Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

TG78's post got me thinking....they were discussing pulling back in hunting situations vs shooting at a target in the summer.

So who has missed a shot opp due to not being able to get the bow back? Share your stories. Was it due to weird position, angle, temperature, buck fever...what caused you to not get the shot off?

My only time was the first year I went bowhunting. I got my first bow for christmas when I was 14. I practiced for hours every day for two weeks until I was sufficient to hit the woods, with a 20 yard max range. Some may look down on that, but whatever, I knewI was good, so long as I stayed within 20 yards. Anyway, my first hunt was the last weekend of season, mid january. It was cold, and I was determined to stick it out. I decided that I would take any buck that came by that weekend. Sure enough, the second morning a little 4 or6 pointer came by, cant remember which now, and I got so torn up I couldnt pull back the bow. My knees were shakin, my arms were tremblin...my body was stiff and tense from the cold....heck the bow was only set at 55 lbs. I pulled and pulled, but only managed a few inches before my arm gave out. I even tried the whole aim for the sky to pull back gig, still not happenin. Eventually the little buck spotted me practically dancing in my treestand, snorted, and ran off. Pretty funny looking back but I was angry at the time. Embarassed more than anything.

Looking back I am glad I didn't get a shot at that deer. It may sound weird, but I want my first buck to be special to me...and a small buck doesn't do it for me anymore. Even then the buck was below my hunting standards, but I made the exception since I was bowhunting. I want my first buck to be special, a rack I will be able to look at 20 years from now and still be proud as heck of it. Nothing record breaking or even that big for that matter, just a solid respectable buck. So going into my 18th birthday this season, I am still patiently waiting.


So tell on yourself guys, who found themselves unable to draw their bow in crunch time before?

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I've always worried about it, but even after hunting in extreme conditions, never had this happen. Well, actually, never not been able to muscle it back, but in OH last year I wasn't able to draw on a nice 3 y/o 140 10 pointer due to limbs. My hunting buddy had hung the stand and left several large limbs to the right of the stand and this buck presented a beautiful broadside shot on the right side of the tree. Unable to draw, I just watched!

I draw 63 lbs and have drawn it in all sorts of situations and positions but have not yet had a time when I couldn't get it back.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I've heard of that happening to guys but personally never had it happen to me.

Dan

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I've been in that spot many of times, but for a different embarassing reason. When I first started bow hunting seriously (which wasonly 4 years ago), I had never been in a tree stand. I was scared crapless of heights! :Dlol. . .So I hunted strictly fromman-made ground blinds,or I used whatever mother nature provided as cover. I was able to get unbelievably close to deer but whenever I went to draw, it completely back-fired [8D]. I probably blew ita dozen times beforeI finally forced myself to climb into a 12' ladder stand (which isn't all that high, but man Ikept a death grip on that shooting rail! lol) It took a few trips to get comfortable that season,but nowI own 7 ladder stands between 15-20', 2 hang ons and I got my first climber last season :). Not many problems drawing these days.I also want to point out that I nailed the first rack that walked by me that year (from my 12' stand) and I have no regrets. He was only a 5 pointer but Iknow I will look back and relive that first (bow)buck and grin ear to ear when I relive that hunt. I appreciate it for the experience mostly,but it also helped me reduce my own self-imposed pressuretoget a buckwith archery tackle.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

In 2006 when I shot my 8 pointer (most know the one) when he was in range, I drew back and got only to 3/4 draw, I thought there was a problem with my bow, I let down pulled again, what the heck, 3/4 draw..Look up and realized my draw was directly under a broken limb, I had to crouch down, lean and twist andalmost sit on the platform of my stand, talk about a wierd position, i bet i looked pretty strange to all the critters in the woods. well I was able to get a good clean shot, the buck only went 40-50 yards and dropped dead. After I collected my thoughts i just sat and collected my thoughts and remembered, I have to break that limb off. SNAP. No more limb....:)

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Yes the extreme cold weather can make it difficult if not impossible to pull back heavy poundage after setting in the cold for a period of time.

Over the years I have reduced my huntiong poundage from 78 to 60 lbs. or less.

Once while archery hunting in IL during sub zero tempentures I got bored and stood up to pull my bow back and discovered I could not pull it back no matter how hard I tried (65#) even though I could shoot a 100 rounds back in the Summer.

