2009 season

[Jdrummer]

This might not be a popular opinion, but I am going to give it anyway. Anybody who is wounding and missing deer the way some hunters seem to be doing should get out of the woods and into the practice mode. Practice, Practice, Practice, under all conditions you might encounter when hunting. If I had a bad shot and wounded an animal I would try to correct my shooting whether it is by bow or gun before shooting at anything else.

Buck fever never helps either ! Right Cody? 

[frogee]

No you might not hit the bullseye every time but you should hit the target. Three misses in a row has to tell you something. Yes I have been hunting, probably much longer than you.

[Mayfly]

This might not be a popular opinion, but I am going to give it anyway. Anybody who is wounding and missing deer the way some hunters seem to be doing should get out of the woods and into the practice mode. Practice, Practice, Practice, under all conditions you might encounter when hunting. If I had a bad shot and wounded an animal I would try to correct my shooting whether it is by bow or gun before shooting at anything else.

Frogee - I do agree that fewer deer should be wounded. Interesting statistic is that more gun hunters wound deer than any group of archers. I know I have seen a lot of these types of threads on other boards through out the midwest and there are always a few that like to point the finger at Archers. I know you were not doing that it just made me think about it. 

[frogee]

You are right I am not talking about archers only. I just happen to feel that for archers or shooters you should feel a great degree of certainty that you have a kill shot before taking it. I have heard slug hunters brag about taking a deer at 150 yards. I would like to see how many times they could hit a pie plate at that range. Wounding deer just gives fuel to the anti's in my opinion. I don't mean to offend anyone though.

[Stensethfan]

Does there always need to be someone on the thread who is a buzz kill?  I can guarantee that the individual, whom I don't know from Adam, did not miss on purpose and wound the animal because he thought it would be fun to spend the next couple days searching the woods for his doe.  Come on people we are all human hunters and crap happens sometime.  I shot 1300 arrows between August 1 and opener last season and still made an errand shot and lost an animal because it was warm out and I needed until the next morning to find it.  I hated like hell not to get that deer, but it is going to be part of the game no matter how much you go to the range.  Lets not let this kill the thread.  I want to hear more stories from more people about this years hunts, and not more people who want to critic mistakes.  I just think it makes people hold their good or bad stories back because they are worried about people like this who are going to tell them how they should conduct themselves.  Sorry for the rant, but seriously.

[Mayfly]

Does there always need to be someone on the thread who is a buzz kill?  I can guarantee that the individual, whom I don't know from Adam, did not miss on purpose and wound the animal because he thought it would be fun to spend the next couple days searching the woods for his doe.  Come on people we are all human hunters and crap happens sometime.  I shot 1300 arrows between August 1 and opener last season and still made an errand shot and lost an animal because it was warm out and I needed until the next morning to find it.  I hated like hell not to get that deer, but it is going to be part of the game no matter how much you go to the range.  Lets not let this kill the thread.  I want to hear more stories from more people about this years hunts, and not more people who want to critic mistakes.  I just think it makes people hold their good or bad stories back because they are worried about people like this who are going to tell them how they should conduct themselves.  Sorry for the rant, but seriously.

Great Post Stensethfan! 

Back on track here.......

[frogee]

ok sorry it is a subject I care about deeply but I will keep my opinion to myself.

[letgofishing]

HELLO Everybody!!!

Last Sunday early morning My son DJ n I went bow deer 6am at tree stand n wait for BRIGHT outside the field n saw 2 nice deer come out from CORN FIELD walked to straight to us but end up the 2 deer lay down in the hay field about 50 yards from us GRRRR.... we wait for 3 hours wait wait.... then I told my son stay here n I go for walked around circle away with bad windy so the deer won't hear me. then i started tried kick deer up end up saw 10pts and 6pts nice buck from me 15 yards damn it next time we'll kill deer soon!!!
THUMB UP....

