In efforts to reduce some of those "bad shot, uh oh, what should I do now" posts as well as achieve overall better bowhunting, I ask all the members of this board to share your experiences here. Quoting from this thread...
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2457725&mpage=1
As a token of my appreciation for the collective wisdom I've been graced with here on this forum, I will start a new thread where you can add your experience post by post. The focus of the thread will be "what to do before the shot." This will encompass everything that one can do to prepare him or herself for a safe, responsible, ethical, and successful hunt.
As a wise man once said, you're either part of the problem or you're part of the solution. The solution or goal here is instilling the right things into the new or inexperienced or even those humble enough to accept a refresher.
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I'll start this off by sharing some of my experiences.
I've learned the hard way how not to shoot a deer that is about 10 yards from your tree while you are 20ft up it. I was presented with a moderately quartered away shot as described and I put the arrow 1/3 the way down from the top of it's back and right behind the shoulder. In my limited, not so experiencedvision, the arrowshould've pierced to top middle ofthe nearlung and hit the bottom front ofthe farlung. Looking back now, I don't think that ever happened. This animal was never recovered despite hours and hours of searching.
*note- please don't discuss this shot scenario because it has already been discussed earlier this season. What I'm doing here is trying to put together a compilation of "what to do's" and "what not to do's" Thank you.
Other things I've learned afield, in my own judgment, or online:
- Don't trample all over the woods early in the morning leaving scent every step you take if you can't find your tree. Just sit still and wait for light. If you trample, you might've just gotten up all early and drove an hour for nothing.
- Polypropylene or synthetic wool can save your life because it wicks moisture away from your skin and keeps you dry. One morning I walked through tall wet grass and was drenched from the chest down. It was 45 degrees out with alight windand I stayed in the tree all morning unbothered.
- Always wear your safety harness and make sure you untether yourself before you jump off the stand after climbing down to the bottom of the tree. LOL, that gave me quite a surprise.
- Practice with your bow regularly because it keeps your form more consistent and your muscles developed.
- Respect all life. It wants to live as much as you do. Refer to my sig.
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.....I will think up more later. Please add anything and everything that will benefit the new/inexperienced or anyone for that matter. We're here to learn what to or not to do out in the woods. I don't think anyone likes it when we lose animals due to a lack ofdiscipline orknowledge. More importantly, I don't think anyone likes it when a fellow bowhunter is misinformed/uninformed and ends up hurting himself.
In no other kind of huntinghave Iseen or heard is camaraderie more standard than in bowhunting. That being the case, please contribute. However, if you don't feel this way, please don't muck this all up for those who approve of it. Thank you.