Hey guys, Had my first shot ever at a nice doe tonight....there were just a few moments of shooting light left and 3 deer came into view. one of them made her way towards my stand and I had her at 25 yds broadside!!! I was able to stand and take the shot but my arrow clipped a small branch and drove into the ground at her feet. I know most guys here are big buck hunters but OMG, what an unbelievable RUSH that was!!! I waited about an hour before quietly climbing down and backing out.....it was raining and very quiet in the woods. Do you think it is cool to head right back there in the am? Thanks guys....
NH, if those doe were feeding in that area I say head right back in and hunt in the morning. After tomorrow morning I would rotate where you sit to keep it fresh. Most everyone on here is not a big buck hunter, so we understand the rush you are talking about when hunting does! Best of luck to you.
Sure i would , i'm going right back to the area i was stalking today and got busted , they stay in there general area , and even better if she just heard your bow and the twig get hit and the arrow and didnt see you , deer get spooked out there all the time with something , branches and rotted limbs falling ect ect........
I shot a big buck last year and thought I was going to have a heart attack. The first deer I ever shot with a bow I was on an adrenaline high for about 4 hours.
The first shot I ever took at a deer ( a buck ) was last season I used the wrong pin ( before I got my range finder ) and shot under his belly. I was so sure i got him I forgot to noc another arrow and he wandered off. When he walked in my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it , I thought the same thing. My legs started to shake and turned to jello but was able to take the shot, to bad I missed. Something you never forget, thats what makes hunting so great , memories for a life time and learning from our mistakes.
Had walnuts dropping the other day while on a sit. Sounded terrible and was sure nothing would come by. about 10 before sundown had 3 does with fawns and 2 young bucks come in. Awesome!! So I think if they didn't bust you your fine for the morning. The rush is what it's all about! I get it for does, bucks, fawns. hope I never loose that feeling!
Thanks for all the replys guys.........I went back out the next day and saw nothing so yesterday went to another location to let that area set for a while....just can't seem to get that out of my mind though. Back to it though. Dale
That rush is the best part of bowhunting, Dale. Be careful taking shots in low light conditions. It can be difficult to see any obstructions in these situations. At least it resulted in a clean miss, and not a wounded deer. Most of the time deer have no idea what happened after a miss, unless they spot you or smell you. That missed shot shouldn't affect the deer using that area.
Deer jump and spook 50 times a day and NONE of them are because of hunters.. A pine cone hitting on one the back, a limb falling out of a tree, a squirrel running by them, one might have been stung by a bee, and the others spooked and ran off... Happens all day and night... So, having one run after the shot aint nothing.. I shot a Doe and had another one walking in.. I shot the first ...CRACK... and the deer ran off, the second watched it run off and came in broadside for a 25 yard shot... CRACK AGAIN.... and 2 deer down... If deer came in there to feed, then they will return.. And who is to say that those deer don't wander off and DIFFERENT deer don't come in !!!!!!!!!!! Get back in there !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Depends on the wind direction for that set-up. A common mistake that many, especially new, whitetail hunters make is to over hunt a stand. Make sure that you have several spots available for each wind direction and hunt them accordingly. Don't just keep blindly going back to the same spot without some thought behind why you're going there. If the conditions are right, don't worry about that deer. They get disturbed all the time by things going "bump" in the woods. As long as she didn't bust you, you're fine.
This past Saturday, I too shot and missed a doe at around 20 yards. However, she didn't go far and walked right up to my stand. I then took my 2nd shot and stuck it right through the heart at less than 10 yards. The point is she was scared for a brief minute and then continued on her way. That said, as long as she didn't see you, and then it should be fine to hunt the stand again. Even though you've already have. Ha! I too am passing on hunting that particular stand for awhile, so that I don't ruin it this early in the game. after finding her and field dressing her then dragging her out with my buddy, I'm pretty sure that area will need an exorcism to get deer, in that area, to feel at ease again. No other deer where present during my kill, well at least to my knowledge. I later found that my nice leather band watch had broken and I believe my string hit it on the 1st shot causing the arrow to fly over the doe, or I just suck! Lol! Good luck buddy!
Welcome to the insanity of bowhunting! That rush is something that will keep you going back out year after year. Don't sweat it. I'd go right back in there if I were you, maybe move a little. If that deer you shot at didn't spook into the next county when you shot and just left the area, chances are she had no idea what took place. Trust me, this won't be the last time that happens to you. It's just part of bowhunting. Learn from it and move on. Good luck the rest of the season and enjoy.
That good ol rush. That feeling, my friend, means you are now officially addicted to bowhunting. Enjoy
