Screw Up’s

[shmelton]

I made a post on the “Who’s left their bow in the tree overnight” that brought back some real gut wrenching memories…I just thought I’d share them. I’ve screwed up on 3 BIG deer in my life, and by god it still all three situations give me chills to this day. I’ll share my stories if you share yours, lol.

1. 2007 the day before Thanksgiving…

I was 27 yrs old. This was the 1st yr I went Archery Only. I had been hunting this 300 acre tract we’d had for years. I was hunting a run line that was FRESH, and the trees rubbed were bigger than any rubbed trees I’d seen before. A guest of ours said he’d seen a boomer in there the yr before. I get in the stand about 10am. I love hunting midday in Nov. Around 12:30 I get the hankering for some peanut butter crackers that were in my bag. I’m eat a couple of crackers, and set them in my lap so I could play on my BlackBerry. I heard something tromp around in the woods to my right. I didn’t think anything of it because the Bluebirds had migrated in and were eating old privet berries. I looked up from my phone and there is a 12 pt standing 15 yds broadside. He’s BIG, at that time I could have sat in his rack. He quarters away and starts browsing, I decided that it was a good time to stand up. Wellllll…I forgot the crackers were in my lap, and they bounced off the climber bottom, as they fell out of the tree. That BIG SOB turned around, looked at me, and just disappeared out of my life like a one night stand in college. It still makes me want to cry.

I learned 3 valuable lessons that day. Don’t sit more than a couple of minutes, don’t put anything in your lap if you are, and don’t every blow off ground noise as a bird or a skwerl. Always look.

I’ll share my other two later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zero One Actual]

I bet it’s because they weren’t the hunter orange peanut butter crackers. Probably the whole wheat ones. Easier to see.

 

[Zero One Actual]

Two seasons ago I was in PA public land. Friend and I go sit at a great spot. We sit for hours. It was in the teens. The sideways snow and wind roll in and we decide to stay for “just a little bit longer” which turns into an hour or so. Well I start shivering. I run a little chest rig. Keep in mind we have been here for about four hours now with nothing. I go into my chest rig to get two hand warmers to place in my gloves so I’m no head down with both hands tied up putting hand warms in my gloves slowly and quietly. Next thing I hear is my buddy about fifty yards away from me actually yell out loud at me. A giant buck was walking right below me at 20 yards broad side on my strong side. Aka the layup shot I practice all year from my yard to my 3D targets. We both watched him stroll right by. To make it worse, my local friend showed me the same buck on his trail cam last season also looking even better.

 

[woodsdog2]

I’ve relayed my “big buck comes in while peeing” before here…… if I find it, I’ll copy and paste it here. The “screw-up” was twenty years ago many of us thought you couldn’t pee near your stand or the bucks would smell it and shy from you. I’ve had enough evidence now to feel that the sound and in many circumstances the smell of pee and peeing actually may attract deer and bucks, especially if the wind is right and you mix it with other deer sounds.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Not exactly a screw up but more inexperience. Early in my hunting career, before I killed any buck larger than a basket rack I was gun hunting way down on a SMZ that ran along a deep creek and butted up to some mature pines. On either side of the SMZ was 3 or 4 year old pines, and very thick. I sat until 10 or so and something just told me to sit all day. I had not done many all day sits up to this point. I also had no food or water, nothing. I sat on stand until 4:45 with nothing until I caught a glimpse of something big bodied walking in the mature pines about 60 yards to my direct front. The first thought that went through my head was someone's donkey had escaped from a pasture somewhere. The body was just that big.

From the way it was headed it knew it would reach the cutover and likely go wither to the right or left. If it went left, I would never see it. If it went right, it would walk by me at 20 yards or less. It moves out of sight and seconds tick by. As soon as I could no longer see it, I stood up and got ready. Soon I see it coming down the edge of the SMZ and the pines. I push off the safety of the 30-06. Soon it will be in a shooting lane. This is about the point I get my first look at its headgear. It is tall, really tall and very heavy with dark chocolate horns. In my mind it think it was a ten point. I'm not entirely sure. It was just huge. That is all I can say for absolute certainty. I would guess it to be in the 160's to 170's. It is without a doubt the biggest buck I have seen on the hoof to date.

It walks right up to an opening, and I can see its head and neck, The crosshairs are on its neck. I'm thinking just give me a little shoulder and I'll give you a 180 Partition. No dice. He backs up and walks around a group of trees with thick brush and then he sticks his head out from behind that. Once again, I have settled the crosshairs on his neck. He looks around a bit and then backs up and eases off and out of my life forever.

Given that scenario today I would have shot him through the neck as far back as I could place it. Back then, the sight of that buck had the same effect on me as if I had seen a flying saucer hovering over the cutover.

