hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

Some time back 1990 to be exact my addiction to bowhunting reached new heights when I attempted to shoot a whitetail buck wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. As I said I was not in my right mind as it was early November, the rut was on and my season had so far been less than productive. I had just returned home from my job and taken a shower to when I looked out the window of my apartment overlooking the carport and small corn field behind the building. Much to my amazement was a very nice buck working the edge of the field towards my garage. Now I can honestly say that buck fever took over and I jumped into a pair of shorts, grabbed my ever handy bow, and ran out the back door of the building. So there I was reliving days of old when man wore nothing more than a loin cloth, barefoot, with bow in hand ready to fell his next meal. The only difference between myself and our ancestors of old was 1. I didn't have to hunt to eat. 2) They wore more than a loin cloth in a Michigan November. 3) They would have needed the release aid I had left in the apartment. Now it was cold, and a mixture of light snow and drizzle was falling. A smart man would have just watched the buck from the warm apartment, or even upon realizing he did not have his release just go back and then realize how stupid he was, but not me. No, I convinced myself that I could shoot without a release (most likely frost bite of the brain). The buck continue on and as he came into my shooting lane I was at full draw and ready. TWANG! SNORT! I couldn't have missed more cleanly if I had just shot the ground in front of my feet, as it was the arrow went over the bucks back and the buck ran into the history of could have, should have, but NOT! All I had left was a cold walk back across the gravel driveway. Now is there anyone else out there willing to admit a less than smart hunting experience? Come on put it down for others to learn from.

Shoot straight, aim well,
and tell tall tales to good
friends.

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

Hmmm, you mean besides shooting our heater in the dead of winter?<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

If you need some help with that underware in the winter thing, I'd recommend &quot;Equipped to Survive&quot;. A site that can teach ya all ya need to know about surviving in a cold environment lol.

My worse ever mishap while hunting occured when I'd just completed a 60+ yard stalk on a beautiful Mule Deer. To kind of lead up to it, when I first started hunting with a recurve, I wore a backquiver that I didn't like. It was noisy and awkward so when I went into the planning stages of the stalk, I removed the quiver and grabbed two arrows to take with me. Well, this day I happened to be doing some roving (stump shooting) when I spotted the buck. Anyway, after making a clean, but painfully slow stalk on the bedded animal and getting into possition between two pines to make the shot, I layed one of the two arrows I'd brought along, next to me and knocked one to the string without taking my eyes off of the animal. Something I'd practiced and practiced so that I could do it without thought, noise and a with minimum of movement. As I slowly came to full draw, something didn't quite feel right to me, so I slowly let down. Something was missing, but I couldn't figure out what that something was until I drew the second time and looked at the tip of my arrow. No broadhead was bad enough, but NO POINT?<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> I slowly removed the broke behind the tip arrow from my string and reached for the other one I'd layed beside me. Again, I knocked it to the string, slowly came to full draw and dang, it didn't have a broadhead on it either. Instead, it had a Zwickey Judo attached to the tip. Now, you can imagine how I was feeling at this time. My tail was securely tucked between my legs. I mean, I'd performed a perfect stalk and had gotten to within spit ball range of this critter and I left my teeth behind. All I could do was sit there and admire it. Oh well, it was a good hunt despite my inexperience (should have used differently fletched arrows for stumpin and huntin arrows), my lack of thought as I chose the arrows (buck fever or stupidity, either one would apply, lol) and a bout with Murphy who said &quot;no matter how sweet the honey is, the bee is still gonna sting ya for taking it&quot;.


Make em sharp and shoot em straight, or leave em home.

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

It's stuff like that, Wahya, that brought my days as an instinctive shooter to an abrupt end. I did very much the same thing you did. Put on a glorius stalk on the biggest buck I've ever drawn on to this day. Took an arrow out of my hip quiver and nocked it without ever taking my eyes off the exact spot I intended to hit. Drew back, touched anchor and released. That rubber blunt hit exactly where I was looking.

Now, how that blunt that was supposed to be the top arrow in the quiver wound up in the bottom slot, I have never figured out. That one foul up got me into the bad habit of glancing at the tip of the arrow as I draw, just to make sure what kind of head is on there and I lost concentration on the animal. Screwed me up bad for several years. So, I've gone to using the Howard Hill style 'split vision' method of aiming. If I'm going to be seeing the tip of the arrow anyway, might as well be using it for a reference, and I can still concentrate on the spot I intend to hit while seeing what kind of head is on the arrow in my peripheral vision.

I've done some of Towerrat's 'emergency stalks' on deer wearing cutoffs, sneakers and no shirt several times, but October in Texas ain't quite as cool as November in Michigan. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>hehe, yeah I fixed it by getting a bow quiver and carried nothing but broadheads in it, lol.

Yeah, I've hunted in shorts and tennis shoes on purpose, but then our deer season opens in July and August, depending on the area to be hunted.

Make em sharp and shoot em straight, or leave em home.

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

I haven't made one of those goofs with a bow (yet), but I have really blown it before.

