keep your head up, good luck next season!

When I first started Bow Hunting it was 4 years before I finally shot a decent 6-Point Buck...missed a few thru the years and it took a few years before I could quit shaking when a nice Deer came in close! :D ;)


I finally got me a Range Finder and that help me judge distances much better.Like one member here stated...try target practicing from an elevated stand at a Deer target at different yards...it will help out a lot and You'll learn where Your arrows hit,enter and exit on a Deer!Keep going out and learning about when and where the Deer are traveling and enjoy being in the Outdoors!

Keep at it. Bow hunting is a life learning process. Remember what you did wrong and work to be better next year. You will find success.

I am curious about the 6 missed shots as well. With some info, those of us that have been there and done that (in my case, Lord, since 1962!!!) might be able to offer some constructive criticism. If your misses were like mine .... practically every miss on my part could be attributed to either the deer being able to "jump" the string or me taking an ill advised shot - too far, bad angle, not being [patient enough, too much junk between me and the deer, etc. Never but once was it "equipment failure". Only once, during the 40+ years of archery hunting did I have equipment fail. A limb on my high end PSE split big time. I had no idea that it was even cracked. It did not feel right when I dres, and when I released the arrow went off line big time and there was a weird sound and strange vibration. After I recovered my arrow and did an inspection at the camp, it is a wonder I did not suffer a total limb failue !!! I later learned that a kid at the camp that morning had jumped on my ATV for a joy ride. My bow was sitting on the rear rack. It fell off and his buddy ran over it. They cleaned the bow and hid this from me. To PSE's credit they replaced both limbs and charged me only shipping. Unfortunately, the miss that morning was a duck soup, 15 yard shot at buck munching on acorns, standing head down, dead boadside .... a a massive 5x5, 10 point. Would have been my best bow buck ever if indeed I had made that shot.

:busted: I woulda beat their asses the moment I found out. Joyriding, ok, running over the bow, ok accidents happen, but to hide it and not tell you, what if you had been seriously hurt?

Back on topic, what were your 6 shots and what did you do wrong? I'm starting out this coming year and would like to know. :popcorn:

ugh gotta love kids playing with the keyboard, lol

As for my most recent missed shot? In the fall of 2008, I had several does ease into sight, feeding on browse and on what few acorns were on the gorund near the creek where I was set up. I shoot right handed. They came in on my right, and behind me. Took them I guess 45 minutes to get into bow range, but were still to the right and sort of behind me. I rotated in the stand as far as I could, but still had to twist my upper body to the right to put the sights on her. I released. The arrow flight was dead on elevation, but passed in front of her. Bet I pulled it because of the awkward stance??? They all spooked a bit, but soon settled down. I waited another 30 minutes or so. All of the does eventually fed on across and right in front of me, not a one was more than 25 yards from me. I waited for a good angle and stuck the one I had missed earlier. She fell within sight. My No.1 mistake .... not being patient enough.

This was also my first year bowhunting, and I had a similar experience. I allowed me to be in the woods more. I saw a ton of deer. Learned a lot, missed a few shots, and had a great time. I can't wait to get at it again next year.

I must admit that I enjoy Bow hunting big time,there is something about it that is so different from gun hunting that has me wanting to shoot everything with my Bow. I'm going to give Turkey hunting a try with the Bow this year as well since I had all the birds I called in so close last year. I think the challenge of getting good with your Bow throughout the year is another reason I like it so much. Pratice practice and pratice some more and when that magical moment comes the hard work will pay off big time for you.:woot:

sorry it took so long to answer, the 6 shots, 2 of them where just impatient and I should have waited, The vary first two shots I thought I had my pins set good at 30yds was making a lot of good shots at home at 30yrds and the only thing I can come up with is I didn't have the pins tight and they moved, after the shots I was at home and was way off at 30yrds and had to reset sights. One of them I didn't raise the gun rail the goes around my stand and hit it with the limb when I released the arrow. (my stand no longer has a gun rail). And number six I hit a small tree limb. I am hooked on bow hunting, I take every mistake as a lesson to remember. Now if I can just get the wife to understand.