Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
11-23-2003, 05:23 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 162
Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
...because I missed a chance at taking a 10 pointer yesterday at noon. [:' (]
There is a draw that I' ve been hunting for a while in Frederick, Md. I' ve seen plenty of deer sign, and more importantly, I have identified an area where the deer have been entering and exiting the draw.
Yesterday morning I climbed 30 feet up in a tree with my Summit. I was superbly positioned on the edge, and in the middle of a 40 degree slope into the draw. I had another tree in front of me about 3 feet away, which broke up my silhouette, and I would have the afternoon sun behind my back. I was able to view the bottom of the draw, where 50 yards away, a stream bubbled at the bottom through it. This part of the stream is where I' ve seen deer ford previously, and then they would come up the slope where I was situated.
I saw nothing from 0900 to 1200 hours. So I broke out 2 sandwiches and then as I just finished, I heard the familiar " crunch, crunch" of a deer walking through the leaves to my right. I looked down and to the right and saw a HUGE rack of horns slowly walking a trail and getting ready to pass in front of me!
I stood up and began to draw as I turned and attempted to aim downwards towards the buck. He kept walking slowly and then started to turn to his right immediately in front of me and began to descend the slope. I was able to put my pin on him but it was no good. At this point, I only had a rear shot at him, and I didn' t want to do him " Texas Style" . I feverishly tried to get a better shot at him as he descended the slope, but the damn tree that I positioned myself behind of would not afford me the angle that I needed to shoot! [:@] I kept trying to shoot from both sides of the tree and couldn' t get the right angle to shoot from! He was walking away and was now out of my self-imposed range which was 20 yards. I grabbed my grunter and blew, but he kept walking, now in the middle of the stream. I used my dow estrus bleat but he didn' t respond. Either he was deaf, he didn' t care, or the stream was bubbling to loudly for him to hear. He turned to the right and walked straight down the middle of the stream and then slowly out of sight.
I was momentarily overcome with such a feeling of anguish and self pity for not being able to get off this shot! [:' (] Not to mention that I was still shaking from the adrenaline rush too. How could I have not gotten a good pin on this beast? [:@] I thought that I was positioned correctly! It was just my misfortune (and pure luck for the buck) that the exact path that he took down the slope was DIRECTLY in front of the tree that masked me (and the ability for me to get off a direct shot).
I can' t stop thinking of this missed encounter and opportunity. Harvesting this trophy buck would of effectively ended my season for my longings of a nice buck to take home. I' m going out next Friday to see if I can bag him again, but I' m probably deluding myself. Firearm season starts next Saturday, and that buck probably will be harvested shortly thereafter.
This is what drives me and what I live for during deer hunting season; the long hours of preparation, and the long, uncomfortable hours of being stuck in a tree; in order to get a glimpse and the chance of taking home such a magnificent animal....
It will take a long time for the ache in me to soften and go away from this encounter. To those whom hunt, I think that you know what I' m feeling. To those of you that don' t, I' ve tried to describe it.
It' s the exact opposite worse feeling that you can have, as compared to the exhilaration and happiness of a successful hunt..... [X(]
Kindest regards,
-Will in Maryland
There is a draw that I' ve been hunting for a while in Frederick, Md. I' ve seen plenty of deer sign, and more importantly, I have identified an area where the deer have been entering and exiting the draw.
Yesterday morning I climbed 30 feet up in a tree with my Summit. I was superbly positioned on the edge, and in the middle of a 40 degree slope into the draw. I had another tree in front of me about 3 feet away, which broke up my silhouette, and I would have the afternoon sun behind my back. I was able to view the bottom of the draw, where 50 yards away, a stream bubbled at the bottom through it. This part of the stream is where I' ve seen deer ford previously, and then they would come up the slope where I was situated.
I saw nothing from 0900 to 1200 hours. So I broke out 2 sandwiches and then as I just finished, I heard the familiar " crunch, crunch" of a deer walking through the leaves to my right. I looked down and to the right and saw a HUGE rack of horns slowly walking a trail and getting ready to pass in front of me!
I stood up and began to draw as I turned and attempted to aim downwards towards the buck. He kept walking slowly and then started to turn to his right immediately in front of me and began to descend the slope. I was able to put my pin on him but it was no good. At this point, I only had a rear shot at him, and I didn' t want to do him " Texas Style" . I feverishly tried to get a better shot at him as he descended the slope, but the damn tree that I positioned myself behind of would not afford me the angle that I needed to shoot! [:@] I kept trying to shoot from both sides of the tree and couldn' t get the right angle to shoot from! He was walking away and was now out of my self-imposed range which was 20 yards. I grabbed my grunter and blew, but he kept walking, now in the middle of the stream. I used my dow estrus bleat but he didn' t respond. Either he was deaf, he didn' t care, or the stream was bubbling to loudly for him to hear. He turned to the right and walked straight down the middle of the stream and then slowly out of sight.
I was momentarily overcome with such a feeling of anguish and self pity for not being able to get off this shot! [:' (] Not to mention that I was still shaking from the adrenaline rush too. How could I have not gotten a good pin on this beast? [:@] I thought that I was positioned correctly! It was just my misfortune (and pure luck for the buck) that the exact path that he took down the slope was DIRECTLY in front of the tree that masked me (and the ability for me to get off a direct shot).