[deadeye]

"Yes I have been hunting, probably much longer than you."  Sounds like a challange, frogee.   
Ok, I will start.  I started hunting (birds, squrrels, rabbits) around 1960.  First deer hunt was in 1965.  Ok, now your turn.  Frogee, this is ment to be fun.  I hold no ill will towards you (even though I didn't like to hear I should get out of the woods). 
Update to the story.  Since wounding the deer, I have twice returned to the area and searched for her.  I did not hunt as I spent the entire time looking for the deer and for clues as to what may have gone wrong.

[Stensethfan]

Hey Letsgofishing!  Good to hear about you and your son!  It is really fun just to see them when you go out isn't it?  That is all I hope for when out in the woods on stand.  It is merely a bonus for me to get a shot and potentially go home with some tasty venison!  Good luck the rest of the way and feel free to send me text updates to how you and your son are doing!  It has been too long since we spoke, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Deadeye, 1960?  Dang, they had guns then, or were you hunting with spears and rocks??  Just kidding, buddy!  I wish I had half your experiene in the woods.  I am merely a rookie compared to you.  I think my first year in the field was 1992!!  Keep the good stories flowing.  I love to read them when I cannot make it to my deer stand on a particular afternoon or morning!

[cannon man]

something interesting I thought I would post about opening evening a couple of weeks ago.  I am siting in the stand and it was hot about 80 deg. or so and I truly didn't expect to see and bucks due to the weather. Sat for about three hours and then about 25 min before dark I look back and see a bachelor group of 4-5 bucks standing at about 35 yards.  The woods were so thick in that direction that I could only see bits and pieces of them through small openings as they walked.  Some walked off in one direction and three of them came straight for my tree (It was exciting)  The smallest was a real nice 8 and the biggest was a real nice 9.  They never stopped walking and feeding, but to be honest I was just enjoying the moment being opener and never having that happened before.  I hope I can get an opportunity to take one of those deer this year.

[deadeye]

cannon man,
"Some walked off in one direction and three of them came straight for my tree"  So what happened?  Did they spook and run off?  Did you just watch?  No shot?  I can't believe you had three bucks come straight to your tree and not have a story.   

[Mayfly]

ok sorry it is a subject I care about deeply but I will keep my opinion to myself.

Its a great topic. Just start a new thread on the subject, will keep the reports here.

[Mayfly]

cannon man,
"Some walked off in one direction and three of them came straight for my tree"  So what happened?  Did they spook and run off?  Did you just watch?  No shot?  I can't believe you had three bucks come straight to your tree and not have a story.   

Exactly... The big 9? You didn't shoot or get a shot?

[cannon man]

Neither of them walked through a clear opening.  Instead of using the existing trails or walking in the open they decided to walk through the thick stuff, (I go to believe they do that on purpose)besides they never stopped walking until they were well out of range (50 yards for me).  It would of been nice to end the story different like with a deer in my truck but for now I will just have to hope I see them again in November.

[Cody Gruchow]

frogee everyone has there opinions. yours is coming from what you have read that i have posted. for me i will not shoot past 35 yards. i group very well and i do not take a shot unless im 100 % positive that im going to connect on a shot. i practice just about everyday of the summer. i go through lots of inserts and fletchings because i shoot so much. i consitantly(sp) shave off my fletchings because i group so tightly. everybody has theres, before last year i had never lost a deer. am i proud of missing? no who is? but i am not afraid to say that i missed either, because if no one misses weres the fun in that? as for wounding a deer i made more effort than alot of other guys would have. now your telling me you have never shot anything and not been able to recover it, like a duck goose squirrel rabbit grouse pheasant etc and ill call your  right here

[frogee]

Ok I apologize. I'm really getting hammered for my ba
d post. You made a bad shot I made a bad post. And you are right I don't know a thing about you except what you posted.
Let me explain how I was thinking: If a person can make a certain shot 99 out of 100 times the chances of him missing in 3 times in a row is 1 in a million. I was just trying to get the point across that I think the deer deserve a shooter who is very confident in their kill shot. Now I know that you practice and are a great shot so that doesn't apply to you. But I know that for a lot of hunters down my way it is more of a fluke if they actually do hit something so I was just trying to get the point across that they should practice.
I'm really not the jerk you might think I am from reading my post.
Good luck hunting

[Jdrummer]

Just because you are shooting well in a controled enviroment (shooting range) doesnt mean your arrow will always be the same or "close" . Gotta take into consideration the adreniline that is pumpin when you are pulled back and droppin the pin on a deer. It's truely addicting.

