Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Been There Done That??

Yesterday, a decent size whitetail buck ran right up to my ground blind, to within 7 YARDS, and I'm sittin there staring at him with my bow hanging on the tree. The lower limb of my recurve was buried in leaves. Then, after standing there totally unaware, he turned RIGHT AROUND, quartering away, with his head down. I tried to get the bow at that moment, figuring it was the only chance I would have, and knowing full well it would be nearly impossible to handle the bow without a twitch of noise. Well, I tried, twitch, buck runs 10 yds to my right and stands there staring at me for about 5 minutes before he decides to just mosey along, unalarmed. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Aarrgghh!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

After that, I sat there practicing with the bow right on my lap and drawing without any noise, same today, but no deer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Regards, sse

SEE,

It happens to the best of us. Last year had something really wierd happen. Was getting ready to get out of my chain-on stand in the evening. I had just lowered my bow and I heard a pack for feral hogs comming. They were below my stand feeding in seconds... sucking up pecans. I slowly raised my recurve back up. As the bow was on it's way up, one or two looked at it but never got spooked. My safety line got tangled in the quiver and limbs and I finally worked it out. I shot a 160# pig! Was really pleased with myself. There have been hundreds of times similar things just haven't worked.

I've been seeing twin 8-pointers come out of the creek bottom every evening. These are real fine bucks. At noon I moved a chain on stand to give me a 15 yard shot where they come up the bank. We will see how this goes.

Michael - Keep up the good work! This is only the second time I've been bow hunting, so I'm just now learning the hard way many important lessons for, hopefully, future success. Despite my error, the experience was immensely thrilling, since I selected the spot, built the blind and did everything else needed to be in the right place at the right time.

Thanks, sse

That's part of what makes bowhunting soooo awesome!!! The same situation with a rifle would have been bang...flop..OK but not heart pounding like the bowhunt..

Mike

rotr - Well, bowhunting IS awesome. The guys with the compound bows have an advantage, but even still, you're talking being within 40 yds of a whitetail that has amazing wariness and senses to back that up. I knew that I needed to be 15 yds, or less, to have any shot at all. Truthfully, I did not expect I would have such a sterling opportunity. Another lesson learned.

Generally speaking, a given hunter is not going to take as many deer with a bow, you just don't get as many chances and aren't always able to capitalize on the chances you do get.

About having that rifle, I've been thinking the same thing.

Regards, sse

A buddy and I were bow hunting a funnel formed by two pieces of woods and a cornfield. We were in tree stands about 75-yards apart and in full view of each other with the cornfield in between. This is a quick set-up that we often use after a day of pheasant hunting.

I saw my buddy draw his bow and let fly into the corn. A very nice buck crashes out of the corn and stops right underneath the tree stand. My buddy told me later that the buck was walking down a corn row and moved unexpectedly or the arrow hit a stalk or the sun was in his eyes or somesuch BS that I still tease him about.

Anyway, the buck hears the arrow slam into the corn and runs from the sound before stopping directly underneath my friend's stand. My friend says that all he could think about was me witnessing the scene and how much crap he was gonna get for it. He also hoped he could quietly nock another arrow and get a shot as the buck moved away.

The buck hid out under my buddy�s watchful eye for at least 10-minutes - he could hear the buck breathe and see dust on its back. If I hadn�t seen it myself I never would�ve believed it. If anything was going to break up the scene it would be me failing to stifle the laughter. Finally, the buck snorts, two-jumps it back into the corn and was GONE.

Later, I mailed my buddy a cassette copy of Dr. Doolittle�s �Walk with the Animals� gift-wrapped in a PETA membership application.

sse -- that happened on the 2nd bowhunt? You're way ahead of the game! Fun, ain't it?

JOG -- days of pheasant hunting capped by evenings of bowhunting for whitetail? It's a tough life you lead.

Talus,

Yup, it�s tough � but I�ll keep shouldering my share of the burden.

