Striper Phil

This is a fess up I hope will help someone , as I have noticed we have a lot of young members asking questions. For a little background for those who don’t know me I am 54 and have 40 or 50 deer under my belt most in the last 10 years. In all those deer I have only had 2 or 3 bad shots that weren’t placed in the vitals. Here’s yesterdays disaster. Went to my ladder stand in a fairly thick area of the woods. I haven’t finished really good shooting lanes here, mistake 1. As you know or will find out in a ladder stand especially when sitting it is difficult to rotate to the right and shoot. A nice doe approaches from about 12 o’clock position walking at me in some pretty thick stuff 50 yards out and turns right and will hit an opening to shoot her in 10 yards or so at the 1 o’clock position. I didn’t stand up while I could preferring to use the right front corner of the rest bar to prop the BP. She blew right through the small opening in the brush and I set up on the next opening at 3 o’clock. Now I am twisted to the right gun at the shoulder with no rest point. She pauses and I take the shot. With all the gyrations I am going through I don’t remember exhaling breath. Mistake 2 I am pretty sure my next mistake 3 was aiming at the vitals without picking a precise point to aim at, kind of how you point and shoot a shotgun. I also think I pulled the trigger instead of squeezing mistake 4. As you have guessed I missed plain and simple. I watched the doe trot off tail high and circle back. She stopped out 80 yards or so ( much to thick to try another shot, I did get reloaded while watching her) next to another doe and they hung out for a bit and walked off over a rise. I got down and circled but my circle was a bit short mistake 5 and I busted them again. They looked very healthy and trotted off.. I carefully retraced their paths of travel and found no signs of a hit, So at least I feel confident I didn’t wound the lady. Live and learn

lonewolf5347

Striper Phil (What a disaster ) it happens ,I been in this sport now 40 years almost ,stop counting deer a long time ago 100 or more.I still love the venision and the tradition of getting together with old buddies of mine and my sons ,but it seems all good things do come to an end.Today I am going to a wake for a old buddie who past away last week in south carolina ,think the wake is up in scarsdale n.y. lost control of his truck and hit a tree,no one know yet what happen either he may have had a stroke while driving.
I think all hunting condition will change with every game you harvest no matter how good you are ,and you are correct it does feel good that you did make a clean mis on the deer ,and the deer will live another day.I my self have only (I think) lost 2 deer over the last 40 years ,both shots taken with a bow,but did my best part to recover the deer spent hours in the woods trying to pick up the blood trail,but there is so much you can only do on our part.
I think after this season is over I may be hanging up the sport for good seem I am loosing interest and hunting solo is not the best thing ,my sons all have there own things they do now,getting to hate the cold weather.

livbucks

Good hunt!
As many will attest, the next best thing to a perfect hit is a complete miss.
You can always hunt her another day. Good learning experience at least.
What's wrong with that?

gelarson

Some times chicken sometimes feathers. Mark it a day lost you don't learn something new. We always need new stories to expand upon.

Lonewolf, tough luck and my condolenses. Last week I stopped a man born in 1921 (unknown at the time) for a posible impared and his driving eratically was due to old age. After talking to the Gent for a while he states " Eric do you know the one thing you have to do to get to Heaven" I state "no". He says Eric you have to die! Till then don't give up on life.

Take this opportunity to find a new partner or try hunting solo. I prefer the later, as I have a 50/50 chance of winning an argument with myself...... maybe 40/60! I find that taking a camera for a walk in the woods off season is a great way to build up the desire for hunting season but don't give up on the hunt! If nothing else do it for the memories of your friend.

Dad passed away from cancer approx 6 yrs ago and I am closer to him when I am hunting in the bush than at any other time. I miss him but I know he would turn over in his grave if I ever considered not hunting.

My 2 cents for what it is worth

take care and God Bless