My Trad Bowhunting season is (not) over!

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#3152

(Update down the thread below! Sorry for the commotion)

Yup! It is! Sorry for this long post! I’m not really sure why I’m even posting it! looking for advice, screaming for help, feeling sorry for myself, needing y’all to feel sorry for me, etc… I don’t know!

I hit my honey hole ground blind this morning before light. it was windy as all get out! I was sure nothing was going to come thru! 8AM, a young doe an a fawn come thru. I was about to shoot her when I heard more steps down below: a young 8 pointer followed by a 4 pointer, followed by another doe. to make a long, sad story short, I shot over the back of the 8 pointer, in front of the 4 pointer, and in the diaphragm/liver of the doe! all at 18-20 yards! The first shot was missed because in the heat of the moment I forgot to lift the little arrow-shaped gizmo that keeps the arrow on shelf out of the way , so the arrow flew FUBAR. (got it at 3rivers). The others, I missed because my shooting is evidently not solid enough in a heart pounding hunting situation this year! I looked for this doe until dark. that’s 7 hours!! I didn’t find her! I know she’s dead but I’m really angry at myself for hitting the woods seemingly unprepared.

Working on the road a lot, Marine corps Marathon training, living in New York City! All of that is not conducive to a proper traditional archery hunting season practice, EVEN when I can drill them in at 40 yards during the few practice sessions I allowed myself to have this year. I did not practice enough, definitely, and I didn’t practice with a deer target, which I always did before!

So I’m done with the Shrew for this year… I think…

Feedback, my friends? I can use some!

[David Fudala]

#17040

Whoaaaa there big fella! Breath… This doesn’t sound at all like a form, technique, practice what have you problem at all. This sounds like a too much stimuli problem! So many times I’ve read posts about wounded animals (not only here) and what it sometimes seems to boil down to is, ya may have just gotten a wee bit too excited and muffed a shot? Now from what I’ve read before Alex, your no slouch of a shot. Traditional gear or conventional, we all take the inherent risk while attempting to harvest wild animals that this may be the outcome. And while I have the utmost respect for your disappointment in yourself. Do not punish yourself and shun your chosen weapon for the outcome. Take some time, let it simmer and then go back and look at your shrew and tell it that it’s season is over.

[Col Mike]

#17044

Alex

I have seen you shoot and you shoot well. Believe you covered all the stress that made you flub the shot. Did your best to recover the deer. It happens.

Not sure I understand the meaning of your subject line—If the hunt means only a kill to you then why not a gun? Me thinks you need to take a deep breath and perhaps a glass of red vino and relax. Spend a day in the woods just getting your thoughts in order–then pick up the elk heart and hunt.

For now focus on the race and when you hunt again make that your priority—Life is to short to rush from task to task for the tasks then loose their significance.

And don’t forget the visit out here:D We love you brother.

Semper Fi

Mike

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#17058

thank you for this words of wisdom, guys. Yeah my post is a little bitchy, and I just have to deal with what I’ve done. I’m just angry at myself when hurting anyone, and especially animals! I will think about what you said and figure it out! 🙁

Mike, to me the hunt means hunting, and if shooting, killing. Not flinging arrows to smithereens, emptying the freakin’ quiver!! There are many steps to an instinctive, traditional shooting sequence. All of them have to be automatic, flowing, and in sync in order to make a good shot. I guess I’m not able to do that at this time in 2014. I will visit you guys for sure! 😀

[David Coulter]

#17092

Hi Alex. With all respects to your convictions, please give yourself a little room to breath. With all the feeling you have for the situation it only means one thing to me. You are exactly the kind of hunter who should be in the woods! Take a breather and work through it. Maybe a little stumping would serve you well. I wish you all the best, dwc

[Patrick]

#17263

It’s tough losing an animal, but it happens. After taking everyone else’s advice, you’ve calmed down, and regained perspective…saw the compound in half. 😉

[jpc]

#17562

Hi Alex,

You wrote :

So I’m done with the Shrew for this year… I think… I went and got my untouched 10 year old compound out of my storage place upstate, and after 5 minutes, I had groups of 3 arrows within 1/2 inch from each other at 15, 20, and 25 yards. I want to keep hunting, but I don’t want to wound another deer.

