Hey Scott,
Sorry to hear about your injury and experience with the buck you shot at! I injured my right shoulder several years ago,in season practicing,early morning before work without any warming up.I went through physical therapy for a while to get it right.I have a pretty good sense of what you are dealing with.
Be patient,do what the medical professionals advise you to do and get yourself healed up! With the passion you put in to it I know how deflating this must be for you.I'm thinking about you and wishing you well!

Buckeye,

First and foremost, get healthy. If it is your rotator cuff then it will likely be something you are going to deal with to some degree for the rest of your life. That can range from occasional soreness/stiffness to loss of motion and strength. The shoulder girdle is the ultimate example of "use it or lose it" so stay focused on your recovery and maintain a good range of motion until you are healed enough to begin to regain the strength in those muscles. I'm sure you will be fine........you've got so many years of hunting ahead and that is what you need to focus on now.

Seriously dude............If someone had told me you hurt yourself I would have assumed it was dragging a monster out or trying to load him in the truck alone

Think how lucky that first deer is............and he doesn't even know it.

Hunting is unreal........so many ups and downs.

Glad you are OK and wish you all the best on a speedy recovery.

Hey Scott,

I'm glad to hear you are alright and you will recover! My guess is, you simply educated that particular buck and perhaps your paths will cross next year (if not sooner).

We all hear about the falls, injurious cuts from broadheads, and numerous other serious things that can happen to a guy when he bow hunts. The shoulder injury you have described is one that we rarely think about but the risk is there none the less and we can all see from your experiencehow debilitating it can be...serious issue no doubt about it!

I'm sorry to hear you have gone through this experience, it is a real bummer, especially with someone like you that hassetthe bar so high.I don't want to sound like a cliche, but if a guyparticipates in this crazy addiction long enough, you realize no matter how much time, effort, and preparation a guy puts in, sometimes there just isn't a happy ending...sad but true.My great grandmother used to say "Many a slip, between the cup and the lip!" She was born in a cover wagon coming across the midwest and never did get much of an education. However the older I get the more I realize how bright she really was...

Keep your chin up my friend, you will be back with a vengence!!! As I recall you were always making some interesting predictions. Here is one for you, I predict those Ohio bucks are in real danger from a particular "Buckeye" hunter!!!!

Rest and mend, my friend, rest and mend........

Hey brother, hang in there. As the Cub fans usually say...there is always next year!!

Besides the injury, I know how you feel. I have 3 shooter bucks over 150" within bow range this year and was able to get drawn on 2 of them. Neither time the deer offered up a shot that I was willing to take. The third was chasing a doe so hard I never could get him to stop any where near a shooting lane. My friend tells me that I am trigger shy. I haven't been able to pull the trigger on a buck here at home since the year that I wounded the big 150" 8 pointer that I never recovered. The deer was found over 2 months later as he finally died. I hit him in no mans land (I believe it is there, but that is a whole other post) and he lived until the really hard cold set in around January. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the shot I put on him except it was high. No variable whatsoever to blame, mine was all misjudgement in yardage. Wide open broad side shot that should have been a slam dunk. I will never use the term slam dunk and archery shots on deer in the same sentence after that year.

I haven't put a deer in the freezer since 2004 and no whitetail bucks since 2001. That is not to say I have buck fever or anything. In 02 I shot a nice muley that I have on the wall and 03 I put a nice 4x5 elk in the freezer. But those shots were what some call slam dunks and I felt comfortable with the shots. Do I call the last 2 going on 3 seasons failures...absolutely not!! I have seen more big bucks in the last few years within bow range than I have in my 12 years of hunting. This year I topped the biggest buck out of my treestand than I have ever seen before.

I know it is hard to sit and watch as the season goes by, but you could use GregH's signature and revamp it for yourself maybe.

Just remove the 2 words..."I hunt" and you will have something to use. Learning someting about this game and using that knowledge for the future seasons will keep you going!! Keep you spirits up and keep on going man. I know you don't give up and that you won't give up this easily, take some time and recooperate and come back strong brother. Maybe you can even learn to read a tape measure in your off time!! [8D] Just trying to lighten the mood a little buddy!!

I hope you guys know.... It is because of you guys that I have made HNI a second home over years.... I would have never thought back then you could make such good friends via a keyboard.... Now I know and I thank all of you for the encouragement, friendships and camaraderie I have experienced here.
[/align]A bunch of great guys here on HNI for sure [/align]

So very sad, and yet so very true.

Sorry to hear about your injury Scott. I know from experience that a shoulder injury is no fun. I dislocated my left shoulder in January of '06. Luckily I am right handed and I was able to shoot within a few weeks or so. Hang in there man and good luck.

Sorry to hear about the shoulder. I do feel your pain.

When I draw, it feels like a knife is being driven into the joint. Once I get the bow back it sort of pops and the pain goes away (for the most part). If you stand close to me when I shoot you can actually hear the popping.

Resting it is best. Lowering your bow weight is a good idea too. I've tried to shooting more, thinking that I would build up muscle and work out the problem. Instead it became worse. (getting old is hell) I'm too hard headed to drop my bow weight anymore and I haven't seen a doctor about it. (I work with a bunch of 'em, that's as much contact as I want. Althougheventually I mightcave in and get evaluated.. [&o]) Don't be like me.

Hey Scott Thanks for the link man, I didn't have any clue. I just figured you were hunting your butt off.

Shake it off Brother ..they'll just grow bigger next year. Yeah we have a rough road ahead in the late season. But what the heck, ya never know.

At least the "All Crip team" of Rob and Myself and BawannaJim got a solid member for next year..lol And hey, If that new Diamond and General "need" to be shot while you recover.... I kid ya cuz everyones already given you all the support I could hope to give you..They are a pretty good bunch.

Anything ya need..give me a shout.

back at ya Scott .....or should i say bucko Bam!