ive had that happen before too, first buck i ever drew back on...BIG tall 6 point. It ran off as the arrow clanged off the arrow shelf, onto the rest and down on my arm. i have a whisker buscit now what is Murphy' s law, i forgot, must have been thinkin about bowhunting instead of the class i was in.....

I think Muyphy' s law is what can go wrong will go wrong... if I' m not mistaken.

Maybe de-scenting your bag and bow will help also. He apparently was a bit spooked and didn' t like what he smelled about them. I keep my bow hanging by itself in the garage or under the eve of my house during the season if it' s not wet out. Of course, I' m spoiled by living on an acreage.

I' m looking at the whisker rest also, so I' m interested in the responses

I' m not sure he didn' t like the bag/bow smell. I keep an earth scent dryer sheet in my bow case and that works real well... and for the bag I had a white Acorn Scent wafer from HS Scents in it (I' m surrounded by acorns). So I wonder if it actually didn' t work TOO WELL, or maybe just coincidently to my disadvantage...

Sorry to hear it! Chalk it up as experience. I would have to agree with some of the other guys......get you a rest like Whisker Biscuit.

If you are from St. Louis, Missouri and hunt anywhere within 100 square miles of that town, you should have much bigger deer than 80 lb does, that is a fawn or yearling...not to take away from your excitement but just to clarify. You are in the midwest...deer are big in the midwest...I had a buddy that just killed a 140 lb FIELD DRESSED doe in your state of Missouri (if that' s where you' re hunting, if it' s not then you should be). Better luck to you the rest of the season.

I' m just outside of St. Louis county in Jefferson County. I' m not saying that it' s the typical deer herd from Missouri, and I' m getting my info from someone who lives in the neighborhood (also an experienced hunter, 20+ years) and was informing of the size of deer he sees feeding in the morning on his way to work.

Be careful about equating " years of hunting experience" with actual knowledge obtained. I know plenty of " hunters" , mostly gun hunters, with 20+ years of " hunting" under their belt and it just completely amazes me what comes out of their mouths at times and what they actually believe...truly amazing. Some have no clue and it is scary that after so many years of " hunting" they still have no clue. If he bases his 80 lb doe theory on the observations he makes of the deer feeding in the fields on his way to work in the morning then I can see what we' re dealing with. Without checking first, I would be willing to wager that there are PY and BC bucks taken in Jefferson County, Missouri. Good luck to you.

Actually, I just visitied the " Archery Big Bucks of Missouri" website and found at least 5 entries at 140 PY or better...not bad. Sounds like you have some nice deer in your county.

While, others are focusing on your bumblings, Ill go ahead and say that you sir have the beginnings of great skill in hunting. Holding your bow at full draw for three minutes, and letting off, and still not spooking a deer is quite a triumph. Especially when it is right under you, or within ten yds. Maybe that deer wont be so lucky next time, and youll be enjoying your harvest. Keep up the good work