need a peptalk. blew my first ever 'saddle shot op'

[hickstick]

this is my third season saddle hunting. first year rattled in one buck to 50 yards, when he didn't see another buck he locked up and wouldn't come closer. my only deer sighting that year. last year was a little better, saw a couple does out of range, and had a big 8 point come cruising through, nose to ground 45 yards out and wouldn't stop or came to calls.

so far this year, its been a banner year for sightings...seen deer every time out and even passed up a couple shots on a yearling. that was until Saturday night. I couldn't hunt the AM so I got up in my saddle about 1:45, and settled in. hit the can call at about 3:30, thought I heard one coming in from the opposite side of the hay field I'm sitting off of. but never materialized. pulled out my phone to post some pics of my bow hanger that someone requested here, when I heard a splash (everything is flooded here. way above normal rain for november plus snow on ground from Friday.). I peer around the tree and see a buck crossing the field toward me. great! exactly to script, lol coming in on my strong side shot on the run that will put him 15 yards broadside...except now I have to sneak my phone back in my pocket, pick up my bow and start my shot prep. first ever deer in range of my saddle and its a beautiful 8 point, big bodied deer. I start to lean out for the strong side shot and bring my bow up while is head is down behind a tree.

heres the run he was on...

few more steps and he stops and starts to veer to the 20 yard run and as he turns his head is again obscured so I draw and anchor. he's quartering away, about 18yards, on my strong side (left of tree)....couldn't be more perfect right?

I send it....lined up perfect as it arcs to its....$%#$% he must of sense something (I shoot trad so my bow is pretty quiet), and ducked at the last second.

where I hunt in central MA there aren't a ton of deer. I'm already way above avg for sightings and 'usually' only get one shot op a season. Did I just blow it?!? I'm feeling so dejected. can't get out again until wednesday morning...but almost don't feel like even going. pep me up guys

 

[fbwguy]

It will be fine! I’ve blown it several times this year, but persistence has paid off. Especially with the bow, no loud bang, not as bad on he spook. You’ll nail em!!! Don’t give up

 

[bigjoe]

Hang in there. Trad is the hardest all hunting imo.

 

[Bogle]

That's why you shoot Trad, the challenge. It sounds to me like you did everything right if you got that close to a mature buck. Truth is, a 20 yd shot in the cold with traditional equipment is a tough shot even for the best shooters. Personally, I would jump right back in the same area as I bet you get another crack at him. Also, I would analyse why I thought he ducked the arrow and what I could do differently next time. Did he cross your entry or exit trail, what was the wind doing, did you accidentally hit a branch, is it possible the arrow made noise etc..........?

 

[hickstick]

yea, bogle...def need to look at some stuff. been shooting these same arrows for many years. the fletching is pretty warn on the edges and I wonder if its making a hiss or something. he did cross my entry trail but was beyond it at the point when I shot, he was downhill and could have been a thermal issue I suppose. I always take a Judo arrow up in the tree with me and shortly after settling in take a shot out at the edge of my range at a leaf or rotten log or something (as an equipment check, and as a 'warm up')....the judo arrow was at my 7 oclock facing the tree and the buck was at my 10 oclock. so I don't think he got a wiff of that....

 

[EricS]

Sometimes it just happens. They aren’t necessarily ducking to miss the arrow. That’s just the way they coil up to make that first big leap. Anything from your scent to another deer could have just had him tense and wound up. I had a buck Saturday that caught wind of something upwind. There were turkeys and probably deer that way but shouldn’t have been anyone close by. I watched a doe come unglued and blow for 30 minutes after coming nose to nose with a fox squirrel.
I would check everything just to give yourself a confidence boost and go kill your buck.

 

[gadrenalin]

That’s why it’s called deer hunting instead of deer shooting. I would not think you blew him out of the area, he probably does not know what it was that spooked him either! Get back up there and stay on that bottom heart shot.

 

[DaveH]

Hey, stuff happens! The good news is that you didn't wound him. Double check your equipment and, if possible, shoot a few extra practice shots from a similar elevation/distance. Then, shake off that missed shot and climb back up there. Good luck.

 

[Stanlew24]

Last time I was out I’m sitting in my stand, no interest in the saddle yet.... I’m there an hour before sunup and it’s 19 degrees. It’s a nice sunrise and then clouds move in and it warms up a bit. About 10:30 I see movement. I’m in the woods 20 yards right across from where the deer come out of bedding in thick cover next to a marsh. Perfect spot. There is a path that from an old walking path. This is a forest preserve I have permission to hunt for a management program. Only me from the beginning of the season to the middle of November. Where the deer come out is pretty thick, I can see them, but they can’t see me. It’s a 35 yard shot, and I can put 5 on a playing card at 35, if they hit the path they are broadside at 18 yards. Well the movement was the best buck I ever had in bow range. I started to draw as soon as I saw movement and I had to hold because he was looking around. He looked behind himself and I anchored, my shoulder started to burn. He took one step out and I have a beautiful heart shot lined up. I pulled the shot and sent it wide. He heard the shot and started to turn. I shaved him. There was hair on the ground and on my arrow but no blood. If I had waited just a few seconds I could have had him. That might be the last shot I have at a deer this season because I’m relegated to public land an hour away, and the colder it gets the more I want to ice fish.

 

[Dragsmack]

I bet he spooked from that weird orange line with an arrow on the ground...