[Stensethfan]

Frogee, I also want to add that I was not trying to play you as a jerk either.  99% of the people who post on this web-site are salt of the earth type people.  No way was I trying to make you look like the heel in this situation.  The one thing I think that gets under appreciated in bow hunting is the adrenaline that JDdrummer mentioned.  There is no way to replicate it, and unfortunately sometimes it makes our arrows stray.  Like I said before I like the hunt stories on this thread and I especially like the ones that go wrong because I learn more from them, and not because I like people to screw up.  Cody's story helps all hunters who read it and if just one person reads it and it hits home for them then that is a win win in my book!  Good hunting too all!  Lets hear some more hunt stories!!

[Cody Gruchow]

frogee in no way do i think your a jerk. your opinion is highly valued just like everyone elses on MNO. drummer i dont get nervous until after i shoot a doe because if you watch them for so long it helps control it, for me anyways. i shoot all different kinds of ways to in my ladder stand in my climber in the yard and at all different kinds of angles. now i agree that its a controled enviorment but aside from the adreniline that will come no matter the size of the deer it is no different than hunting, except no meat and you dont have to track your deer target.

[deadeye]

Rain finally quit so I gave it a try.  I went to a ladder stand with minimal visibility in three directions.  It has good visibility (30 yards) and a nice trail (25 yards) to the south. However the window isn't all that big. I saw bits and pieces of a deer moving through the hazel brush north (down wind) of my stand.  The deer never spooked, but just melded into the background.  Later (6:00 PM) I saw a big doe in the hazel south of my stand.  She milled around for 20 minutes or so. When it looked like she was going to leave, I gave a fawn bleat.  She turned and looked my direction for about 5 minutes and then moved off.  Around 6:30 a fawn came down the south trail. I just had time to grab the bow, line up and let it fly.  I heard the hit and then saw the doe run from behind the bushes.  I guess I could have let the fawn go and see if a doe came behind, but things happened pretty fast.  Anyway, after gutting and skining, I now have a carcas hanging in a tree.  Plan to butcher tomorrow.

[Cody Gruchow]

  way to go deadeye. some nice tender meat!

[Stensethfan]

Went out this morning with a buddy of mine and sat in a little finger of woods that is between two swamps east of a large corn field.  The deer like this little pinch and in the AM move (Sometimes) from the corn back to the little islands of high ground in amongst the swamp grass and low areas.  I say sometimes, because right now with the corn still standing there is little reason for them to venture out and come through my little pinch area.  Last season when that field was beans the deer moved through this area a ton.  The corn is still at least two dry weeks from coming out so I will have to be luckier than good for now!  I did see two move across the swamp 10 minutes after I got settled in, but it was still 20 minutes to legal light and they were at least 100 yards out to my right.  Not sure if anyone was out this morning, but is sure was nice and quiet!  Cool too.  My truck thermometer said 27 when I left for the stand!  Good luck to everyone!

[cannon man]

That sounds like a good spot and It sounds like it will be real good when the corn comes down.  Went out wed. am and it was cool as well, about 38 deg.  On my way out I saw two does bedded in some tall grass about 80 yards away.  The wind was perfct for a stalk so I gave it a try and got down low and started crawling my way over to the edge of the woodline to the open field where they were bedded.  I got to within 60 then 50 then 40 and finally to about 32 yards when they just decided to get up and walk away.  Either way it was alot of fun trying to outsmart a deer on the ground.

