...and it cost me a doe yesterday.

I had stuffed it into my pack because I was going to carry my jacket in, and wait to put it on until after I was set up so I didn't overheat and start to stink (worse). Well, after I put my jacket on, I forgot all about my armguard.

Later, two does came right down the trail I had staked out at about 9am. They turned off the trail right in front of me, passed crosswind, and then downwind without smelling me. One even looked up since I was sunlit at that particular moment, but didn't spook since I froze and closed my eyes, ostrich-style.

They continued to walk around the other side of me from right to left, and I took a broadside shot at the second deer at about 10 yards. I felt a funny jerk as the bowdelivered it's arrow, and the shaft buried itself in the snow passing just in front of the doe's brisket.The arrow had gone wide to the left, and I didn't figure out until later that the bowstring had caught my coatsleeve and messed it all up.

They still didn't spook too hard at the shot, since they only ran about 20 yards and looked around for what made the noise. Then walked away slowly with only the occassional tail flip as an indication that they had any idea how close they had come to their end.

When I got down, I checked to make sure I missed.
No blood, no fur, nothing but a slightly dulled broadhead, and some bruised pride.
Well, that's what I ask for when I go out...either a solid hit, or a complete miss, and a learning experience either way. Yesterday was just a day to relearn how important it is to remembermy armguard.My freezer's fill-o-meter depends on it.