Sometimes days like that leave me feeling like I�m playing baseball with a hockey stick. Deer will be running around all over while we�re pheasant hunting and in the evening pheasants will be flocking to my deer stand.

It�s common for much of the crop harvest to coincide with rifle season, which means the pheasants are a little thrown off and flock to the wood lots and brushy draws where we deer hunt. The darn things are running around like chickens. Naturally, when deer season ends and we break out the shotguns the pheasants have dispersed again. The dog spends all day kicking deer out of the hiding spots they used to wait out the season.

I should also mention one of the things I truly fear � stepping on a rooster pheasant while I�m trying to be Mr. Sneaky Deer Hunter. It happens at least twice a year and I know it�s coming, but the anticipation only increases the anxiety. The reverse isn�t so good either � walking in on a �birdy� dog only to have a huge deer bust out of the grass. That scares the heck out of the dog too though, so at least I have someone to talk to about it.

It�s probably a good thing � everyone should have their coronary arteries check for leaks once or twice a year.

JOG, back when there were quail in the south you could count on them for some good artery cleanin' (and bad skivvy dirtyn').

Talus - I was thinking that, as well. I'm fortunate. Went for the first time last year, then my recent escapade. It is just awesome to get that close to the deer. Same reason I like turkey hunting so much. You have to get close.

A few times in my blind I've had grouse walk right by me. Last time I would have drawn on one if it wasn't so close and on my shooting side. Really bad, though, is having a squrirrel decide he doesn' like you when you're hoping to see game.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />


Regards, sse

Hi SSE,

It gets better... had a lot of those situations.. BUT the other day.........

Just got to my stand, was standing up trying to put on my face mask, had the bow between my legs with my hat sitting on top of the cam. Along comes a 4 pointer and looks right at me. I raise the bow, hat and all, and accidently touch my release... the arrow takes off and goes about 6 feet... Deer still looking at me ( I guess he didn't want to miss the show! )
I take another arrow and notice that the nock from the previous arrow is still on my string!!! Hmmmm.. I proceed to remove the nock, hat fell off by now, and notch another arrow. I raised the bow, and the buck never made a move.

I shot him at 15 yards. He ran about 35 yards, stopped and layed down. It ended up being a nice clean and quick kill.. thankfully.

Happy Hunting!

Al

Al - Can you teach me how to do that??!! Is there some reason you didn't have yer trunk open so he could just leap into there for ya, before he gave up the ghost??!!

Exasperated regards, sse

SSE,

I wish it happened often enough to "teach'...most times it ends up with significantly less pleasing results, but perhaps more "humorous" results..

BTW... You are fairly close to guessing the rest of the story.....

I shot it about 1/4 mile from my house.. loaded him on the back of the 4 wheeler.. and had him home in no time.. hee.. hee hee...gotta gloat a bit as this was about as good as it ever got for me.. That's after 45 years of hunting..
I can still bow hunt with a Doe tag, but I am looking forward to gun season as there's a real bruiser in that same area... Back in 2000 one of the local guys shot a B&C buck that scored either 172 or 182.. don't know for sure. He got it with the bow!!!

Happy huntin'

Al...

Alrunner, that's a heck of a comedy of errors you've got there. I should know, I have a PhD in treestand comedy. The part about getting the buck is especially good.

Anyone ever cut their bowstring ... with their own arrow? (Sheepish hand raising here.)

Regarding squirrels, I have known those who pack squirrel arrows for that sort of thing, and I have known squirrels who received a big game broadhead for their antics. Squirrels are pound for pound the toughest animal I have ever whacked, hands down.

Al - 45 years? Wow. Guess you paid your dues.

Tal - There's no shame in cutting your bow string, unless you don't have an extra on hand.

Regards, sse

P.S. I'm happy hunting, come what may.

Extra string? What's that?

Yeah what he said! I thought the extra strings were at the bow shop every couple of years <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />


That's a great story...sometimes you can cross your eyes wrong and get busted others you can't seem to run them off...


Mike