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You didn't kill that deer cause why?

This is a pretty fun thread to follow, it shows all the actions that go into a successful hunt. If I had to prioritize the entire list of conditions in this thread today, I'm pretty sure the list would be rearranged the next time I tried the same exercise because conditions change; I change.

My current biggest challenge is finding deer to set up on and hunt, therefore I attribute one major condition to my lack of success to not having confidence in my stand. When I lived where the was lots of buck sign, I just 'knew' the next couple seconds would be exciting - even if it didn't happen that day, I was attentive on stand.
Where I hunt now I am not confident at all that I will even see a deer so I set up as effectively as I can and soon thereafter my mind wanders to other things. I wonder how many opportunities I have 'had' without ever even realizing it.

Good thread, it may change my fate this season.
 
slonstdy said:
This year...

Doe stops in front of my tree at 11 yards behind a tight cluster of 4 - 2" diameter trees which of course are covering the vitals. I'm as cool and calm as a cat taking a nap thinking I'll be in this tree for less than 45 minutes, make a kill and be home on the couch by 11:00am. I'm waiting for her to take two more steps and then she'll have no cover to hide behind on my entire strong side, laughing in my head the whole time at how dead she is and doesn't even know it. And then HE showed up...

She whipped her head around looking past my tree so I turned my head slowly to see what alerted her. When I peeked through the evergreen tree branches covering my six, not 10 yards away was a stud of a buck just glaring at her. I knew what his intentions were by his body language and right away thought "aw crap, he's about to run her off" so I switched my focus to her and decided to take the shot before she bolted. He was off limits because I already shot a buck this year so I was strictly doe hunting. In my head I had it all worked out, put an arrow through her shoulder take out the heart and plumbing and the offside leg/shoulder, no sweat. What I didn't take into account was the small tree that grew so close to mine that it was literally touching the opposite side of where I was hanging, and it had a thin branch that grew upwards. Well when I leaned forward to aim my upper bow limb came to rest against it without me knowing until I squeezed the release trigger... :oops:

It was as if I fired a dud! I didn't feel the bow go off or even hear it go off and the arrow traveled in what looked like slow motion. When the arrow hit her it stopped!! That's when everything went full speed again and she took off faster and harder than any deer I've ever put an arrow in. As I watched 28" out of a 29" arrow waving goodbye to me with every bound she took it confirmed something went horribly wrong. Reenacting the shot sequence is when I realized that my bow limb was resting on that tree limb and said tree limb absorbed all of the bows energy instead of transferring it to the arrow.

I beat myself up to this day for not waiting longer and see how that scenario played out. Maybe she takes a few steps, maybe she only bolts 10 to 30 yards, maybe she runs away and comes back later and I get another shot opportunity.

So double down on PATIENCE
And keep your bow clear of obstructions...
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Yep. The old bow limb hit a branch mistake. Been there, done that. That would have been prevented by practice drawing. Learned that one years ago. In my case, I got lucky. I was on my tippy toes trying to clear a branch. At the shot, the bottom limb hit the branch and the arrow kicked up and actually hit the buck the throat. I was like ***? He ran off and started coughing. His tail was spinning in circles. I couldn't see him but I didn't hear him walk off either. I gave him and hour and he was stone cold dead right where I last heard him. Awesome blood trail!
 
Had a funny one a couple weeks ago. Hanging on a couple nutall oaks, I setup on the one that appeared to be the primary. The other tree is 40 yards away. As the afternoon progressed it became obvious that the tree I was on had been primary but the deer were just switching to the other tree. Finally though had a group of 5 does and little ones that showed up at the other tree and fed for a while before 2 of the little ones came over to my setup and began feeding. A couple minutes passed and one of the big does started feeding our way. About that time the little doe under me got choked on an acorn, gagged and coughed up the acorn during which commotion she bucked around a couple times. When the acorn dislodged and went flying, she froze with this sort of bewildered look seeming to not understand what happened and then snorted twice and ran a couple 20 yard circles. It was quite comical other than the fact that all of her foolery put the big does on edge and they decided it was time to move on, never getting into good bow range. I am fairly certain if the little button buck had run over and gave her the hind lick maneuver, I would have gotten a crack at one of the big does.
 
