treesthat I had to partwere indeed 25 yards away however the buck stood at 34 yards. My minds eye, must have just seen the 25 and didn't pick up on the depth behind that point!
The funny thing is I climbed down walked to the spot put down my pack and bow down and couldn't find my arrow..looked and looked..ok ding-a-ling this ain't your first rodeo wheres the tree..where was the shot wheres the 2 trees, oh heck >>I set my bow and pack right on top of the burried arrow
. As expected clean as a whistle! SIGH..So now I reclimb the tree and spend the next 6 hours staring at "the Shot" At no time did it look 34 yards. I did a lot right and 1 thing wrong! It's my first WHIFF, granted I once made a shot I wish had missed..but this is my first swing and miss. I want a mulligan! I don't see another deer until dark..it's a doe.
Every Shot?? OK, I said I would...