 

[shmelton]

I bet it’s because they weren’t the hunter orange peanut butter crackers. Probably the whole wheat ones. Easier to see.

I only eat Nekot PB crackers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The_Fit_Ness_Monster]

Dang that’s tough. I had a day when I was sitting in the stand and after a while of not seeing anything I usually go to reading on my phone or random thoughts or whatever, well after a bit I guess I zoned out and totally forgot I was hunting and had to be quiet, I get to coughing as if I’m in my living room and as I let the first one out loudly I immediately realize what I just did as I also watch 3-5 deer (does and small bucks) sprint for the hills and out of sight, bummer. Another gut wrenching one for me though it was out of my control still haunts me to this day, my birthday 2017 (Jan 4) I was hunting in Tensas reserve and it was a brutal winter we had that Jan. To this day what would’ve been the biggest buck I would’ve ever killed rack and stature wise, walks out directly under me, has no idea I’m there and as I start to draw about midway through the drawcycle my shoulder pops out of socket, a muffled screech from me and the arrow goes flying in an unknown direction, the buck obviously turns to see me in pain and high tails it. That happened around 3pm and I sat there hating myself until I got down around 8pm. And now every time I have to draw my bow at that angle (though I know how to do it to avoid the shoulder thing yet I forget sometimes) I’m thinking the whole time is it gunna go now? Now? Now?. Good thing is it only happens with my compound and I’m not using it this year. The recurve gives me no problems.

 

[thedutchtouch]

I've posted about both of these before I think, but last season I was swapping nocks to put in some lighted ones, and on one of my arrows it made a different clicking sound when inserted it than the rest. I couldn't tell any difference visually so wrote it off and put it in my quiver. Next trip out, I had my first real chance at a good buck (it seemed huge to me at the time but to be honest it was probably a basket rack). He followed a doe in all the way to 10-15 yards, I drew back and the arrow sailed over his back and the nock "didn't light". A bit later when I got down and found the arrow, no nock. Pretty sure that click was the nock cracking, and when I shot it broke all the way. Lucky I didn't get hurt I suppose, but unlucky that I missed the deer because of a preventable equipment failure. The doe spooked when I tried to get a second arrow out, and I never saw either again.

My first buck attempt ever in my first season hunting(4 ish point but seemed pretty big body wise to me at the time) I'd pivoted around in the saddle and when I went to draw, drew my elbow straight back into the tree, giving myself away. that one didn't work out either lol.


I've made quite a few other errors but those ones spring to mind the fastest.

 

[shmelton]

Screw up #2

It was Oct, 29 2021 I was hunting out of a 25’ ladder stand I’ve had in a spot on my property for years. It was a cool crisp morning. The kind of morning you get in late Oct that just makes the sticker peck out. The day prior I had a pic of a shooter 8 bedding near a cell cam I had just stuck out, and I was in there hunting him. Around 10:15am I see a mature looking deer come behind the stand at about 75 yds. I couldn’t see his rack really well, but I remember thinking those antlers are really far apart. “He’s about to catch my wind he’ll be out of here in 30 secs” I say to myself. I take a gulp of my coffee out of my metal thermos just before he turns and starts walking my way. He clears the brush, and he’s is a monster 10. He’s easily a 150” deer. He’s the biggest deer I’ve ever seen on my property. I’d never seen this deer before. My neighbors have never even seen this deer before. I don’t know where the heck he came from. Anyway, he’s closing the gap moving to the left. All the while I still have my coffee cup in my hand. He gets to about 40 yds, and I decide it’s time to go to work. I range a spot that he should cross through, set the pin to 20 yds. I then decide I need to do something with the damn thermos so I can pick up my bow. I was holding the thermos the whole time because it was keeping my hands warm. As I attempt to put my thermos in the cup holder on my pack I hit a buckle on the chest strap of my harness. It makes the perfect little TING the deer 3 counties over heard. That was all it took. He Gone! I never saw him again. I did kill the target 8 45 mins later. It was bitter sweet. I stealth stripped my thermos when I got home.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BackSpasm]

When I was first on the slow bowhunting learning curve I had a giant come in during the rut on the tail of a hot doe. I was such a rookie I was shaken up at the doe appearing and whiffed a shot under her belly at 15. Then a forky came through and i got another another arrow thinking I might try to stick him as well. About that time I hear a deep grunt from the direction they came from and I look up a stud is nose down on her trail that leads right to the base of my tree. Im talking twisted 12 inch dagger bladed brow tine on a 140s main frame 10. He came right in on a string and I fell apart. I managed to get the string halfway back and sailed an arrow lackadaisically about 15 feet above his back. He just looked at me calmly, stood there as I tried to get another arrow out and slowly walked away after the doe, grunting as he went. Never have I felt more useless in my life

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Here's just one of so, so many . . . .

