No doubt...your land, your rules. Just saying that I think it's better to stress taking good shots early on (what I mean is don't pass on good shots) than it is to worry about picking the right deer to shoot. That's all. Sounds like he was more worried about picking the right deer to shoot than he was actually getting real world hunting shooting experience. I think that's a big problem for new bow hunters. They pass on the experience that would make them better bowhunters to hold out for the big one. Not saying you did anything wrong and the situation more than worked out for him. You did a good thing helping this guy along. Most folks wouldn't take the time to be bothered with an FNG. Hats off to you.
Yeah...I doubt his nerves weren't on edge just because of the massive buck, his first buck, was right in front of him.....nah he missed first and made a lethal but rough shot the 2nd time because he was too worried about what he could and couldn't shoot. That's all.
Wonder if he woke up the next morning feeling like an accomplished bow hunter? Don't get me wrong congrats to the guy but I know a few who would not consider all the other work that went into him getting that shot being the most important to hunting success.
Both shots were bad for multiple reasons, the guy can accurately shoot the bow @ 20 yards. Therefore he was told to keep shots less than that. Yesterday we had sustained winds of 40mph with gusts over 55. So I told him to stay on the ground, I don't care how good of a shot your are, when you have wind like that blowing your tree and your bow around at full draw it takes nothing to be off by a large margin at even short ranges. Add all that into having a nice mature buck up close and personal and it is a recipe for a poor shot... which is exactly what happened. Big buck, lil buck, doe, doesn't friggin matter, a poor shot and potentially wounded deer is just that. All that being said I am glad it worked out for him, extremely so... that doesn't change the facts though
I think he woke up feeling extremely LUCKY lol As I said in my OP he did help out a lot early this season as I was scrambling to get set up on new property. He burned many days with me helping to hang stands, cut down trees, and such so he has put in some work. I don't think accomplished would be the right word for what he is feeling today. Lucky, thankful, happy, grateful, all likely more fitting. He isn't the kind of guy to get all full of himself over shooting one deer.
That sounds like a good deal, he earned it with effort willing to work. I like that too many people just want to show up.
Fine deer good teacher for first bow deer he will be hard put to top it next year. Left the big one for you , I would like to hunt with you also.
Kids are afraid to make mistakes and disappoint someone they are truly trying to learn from so they make much better students than someone with a few years under his belt. Either way, he must have one heck of a teacher, well done and congrats to him on a first buck! (regardless of how lucky he was) . Good ending to a story I thought was going to end badly. Sota makes a very good point. Unfortunately because his hunt ended in killing a deer, you only hope that he still learns the lesson about what not to do and there was some luck involved. Which it sounds like he will. Accomplished hunters would be upset even though they killed the deer because they know how bad the shot was. Either way, he's on a fast track to working hard and being a hunter, so you done good!
I've been teaching a buddy to hunt, sounds pretty familiar. Actually, he started hunting before me, but put a bad shot on his first doe and took a few years off. I gave him my old G5 rogue and put him in a stand last November and he got a button buck. He was so excited! That was definitely rewarding. But it can be tough. This early season I put him in a stand where a nice little 9 pointer was coming in around 5. Perfect setup. Deer comes in and surprises him somehow, and he shoots it straight down at two yards through the backstrap and guts. He doesn't even know what happened he's so shook up! It takes me a while to figure out the shot. I find the arrow with flecks of matter on it, and we leave for the night. Come back in in the am and I track pencil sized dots of blood along a field edge for 100 yards before the trail heads downhill and we lose it. He continues to grid search with a friend and a dog and finally finds it, pretty bloated now. He proceeds to make a mess of gutting it ( he did the first one great), pops the bladder, now it's really stinking! We get it out and I hang it up for him to process, quickly I say, and put it on ice! And instead it takes him most of the day to skin it and break it down, dropping it in the dirt twice, breaking my fold up butchering table in the process, and luring in every fly in town. Grisly. We ended up having to toss some of the meat, and made sausage with the rest. I'm still really proud of him, but now when he questions the stands I try to put him in , I'm like dude, please.
I've taken many new hunters out to get their first deer with bow. I will never take another. One thing that each of them did (7of them) was the following year they had it in their mind I was going to guide them again and do all the work. No more. I hunt alone now Sent from my LGL15G using Tapatalk
well I'm glad he is/was a good guy! my old hunting partner is so full of him self I started hunting public land just to get away from him!!!
Or would not have seen the deer all together beinga he would be on the ground sticking out like a sore thumb ! Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
EVERYONE on this board has stories of mistakes. Especially in the first 1-4 years. Hopefully he'll learn and continue to seek your guidance. And his first buck is bigger than ANY buck I've ever even seen while hunting for over 20 hrs.
