TG78's post got me thinking....they were discussing pulling back in hunting situations vs shooting at a target in the summer.

So who has missed a shot opp due to not being able to get the bow back? Share your stories. Was it due to weird position, angle, temperature, buck fever...what caused you to not get the shot off?

My only time was the first year I went bowhunting. I got my first bow for christmas when I was 14. I practiced for hours every day for two weeks until I was sufficient to hit the woods, with a 20 yard max range. Some may look down on that, but whatever, I knewI was good, so long as I stayed within 20 yards. Anyway, my first hunt was the last weekend of season, mid january. It was cold, and I was determined to stick it out. I decided that I would take any buck that came by that weekend. Sure enough, the second morning a little 4 or6 pointer came by, cant remember which now, and I got so torn up I couldnt pull back the bow. My knees were shakin, my arms were tremblin...my body was stiff and tense from the cold....heck the bow was only set at 55 lbs. I pulled and pulled, but only managed a few inches before my arm gave out. I even tried the whole aim for the sky to pull back gig, still not happenin. Eventually the little buck spotted me practically dancing in my treestand, snorted, and ran off. Pretty funny looking back but I was angry at the time. Embarassed more than anything.

Looking back I am glad I didn't get a shot at that deer. It may sound weird, but I want my first buck to be special to me...and a small buck doesn't do it for me anymore. Even then the buck was below my hunting standards, but I made the exception since I was bowhunting. I want my first buck to be special, a rack I will be able to look at 20 years from now and still be proud as heck of it. Nothing record breaking or even that big for that matter, just a solid respectable buck. So going into my 18th birthday this season, I am still patiently waiting.


So tell on yourself guys, who found themselves unable to draw their bow in crunch time before?