Back up 32 years and I was hunting over a huge bait pile. In those days baiting was legal with no limits on how much. I had by that time figured out that deer would pattern me in the stand around bait so I solved the problem by dumping a pickup truckload of apple pulp from a local fruit processor in the woods early and then left it alone until rut started figuring that the does would get comfortable there and the bucks would come looking for the does. My first sit of the season on the pile in the morning I had several does and a small buck come into the bait and when I first saw them I stood up and once I knew there wasn't a deer with them I wanted to shoot I sat back down.

In those days I wore a camo full coverall that I knew I had to lift in the shoulders when I sat down in order to get enough slack in it so I could properly flex my shoulders and draw the bow if I needed to while sitting. Well, this time I neglected to do that. These deer were happily munching apple pulp for the better part of an hour while I sat undetected 20 yds away in my treestand. All of sudden in walks a nice 10 point, probably something in the range of 120" but definitely really respectable for this area and that time frame. I had never seen this buck before. With all the eyes at the bait pile I couldn't possibly stand up without getting busted but no problem . . . I practice sitting shots for just this occasion. He's just shy of the pile when I pick up the bow and try to draw . . . I get it halfway back but no further . . . no way, the coveralls are just pulled to tight around my shoulders and I'm sitting with all my weight on them.

While the deer are all skirting around the buck below I managed to rehang my bow and pull up a little slack into my shoulders . . . oh good I'm still undetected. I pick up the bow again and start my draw cycle . . . . in mid draw the arrow comes unnocked and falls from the bow rattling off the treestand and through the branches to the ground below. All the deer scatter out of there but the buck. He just stands down there looking up at me like he's saying "Dumbdonkey!". Then he turns a trots after the does. I never saw him again either. Best I can figure is that the arrow came slightly unnocked during the first draw attempt and let down and came off the rest of the way during the second.

 

[Still Kicking]

When learning how to hunt deer in the 60's I made what I felt was the best blind ever in a pin oak in the corner of a clover field near a creek with several heavily used trails converging about 10 yards from my stand. I hunted it the next Friday evening after work and a really wide rack buck was coming up the trail toward me (up hill). He looked up right at me when he was still 30 yards away and stomped and spun and ran away. This was my first lesson on being silhouetted with the sun behind me. Most of my lessons were learned the hard way and I'm not done learning yet.

 

[shmelton]

When learning how to hunt deer in the 60's I made what I felt was the best blind ever in a pin oak in the corner of a clover field near a creek with several heavily used trails converging about 10 yards from my stand. I hunted it the next Friday evening after work and a really wide rack buck was coming up the trail toward me (up hill). He looked up right at me when he was still 30 yards away and stomped and spun and ran away. This was my first lesson on being silhouetted with the sun behind me. Most of my lessons were learned the hard way and I'm not done learning yet.

If you aren’t learning you aren’t hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sweats]

It was 2-3 years ago, and my first (bow)hunt of the year. I had picked out a relatively small tree about 10 yards off a large trail. I get setup and realize a small sapling is taller than I thought and blocking my shooting lane. I grudgingly climb down and cut the sapling down, making a lot of noise and putting my scent all over the place. I climb back up, thinking about how my hunt is shot and I should have climbed beforehand to avoid the whole thing.

A big buck comes running hard down the trail and stops in my new shooting lane. He's looking at me, but doesn't spook. I couldn't even get my bow off the hook since he was staring at me so I just had to watch him trot off.

I don't know if I would have been able to react fast enough, but not being in the right state of mind and primed for the moment didn't help.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[GCTerpfan]

My last one.

Don't shoot at squirrels

The last 3 days was Maryland's 3-day Early muzzleloader season. I decided to carry my recurve to try and shoot another doe. About 9:00 a.m. I had a big fat gray squirrel running around the base of my tree. As I was was watching it I was thinking about all of the squirrels I have passed up with...

saddlehunter.com

 

[Halfstep]

One afternoon I was in the back yard taking a few practice shots and my son said, " shoot that target over there". The target was about 60 yards away, so I adjusted the sight. The sight was a slider, and I had a 60-yard mark. I took the shot and hit the target. It was getting late, and I went inside.

The next day it rained that morning and most of the afternoon but unexpectedly stopped in time to go hunting. I quickly gathered my bow and pack and headed down the road to a stand. It was only about 1/2 mile from the house, so I footed it and hurried to get there. It was quiet since it just rained, and I got to the stand without making a bunch of noise.

I sat there about 10 minutes and looked up and seen a nice buck headed my way. The buck passed behind me and turned and walked into a good shooting lane 24 yards away. I drew and let out a good shoot and watched the arrow soar a foot over the top of his back. The buck didn't hang around and disappeared out of sight into the thicket.

I was in disbelief and wondered what happened. I looked at my sight and seen it was still set on 60 yards. I never moved it back to the 20-yard mark after taking the 60-yard practice shot the night before.

