I shot my first deer yesterday, using a bow. It was a bad shot, and ultimately took one more arrow to put her down. I estimated the deer to be around 25 yards out, when it was actually around 30. I hit the doe low, in the front leg, likely breaking it. Oddly, the deer circled around and stood about 10 yards away from me, just staring at me. I took another arrow and shot at her, and I hit low in the kill zone. She was still standing. She went down, but was still moving a lot, so I shot her again. She was still moving, but died within minutes. If I had my gun and slugs, I may have shot her to end the suffering.

Part of me feels good about it being my first deer, but another major part of me feels awful that I didn't get her down right away and she suffered. It took, maybe, a couple of minutes before she died, and I feel like a bad person for that. Did anyone else have a similar experience, and how do you get over it?

Well, I assume it is not legal to shoot it with a slug in your situation. That would not be good, for starters. To get over it, next time bring more arrows! I have run out in the past too! Also, only shoot within a range where you can always make the shot. I switched to a crossbow cause my old bow had a mind of its own and even at 20 yds the arrow would take an unexplained dive (and that was the last arrow I shot!). Now I feel very comfortable with my xbow even at 30 yds. With my compound, I never shot over 20 yds. So if your bow is not dependable, ditch it and get one that is. And obey the laws.

There is no honor in wounding a deer. But you followed up and got the job done. Good for you. Wounding is an unfortunate fact in hunting. If you've never wounded a deer, you've not hunted much. Learn from the experience and adjust. The sin would be doing the same thing again.

Were you hunting bow season?

I don't know state to state but typically from my experience it is not even legal to carry a shotgun with you during archery season.

Probably have seen the last of Paul! Why go bow hunting if you are going to use a shotgun.

I think Pauuul has more problems the mixed emotions all the info I got on New Jersey bow hunting says you can only carry a hand gun with a permit while bow hunting. If I were paul I would not be telling the story about my 1st bow kill to too many people. or at least leave out the part about putting it down with a shot gun.

Sounds to me like not enough practice with the bow. Video games don't count for practice with a bow. then to shoot a deer twice with a slug gun says no practice there either.
No mentor I suppose

Al

agreed. if someone wants to try their hand at hunting and is inexperienced, wait for rifle season.
the way hunting is being commercialized and the more technology enhancements are made to equipment the more non-hunters are going to be attracted to the sport... with a big wallet and without basic skills.
not saying OP didn't do his part to ready himself as that wasn't fully explained but the fact that he said he had a slug gun along with him tells me more preparation was needed.
i'd say a person needs a full year of regular practice to competently go on a bow hunt.

It was hard reading how many times he shot at that deer.