I missed.........

TreeGuy · #1 11-09-2008, 12:05 AM

Played the ground game today for the first time since the leaves fell. Hit a new area, but found a weird seam of bush that averaged 20 yards in width.

Played the wind perfectly, avoided the snow as much as possible, but was running 'er SLOW. By SLOW, I mean about 200 yards/hour.

Got within 90 yards of the second biggest deer I've ever seen. Thought it was a monster mulie at first because of the frame. He wasn't a mulie. WT with some mulie genes in the logpile, but WOW!

I didn't bug 'em as they were not that alarmed and it was early. Still 3 hours to dark.

I worked my way around the area they went into (very open but patchy country) to plan an evening stalk with the wind and sun in my favour.

Didn't work.........

Wind turned as I was 100% commited to the last 45 legal minutes.

Crap!!!

Kindda figured at this point it was all over for the day, but tenacity took over.

I cut back, found a spot with good backing and waited. Sure enough, a different WT buck appeared. Keep in mind I've never arrowed a WT before.

He was 120 yards away from me when I first spotted him. He was tracking away. Wind was iffy, but ok. I tooted the grunt tube and he stopped and came back.

He hung up at about 70 yards and started scraping and trying to figure out what I was. He really wanted to head away, but some does appeared about 200 yards on the other side of me.

His left side was a really nice 140ish class typical 4 point plus a 4" brow. His right side was a freak of nature. Easy 12" brow, heavy mass, triple the left side, 2 solid kickers, and a tine that started out just above the brow, stayed single and grew like a second main beam but then swerved waaayyy up!

We grunted back and forth for about 30 minutes. He finally came to 55 yards and I've been shooting a ton at 50. I decided to take the shot.

I missed.......

Why? Well, nerves got to me and I came in too tight on my kisser button. The string chapping my lip sent the arrow a bit left (height was perfect though), and the buck 'jumped the string'. Clean miss.

I bowhunt because it is hard. Kindda like being an Oilers fan. Sigh.

Tree

BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES · #2 11-09-2008, 12:41 AM

Awe crap man ,at least you got a shot off, just like Kevin and I today. We had the miss blews.Long story.Still poed that I missed that big mulie tonight at about 4:45

TreeGuy · #3 11-09-2008, 01:03 AM

445 is a pretty long bow shot. No wonder ya missed!

G'night. Shrub had ice time at 6am........tired now.

Tree

The Bit Runner. · #4 11-09-2008, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Played the ground game today for the first time since the leaves fell. Hit a new area, but found a weird seam of bush that averaged 20 yards in width.

Played the wind perfectly, avoided the snow as much as possible, but was running 'er SLOW. By SLOW, I mean about 200 yards/hour.

Got within 90 yards of the second biggest deer I've ever seen. Thought it was a monster mulie at first because of the frame. He wasn't a mulie. WT with some mulie genes in the logpile, but WOW!

I didn't bug 'em as they were not that alarmed and it was early. Still 3 hours to dark.

I worked my way around the area they went into (very open but patchy country) to plan an evening stalk with the wind and sun in my favour.

Didn't work.........

Wind turned as I was 100% commited to the last 45 legal minutes.

Crap!!!

Kindda figured at this point it was all over for the day, but tenacity took over.

I cut back, found a spot with good backing and waited. Sure enough, a different WT buck appeared. Keep in mind I've never arrowed a WT before.

He was 120 yards away from me when I first spotted him. He was tracking away. Wind was iffy, but ok. I tooted the grunt tube and he stopped and came back.

He hung up at about 70 yards and started scraping and trying to figure out what I was. He really wanted to head away, but some does appeared about 200 yards on the other side of me.

His left side was a really nice 140ish class typical 4 point plus a 4" brow. His right side was a freak of nature. Easy 12" brow, heavy mass, triple the left side, 2 solid kickers, and a tine that started out just above the brow, stayed single and grew like a second main beam but then swerved waaayyy up!

We grunted back and forth for about 30 minutes. He finally came to 55 yards and I've been shooting a ton at 50. I decided to take the shot.

I missed.......

Why? Well, nerves got to me and I came in too tight on my kisser button. The string chapping my lip sent the arrow a bit left (height was perfect though), and the buck 'jumped the string'. Clean miss.

I bowhunt because it is hard. Kindda like being an Oilers fan. Sigh.

Where were you hunting,that deer you are decribing sound exactly like the one i watched all summer.There can only be one deer like that so im guessing you are hunting in my backyard.

:c

Tree

Where were you hunting,That deer you are decribing sounds exactly like the one i watched all summer,There can only be one deer like that so im guessing you are hunting in my back yard,His nickname is the freak by the way.

FishHound · #5 11-09-2008, 04:39 AM

I missed a big Elk about 8 years ago, second guessed on my judgement of distance, BIG MISTAKE. Know just how you feel.

BrownBear416 · #6 11-09-2008, 06:47 AM

No worries,you will get another chance

Keep at it

packhuntr · #7 11-09-2008, 07:52 AM

Ya, its tough to swallow, but like BB. said, stay with em man. He will still be there, dink with him enough and you will get him, guaranteed.

BigRackLover · #8 11-09-2008, 10:07 AM

Nice work tree. I still can never convince myself to get on the ground, I like my tree stands too much

laker · #9 11-09-2008, 09:10 PM

The string chapping my lip sent the arrow a bit left (height was perfect though), and the buck 'jumped the string'. Clean miss.

