The untold truth of bowhunting

[savagewsm]

All of these wonderful posts of fellows scoring on deer just hides a deep dark truth. Bowhunting is bad for your health.

My season so far ( four nights in the stand ) has led to the following.

1) Deer coming out at the wrong side of the field day one and two
2) Day three: Four deer come into the stand from behind and holding up at 30 yards with one nice buck just standing there broadside with no way at all to get a shot off because of the tree.
3) Tonight: While I'm walking in a small buck is feeding right at the entrance of the trail I need to take to get into my one stand. I try a sneek but he feeds away. I get into my stand and the wind shiflts an I here the snorts of deer that wer coming in that busted me. Then it is still early so I quitely move to another stand I have set up. I'm not there 20 minutes when I here a rustle of leaves. Right there not one but two big bucks. The wind is perfect I'm well hidden and they are coming in. The front buck is about to step into my shooting lane and he is two steps from giving me a 12 yard broadside shot. Too much brush in front of his vitals so there I am ready to rock when a third deer breaks a branch about 50 yards up the trail from me. The buck stops dead then just casually hops back into the thick stuff. Finally to add insult two injury the bucks step out onto the open field just 80 yards away and feed for a few minutes before strolling away.They did not see me, smell, me or bust me in any way the set up was perfect.





For all you successful archers out there that drop those beautiful bucks and bulls.

YOU SUCK !!!!!

Just kidding keep showing us poor suckers how its done and posting those pics.

[Sakoman]

Dontya just love it........I feel your pain!!

[blackmamba]

i know how you feel , I have been on this big mulie 4 times now and he keeps giving me the slip .... but his days are numbered !!

[savagewsm]

Last year was the same as well with a decent 5X5 I played cat and mouse for a month. I caved in though and brought the muzzle loader with me on opening day of BP season. That solved the problem last year but these two bucks are quite a bit bigger but aren't 5X5's. One is a 3X3 and the other a 4X4. I really want to take them with the bow but in two weeks BP season opens and it is just too tempting to gain that extra range. Hell if it was BP season now it would of been academic dropping either one tonight.

I've been packing a bow for only three years and man oh man what a different experience. Thirty years of rifle hunting experience ain't worth sh*t doing this.

However, the nights frustration has been tempered now with a nice glass of scotch and ice and since I've got most nights open for hunting this week I'll be back at it tomorrow.

One thing for sure I have learned is that white tail in farm country are a hell of a lot smarter than the ones I've chased back in the boonies.

[shakeyleg02]

Trust me buddy ur definately not alone in this game ...

[SportHuntingHelp]

Been there done that it is frustrating but if it was easy everyone would do it

[briverb]

Hahaha. This thread is hitting the nail on the head.

Every year I go through the same emotions while bow hunting. Frustation, excitement, disappointment, adrenaline rush, self doubt, thrills, highs and lows, etc, etc. Hahahahaha. But it will still never make me go back to rifle hunting.

Just yesterday after our hunt I said to the "newby", 'Sorry, but we can't see something every time we come out." He had the perfect response, "That's part of the excitement. You never know what you will see or what will happen. If it were easy everyone would do it."

[Bearen09]

Originally Posted by briverb

Hahaha. This thread is hitting the nail on the head.

Every year I go through the same emotions while bow hunting. Frustation, excitement, disappointment, adrenaline rush, self doubt, thrills, highs and lows, etc, etc. Hahahahaha. But it will still never make me go back to rifle hunting.

Just yesterday after our hunt I said to the "newby", 'Sorry, but we can't see something every time we come out." He had the perfect response, "That's part of the excitement. You never know what you will see or what will happen. If it were easy everyone would do it."

Same here very good point.
Allot of guys say oh you have the best spots because I hunt hard and put allot of time in. This doesn't make them the best spots. When I sit a total of 80 plus days a year it isn't a matter of a good spot it is a matter of deer walking on borrowed time..
Last year alone I sat 22 times and didn't even see a doe, but I know that is how it goes and it does pay off big time if you put time in..

[fish_e_o]

haha same story over here i had a very nice buck lined up this morning!!!!



lined up perfectly with a tree that is...


but man when it comes together its really awesome

[Trackdays]

the endless hours of fun we have bowhunting!