I was somewhere around 13-15 yrs old (don't recall exactly), and at home by myself. I walked by the big picture window in the living room and did a double take--there was several deer right in the front yard (although I live back in the country, never had seen that before or since at this particular place). I ran to the bedroom and grabbed my rifle. Season was open, and there was ice on the ground. I left out in cut-off shorts and a t-shirt (no shoes). My folks house is up on a hill, and the deer were down by the road. They were gone when I got back to the window, so I went outside to investigate. Muddy deer tracks went right down the blacktop road, so here I go. I had my nose to the ground, so to speak, and didn't really pay attention to how far I was going. Along the way I did see one of the deer on down the road, but it was gone in an instant. Finally, the tracks left the road and our old Walker hound (he ran loose) that had followed me headed up the hill on the left side of the road. He struck a trail, but was way out from me. I looked across to the other side and saw a deer running up a hedge row--then I realized I had grabbed my .22! Needless to say, it was worthless--then I realized that it was below freezing, I was dang near naked, and a good mile or so from the house! Man alive that walk back home seemed to take a whole lot longer than getting there. Don't think I will try that one again.

So, in response to your original question/title of the thread towerrat, I'd say both!

Chad

Long Bows Rule!

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

A few years ago, I made my annual trip to the west end of the U.P. for an archery deer hunt. This particular year I decided to &quot;go deep&quot; and get me a big buck. I found a great funnel area, and set up my tree stand at lunch time, with intentions of returning for the afternoon hunt.
When the time came, I drove to my parking spot, got my gear ready, and headed for the tree. After a mile of walking, I climbed my tree, and got ready to hunt. I quickly noticed that I forgot my release. Cussing myself, I climbed down, ran back to the truck, got my release, and ran back to the stand. Now huffing and puffing, I climbed the tree, just in time to see a VERY nice buck come over the top of the ridge. I quickly put on my release, and readied myself for the shot of a lifetime. Well, in all the excitement, I straped my release on the WRONG hand. The buck gave me the most picture perfect shot opportunity that I have ever had. So much for preparation. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

Hey Towerat, I live over in Romeo, Michigan. During the youth hunt this year a generous person out where you live invited my daugter 13, her friend who was old enough to hunt at 14 and my son 16 to hunt his property with the restriction my son only shoot a doe. We counted 26 bucks of various sizes that morning and the only does we saw where when we where walking back into the property we jumped three within 20 yards of us. Son had no bullets in his gun. To make a long story short my daughters girl friend shot a six point buck that evening and my girl gutted the deer and we walked away with some new hard core hunters with the same ailment you have. My son let several bucks one being 8 point walk on by him because he gave his word to the owner not to shot a buck and kept it. We got video of this but for some reason the vcr pictures came out looking like a negative? You have some nice size deer where you live and I can see how it can effect a persons psychy some what.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

I have a pretty funny one that comes to mind, but it was with my compound. I frequently shoot from an elevated position, which to my wifes unfortune is out of our bedroom window.

Anyway I (and my dog) had been after a big old woodchuck that had been living under the garage. The old critter was pretty smart and everytime I saw him I would put on a good stalk up to the bedroom and open the window as quietly as possible, only trouble was he kept busting me everytime the window opened. So one day I thought I would outsmart him, I left the window and screen open all day, and put out a few tomoatoes around 10 yards from the house. I was going to let the dog out when I noticed the big boy chomping on the tomoatoes. I went upstairs, got my bow, drew and aimed. I was thinking slam dunk, I finally got him. I released and BAMM! I saw the woodchuck running for the garage. What happened???? I was dazed for a second. Well, guess I was so close to the window that I didn't realize that the arrow was coming off the bow two inches lower then I was aiming at 1 foot. The arrow hit the bottom track of the window right in front of me. Man did I feel stupid, I ended up laughing, but my wife sure didn't!

Anyway the next week I was working under the car in the garage, the dog was out and I heard a little ruckus in the yard. I was going back in the house when I noticed the dog (great dane, lab mix)flinging something around. I thought that he stole one of my towel rags which he loves to do and was going to bring into the house. I looked down, and guess what he caught. I guess he outshowed me this time.

Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 12/26/2002 10:49:12

RE: hard core hunter or in need of help?
 

Never thought I would openly admit this story again but everyone else is sharing there worst moments so heres mine.Was my second year bowhunting and I was still wholeheartedly buying all the new &quot;great&quot; gadgets for my wheelbow.I saw one of the at the time new roll aide releases and just had to buy it.Got up into my stand the next morning strapped on my new release just pleased as punch with the world.After a few hours I got an emergency pee cramp. Well being an emergency I decided to just pee on the tree<img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>I was about finished with bussiness when i looked up and there were two does just standing about 15 yards away watching.HMMMMM I slowly picked up my bow and hooked the release onstarted to draw and boooing string slipped thru the release jaws arrow went about ten feet.HMMMM deer still standing there watching like this was an everday thing for them.By now my pants had wiggled down to my ankles and I eased another arrow out of the quiver and onto the string.The same thing happened again arrow went about ten feet!!!!At this point I am awful embarrased and mad( half naked two deer just watching me like I am a sideshow for them)I twisted the release around my hand got my last arrow and decided to bare finger it this time.Well needles to say I missed by about 4 feet but that arrow bouncing off all those trees woke them deer up.They took off for the next county.All that was bad enough but what made it worse was my buddy was standing about 70 yards bnehind me and I didn't know it and he saw this whole show<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle>Most embarrasing and amazing thing that ever happened in the deer woods for me.Couldn't believe those two deer just stood there all that time just watching me.And yes it took years to live that down

SHOOT STRAIGHT >>>--------> Troy