It happens to everyone at some point. We can practice and prepare all we want, but its inevitable. Whether the reason is misjudged yardage, nerves, the deer moved, etc. We'll see several threads about less than perfect hits this season, but few will own up to the clean miss. When was your last? Mine was Halloween last year. I had seen several bucks that morning, some were too small.....others never offered a shot. Finally had a very nice buck coming in broadside at 30 yards. He stopped, I shot and heard a loud WHACK! The buck ran off, everything looked good.....until I noticed the arrow was stuck in a small tree that I could barely see when I shot. That was a humbling moment LOL.
I missed my first deer in several seasons last year at only 7-8 yards. I felt really good about everything but I just shot right over her back. Goodness. I had hunted the entire day in the freezing rain, only to get a shot 1 hour before dark and missed. It builds character though....I guess.
2 years agos..... big 6 pointer (80"ish no brows) .. he was walking with another buck that looked just like him .... everything was perfect ....15 yards broadside .... I started bringing the pin up after I was just behind his front leg .... and for some reason my finger jerked the trigger before I was on the body .... my arrow sailed harmlessly under his chest ... I suck at bowhunting
'04 season, doe at 15 yards...came in while I was sittinging in ladder stand...only time I've ever shot bow while sitting...shot right under her...I don't know what happened...but I know I stand up the instant I see a deer anymore
if i wouldnt have missed a doe 2yrs ago i would have never shot my buck. i was sooooo down on myself, dog cussin and then went to my phone and mentally called it a day. playing solitare and txting, next thing i know here he comes!
Jeff we are talking about misses here Now I shot a bush when I was 15 trying to shoot then the biggest buck of my life. It was perfect qrt away head down, that damn bush jump right in front of me. At 23 or so I missed a huge doe at 9 yds, I shot a branch 5 ft in front of me I never trimmed
See it's ok, I have too and I have lost a few also, it happens. What fun would it be if we were perfect
Last year in late December, we had about 18" of snow on the ground with drifts up to 3'. Temps were in the low 20s with a strong north wind and on/off flurries. There was a small standing strip of corn the farmer had left due to tractor issues and I knew the deer would be going there. I bundled up and I trudged my way out there. The tree I HAD to be in was going to be a PITA to get in too. I had my climber and the tree split about 5' feet off the ground. It wasn't easy, but I finally got the both pieces attached and climbed. I stood there facing the north wind as that is the direction I figured the deer would be coming from and I wouldn't be able to hear them coming with the snow. Finally just before dark, with a frozen wet face, I saw a few deer coming. I thought this was all going to be worth it! Doe comes to 25 yards...and I sail an arrow over her back. I don't know if it was the cold, the extra clothes, misjudged yardage, or that I just sucked on that shot. I still had to get out of the damn tree and hike back to my truck. And after getting everything packed up, I sat in down in the truck and still had to smile and laugh at myself. At least I put myself in the right spot at the right time...moral victory.
My last miss was my 2nd year hunting with my recurve 13 years ago. Missed a doe at 12 yards, not sure If she ducked the arrow or If I just plain and simple whiffed the shot.
i actually saw a monster where we were hunting last december, last season snow on the ground..i actually didnt think i would see anything due to the gun season getting over just a few weeks before. I watch him for about 20 min just sittin in this brush about 40 yards away. My heart was beating the whole time, because his rack was sticking out of the bushes. He gets up and comes about 25 yards , turns broadsick, pull up my bow , put my release on, pullll back...and my arrow falls off my string bags my supressor and the deer runs away, the arrow was nok on the string good enough...what a joke, i was soooo pissed, first thing i do know make sure its on their nice and snug. You live and learn I guess..ha
Last Miss Well, mine came last year in mid October. I heard a deer walking through the woods. Where I hunt is kinda thick so I couldn't see it right away. Well, when I did finally get to see him I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. I have never been able to shoot what is considered by most to be a trophy buck. As this deer made is way to me, he stopped about 25 yds away to eat. He was in too much brush at that point to shoot so I waited as patiently as I could under the circumstances. Finally, he stepped out into a patch of turnips I had planted and gave me an open broadside shot at 23 yds. and I flat shot over his back. He then ran across the turnip plot to 35 yds and I was able to take another shot, unfortunately it was the same result, shot over his back. The buck I missed twice is the same buck in my avatar picture. He has gotten bigger and I can only hope that I have gotten better. I did want to just jump out of the tree stand after that sequence of events that evening. Thanks for listening to me ramble on this.
Last year in the early season i missed a six point at twenty yards on the ground, I was a horrible shot desision, the buckwas fully aware of me and just jumped when i shot and it was a complete miss over his back. I was disapointed i even shot at this little buck but i just got caught up in the moment.
My last clean miss was last year as well. Had a 105" or so 8 pointer come stolling by from behind me at about 20 or so yards. I had to awkardly orient myself in my stand to take the shot. When I released, I heard a not so pretty sound. My bottom cam hit my climber arm rest bar. Put a nice little dent in it. It could have been worse.
Last year I was hunting a freshly cut cornfield, had a nice 8 and two does come running all the way across the field to my stand. I rushed the shot, misjudged my distance, and shot right underneath the bucks belly. It was a clean miss but still think about it all the time.
Mine was last year, the same day I shot my buck. A buck was dogging a down down the hill from me. He was over 30 yards, but under 40. I put my 40 yard pin just below the bottom of his chest and sailed the arrow over his back. Forgot to compensate for the downhill grade. I know better than that.
I missed a coyote at 30 yards last year and a nice 8 point the year before. My arrow hit a limb ten feet in front of him. He came by at first light. Would have been my biggest buck ever
Last season I had a doe at 25 yards. I was solid as a rock and had my 25 yard pin settled right behind the shoulder. She then came in a little more and got to about 19 yards. Broadside I might add. Again, I was solid as a rock, but there was one catch... I still had my 25 YARD PIN settled on her. I just got caught up. I released that arrow and watched it fly right over her back...hell it probably gave her a buzz cut... I was pissed, but then I was relieved that I didn't wound her at all. After 2 or 3 minutes I thought about it again, and just had to laugh at myself.
My last miss was in 2007 on a coyote at 15 yards, minutes late I killed my buck at 18 :D My neighbor caught the coyote a week later in a trap 200 yards from where i missed it, it had a slight trama in its arm pit the shape of a broadhead :D
