RE: What you do before the shot!
I haven't shot (or shot at)a lot of critters with my bow, but one thing I do know is every one of them was a completely different scenario. Because of this, it would be hard for me to say "this is what I think before the shot".[/align][/align]Here are some examples:[/align][/align]Mule deer buck.Broadside shot at 20yrds. He appears out of nowhere. "Holy %$%$, where did he come from. He's looking the other way. Pull back, ok... 20 yards... ok...this is meat on the table!"...TWANG...Thwing...rattle...rattle... "I missed! Where did that branch come from???%&$^%*$%&!!!"[/align][/align]Mule deer doe, last 2 hours of the season, meat getting time. Spent nearly30 minutesbelly crawling thru 2ft high sagebrush across open terrain to get within20 yards.Was laying on my back behind a rock with a little V-notch"OK...this is your best shot opportunity....take a peek....yep...she is still there...ok...if yousit up she will bolt...what to do??...ok...pull back and slowly lean up...ok...take the shot..." WACK!..."Where is she going??..ok...she is down...hahahahahaha...she fell 20 ft from my truck!....hahahahahahahahah".[/align][/align]Bull elk. Broadside.35 yards. "OK, there he is...a little further...light is fading fast!...common...common...get there...get there...ok...pull back...you know the yardage...where is he??...can't see him thru the peep...there he is...still can't get agood site of him thru the peep...not enough light...should I takean instinctive shot?...no..pass...ohcommon...take the shot...no..pass..don't take it...not worth woundinghim...let down the bow...ok..get back to camp, he'll be here tomorrow!"...the next day my buddy shot him.[/align][/align]Alaskan Caribou. Broadside. "There he is...range...170yrds out...no where to go...nothing to hide behind..DANG TUNDRA HUNTING!...ok...remember what my father said...these critters are always on the move...you may have to take a long running shot...ok...we've practiced out to 70 yards...he's a nice bull and if he...oh no...he sees me...BUSTED...wait...holy cow he's coming right at me...ok...steady!....ok....what is he doing??...he's circling me...range?? 70yards...take a shot...yea I know, he's trotting...lead him..." TWANG..rattle...rattle..."Missed!..dang it...he's still circling me...hahaha...this is wild...knock another arrow...oh...he stopped!...range 67 yards!...ok..put it just like the 3D back home...ok....release" Twang....rattle...rattle "He stinkin moved when I released! arrrgggggg...hahahahaha...ok...get another one knocked...he's still circling...he doesn't know what is going on....oh no...he's finally down wind of me...no time to range him...guess...60 yards...ok...he's broadside!...this is it! You have got to make this shot!....ok...pull back...release!..." WACK!..."OMG I hit him!...hahahahaha....WOOOHOOOOOO!....ok...easy...s ettle down! He looks as surprised as you feel...looks like a lung shot...he's waivering....he's down!!!! YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"[/align]