This has to be the hardest thing to type as the vision is still fresh in my mind. This by far has been a good season for me as before yesterday I have seen 21 bucks between NY & PA...Then yesterday in PA my opportunity presented itself. With 4-5 inches of fresh fallen snow and the wind out of the south, I ventured to my "Ole' Faithful" stand. At 7:30 I was looking at how much snow was hangin' on the trees (as I was sitting down) when I caught a glimpse behind me. There he was, walking from my left to my right, the one we call the Big 9. I stand and turn and wouldn't you know it, he is in a spot that because of limb off my tree, I can't shoot....he continues on his pace, I wait, he walks into the opening, I estimate a heavy 30, shoot and over his back I go...A CLEAN MISS !!!! Now I have my rangefinder around my neck & shoulder, but I thought I knew the yardage...how did I over shoot ??? Well I range it, and it's 24.8 according to the Nikon. IT DOESN"T END HERE..

Around 10am I climb down, head home, tell my story and plan to be back at 3pm. I make it back in and around 5pm here comes a small non-legal PA deer...he disappears. It is now 5:10pm and I am thinking, I will be leaving here in 5 minutes...and that in 30 seconds it can all change....and it did !!! He comes that same buck, down the same trail !!! This time, I know the yardage, I draw and as I am drawing, he looks my way, so I am holding at 1/2 draw and he decides all is ok...I draw, anchor, and he is slightly quartering away looking back at me as he caught something....I steady and as I release, he does a quick out-a-here and I watch as the arrow lands right high in rear quarter.....we tracked the deer this morning well over a half mile, he never bed, he actually went to chasin' as in the open field he did sort of a figure eight with a few runs in there (of course there were other tracks)..and the blood became a spec every 20-25 yards.

I am disgusted with myself at this point,I have practiced alot, got some help with my release from those at the GTG this summer, I have done my homework, got some good pictures of these deer,and to top it off, I have the one I have been chasing injured. Stupidity of not using my rangefinder first actually made me laugh, but to end my season like this, has me frustrated.

I have shot alot of animals with a bow, including an antelope and a few elk. At this point I question what more can I do ?? What should I do different ?? I almost feel like shooting a doe or small legal buck the first opportunity I get to rebuild my confidence cause it's in the dumper right now...

Your thoughts ??? Thanks