I can' t stop thinking of this missed encounter and opportunity. Harvesting this trophy buck would of effectively ended my season for my longings of a nice buck to take home. I' m going out next Friday to see if I can bag him again, but I' m probably deluding myself. Firearm season starts next Saturday, and that buck probably will be harvested shortly thereafter.
This is what drives me and what I live for during deer hunting season; the long hours of preparation, and the long, uncomfortable hours of being stuck in a tree; in order to get a glimpse and the chance of taking home such a magnificent animal....
It will take a long time for the ache in me to soften and go away from this encounter. To those whom hunt, I think that you know what I' m feeling. To those of you that don' t, I' ve tried to describe it.
It' s the exact opposite worse feeling that you can have, as compared to the exhilaration and happiness of a successful hunt..... [X(]
Kindest regards,
-Will in Maryland
] Been there..... done that![:' (]
11-23-2003, 05:31 AM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 1997
Location: Cheasapeke and Delaware Bay Region
Posts: 10,485
RE: Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
Things develope so quickly and that window of opporturnity can disappear even quicker. Thats what makes this bowhunting stuff so great. Had to take some real disapline not to loose an arrow. Maybe you will be rewarded yet for your diligence.
11-23-2003, 05:39 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: AR USA
Posts: 889
RE: Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
sorry Will. maybe you' ll get another chance next Friday. BTW- I do know that feelin. it' s happened to me, and probly all hunters who have been huntin very long.
sometimes the best possible setup, can turn out to be a snake bite. looks like that tree was your snake.
don' t give up, you still have Friday, and if legal, you can bowhunt durin gun season also, so you might get him yet.
sometimes the best possible setup, can turn out to be a snake bite. looks like that tree was your snake.
don' t give up, you still have Friday, and if legal, you can bowhunt durin gun season also, so you might get him yet.
11-23-2003, 05:43 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co Maryland USA
Posts: 4,966
RE: Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
Been there.... done that! Been there..... done that! Been there..... done that!
will--same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago. HUGE MONSTER that I was drawn on for about 2 1/2 minutes. It still hurts and I haven' t stopped beating myself up over it every day since. I hit a branch, but YOU DID THE RIGHT THING by not taking a shot at a bad angle. I' ve passed shots on big bucks before because of the angle only to see them get shot and lost by slob hunters on the next farm using guns. Hopefully, this later rut will hold out enough for us to get those bucks that have been lucky so far! Good luck.
11-23-2003, 07:12 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
Good choice and will power on a monster. I ache everyday about my stalking mission this bowseason. I lay awake at night with eyes wide open reliving it over and over. People tell me not to be so hard on myself, but apparantely they are not bowhunters. I' m hoping for a ending like cloud 9 as well. Boy it will drive you nuts and at the same time get you right back in the woods. Weird!!!
I stalked a 12 pointer that is the absolute biggest deer i' ve ever seen in the woods and probably ever will see for my area. Took me about 2.5 hours by the time the whole ordeal ended. I did everything right. Wind in my favor, soft quiet ground, I was going so slow I thought I was dead and then went slower. I was about 20 yards from him looking at his butt. I managed to get directly behind him. Waiting for him to turn broadside felt like eternity. Well he finally did and I had to move about 2 degrees to my left in order to draw. My pants knicked a corn tusk and made a noise. He looks up at me, grunts at me and looked like he wanted to get it on and fight. I didn' t want any part of that so I slightly moved and the gig was up!! He started a trot into the hardwoods. 2.5 hours only to screw up in the last 10 seconds. WOW!!!
That' s the joy of bowhunting. Anyway good luck and show us pics when you get him!!!! I have to go take some sleeping pills!!
I stalked a 12 pointer that is the absolute biggest deer i' ve ever seen in the woods and probably ever will see for my area. Took me about 2.5 hours by the time the whole ordeal ended. I did everything right. Wind in my favor, soft quiet ground, I was going so slow I thought I was dead and then went slower. I was about 20 yards from him looking at his butt. I managed to get directly behind him. Waiting for him to turn broadside felt like eternity. Well he finally did and I had to move about 2 degrees to my left in order to draw. My pants knicked a corn tusk and made a noise. He looks up at me, grunts at me and looked like he wanted to get it on and fight. I didn' t want any part of that so I slightly moved and the gig was up!! He started a trot into the hardwoods. 2.5 hours only to screw up in the last 10 seconds. WOW!!!
That' s the joy of bowhunting. Anyway good luck and show us pics when you get him!!!! I have to go take some sleeping pills!!
11-23-2003, 07:17 AM
#9
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Michigan (Whitetails & Muskies)
Posts: 129
RE: Still shaking my head and biting my lip....
Isn' t it funny that it seems like you spend all fall in a tree for the magical opportunity and it comes and goes in 30 seconds. Wow what a rush it is tho' . Keeps us all going back out to the woods. If I ever loose that rush, I' ll quit hunting, but I don' t think it will ever happen.
Will, I can sneek out during the week and try to bag him for you if you want (he he). I' d probably be calling in sick to work for another chance at that beast.
Good luck with him.
Will, I can sneek out during the week and try to bag him for you if you want (he he). I' d probably be calling in sick to work for another chance at that beast.
Good luck with him.
