Here is a little summary of how my season has gone....

I missed all of early bow season here in VA (which is always a nice time to get your first archery deer for the season under your belt) because I was out in Montana for school. I got home on Halloween and hunted hard to a week, had tons of shot oppurtunities on small bucks and does, but didnt want to take any because the deer were beginning to rut and I figured a big buck could walk by whenever. Rifle season finally comes in middle of November, but this season I vowed to take a deer with my bow first before I took at the smoke pole. Well about 2 weeks ago I began a horrible streak, hunting 12 times and not seeing a SINGLE deer! I was scent free and using the wind to my advantage, just was having horrible luck. Finally a few days ago saw a couple of does and they were working their way in my direction but shooting light ran out before they ever reached me....

Yesterday, everything hit the fan for me. My morning hunt was good, I had 6 does work in feeding behind me at 30 yards (in bow range) but because of their location, I had no shot. My stand backs up to a triple forked tree with lots of limbs and all of that was in the way. The wind was really whipping yesterday (15-20 mph) so they were on edge. After 15 minutes, the wind gusted heavily and they ran down away from me towards this real tall grass (the wind was blowing from the deer to me, so no chance they caughty my wind). I figured they could have bedded on the SW facing slope to catch some sun (its was COOOLDDD 10 degrees) and to bed in the grass. When i got off stand i snuck down quietly with an arrow nocked but didnt see anything, so I went to the road, packed everything up and headed back. About 10 feet down the road I look to my left and a doe is bedded 10 yards from me in the tall grass. She was well camoflauged and very pretty laying there. I tried to slowly knock and arrow but a few deer stood up and just trotted back up towards the stand I was in. I didnt chase them, figuring I would go back to the same spot in the afternoon.

That afternoon it was still freezing but a little less wind. I snuck to my stand very quietly and was feeling good about the evening, everything seemed to be getting closer and closer to me getting the bow kill. Finally 3 does come out of some mountain laurel up the hill and take their time moving downhill, but finally after abuot 30 minutes they begin working in my direction. The largest doe moves just outside of my range and begins to move back uphill, a little yearling moves in to 20 yards and beds down facing me, but I didnt want to shoot something so small, the third doe, a decent sized one but not the mama moved in to 20 yards and offered a shot, but by that time the large doe had moved back towards me and was at 25 yards but behind a tree...all i needed her to do was take 1 more step and i was prepared to fire. the third doe (the 2nd shooter) beds down as well. finally the large doe begins to move out behind the tree and i prepare to draw when....MY DARN ARROW FALLS OFF THE REST, it had gotten unnocked when it clipped a branch as i was holding it. so all three does are looking at me, i stand still, hoping they will go back to feeding and i can grab another arrow. the largest doe goes back to eating but moves directly away from me...but i am able to get an arrow, but the movement tips off the other two bedded does. the third doe (at 20 yards) stands up and i figured i will shoot her, but she is facing me head on and never turns to the side, instead bounds out to about 50 yards, where all the deer calm back down and begin feeding away from me.

I felt sick, I was telling myself I dont deserve to hunt these animals. This late in the season it is very rare to get such a chip shot on deer that previously had no idea I was there, but go figure I mess it up. I shot my first deer with a bow last year and am addicted, this would have been number 2 for my life, but I hold myself to a higher standard and believe I shouldnt be making this simple mistakes.


Do yall have any stories where you have just blown some what seemed to be gimme oppurtunities
and
Do yall have any ideas on a rest that might better secure my arrow (would a whisker biscuit help?)