[jkcmj]

I messed up on a nice little buck I had on trail cam yesterday.  Somehow slipped it just under him and stuck into the dirt.  I believe I may have hit a twig or.... perhaps that little ol' adrenaline thing with a nice buck at 15 yards or less.
Nice to be able to show you just what his rack looked like!

Less than 100 yards from the spot I got this trail cam shot of him.

Sat there again tonight and had the yotes mess up my try at a doe, as three does and a small 6 were sauntering under my stand.  After I stuck an arrow through the biggest yote, I saw a smaller one on the bank above my stand crouched down and freaking out, pissing all over himself. I imagine when I let loose the arrow at the adult, he went into shock at how close I was. I was about eye level with him at less than 5 yards.  He crawled away all hunched up like that.  Very amusing to watch, or I would have had the presence of mind to quick notch another arrow!  I believe this is the one I shot, caught him on trail cam a few nights back.  Real prime looking hide.  Wished I could have recovered him, thought I would with the blood puddles he was leaving.

[mnnate]

I too had some bad luck tonite on a young doe for the freezer. Out hoping to get a doe kill on film and had a nice broadside shot ranged at 33 yds. Let it fly and swore it was a good hit. The deer trotted, stopped and stood there 15yds from where she started. Flicking her tail back and forth and swaying from one leg to the other. I thought for sure she was going to go down right there. She walked away slowly tail down the whole time until we couldn't see her anymore. She looked hurt. Sat til dark backed out and grabbed the headlamps. Found the arrow at poi and found it covered in white greasy(I'm guessing fat tissue) and some white hair. Looked where she stood swaying and started tracking. Not much blood(it was bright red) and couldn't find any after about 75yds. It took almost 2hrs of tracking to get that far. I can't see the impact on film because the camera guy jumped at the shot and its a little blurry. Just wondering what anyone thinks. I'm guessing low brisket graze(white tissue and hair), maybe nicked some muscle which is causing the blood. I'm going to take my beagle out and look more in the morning. I am frustrated as all be at this. Saw a total of 14 deer tonite. And we are in a lottery area...what bs

[Stensethfan]

mnnate, I am no expert, but considering you shot from an elevated stand (I am assuming) and you hit white hair, I am guessing two things it was a grazing shot or the white hair was from the exit.  From a downward angle there is not much white hair to hit on the entrance, but if so it would probably not be a leathal shot.  If it was on the exit you may have clipped one lung and it would have taken longer for her to expire.  Good luck this morning and let us know how it goes!!

[deadeye]

I don’t know what to call it, bad luck, bad timing, lucky deer or just hunting.  At any rate the big boy got away.  At 6:30 Saturday evening, I saw a deer headed towards me.  He was in brush and small trees so I didn’t see him until he was about 25 yards from my ladder stand.  As he approached I saw antlers, and then BIG antlers.  I could see the wide spread massive main beams but never did get around to looking for points.  I was at full draw as he cleared the brush and a small tree about 12 yards from my stand.  Just as I lined up on his shoulder and hit the release, he turned his head and looked up at me.  The events at this point unfolded in what seemed slow motion.  The arrow arrived just as his huge main beam crossed his chest.  There was a loud “clang”, sparks flew, and the arrow deflected up just over his back and lodged in a log about 6 feet behind him.  Needless to say he didn’t hang around for a second shot but I did get a good view of him as he bounded away leaving me with a severely bend arrow and major disappointment. From what I saw of him, I can say he had a wider spread and more mass than the 13 pointer I shot last year.   
    

[mnnate]

Deadeye thats sucks. My lucks not been to good this year at all either. Spent a few more hours looking for my doe yesterday morning. Nothing. Can't find anymore blood from the last spot there was any. Did circles around and walked a few deer trails. Nothing. I was from an elevated stand. I ranged her at 33 yds. Now with the snow this morning it will be really tough.

[deadeye]

Here is a picture of my arrow after it made contact with the bucks antler. It used to be straight and have three blades.