France is not different I know ball trap champions who are true strainers when hunting

I think a good bowhunter must shoot game as he shoot 3D target without emotion, without trembling, without his heart accelerates

And this, is not the case for all

if you have the opportunity get unarmed on a TS in a place where bears are, look at them moving eating a few meters from you

When you remain the like you’re in front of your TV you can hunt with a bow with every chance of success

If not look at small game for a time 😕

[Stephen Graf]

#17628

I don’t have any wise words for you. I am still wondering how you can get so many deer in front of you and shoot 3 arrows at them without them spooking.

Sounds to me like you don’t need a bow and arrow to hunt in New York, just bring your knife and fork and eat them where they stand 😯

Killing is a merciless act, for both the killer and the killed. As you know, there are no take backs. As you also know, anyone who hunts for any length of time will experience what you did.

At the risk of sounding cliche, you french are so hot blooded. Get over it, and go hunting!

P.S. – You think you are experiencing self loathing now, go shoot a deer with the compound and see how you feel.

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#17629

jpc wrote: Hi Alex,

You wrote :

So I’m done with the Shrew for this year… I think… I went and got my untouched 10 year old compound out of my storage place upstate, and after 5 minutes, I had groups of 3 arrows within 1/2 inch from each other at 15, 20, and 25 yards. I want to keep hunting, but I don’t want to wound another deer.

France is not different I know ball trap champions who are true strainers when hunting

I think a good bowhunter must shoot game as he shoot 3D target without emotion, without trembling, without his heart accelerates

And this, is not the case for all

if you have the opportunity get unarmed on a TS in a place where bears are, look at them moving eating a few meters from you

When you remain the like you’re in front of your TV you can hunt with a bow with every chance of success

If not look at small game for a time 😕

Salut tu nas pas bien compris mon histoire. Je suis uniquement chasseur. Zéro tireur sur cible. J’explique que je n’ai pas pratiqué “cette année” comme il fallait.

A+

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#17670

Alex –

I have no idea what to tell you, except that when it comes to the act of killing, we shouldn’t do anything we’re not comfortable with, regardless of other’s advice.

Me? I’m strugging with the opposite end of the spectrum right now – after not sealing the deal on any big game during archery season, I went and sighted in my rifle at the range the other day. But I honestly have no desire to use it. The only hunting I really enjoy any more is with a longbow in my hand.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#17776

Alex,

There’s been a lot of good advice given thus far. I’d like to add two points to the discussion.

First, liver shots can either kill quickly or take several hours. The last animal I killed and failed to recover was a small buck in 2002 I hit through the liver and started tracking after only two hours. I jumped that buck a short distance from the shot and never saw him again. My father and I tracked him through three different small properties and finally lost him when he crossed a cut cornfield. We couldn’t get permission to track through the woods on the other side of the field. That deer died, I killed him, I made a mistake that resulted in me not recovering him, and it still bugs me to this day. Moral of the story: give a liver shot at least six to seven hours before you start tracking.

Second, if you have lost confidence in your chosen weapon you are wise to not take it hunting. The act of accurately shooting an arrow is more mental than physical, and if you are not sure of your abilities bad results are likely to follow. No animal should needlessly suffer because our ego is wrapped around the weapon in our hand.

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#17900

Thank you everyone for the great, much needed advice! I guess I had a moment of weakness. Sorry about the bitchin’ and moanin’! I wisely opted to give the device away to another leftie! I don’t know why I even entertained the idea of using it in the first place, and I don’t even want it in storage anymore! I did take to the woods today and sat at the same place, with the shrew! with my regular Eskimo and ACE-tipped arrows, this time! I saw 5 deer, but didn’t have a shot. I didn’t want one anyway today! I did find my arrow from yesterday. It was a good moment! 😀

I’m done until next week. I’m taking the shrew to the city with me and shoot in my apartment! I will come back upstate next week after Sunday’s Marathon, and I will spend a couple days in the woods with the shrew and a Judo before I go hunting again!

Once again, Thank you, brothers!

[garydavis]

#17985

Sounds like a good path you are on. Train, run the race, practice then hunt. Good luck friend.

[CareyE]

#19017

I have been at that same place to Alex. With very few deer encounters this year so far and a miss at a doe to boot, I often let my mind wander to back to “maybe its the bow”. Maybe I should just go get the Hoyt and the release. However, when I have time to think things out, I know in my heart I am a Traditional Bowhunter. The last few deer I took with my compound, to me, was just killing a deer. Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat deer meat, but the thing that gets my heart rate going, is hunting with the stick.

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