[goldscud]

I went out for the first time in 5 years on Saturday. Went to a brand new property and found a likely looking funnel. Decided to just hang back on the edge of thick cover beside a open poplar grove. 45 minutes later I hear a group of critters running through the woods. Five whitetail bucks are coming storming in right in front of me at 25yd. They all stop dead as my scent must have reached them. One forker and 4 nice 3 pointers. It was nice to get that adrenaline rush again. Half an hour later a cow moose walked up 16 yd from me as I leaned against a poplar. She finally smelled me and then stood there for 30 minutes waiting for something to move. Great fun!
My bird dog is going to hate this competition with the bow for hunting time.

[TreeGuy]

Ahhh......bowhunting.

Only thing more frustrating would be marrying the same women twice.

Wait.....

I've done that.

Crap.

Now what?

Bow's still in the shop.

Horse wreck.

Now I'm sad.

Where's the gun.......

[Twisted Canuck]

I feel your pain brother. I have been playing hide and seek with a big bull moose since the 25th, and he is winning. Why don't they ever want to play Tag??

[albertabighorn]

Thats why they call it hunting. 4 days n you saw some good bucks , had them in range that sounds good to me.

[jim-bo]

There is nothing like connecting with an animal with archery tackle.

Just think of quickly the hunt would've ended had a boom stick or smoke pole been in your hands. It's the challenge, the adrenline of having your quarry so close that you can heard them breath, see the whites of their eyes...

Once you connect, that's it... there is nothing quite like it.

It'll come together, eventually, and when it does...

[dadof5]

Only had 1 harvest in 3 years so far, but what a rush... it brings a smile every time I see a pic of it or think about it! Won't quit with the rifle, but what great lessons I am learning with a bow in hand! Hoping for more success soon!

[Big Sky]

Bowhunting can be so frustrating. On the other hand, it can be so rewarding, even if you don't connect.

I used to subscribe to a few hunting magazines and would read about deer behaviour; things like lip curls, branch licking, scrape tending and so on. However, I never did get to see any of these things happen. Generally, the first decent deer that I would see would hit the ground and my season was over.
When I started bowhunting, I would see deer at close range, but for one reason or another, a shot would not present itself. This gave me the opportunity to watch the deer and see how they go about their lives. Spending more time in the field and seeing how deer interact and behave has been the most rewarding aspect of my bowhunting career.

My favourite moment this year was when a nice buck (5x6) was being accompanied by a young fork. The little guy was acting tough but the bigger deer clearly wanted to left alone. Finally, the big deer's patience ran out. He simply turned his head and glared at the little buck. The little buck must have figured he was gonna get it so he moved off about 10 yards to give the big boy his space. The interaction between these deer was hilarious. This happened within 30yds of my stand and not once did I have a clean shot at him. He was in bow range for about 5 minutes and I got to watch them for about 20 minutes.
Frustrating? Yes
Disappointing? Not a chance. They had no idea I was there and will most likely return. With any luck, I'll be get my shot at the big guy.

Good luck to everyone.

[Twisted Canuck]

Good story BigSky. We had a funny moment last year kind of similar. We saw a moose cow, her calf, and a young juvenile bull who was dogging her, across the river from us. He was pretty intent on the cow, and my friend Mark gave a really serious bull grunt at him from where we were watching. That young bull turned around and headed out of dodge quick.....so quick that he actually ran the cow right over, flipped her on her back! She had those long legs waving around like a beetle thats been flipped! The calf didn't know which way to go at first but finally followed the bull. The cow eventually got her legs under her, and headed off too. We were guessing the bull wasn't getting any after that. You do get to see some fun stuff when you spend some time in the woods.

[savagewsm]

More good times. last night the bucks did not come out but a doe and two pups did. I watched them and noticed how they fed through the field then doubled back. Tonight I went out and low and behold a doe and the big buck came out and followed the same route. I was able to watch for over an hour as they fed by me and through the field. Did not even consider a shot because I ranged them at 65 yrds at the closest but no big deal.


I get a great satisfaction at having learned enough about their patterns to set up an ambush. I realize that it was out of bow range but that was simply a random choice by the deer. Next time it may go in my favour. BP season is near and I'll probably switch as my 14 yr old son will be with me and I'd really love to see him bag a deer. It has to be a good night when you can watch a nice set of horns for an hour at under 100 yards and they do not even know you are there. Bowhunting this area has allowed me to to find 5 seperate bucks using this field as well as over a dozen does. Every time out I see at least a half a dozen of them in legal shooting time. I quit early with the bow because I don't want to risk losing an animal in the dark so I just sit under a bush and watch the last hour of light.

Just sitting and watching is probably my favourite thing to do.

