antler_87

Hello, I'm kind of new to bowhunting. I been bowhunting for 2 years and still nothing. I'm getting a little discouraged, but I had my bow drawn at a 6 pointer the other day. He was probably rightat 20 yards, but....I passed him up. He was real small,andlast year I got a real nice 15 point with my .243, so I'm trying to manage the place for big bucks....but should I have done that? I never got anything with my bow, but I stopped myself from shooting him. I tried on a doe, but she was thick in brush and could not make out a good shot. Also, is blind hunting a good method? Setting it up the day of, would it scare deer?

jpot141

A first bow buck is a big deal, but since you are trying to manage your property and you have alreadytaken what sounds like a great buck with your rifle, I think you made the right decision. However, it is always good to get that first one under your belt. As far as blind hunting, it can be good if set up right, but I always prefer a treestand set up. As far as spooking deer, if you go in their mid day, wear gloves ( don't touch anything with your bare hands), make minimal noise, you should have no problem hunting that same day from it. Many times I have hung a stand midday, and sceen deer/shot a bucks that night.....

HoytMT2332

I would have shot him...like you i have never shot a deer before....With a gun yes.....I think about any deer is a trophy with a bow.....It aint easy.....I've also been bowhunting two years....the season closes here next friday...I hope i can get lucky...But i'm not gonna wait on monster with a bow....I think shooting a deer would build my confidence up and make me that much better....I drew on a deer i thought was a nice doe last night....turned out to be a yearling...But i think things like that even help me learn....It's about as close as you can get without shooting one...When i'm hunting i think one word...and that happens to be think...I hunt on the ground...and getting the bow back is the hardest part...Keeping it together...and hitting what your supposed to is the other...All you gotta do is think.....a little off topic...but IMO very true....i think thats about the most important thing i've learned in these two short years...i have a lifetime left....and I'll bowhunt forever...even if it takes me twenty years to shoot a deer....And if u have never shot a deer with a bow and truly want to manage your bucks....Why notwait for a doe to come along...enough of them right....?

GMMAT

Like you.....I'm in my second yr of bowhunting (I started around 10/15 of last year). I've talked to several people about this same thing......and all I can tell you is....you'll know when YOUR deer is there to be taken.

I've said it before.....I NEVER want to hear that voice in the back of my head questioning me as to whether I should have taken that animal or not. That voice is your ethics. Just make sure you take YOUR deer for the right reasons.

Is "I needed to take one" a legitimate reason? NOBODY can answer that, except you. I went through that feeling.....and still passed on deer. When I saw my buck, earlier this year......I knew he was the one. Never looked back......and I've seen over 120 deer while hunting, this year. I had 19 in bow range, Saturday.

Jeff

west_hunter21

Well, i'm gonna add onto the number of 2nd year bow hunters, and I'm gonna tell ya that I would have done the same thing. I've got game cameras scattered throughout the 80 acres that I hunt; so I have a good idea what bucks are there--and I set my goal based on that. We've got some small spikes, forks, and little sixes; but we've also got some nice 8-10 pointers.

I will say this, if it were a good size doe (and I had a tag for it)--I would have taken a shot; just to get one under the belt. I tried that last weekend and missed []--but, live and learn!!!

Good luck!

Brocster

My two cents:

It depends on what you want. I did not shoot a deer for the first 5 seasons, even though I could have. I wanted my first bow deer to be more special than just the first horns I saw (personal preference). I can get deer during rifle season, so I held out.

It paid off big time! My first bow deer was a nice 4 1/2 year old buck that scored 146. My next was a big bodied 3 1/2 year old that field dressed over 200. I never regret waiting, and place a little more importance on being patient when bowhunting - it is like I have more respect for it.

Just my two cents.

Good luck and God bless in whatever you do, and safe hunting!

TEmbry

i feel ya...my second season as well, although this is the first one ive hunted seriously in. i tooo would have passed. there are some big big deer in my area and im not gunna waste my one buck tag on anything small. i go in and out with my feelings about taking a doe. one day ill want to tag one, the next im waitin for a big buck passing numerous shots. ive shot once at a doe, shot under her. i think now im just gunna wait for a shooter buck as my first bow kill. just a personal choice tho.

Granby

Like its already been said, it all depends on what you want. Growing up, my Dad made me take a doe before he would allow me to shoot a buck, so thats what I did. From then on I approached it like SBGobblers said, "you'll know when your shooter is in front of you." Since your trying to manage your land, I think you made a good choice, plus now he'll be around next year. Take care and good hunting!

Hunterbrum

You need to shoot what you are going to be happy with. It did not sound like you would have been happy with that deer.
So in my opinion I think you did the right thing. Just keep at it and you will find the right deer. Good luck to you.

SNJBowhunter

I am chiming in as a second year guy also, except my first year was 10 years ago so I might as well be a first year guy again. I think SBGobblers hit the head on the nail. I thought it was just me, but two weeks ago, I had a buck come in from off in the distance and I didn't even really look that close at him. Something just came over me and I knew I was going to shoot. Of course I missed, but I knew it was the one I was gonna shoot at before I even saw how big he was. I think we all have certain goals and aspirations for our first deer and to each his own. People hunt for different reasons, so what is important, is that you harvest an animal that makes you happy.