I have stopped deer in the past and have not had a real problem. But if the deer is jumping out of it's skin and looking at me, I wouldn't shoot.

If you do it quiet enough, the deer usually stops and looks around to identify the sound. I wait till I get the tail flicker (or the first step forward) and then shoot.Granted it doesn't work all the time and I don't always do it. Shooting at an even paced slow moving deer thatare in close is not all that much of a problem.

That is the key. Well said. Never sling an arrow at a deer looking at you, he will drop right away, ducking the arrow, or getting hit in a bad spot.

I don't believe I ever have stopped a deer while it was walking. I have shot a deer while it was milling around at a SLOW pace. I don't believe I would shoot at a steady moving deer. I've seen it on shows but I need them stopped or moving turtle speed.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. It's one of the worst feelings ever....been there. Good luck getting some closure.

I had the EXACT same thing happen earlier this season. Deer looking at me. Shot and LUCKILY hit her in the spine. It should have been perfect, but because she saw it coming it was not. I was lucky for sure.

Sorry to hear about the way it went down. Sounds like you were 100% confident in your shot. Don't beat yourself up too bad. Like others have said (and you've already said), disect what happened, how to avoid the same outcome, and learn from it. Get back in a tree and hunt.

IMO this was the downfall. TV is to blame for this craze in bowhunting. I've never "stopped" a deer and never will. The only possible thing you can do is alert them. Why on earth do people continue to want to alert a deer they intend to shoot totheir presence? To each their own I guess, but I'd rather let them walk and hope for another day.

Man, I feel for you. I've been where you are and know if I keep doing this that there is a good chance that I'll be there again.

Germ makes a great point. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect on every shot and that just isn't realistic. Keep your spirits up and get back out there.

Good luck and live and learn.

Don't let it discourage you. Any hunter that can say this never happened to them hasn't hunted long enough. Remember we are not perfect and we all make mistakes. Live and learn.

Sorry about the outcome. Wish you would have found her. About hunting when some rain might be coming, I don't agree that you shouldn't have shot because of the coming weather.

Thats some of the best time to hunt when a storm is on the way. You might as well not even be in stand if you are worried that a coming rainfall "might" screw up finding a deer. You just had some bad luck with this one. By all means if rain is coming and a confident shot is there, I would still take it.

Why stop the deer? A walking deer is an easy shot. I only lead about 2 inches infront of my mark.Sorry you lost the doe.

It happens. Don't shoot yourself in the foot over it. I've done and and know many other people that have done it...good luck the rest of the year.