[Winch101]

I am not a bow hunter but when birding with the dog , we walk up to those mulies all the time . I watch bow hunts on Wild TV and see these guys stalkng mulies all the time .....So is this possible anybody doing this
I dont think I am tree stand material . I keep falling off ladders ...

Somebody give the scoop ..Oh by the way , last year I was scratching a young mulie buck under the chin when he came in the garage . This year
he has a rack and came when he saw me ...I went in the house ( cluck cluck )

Maybe I'm the Cesare Milan of the deer crowd .

ARe Crossbows legal here yet ....Thnx W101

[savagewsm]

If you want to bow hunt the first thing is to get proficient with a bow. Join an archery club, consult a pro-shop etc.....

Buy a rig ( lots of good used stuff out there at a good price) and practice.

If you hate being in a tree then spot and stalk mulies or call moose and elk. What ever you have access to. Heck even just shoot gophers its all good.

I even saw an old TV show where fellows were wing shooting pheasant with a bow. Now that takes skill.

[omega50]

When I got into archery I bought my buddies old Pearson bow pulling 100 lbs with very little let-off. Came with a shwack of Easton Aluminum xx75's in 2315. Took a moose every year or every other year with it for about 10 years. The whole set-up was rugged and dependable- BUT!!!
Everyone of my buddies were taunting me having old technology having to lob an arrow compared to their new Bowtech's shooting carbon arrows.

So- Finally I succumbed and bought a Bowtech Old Glory in 2006 complete with some spanky new carbon arrows.

First hunt out I make a small muley buck crossing a 3 strand barb wire fence and move into a field by one of my stands. I crawled close and when he was feeding I laid my bow on the top strand and pushed down to step over the fence. I hear an almost imperceptible small crack- but put it out of my mind.

He lifts his head, but I am hidden behind a tree and I get an arrow out of my bow mounted quiver and notch it on the string. He starts toward me and I am totally focused on him as I pull back. As he steps in front of me at 10 yard I notice that half of my arrow with broadhead is at a funny angle.

Then it wobbles and breaks in half and falls to the ground- I am still at full draw going-WTF!!!! THE DEER CRASHES AWAY TO SAFETY AND I LET DOWN.
I reach down to grab another arrow and realize that all 3 arrows snapped in half when I pushed down on the barbwire crossing. I start swearing as the buck comes back-just doing everything in his power to die and he crosses in front of me yet again.

Learned a lesson or two that day. Things like -Carbon is NOT aluminum!!!!!!!!!!!

The things I had had ALWAYS done, would now have to change.

Looked around like I was on candid camera- lowered my head and skulked home.

So yes! Praise be to all those better hunters!

PS. I sold that bow and have never hunted again.lol

[bezner]

The same tging happened to me last sunday....I was hunting elk, when this 320 class bull came walki.g down the trail. All he needed to do was walk three more yards and he would have been mine at a 5 yard shot. What happened? Some other hunter let out a bugal and he turned on a dime never to be seen again.....that's fine, ill shoot his big brother

[trigger7mm]

It's not easy, but it sure is hunting. Not like these guys that drive around and shoot deer out the window of their truck, or over the hood.

[Epicure]

I'm happy just seeing them. Means I'm doing something right.

[savagewsm]

Back out tonight. The deer went right were I needed them perfectly. One problem they came through before I could get to my stand. Watched a medium size buck walk under my stand through my binos. All of a sudden they are moving over an hour earlier.

I did get a good chance on a big doe but I passed. Still think I can get a big buck.

Oh well try, try, try again. But I keep thinking if I had my muzzle loader ......

[Northcountry]

Ahhh, the high and lows of bowhunting! I harvested my first bull moose early this bow season and it was the greatest feeling ever then 2 days later I missed a cow elk at 35 yrds. Then to make things even worse after waiting 4 years for that perfect shot on a bull elk, last Thursday evening I missed a nice 6x6 at 40 yrds! Well my high is now a very very low!

[savagewsm]

Tell me again why do we bowhunt ?

[flash0075]

Because we couldnt live with out it, it's in or blood and its frickn awesome.

[pchunter]

After 4 years of elk hunting, finally got it together and got between two bull bugling. Cow call a few time and worked my way toward the herd bull and is cows. Bull came in at 25 yards and never offer a shot.... Biggest reason was the cow standing in front of me at 3 yards blocking my view of the bull. will I ever get it right. How do you guys keep it all together for a good shot when adrenaline is pumping and things are happening so fast.