Now I check how my pull during cold mornings and evening as the season goes on to determine if I need to a reduction in weight and sight changes. On cold days I often wonder how many archery hunter are setting in the woods with those heavy pound set ups not knowing they will have a very difficult time at the moment of truth.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

One time almost 4 years ago, I was hunting in Alberta and had rattled a wide 8pt to my location. It was real cold that day with some snow on the ground, and I had been sitting for about 3 hours. When this buck got to within range, almost too close, I went to draw my bow and couldn't get it all the way back! I eased off and tried again, but he caughta bit ofmovement and trotted off a few yards, stopped, looked back in my direction, snorted and just walked away in the direction he had come from. I was pissed!:D:D
I learned a valuable that day in Alberta. When you have to sit for long periods in very cold weather, you have to take practice draws every hour or so to keep your muscles loose, and warmed up because they get stiff.. It's also a good idea to lower your poundage a little when hunting extreme cold. At least I'm a believer in doingthese two things.;)

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Been there done that one!! I don't know how many times its happened but its happened enough. I can't pull my recurve back and hold the entire draw weight and wait for my deer to get to its opening like you wheely bow guys do. I have to draw when the deer is pretty much right there where I need him to be to do the shooting and at times a person gets busted drawing or you can't draw because there looking in your direction. Most of the times they were does and fawns but on 2 different occasions they were 130" bucks that I would of shot. Its frustrating but thats hunting!!

That cold weather is a pain Jeff!! So far I haven't had that happen yet but I've had very close calls where I was almost not able to get it back. To much clothing and cold muscles make it a pain to pull a bow back!! Just ask Jeff!!;)

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I’ve never had a situation where I couldn’t get the bow back on a deer. There was one time when the though crossed my mind. I had drawn and was holding on a deer for as long as I possibly could and never got the shot. I had to let up. Less than a minute later the deer finally gave me a shot. I was a little worried I may not get it back, but it came back fine, and I killed the deer.

I shoot #70.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I actually have not had that experience but I do know that it does happen. If it is real cold, I draw my bow back very often (probably too much in many people's opinion). I more then likely have given myself away doing so, but I figure if I can not draw the bow back, then what is the point of having something in close. I think that we trad guys may actually have a slight advantage in this aspect though. Especially since our bows gradually reach peak weight at the end of the draw cycle.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Bob I usually agree with 99% of what you say but no way will I agree its easier to pull a Traditional bow back verse a compound in cold weather!

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

That OK. :D

IMO, the draw cycle starts on most of the modern compound bowsvery near peak weight. While the traditional starts very light. That initial pull on the compound until the cams flip is the though part IMO since itstarts near and proceeds near or atpeak instead building up and finishing at peak. The traditional bow hasmore of a shotrythm. IMO pulling back a compound (before the cams flip) is a bit tougher then pulling back a trad bow. But, keep in mind that different muscles seem to be used between the two.

Holding the bow back atanchor in a whole different thing IMO.;)

But make sure you read the disclaimer below.....:D

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Lmao!! I'm with ya Bob on the disclaimer part!;)

I guess different Traditional bows stack different and some are much heavier in draw weight then other bows. Mine stacks terribly (one thing I hate about my recurve) and my draw weight is up there. I guess when I shot my compound it had a 50% let off and I was pulling 60 lbs back. That thing was a heck of allot easier for me to pull back in cold weather then the recurve I shoot now in cold weather.

But then again what do I know!!:D

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I learned many years ago that during practice, target shooting, field or whatever that we get our practice shots in and then shoot whatever we're shooting. This has the muscles all loosened up and warmed up so I shot a certain poundage.

The same cannot be said for hunting situations. We sit on stand for hours, maybe days without drawing the bow. Muscles are not warmed up. Maybe it's cold out which compounds things. If the poundage is too high this is a good scenerio for what you describe---not being able to draw the bow. It is also a ripe moment for injuring those muscles---not good.

Some go the opposite way, but I found that it's much better to turn the bow down about 5# from whatever I've been shooting all summer. I'm not a kinetic energy freak by any means when it comes to deer hunting. It just doesn't take much to blow through a deer with today's equipment.

Having shot many thousands of shots all summer, in hunting situations I've drawn my hunting bow with such ease that it almost scared me. I've found myself standing at full draw, aiming at a deer, and hardly remember even drawing the bow.

To me, that's how it should be. No muss, No fuss.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Stacking is tough. The fluidness of the shot is ruined when it kicks in hard. I have a 1965 Bear Kodiak mag (was my fathers) that is 52" and 45#'s at 28". It feels like I hit a brick wall and I'm fighting with it at my draw length.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Big Doe came in from behind me and had tried to pull back while she was @ 8 yards, but my safety harness was set to short and couldn't completely turn to get my shot off.
I wiggled a bit trying to free myself enough and she spotted me a bolted.
I now have a new safety harness!

