I Shot and Missed...

What do you do next? Do you:

A - Wait without moving a muscle for a long time.

B - Sit down and cuss.

C - Keep trying to make yourself believe you hit some part of the deer.

E - Get Pissed, go home and check bow for accuracy.

F - Other

 

If certain it's a miss - I reload, sit down, and get right back to it.

If any thought enters head that miss due to bow itself - might back out of the stand to go shoot and double check. I also carry a field point so I can shoot from stand anytime I want to check bow - or to just try a shot before I climb down some days...

 

I am going to pick F - Other.

Even if I am pretty sure I missed, I get down and find my arrow and look it over completely looking for any traces of blood and/or hair.

 

nock another arrow and keep hunting, the day is not done.

 

They day I took my first archery buck (spike) was 10-31-07 I missed a doe before he came out, I was really upset about missing... and when the spike came out, I wanted a deer so bad, I shot the spike.

So... B quietly to myself while still hunting.

 

Check for blood and then head back up the tree.

 

I have often wondered how many have given away their position and scared other deer away, after a clean miss. You know, the buck that might be just hidden from view, taking in the calamity that just took place. I am of the persuasion of being extremely still for a long time after any shot, for possibly another to follow. jmho

 

I let the deer dictate that. I watch it emphatically until I know it's out of sight, hearing etc.... I gather my thoughts, I glass for my arrow and I listen and I watch. I keep my wits about me and concentrate.

Take my 04 Contest buck, I missed him at 16 yards. I was in awe. But wait, he's just out there standing. I kept my wits. I missed him again at 25 yards. I doubted my equipment. I checked it. I listened, he was just in the brush off to my left about 60 yards. I called to him. I got him to commit again and I arrowed him at 41 yards. I trusted my equipment. I concentrated.

I missed a world class buck in IL. He busted out of the area. I glassed my arrow. It appeared clean. I watched, I listened. It was clear, I got down and got my arrow, clean. I kept hunting.

Each circumstance will dictate what I do following the shot.

 

Good Post Rob.

 

So you are saying you might wind up with 2 wounded deer? or a clean miss and a clean kill? What is the potential mess?

Myself, personally, am hunting. Just because I have doubts about the first shot, I will not let it ruin a potentially lethal shot on a second deer. That's just me though. Let me also add, I will never give up on a wounded deer untill ALL resources are depleted. This is whether I have one bloody arrow, or two.

 

All I am saying Jeff, is, you are either going to find the deer are you are not. If you wounded that first deer and don't recover it quickly, mark the last blood and go look for the other one. Whichever one has the better blood trail, stay on it. Never give up until you are done. One thing that is a great asset in this scenario is another person or 2 to help track both deer at once. Again, all just difference of experiences and opinions. No foul.

 

You legititmately lost one. You never found it. It happens. You found the other. Wonderful. Are you thinking you may have found the first deer if you had not shot the second one? I can see where it was frustrating. Especially if it was hot out.

 

I do the same!

 

If I know it was a clean miss, I sit tight. Two seasons ago, I had an eight pointer jump the string and I shot right over his back. The same buck came back a hour later. This time I didn't miss.

 

I nock another arrow. I have had bucks and does of all sizes come back to check it out. Ushally if its a stud you wont see him again for awhile. But you never know, curiosity could get the best of him.

 

If I'm 100% sure I missed clean then I nock another arrow and continue to hunt.

 

nock another one an sit down... my first archery buck i jus missed a doe didnt even have the 2nd arrow nocked an 3 pt came runnin in.. shot him at 8 yards.. that is if im sure i missed..if i think i hit it.. im goin lookin..

 

If I know 100% I missed I reload and get ready. I would have to know why I missed too. I either misjudged the distance which is not likely to cause a noticeable clean miss, hit something, or the deer completely ducked the arrow.

Otherwise I'm getting down and checking for blood.

 

After the initial shock of actually having missed, I'd be figuring out my next shot if the deer gave me a chance, if not, I'm going to sit there & keep hunting, except in a MUCH crankier mood, (especially if it was a big buck)

 

This is what I would do also.