2017 - kept moving to make sure the big buck was in frame on camera. (First filmed hunt). Got picked off and he blew.

2021 - Hoped/planned for a closer shot even though it was already in bow range and broadside. Deer decided to take a different trail and walk out of range.
 
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tylerray378 said:
2017 - kept moving to make sure the big buck was in frame on camera. (First filmed hunt). Got picked off and he blew.

2021 - Hoped/planned for a closer shot even though it was in range. Deer decided to take a different trail and walk out of range.
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Yep. Been there, done that. I once had beautiful 145" 10 pt in full velvet at 19 yds. The does took the left fork of the trail and walked broadside to my right giving me a perfect shot.(I'm lefty) He stopped at the trail junction. Slightly quartering to me. I passed and waited for that perfect shot that I just "knew" was going to happen. Well it didn't. Instead he turned to the right and walked directly under the tree to my left at 3 yds. There was no shot behind me to my left so my only option was to try and force a straight down shot. I hit a limb and he was gone forever. He died later that week from EHD. (We lost 75% of herd that August and Sept to EHD). That was my one and only opportunity at P & Y class deer in velvet in my life. I should have shot him at 19yds. Easy shot. Lesson learned. Shoot at the 1st good opportunity!
 
I know the point of this thread is to improve, but it also just REALLY helps to know that you're not alone in being a gigantic screw up!

I had a great bow season, killed 3 does and 1 buck all on public. I practiced, practiced, and practiced some more this summer. I was so comfortable with my set up, I could do it with my eyes closed.

Then comes muzzleloader and gun seasons. I fire my obligatory shot to make sure my 2 rifles are still sited in. yup and yup. now go to the public and proceed to miss 3 does in a row with my muzzleloader and what would have been my best buck to date with my 12 gauge slug gun. Both rifles were taken back to my range because surely the scopes had been bumped are were now off. Nope both guns still perfect.

Lesson: I only ever shoot my guns from a rest on the range with eye and ear protection. I am relaxed and I surprise myself with the trigger pull and always shoot perfect. In the woods I am the opposite of relaxed, shooting off hand through ultra thick cover, at weird angles never before tried by muscles I have never before used. This won't apply to you if you're just hunting box blinds or ladder stands and have a nice spot to rest your gun, but if you gun hunt out of a saddle on ground you've never hunted before, practice your dad-gum shot angles and practice how to dad-gum steady yourself in your saddle before you shoot. Missing that dad-gum 120 inch public land buck still feels like a kick in the nutz. And deez nutz will likely be sore for a while cuz of it. don't do what I did y'all.
 
No confidence!
I bought a rattle bag that I really didn't have any confidence in. I was up in a tree and decided to try it anyway. I gave it a few rattles and decided this thing is not going to work so I turned and put it back in my pack. I turned back around and there is this nice eight in the trail 15 yards away looking right at me. He didn't stick around!
 
rutjr said:
No confidence!
I bought a rattle bag that I really didn't have any confidence in. I was up in a tree and decided to try it anyway. I gave it a few rattles and decided this thing is not going to work so I turned and put it back in my pack. I turned back around and there is this nice eight in the trail 15 yards away looking right at me. He didn't stick around!
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That highlights popup deer. Freakin popup deer used to bust me all the time before learned my ninjer skillz of not existing in sight of the deers. Just look around and the durned things are standing inside 15 steps and you have clear view for 75-100 yards in every direction. Just popped up is the only explanation. Now they get stoinked when they try that crap.
 
philsanchez76 said:
I know the point of this thread is to improve, but it also just REALLY helps to know that you're not alone in being a gigantic screw up!