 

[Fgirtyman]

I made a post on the “Who’s left their bow in the tree overnight” that brought back some real gut wrenching memories…I just thought I’d share them. I’ve screwed up on 3 BIG deer in my life, and by god it still all three situations give me chills to this day. I’ll share my stories if you share yours, lol.

1. 2007 the day before Thanksgiving…

I was 27 yrs old. This was the 1st yr I went Archery Only. I had been hunting this 300 acre tract we’d had for years. I was hunting a run line that was FRESH, and the trees rubbed were bigger than any rubbed trees I’d seen before. A guest of ours said he’d seen a boomer in there the yr before. I get in the stand about 10am. I love hunting midday in Nov. Around 12:30 I get the hankering for some peanut butter crackers that were in my bag. I’m eat a couple of crackers, and set them in my lap so I could play on my BlackBerry. I heard something tromp around in the woods to my right. I didn’t think anything of it because the Bluebirds had migrated in and were eating old privet berries. I looked up from my phone and there is a 12 pt standing 15 yds broadside. He’s BIG, at that time I could have sat in his rack. He quarters away and starts browsing, I decided that it was a good time to stand up. Wellllll…I forgot the crackers were in my lap, and they bounced off the climber bottom, as they fell out of the tree. That BIG SOB turned around, looked at me, and just disappeared out of my life like a one night stand in college. It still makes me want to cry.

I learned 3 valuable lessons that day. Don’t sit more than a couple of minutes, don’t put anything in your lap if you are, and don’t every blow off ground noise as a bird or a skwerl. Always look.

I’ll share my other two later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I first started bowhunting many moons ago I made my own Port Orford cedar arrows. I glued on my single blade Zwickey broadheads.
One of my first times out deer hunting I sat in someones old 2x4 tree stand, not to bright but looked safe at the time. After sitting about an hour I heard something walking around me thru some blackberry brambles. It was a small maybe fork buck and could have been my first buck.
I remember shaking like a leaf... my knees knocking as he got closer. I had an opening at about 15 yards and what seemed like hours he finally got into the opening... I drew back the bow so fast and hard the back of the Zwickey broadhead either hit the back of my hand or the riser of my bear recurve, I can't remember which but the broadhead came off the arrow and fell to the ground.
I panicked and released the arrow into the next county, broadhead laying on the ground and watched the small buck bound off.
I must not have glued the FN thing on good enough. I laugh about it now but I was pretty upset with myself at the time.
One of my many screw ups!!

Someone once said it doesn't make you any more of a man to kill a deer or any less of one to miss one. I felt quite a bit less than a man that day!

 

[shmelton]

#3

This is a compounded screw up. It was Nov 4 2022. I was hunting in NE KS chasing a monster non typical for 6 days straight. The weather last yr horrible for the 1st week in Nov. It was mid 70’s and 20 mph winds all week. That morning a big weather system came in and I think it dropped from 70 at daylight to 38 by 4 pm. It was a day you knew something was going to die. I get in the stand around 2 when the thunderstorms were finally gone. At around 3pm I decide with all of my infinite wisdom I’m going to dump a whole bottle of Golden Estrus out at the base of the tree I’m hunting. An hour later I hear grunting coming towards me. I get my bow in hand and it’s time to party. The buck I’m after walks on a string to 6 yds. I can’t shoot because of there is to many cedar and hedge tree branches between he and I. He then turns to go check a scrape about 15 yds behind me. He quartered away, but I still would have had to run it up his gut to hit the vitals. He’ paying no attention to me at all. We he quarters perfect, and turns his head away. I hadn’t drawn already, because he was to close, especially being only about 12’ off the ground. Well as soon as I go to draw I hear a thud, and an arrow rattle. He dang sure heard it, and out of this world he went. At some point while I was standing there bow in hand ready to party, I let my index finger get on the front side of the trigger. I use a hook release that has a LIGHT trigger on it. I thought I trained myself not to have my finger in front of it when I’m drawing because this has happened before during practice. Well apparently I regressed in my training, and made a very rookie mistake.

10 mins later I had another shooter 8 do the same thing. I didn’t even pick up my bow hoping the 1st buck may come back around, hoping he wasn’t burned. Im glad I didn’t shoot the 8. The top pic is the buck I screwed up on 1st. Bottom pic is from recently. The deer on the right is the 1st buck that came through. We are thinking the left buck is the 8 I passed on last yr. I’m kinda glad I get a chance at the 1st buck again this yr.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigmike23]

Biggest deer I've encountered yet on public land in 2021 came in 4 minutes before end of shooting time. He snuck in behind me and only heard him when he was 20 yards behind me. The angle he was at required me to stand up and turn and face him. When I stood my Beast stand decided to Autistically shriek and that was that