Hunting lessons learned this past week

[deadeye]

I think some of the experinced bow hunters may enjoy my "novice" hunter mistakes.

Lesson 1. Thursday afternoon.
Plan the access to your stand.  I cut across an area of high grass were we previously planted trees to check a permanent stand (about 100 yards from the ladder stand I planed to hunt.   I jumped a doe and fawn about 100 feet from the stand.  Just to make things worse, I chased another while I walked along the edge of the field to my ladder stand.

Lesson 2.  Thursday evening.
Know the range and take the shot when presented.
A doe came along the edge of the field towards my decoy.  She stopped around 25-30 yards away.  I waited.  She then went in the woods and started to circle towards me.  At 20 feet she went behind a large oak so I drew my bow.  After about 15 seconds the wind switched a little and she blew so hard it almost scared my pants off.  She ran out about 60 yards into the field and continued blowing until every deer in within a quarter mile know something was up. 

Lesson 3.  Friday morning.
Check your equipment. 
Around 9 AM a small doe came down the trail.  I was fairly open so I didn’t draw until she went behind a couple basswoods (she was about 7 yards away).  When I drew the bow, the arrow made a slight screech as it slid along the rest.  The deer stopped and stood at alert behind the basswood for 15 seconds and then made a couple hops straight away and then slowly walked away.   (I later put new pads on the rest)

Lesson 4. Friday night.
Know your ability/strength/equipment
Late in the evening a doe walked under my ladder stand and onto the field.  She started feeding about 20 feet away.  I tried two times but was unable to draw my bow.  I just got the bow a few days before and never checked the draw setting.   The third time I was really struggling and must have hit the release at half draw at which time all hell broke loose.  The arrow struck a limb in front of me (close) made a big crack and broke in half while knocking my bow string off the cams.  The two arrow pieces landed about 5 feet from the deer and I sat there wondering just what the heck happened.  Now the deer just looked around and slower fed off while I sat there with a disabled bow. 


Lesson 5.  Saturday night. (Friday night my friend fixed my bow and lowered the pull weight but I wanted to sight it in prior to hunting so I have no Saturday morning stories.
Wait for the best shot?
A doe came running through the woods with a buck in hot pursuit.  She ran onto the field and stopped around 30 yards away.  She was slightly facing me so I held a little forward and let fly.  Whack, and she dropped to the ground but made a quick recovery.  She struggled through the woods and stood by the swamp edge.  After a while she slowly crossed the swamp (approximately 350 yards).  Sunday morning I found where she had bed down but there was only one drop of blood.   A short search later we jumped her and she moved off very slowly.   With no blood we followed as best we could following turned leaves and foot prints but lost all sign after a while.

[Big Slick]

 I tried two times but was unable to draw my bow.  I just got the bow a few days before and never checked the draw setting.   The third time I was really struggling and must have hit the release at half draw at which time all hell broke loose.  The arrow struck a limb in front of me (close) made a big crack and broke in half while knocking my bow string off the cams.  The two arrow pieces landed about 5 feet from the deer and I sat there wondering just what the heck happened.  Now the deer just looked around and slower fed off while I sat there with a disabled bow. 


I don't care who ya are...That there is some funny stuff.   :ROTFLMAO:

Time to hit the gym.  :ROTFLMAO:

[tripnchip]

 :ROTFLMAO: Except for the blowen bow I have learned them all the hard way.I now practice with my bow set a couple lbs. heavier then I hunt with. I have also gotten in the habbit of pulling my bow a couple times before going to the stand just to limber the muscles up. I use to carry a target in the truck and shoot my bow 3-4 times before heading into the stand if it was a evening hunt.need a new target for that though. When hunting over open fields I like to mark off the 20 and 30 yard spots with a stick and piece of orange tape, just remove them at the end of season.
 Enjoy the bow hunting deadeye all those funny things are what makes it so much fun. :ROTFLMAO:

[Mayfly]

jumping deer will happen. The only way to prevent it is to be airlifted into your stand with a silent helicopter. I hate to jump deer thinking that I just blew it with them but really it is a good sign that there a lot of deer in the area the way I see it. You can combat this buy getting to your stand earlier. Then if you do jump the chances are that much better of those same deer returning.


As far as your equipment you need to be shooting more. When I am sitting in my stand I know my equipment. If I am not confident I will not hunt. I know the sounds and the weights and everything unless something breaks or a screw loosens somehow. I just can't figure out how someone can be in the woods and have a deer approach and then not be able to draw their bow back ??? please help me undertsand this one. And the sound that your arrow rest makes when the arrow slides across it. How did you not know that? Do you know if you are shooting bullseyes?

Not trying to be brash here but shouldn't you know your equipment beginner or not.

And as far as lesson 5 goes..it will happen. As much as we hate to hit a deer and loose it chances are sometime in your bowhunting life you will do it. I did it about 6 years ago. Nailed her in the leg ??? Saw that deer around all season. She was ok.




 

[deadeye]

Mayfly,

Yes, it was new equipment, however, I did comfortably shoot it (granted not a lot) prior to taking it hunting.  I never heard the arrow make the noise while I practiced. (Maybe it was due to being colder).  I guess I could have sat in a tree for a few hours and then tried to pull the bow, but that never occurred to me.  Note: I did not go hunting Saturday morning because I wanted to check out the bow after making the changes.  I probably shot 40 arrows at 20 and 30 yards prior to hunting Saturday evening.  Most shots were within 3" at 20 yds and 5" at 30.    Sunday morning I found my arrow.  It was stuck in the ground directly in line with my shot.  There was no blood on the arrow or fletching.  My guess is the deer was hit in the upper leg and will survive.   

[Mayfly]

I guess I have been reading that a lot thos year..people saying that they can't draw their bow in their stand at the moment the deer is there. I guess I could never imainge that happening.

Well it sounds like you have a handle on things now! Right? I don't..... sad3.gif I just got it. Left my stand at about 9:25 and I walked about 20 feet and jumped a buck that was bedded down about 60 yds from my stand!!?? WTF! He was small and would not of crap him anyways but I wanted to see a deer this morning sad3.gif and this guy is taking a nap 60 yds from me. I scouted out a new spot  yesterday I am just not seeing the amount of deer that i would like out of this stand. I have sat 2 evenings and 3 mornings and seen 2 does and jumped that buck twice now walking out. I am getting frustrated. hopefully tonight will be the night in the new stand...at least want to see a deer!

[Grute Man]

WOW Deadeye, you're on the fast track for learning all those lessons so quick together.  I guess it all happens from time to time.  I've never had the string problem but yes -- all the others.

I remember my arrows sliding across my old rest and I wondered if it would scare a deer.  Yup.  Question answered.  Wish I would have asked; I might have a nice buck on the wall - see?  That my friend was a dum question.

Here's a tip with the disatance judgement.  It isn't fool proof so take it for what its worth.  I have a string that is marked at 20 and 30 yards.  Once my tree stand is hung, I tie the string to the foot of it.  Then I walk down each shooting lane and mark 20 and 30 yards.  This distance will be different than if you did it on flat ground so my theory is that you'll have your 20 yard shot marked out from where you'll be standing.  Every time I do it, Im blown away at how far 20 yards looks in the woods compared to the archery range.

Also, I agree with Mayfly; get out there and shoot much more.  Im pumped for you that you're jumping into it so fast so keep it up.  By shooting more often, you'll build the muscles you need for drawing the bow, know your equipment better, and become more confident.

Have fun, shoot straight, and BE SAFE!!!!!!!! 
Grute