I had a great bow season, killed 3 does and 1 buck all on public. I practiced, practiced, and practiced some more this summer. I was so comfortable with my set up, I could do it with my eyes closed.

Then comes muzzleloader and gun seasons. I fire my obligatory shot to make sure my 2 rifles are still sited in. yup and yup. now go to the public and proceed to miss 3 does in a row with my muzzleloader and what would have been my best buck to date with my 12 gauge slug gun. Both rifles were taken back to my range because surely the scopes had been bumped are were now off. Nope both guns still perfect.

Lesson: I only ever shoot my guns from a rest on the range with eye and ear protection. I am relaxed and I surprise myself with the trigger pull and always shoot perfect. In the woods I am the opposite of relaxed, shooting off hand through ultra thick cover, at weird angles never before tried by muscles I have never before used. This won't apply to you if you're just hunting box blinds or ladder stands and have a nice spot to rest your gun, but if you gun hunt out of a saddle on ground you've never hunted before, practice your dad-gum shot angles and practice how to dad-gum steady yourself in your saddle before you shoot. Missing that dad-gum 120 inch public land buck still feels like a kick in the nutz. And deez nutz will likely be sore for a while cuz of it. don't do what I did y'all.
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Missing is part of it. At times, it definitely feels like a kick in the nuts. I have few that haunt me. Last year I took my SnL to my property. Generally the rule is no rifle hunting on the my property. I figured it would be a slam dunk w/ rifle for him to kill a nice WT Buck from the treestand. He is great shot in the mountains for elk and mule deer. However, he missed multiple times due to impatience. When finally got that gimme shot at 100yds the last day the last after noon he missed, he missed that one too. It's never a gimme!
 
rutjr said:
It's dark! Are you out of the woods yet?
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Yep. My wife used to do that to me all the time. There's poor service on my property. Sometimes I can't call her. She would call. "Why aren't you yet? I was worried." I finally told her if I'm not home by 10PM then you can get worried. Most likely I'm tracking a deer or it's long walk back to the truck, or I'm moving a stand. After all these years, you think she would learn sometimes I get home late. However it's better than not having someone care about your well being.
 
1simplemann said:
Yep. My wife used to do that to me all the time. There's poor service on my property. Sometimes I can't call her. She would call. "Why aren't you yet? I was worried." I finally told her if I'm not home by 10PM then you can get worried. Most likely I'm tracking a deer or it's long walk back to the truck, or I'm moving a stand. After all these years, you think she would learn sometimes I get home late. However it's better than not having someone care about your well being.
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mine said she just wants to make sure I’m coming back to help with the kids. Body cast is acceptable attire if I fall out and need medical treatment lol
 
My wife sometimes just doesn't understand the logistics. When I'm elk hunting the mountains. You hunt till dark. Your an hourhike away from the truck, and you have 1 1/2 -2 hour drive home. In Sept it gets dark at 730PM. So your getting home at 10PM or later. That's IF everything goes right or you haven't shot something. 12midnight arrival home has happened before and she's wreck. " Why didn't you call sooner?" I explain to her there isn't cell tower on every friggn' mountain!
 
bigmike23 said:
This year, squeaky beast stand and playing on my phone at last light
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I read your thread about your hunt. I felt your pain. It was what inspired me to post this thread in the 1st place. I have heard so many stories similar to yours over the years. I have had it happen myself. The old Loc On Lem stands used pop pretty loud if you couldn't get them tight. More than once they gave me away. I switched to LW stands and eliminated that problem.
 
I still got my buck, but was texting with @Scott F while in the tree the other evening and the phone is a major distraction and could have easily cost me the shot had it been a few mins later - he cam confirm the time from last text to shot! Do as I say and not as I do and put the phone in airplane mode and wear a watch to check time without being tempted to surf! it has cost me in the past.
 
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