Tree[/QUOTE]

Question?? Did he move from the sound of the shot or arrow passing by? I believe jumping the string means the animal heard the bow string and made a move before the arrow had a chance at hitting the target.
In my experience a 50yd shot is a long shot for whitetails. They will most likely hear something and the high strung things will move just enough to cause a miss.
But I bet it felt good to let an arrow fly!!

TreeGuy · #10 11-09-2008, 10:04 PM

Well it's 24 hours later. I'm bummed.

Fortunately it was a clean miss and tomorrow is another day. Last night was probably the first time ever that I lost sleep over a deer.

BRL, I know the tree stands are the most effective, and have spent all of my time this year in mine. Now averaging 4 hours at a time which is good considering 2 seasons ago, 45 minutes was a struggle for this antsy character.

However, I decided to play the ground game yesterday due to the moisture. However the areas I had to stick to were full of wet snow, so creeping along ment taking about 20 steps, waiting 15 minutes and repeat. Very fun being a predator!

There's still a ways to go, the rut is really starting down here in 212, so I'll remain optimistic. I find the key to bowhunting to be learning from every mistake and trying to not repeat them. I love the challenge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by laker

Question?? Did he move from the sound of the shot or arrow passing by? I believe jumping the string means the animal heard the bow string and made a move before the arrow had a chance at hitting the target.
In my experience a 50yd shot is a long shot for whitetails. They will most likely hear something and the high strung things will move just enough to cause a miss.
But I bet it felt good to let an arrow fly!!

Yeah it felt good letting fly...........sortta.

I waited until he was looking in the opposite direction until I shot. I was at full draw previous to him looking away. I believe that I got too tight to my kisser button. Got a bit of a burn on my upper lip from the string that sent the shot left. The bugger reacted while the arrow was about 80% there and spun away without even looking my way. Had he jumped foreward, he would be in the garage tonight. He ducked the other way.

Yes 50+ is a long shot. Not something I have ever made a practice of. However, I've put a bit of time in this year building a 6-8" 50 yard grouping just in case. I was pretty confident taking the shot, but the nerves got to me. Another lesson learned.

Tree

CNP · #11 11-10-2008, 09:15 AM

That was a good day hunting by any standard. Seems time stops when you are in the tree, dozing away, keeping an ear out lol.......but when you see one from the tree or on the ground time just slips away like water through a fire hose. I can't count all the lessons I've learned bowhunting. I was busted again on Sat evening. Oh well, still lots of days left..............working today then off for a week of hunting in the bowzone. You're not really an Oilers fan are you? Probably just baiting the real Oiler fans lol. Not really a CFL fan myself but I'm hoping both the Stampeders and the Skimos vie for the cup. Oh what a party that would be!

Copidosoma · #12 11-12-2008, 01:55 PM

Good on ya for getting the stalk on him that close.

And be happy, at least you aren't a Leafs fan...

Stinky Buffalo · #13 11-12-2008, 02:57 PM

Sounds like quite a rush, Tree. Good stuff!

Now go get 'im. By now he should be used to you.

Did some ground bow-hunting for the first time last night. Sure is different than being in a tree! Can't wait to get out again... Durn, the fingies are tingling...

Stinky B.

TreeGuy · #14 11-19-2008, 11:31 PM

Tree 0...........Whitetails 2!

I decided to check out a new part of the area I have permission on. I just planned to drive up to the top of the piece of bush and glass it for the first time before spending the night working the usual area.

There were 3 mulie does standing calmly on the edge as I pulled up. Since I had a bit of time to kill I strapped on the release, grabbed the bow and crunched through about 10" of snow. More of a time-killing scout than anything.

I get about 75 yards from the truck, and about 100 yards away from me in a fairly open aspen stand the mulies are feeding. There is a nice 3 point meat buck with them. After a bit I hit him with the grunt tube. Ever meet a teenager who thinks he's tough but is actually a wimp?

I 'played' with him for about 20 minutes this way. Good learning experience. Grunt 'wimpy' and he'd act tough. Grunt tough, and he'd back off. Quite funny.

The his attention shifted to my left. Seems with my screwing around, a 150ish 5X5 WT came into 20 yards of me! However, he was totally focused on the mulie and his does in the bush below me. I drew as his head went behind a tree, just one more step and..........

........he stopped. Held at full draw for at least a minute before the shakes got to me. Had to draw down. This didn't bother him too much as he was really focused on the mulies.

Anyway, he moved a bit, I miraculously got another draw, he gave me a 19 yard broadside and I shot!

Well didn't the God Damned arrow hit a 1.5" diameter dead aspen stem! The arrow went halfway through, stopped almost perfectly horizontal with the tip of the broadhead no more than 5' from the side of him! Goooonnnnee!

Ughh.

An hour later, I passed a 30 yard shot on a small 3, and then had a nice character mulie (elderly, declining buck) come in to 23. I drew, but got busted and he acted more like a WT than the WT did.

Anyway, this ground game is starting to come together a bit. What a night though! Great fun. Clock is tickin' now though.

Tree

BigRackLover · #15 11-20-2008, 07:46 AM

Sounds like the bucks are getting pretty stupid .. that's good - I'll be in 212 this weekend.

Sorry about your luck treeguy, but getting a shot from the ground on a 5x5 WT is accomplishment enough, good on yah.