buck fever strikes again...
 

I set up my stand with a trail running horizontaly in front of it about 6-7 yrds away. I watch down the trail and at around 7:30 up pops a deer about 100 yds away (that' s all the visibility i have here). He' s not dilly-dallying around... he' s walking rapidly towards me. I slowly put on my hand release and put my other hand on my bow. He walked to where there was trees s and leaves in between he and I so in 1 motion I stood up and drew my bow. Only one propblem (and this is where buck fever set in): In the excitement, with my bow laying on my lap on it' s side, the arrow was resting on the body of the bow. So when I stood up it fell off the bow onto my arm. Without hesitation after I drew, the buck walks from still being off to my left to right in front of me!! I kid you not, 6 yards away!!!!! [:o] I' m at full draw, with the arrow resting on my arm and he' s standing there horizontaly giving me the perfect double lung shot for 1 minute!!!!
I hold my draw, he turns and looks at me, I don' t make eye contact and look away with my eyes. He then proceeds to walk right towards my tree and comes up and starts sniffing where my gear bag and bow were before I hoisted them up on my tote rope. He sits there sniffing for like 2 more minutes!!! Now (after 3 minutes full draw) my arm is very shaky and I know I need to release while he' s under me looking down, but quietly enough to where he won' t hear (I' m only 15 ft. up). So I try and gently release so I can re-draw properly and wait for him to talk away... So, I am succesful up until the point where the fletching hits my jacket and makes THE SMALLEST sound! He hears and takes ONE jump and then turns looks for 1/2 second and then SLOWLY walks away! [:' (]

This wasn' t a large buck... he weighed between 130-150 lbs. and was an average 4 or SMALL 6 point. But in an area where I' m told that taking an 80 lobs. doe isn' t a waste of a tag, that' s a lot of meat I' d be happy to have in the freezer! There you have it!! Lesson learned, I HOPE!! :D

I told my brother the story and he said that it probably be better for it not to have happen at all than to deal with the disappointment. I said NO WAY! That was INCREDIBLE!!! [:-] That was my first deer within 400 yds while hunting (last year rifle, had a dow about 400 yds away). WHAT A RUSH! With a rifle I would have taken a shot from a lot further away! BOW HUNTING ROCKS!!!!!! :D:D:D

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

sorry for reply just wanted to get emailed replies...

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

well, all the bad mojo is hopefully gone. Get ' em next time

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

Time to install a zero effect or whisker bisket. Keep those arrows from falling off.
Good luck next time!!!

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

I feel your pain man! Thats just part of the rush of bow hunting!
Bow hunting will make you a better all-around hunter! You have to have everything right to get a shot with a bow.
Two years ago I drew back, held for a long time, and then had to slowly let off of my draw. Drawing back pinches my nock, so if I don' t shoot I have to re-nock my arrow. In the excitement of the moment, I forgot to renock and had another deer come in, when I drew back the second time, my arrow just fell straight down in front of my stand! It didn' t spook the deer much, but I had to sit down to reach my quwiver, I got another arrow out and was able to get it nocked, but by the time I was ready to draw thw deer had moved out of range!
Frustrating, yes! But I wouldn' t trade the challenge and rush of bow hunting for anything else!

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

Thats not Buck Fever

Thats just being a complete Spazoid[:o]:D:D[&:]

You gotta love this sport - humbling to say the elast:)

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

I have a tree anchored " turkey claw" that hold my gear but I attached it to another stand and didn' t get it when I left last time. This would have kept my bow upright, etc... If I had gotten it I may have a deer to skin! [&:]

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

The most over powering and important law for bowhunting - Murphy' s law. You and the rest of us have proved it over and over.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

get a whisker biscut arrow rest and you will never again have to worry about your arrow falling off your rest.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

I' ve seen those and looked at them after my *incident* yesterday... do they really perform?? There' s no issue with them not centering at the bottom the " circle" make sure it shoots straight etc...? Can' t do it this season, don' t have time nor desire to reset the whole setup, but I' m definately thinking about it...

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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:D what is Murphy' s law, i forgot, must have been thinkin about bowhunting instead of the class i was in.....

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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...

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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.

RE: buck fever strikes again...
 

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:)