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

First year of hunting, I was about 9 or 10 years old and I was with my dad. I was pulling a 40 pound bow back which I had no problem at all when target practicing. Well My very first buck that I have ever seen came from behind me and it was at a weird angle. My safety harness was helping me not get there which really ticked me off because this would have been a nice first buck. Well anyway I finally got to a right angle, when I tried pulling back but I couldn't get it past to roll in the cams. By the way it was freezing outside also. I tried so hard I almost crapped my self. And it was freaking me out at the same time because that buck was just standing about 15 yards broadside scraping at the snow for food. Well after 2 minutes of trying to pull it back I got a idea where I will turn straight on my stand then pull back there then turn. Well that worked, I got it pulled back and I turned but then I couldn't get to the right angle as I was before. I was trying so hard to get there when I acually gave a second to see what the deer was doing...... no deer....

That was a day I will always remember.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I had scouted an area in the summer and found a great pinch point along a river bottom. The first time I headed down into this spot with treestand on my back I could not find the right tree to hang my stand. I quickly made a ground blind and climbed in for the morning hunt. Just after light a wide racked 10 point came through exactly where I hoped. This was going to work out great. One problem, in my haste to set-up a ground blind I failed to allow enough room for me to draw. When I stood up to clear the brush he spotted me and took off. Since that day I take great care in making sure I can draw and shoot to many areas around my stands or blinds.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I got busted last season on opening Rifle day (I was carrying only my bow). I was sitting with my back against a tree in a little thicket and grunted a couple times and sure enough a nice big buck came heading in and I got so flustered and nervous(would have been my first buck with a bow) that I didnt sit up on my knees to draw back until he was about 15 yards from me and he spotted me in mid motion. I would have shot from my butt if it was at all possible but have you ever tried to shoot a bow from your butt siting against a tree? Its pretty much impossible, and needless to say he didnt hang around to let me get into position.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

My story is similar to your Trevor. It was my first year bowhunting and i was trying to get my first deer with a bow. I wanted a big ol doe. I had several come by at 15 yards and i just simply couldnt get it back cause i was so nervous. After trying a few times i stopped and relaxed, waited about a minute and tried again. This time i got the bow back, settled in and shot. The shot deflected of a limb though and i missed.

Still funny looking back on that...

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no way am I buying that those guns couldn't pull a bow back at any point in time. [8D]LMAO. I bet you were shooting your daddys High Country at age 4, already close to your first P&Y Buck.

No, but that is a funny story though. I know the EXACT feeling. I was so nervous and worked up there was no way I could have pulled back even a 10 lb bow at that point. I should have tried to relax and focus like you did, but I was busted anyway. lol

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I had it happen one time 5 years ago. I was sitting in my tree one afternoon had a little 6 point come by. It took me 3 times to get my bow back for a shot. When I finally got it back I missed the deer. I was shooting 72lbs. and the next day I dropped it to 62lbs. Now since that day I shoot 60lbs. Haven't had a problem since. Knock on wood!

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I have not been caught in this situation. For every stand that I hunt, I preplan when and where I'm going to draw when the opportunity presents itself. I've had very good luck by doing this.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

That's great discipline. My best two bucks were shot during the rut....and came from ABSOLUTELY the opposite direction I thought they would (when the doe they were chasing did the same). I wish I could get it to work out that way.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

That's why I plan for all directions.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

I have almost had that problem.....

A few years back in Illinois.......very cold morning..... After sitting motionless for 3 hrs, a nice buck comes and offers me a shot at 10yds.. I draw back easily but as i settle into anchor, my arm gives out and I completely collapse all the way back to brace..... The bucks sees this movement and prepares to bolt..... I yanked that baby back as fast as I could, top pin on his heart and release..... I got lucky, but it almost cost me a nice buck!

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

This is going to come off as arrogant so I aplogize in advance. But even on the days when I set on stand all day in single digit orlow teen temperatures (which isn't that often where I live) I can still pull back 71 lbs quite easily. I shot 90 lbs for years, until technology made it possible to shoot the same speeds and KE at 70 lbsand until I started being able to "feel" shooting the higher weights in my shoulders after long sessions etc. So to me eventhough I haven't shot heavy poundage in several years. 70 lbs still feels real easy to pull. So no I have never had that problem. Not to mention the adrenaline boost has the opposite effect on me that it apparently does on some. When I get the adredaline pumping the weight comes back even easier. If anything, I sometimes pull back too hard in that situation.

RE: Pulling Back in Hunting Situation
 

have never not been able to pull back in the sense of no muscle/cold etc....

buck had me pegged so I couldnt draw back......well was worried he'd jsut run off and not come back, was hoping to let him walk, then call him back, in hindsight now, I would just have drawn on him and if he spooked, he spooked, cause he saw me, wasnt thinkign something was there, knew it, so possibly I could have drawn straight back on him and caught him before he took off.