Busted From Tree

[paleoman]

#149653

<p style=”text-align: right;”>I’m 15′ up a red pine in heavy cover today. I had a great day seeing 3 bucks but got picked off by one. Pulled back when the bucks’ head went behind a tree and when he steps past the tree I’m at full draw and he’s looking right at me, body still behind the tree. He bounced back when I had to let down. Seems the close quarters needed for trad success is elusive. I can get close but what happened is typical. I can go higher but dont enjoy nosebleeds. I pick the best tree for the area but you take the best you can find at times. How do you narrow the odds?  </p>

[Stephen Graf]

#149655

Deer hunting with a traditional bow is surely challenging!  It can be made more so by where you hunt, imo.  I find that when the deer population is more dense, the deer are less wary.  When the deer are thin, they get really jumpy.  Add to their supernatural ability to spot a hunter the fact that deer do look up and it makes getting the jump on a deer seem nearly impossible.

That said, I can find just one thing to critique in the story of how your encounter played out.  Instead of drawing when the deer’s head went behind the tree with the intension of shooting when he came back out, I would have waited till his head was behind the tree and then shot my arrow right away, before the rest of him went behind the tree.

I make this suggestion for 2 reasons:

• Drawing back and shooting right away doesn’t give the deer time to figure things out.
• Drawing back and holding a traditional bow gives the archer time to over think the shot and may cause the bowhunter’s form to slouch against the weight of the bow, depending on how long the bow must be held under tension.  All these things can add up to a missed shot.

We invest so much time and effort into hunting a deer and may only get 1 chance to shoot in a season.  When we miss the opportunity it can cause us to beat ourselves up over the “wasted” chance.  This line of thinking can destroy the joy we seek in being part of the web of life.  Even though this thinking is flawed, we all do it.  When I miss an opportunity like you did, I try to remember that even the best predators like hawks and wild cats are only successful in their stalk about 25% of the time.  When I miss, I’m in good company.

Then I try to be a good sport about it, put on my smile and give the deer a cheerful wave and salutation : ” Eat you later!”

[paleoman]

#149657

Thanks Stephen! All you say is spot on. I would not have taken up this challenge without much acceptance of most outcomes. I had a great day in everyway! From the coon I got a great pic of in the morning to the Barred Owl on a limb 30′ away that observed me with that presence owls hunting at dusk have. It was the best of days, but eventually every drought needs some rain! If he’d been in the open enough for a shot before he busted me I think I’d have seen that, hope so anyway..but as I recall that 1 more step was what I needed. I have no hunting bud these days as my best is in another state and with Covid not planning on traveling this year. Thanks for listening and taking a few to respond. Good luck in your adventures this fall and all here stay healthy! No better place than outdoors.

[Author]

Posts