When you miss...
 

I'll set the stage here...

On the 3rd Saturday of this bow season, I had a really nice, really unique 8-12 point wander under my stand. Well... After I had him checked in at the big buck contest and taken to the taxidermist, but before I actually released the arrow, I just kinda yanked the release and turned one loose.

The rest is history - he was gone, and all I did was nick him through the front armpit.

So for the next couple hours, I called that deer every furry fluffin' mother fletchin' name in the book. I cursed him up and down like a sailor. I wanted to break my bow and kick logs and stuff.

Looking back, it was pretty silly, but I was just kinda wondering if you guys get mad at the deer when you do something stupid. I think it's some kind of transference of anger phenomenon.

Any of you guys have any good post-miss stories?? Smash up equipment? Curse at the animal? Jump up and down? Get mad at your hunting buddies?

RE: When you miss...
 

Why wouldn't you get mad that the deer didn't stop in the spot your arrow was directed? I acually missed the largest deer I have ever shot at with bow or gun twice at 25 yards about 5 years ago. After the first shot the "what could have went wrong' was going through my head so since I shot high the first time I aimed low the 2nd and hit right were I was aiming, low. Didn't realize what had went wrong until my way home, I had failed to bend at the waist which changed my release point. I can still see that sucker, looked about 4 feet from back to belly. No way I would ever miss that same opertunity again. This year I shot one at 42 yards through an opening about 6 inches wide. I had to bend about half way over to get the deer in the little opening, you just never know.

RE: When you miss...
 

I get frustrated at myself.As far as the smashing equipment and cursing the animal i dont take it that far.If I was gonna curse anything Id curse myself.

RE: When you miss...
 

I usually look for blood for the next few hours just to be certain i never nicked him, then shake my head a bit and take it out on a bottle. Don't see the sense in smashing equipment, i had to work damn hard to pay for my equipment so i treat it with respect. After all the equipment doesn't fail, you fail the equipment.

RE: When you miss...
 

usually i cuss myself out for missing a shot that i had no business missing. this year when i shot my doe with my bow, i knew it was a bad hit right when i saw her jump the string and i said "Oh, (dung)" right after the arrow impacted. i really didnt have any big misses this year. i think i shot 60% or so with the rifle. the ones i missed were long range on moving deer. not tough for me, 150 yards i suppose on moving deer. i swore and cussed up and down when i missed the 9 point i got this year for the first. if i known i would have gotten another crack 15 minutes later, i wouldnt have done this. i dont throw my equipment though. last year, after missing for the second time with a bow, i barely stopped myself from tossing my bow over the hill. but i know that any miss i have with any of my guns or bow is human error for missing or hitting a branch or something. i've got everything dialed in that well.

slayer

RE: When you miss...
 

Dont know ,never missed ,Right. I usually take my boot off and hit my self over the head.Then I'm bummed out for days

RE: When you miss...
 

That's the reason I quit bow hunting 15 years ago. I had a huge 8 pointer 20 ft. from the tree I was hunting in. The rack was approximately 19" wide and heavy with long tines. Anyway, just like you I had this boy dressed out and at the taxidermist and then I released the arrow. What messed up this hunt was the fact that I was hunting from a rifle stand that had shooting rails around it. When I released the string the bow limb struck one of the shooting rails and kicked the bow side-ways. The arrow stuck in the ground between the deer's front leg and his rear leg. He jumped side-ways about 6 ft. and turned and looked at the arrow and then lowered his head and began walking to the arrow stuck in the ground. He must have gotten my scent because he bolted just as I was trying to get another arrow out of my quiver.

I invented a new Olympic sport that day: "The bow throw" I currently hold the worlds record for this:D