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Bowhunting this past weekend, 19-21 October. Rather lengthy post.

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  SSMike 
#1 ·
Got to our lease Friday afternoon about 2 pm and was greeted with a pleasant upper 70's (almost 80) temperature with low humidity. Friday evenings hunt saw 2 does around 6:30 pm 45 yards from my tripod quickly moving away from me, I suspect they saw me! :wink: Too far for me to shoot for sure, I have set a max range of 25 - 30 yards during ideal conditions. I hunt with a AMO 60" Martin recurve that is 50# at 28", I figure my actual poundage around 56# because I have between a 29 1/2" and 30" draw. My idea range, aka very comfortable range, is 10-20 yards. I can confidently place 3 arrows in a tennis ball size area at 20 yards. My previous 5 years of hunting stick and string has only seen 2 arrows released without success. On to Saturday am, changed location, hunting from a ground blind near some heavily used trails. Arrived at 6:45 am. It's now 8:15 am and here comes a doe! 35 yards and closing in on me. WAIT! now she is parallelling me and looking straight at me! After 5 minutes of sitting complete still, she decides I am not worth getting any closer and leaves quietly! 20 minutes later I see another doe and something behind her! I can't tell what it is though because the doe has eyes on me! Same trail as before, she stops where the other doe had stopped. The trailing deer keeps coming! Another doe right? Wrong! A fairly nice looking 2.5 year old 6 point with smallish brow tines, he doesn't meet our county resitriction of 13" inside spread though so I can't shoot. I don't think he ever knew I was there. Obviously, both deer walked. They weren't too alarmed so that is good for me. Buck not eligible, doe too far my liking. I never moved and they were not skittish at all. I posed no danger that they could sense. Saturday pm I set up a little closer to where they disappeared thinking I would get closer. I was right! 3 more does come within 20-25 yards but offer no clear shot. Then I have a young 1.5 year old spike 20 yards from me. Facing me, busted. He really never offered a good shot but was all over my presence. Once again, I never moved and he walked. Although I am bound and determined to take a deer from foot with my bow, it is time to change my strategy. Sunday morning I grab my climber and off I go. This time I walk back into the trails and set up in a sturdy pine in an area that is littered with trails coming from everywhere! The same trails I had been hunting just further in the woods. In the climber at 6:30 am. Slow until 8 am when I detect movement 40 yards in front of me. Definately a deer. I am standing now and ready! HOLY COW, A BUCK! Possible shooter, I see at least 8 points! Still young though, maybe 2.5 - 3.5. I grunt and he stops, seems interested but I can't get him to come into shooing range. He gets as close as 30 yards but it's through heavy cover and I still can't tell if he makes the 13", I pretty sure he does but until I can confirm, I can't shoot! So he walks. Then, 20 minutes later here comes my chance(s)! 2 does coming up a trail single file heading right to me! Deep breaths and little movement by me and I am ready for my first bow kill! The front running doe is the bigger of the two so she is my target. They seem wary as they glance up to me. Darn these things are smart! At 12 yards I draw back and at the precise moment I release my arrow, she looks up and ducks under my shot! She ambles 15 yards further away behind some small pines while the other smaller one takes cover directly behind my tree. This enables me to renock an arrow while they stand perfectly still. Ok, renocked! Then smaller one then steps back towards her original location offering me a 15 or so yard broadside shot. So I think to myself, aim lower! Draw back, release! Same thing! She ducks the shot! Both of them hop away unharmed! By this time I am fuming! :hairout: 2 arrows released within 3 minutes and I have nothing! :cry: Well, I can't say I have nothing. I learned a great deal. One thing I learned is, these animals are not easy to hunt with stick and string. This is my sixth year of hunting with my recurve and I am only able to get 1 maybe 2 weekends per archery season. I now know why the success ratio is so low for bow hunters, I am living proof. Another thing I learned is, these missed opportunities just make my determination for sealing the deal with my recurve even greater. :wink: I have my climber in the same spot for my return on November 1st and 2nd. I hope to realize my dream of harvesting a white tail with my recurve and thus ending my six years of frustration.
 
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#4 ·
I hear you brother! The problem is, I like rifle hunting just as much as bow hunting. I do carry the bow into gun season but generally after I have shot my gun. I just like hunting period! I also try to bow hunt rabbit and other species after the white tail season has closed. This happens as I am scouting for sheds and looking for new places to abush my quarry! :smile:
igo320 said:
Don't quit hunting with your bow after bow season. Once you get that first bow kill you will sell the bang stick anyway. Good read thanks.
 
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