8 freaking yards!

[MO-KS_hunter]

....that's how far a doe was that I missed this weekend! Sunday morning, I get to my stand about 30 minutes before first light. At about 7:45, I see a big doe with 2 yearlings in tow walking down the trail I'm set up on. She walks up and is quartering toward me when I draw my bow and wait. When she is directly broadside to me (and very close), I put my 10 yard pin on her lungs and hit the release. All I see is a mass of brown hair jumping and my arrow in the ground. At first I think I hit her but there is no blood on my arrow and she stops after running 25 yards (behind several trees of course). She starts huffing and stomping looking around and I get a good look at both of her sides, a clean miss. I replay the shot in my mind and I can see the arrow go right underneath her.


After I get out of the tree at the end of the morning hunt, I pace the distance from the tree (it was too close for my rangefinder)and it's 8 yards. Being 5 yards up in a tree, that's a pretty steep angle (60 degrees or so) and I remember reading that for close shots you need to put the 40 yard pin on the deers vitals or you will shoot right under it. I guess I experienced that first hand

At least it was a clean miss and it wasn't a big buck!

[2 Samuel 22:35]

Thats right be glad it was not a buck!
My best guess is that she was so close she heard you shoot and jumped the shot.
My sympathies are with you because I have done that before except overestimated the distance and shot high.
Oh well better luck next time and remember to read my avatar.

[lifesadrag]

Originally Posted by MO-KS_hunter

I remember reading that for close shots you need to put the 40 yard pin on the deers vitals or you will shoot right under it. I guess I experienced that first hand

Absolutely correct. It may not be your 40, might be your 30 etc. Depends on the bow. This is not practiced enough.....I know, I too learned the hard way once!!!

[blakefrautschi]

IMO..the long distance pin idea works, but if you have a 10 yard pin, and it was 8 yards i'm not gonna lie, but i'm fairly positive you should/would have hit her if you had a steady shot.

i would practice and see if that 10 yard pin works at that distance...

like i said before its my opinion

[HNI_Christine]

This something that should definitely be practiced.

Different bows, different shooters... will have different results.

If I have a deer at 8 yards, I still need to aim low with my 20 yard pin.

[125py]

missing is WAY better than connecting and just injuring

[Hunt or Die]

I hunted a ground blind last year and i made sure to practice shooting at 10, 8 ,6 yards etc. Weird things can happen when they are that close.

[shott8283]

ive never heard of the 40 yard pin trick. anyone care to explain?

[SecondChance]

In addition to the pin thereory, you may also have had improper form. I would be willing to bet you dropped your arm instead of bending at the waist to make that shot and torqued the bow wrong. I would suggest practicing from an elevated stand at that distance with the pin thereory as suggested above and just drop your arm and aim that way then try bending at the waist and see what happens and let us know back. It will be interesting to know. Thanks. Don't ask me how I know about the arm thing at close distances!!!!!!!!

[FusionsDj]

it happens. happened to me once but mine deflected off a branch. but sorry to hear though. good luck next time out.