# My bow hunting ups and downs



## ropensaddle (Oct 22, 2019)

Seeing the other bow hunting story's has reminded my of my best and worst moments only mere seconds apart. I will attempt to put the events of that October 2005 into words bow hunters understand. It all started 2 years before when I took my personal best at 8 yards that officially landed me in the book with official P&y gross 146 4/8 and net 141 4/8 nine pointer I have on my wall. I had been playing cat and mouse with a large 14 point likely grand pappy of my 3 1/2 y/o 9 pointer. I had seen the buck 3 mornings in a row and each time I attempted to move up and he would go down down and he would be up on the hill. On the 4th day I decided to move up 30 yards higher than I had seen him . It started with breakfast and last minute weight eliminations in my pack for the grueling climb up to my location. In 2005 I was poor and still am but I mean I couldn't justify the expense of a good Mathews quiver for my mq1. I just put two arrows in my backpack took a shower and sprayed off with my scent killer solution and started my ascent. I reached my location in darkness but the pre-dawn was swiftly approaching so it was time to affix the old man climber and get the noises over! I was near 15 feet up and one of my arrows fell and I briefly thought about going back down and decided a buck nearing 200 inch typical would never give a second shot chance! I managed to get to my 20 foot height and get settled in for my mourning. It was not long before I began to feel confident the mourning was one of those that only us bow hunters can relate to, scattered frost fairly consistent wind and lightly not much at all. I could hear acorns pinging the ground in globs the sky was beautiful partly cloudy just one of those times all us bow-hunters know things are going to be interesting and after a moon dark night which I could now see beginning to rise as well as the sun . This buck had been punctual for 3 mournings 9:45 to 11:00 am but I had tried to grunt and bleat at him on prior encounters he had no part of it and was on a bed route with only one interest on his mind. I knew it would be a slow walking shot if any so I was ready for that, plenty practiced and confident! At around 9:45 the first thermals blew up from the valley still not bad and it put my scent if any to away from my quarry! @ 10:15 I heard a stick break in the valley below and soon saw movement at 75 yards below and a bit north. It was him I could see him feeding on acorns that rolled into piles down the steep slope. It seemed like eternity that he fed there but was only minutes in reality before he started his climb up to my location. I did a quick mental checklist stood and at 40 yards I came to full draw and followed his vitals until he was broadside @ 30 yards. I let loose of my trigger and sent my hopes and dreams downhill in flight . I was confident on release and thought I had just taken a B&C until 5 feet from the deer I saw my arrow flip up that I later seen was a vine I could not see @ 30 yards! This is bad I thought and normally it would be the end of my grief and story. This time however it was my lesson as the buck jumped and ran up and was looking down hill at where the arrow hit. This put him at broadside and 15 yards and pre-occupied at that time which was plenty long enough for me to look at him , the arrow I had dropped hours earlier and back at him several times before a wind shift uncovered my scent of shame and now anger. In that time period I was very able to see the rack was 7 inch bases 15 inch g2s 7 on each side and 22 inch plus spread he was likely tied or a new state record typical. I often reflect on that buck whilst I'm on the trail knowing I missed a chance of a lifetime but still grateful to have experienced what most men never will!


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## Polish hammer (Oct 30, 2019)

Wow that’s rough.. did anyone ever get him?


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## ropensaddle (Oct 31, 2019)

Polish hammer said:


> Wow that’s rough.. did anyone ever get him?


2 days later was hit by a truck my landlord 82 at the time said he was the biggest deer he had ever saw


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## Polish hammer (Oct 31, 2019)

Wow then one last kick when you were down Jeeze how’s this year any better


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## ropensaddle (Nov 4, 2019)

Polish hammer said:


> Wow then one last kick when you were down Jeeze how’s this year any better


I can't seem to get in the groove yet nothing but hogs have entered my set-ups so far but then its still early! I used to love the pre -rut and or trolling stage but the public ground I hunt is unforgiving to an aging body lol. Its also seemingly not as good as it used to be . The werhowser land was leased which pressured our forests and the big ones seem slaughtered or pressed even further into back country. I plan to set lock ons after turkey season as packing a climber over the mountains is not as easy as it used to be and the hunting begins two miles in just not happening. I feel settting lock ons will be my ticket to once again enjoying bruisers time will tell. I normally get a decent buck at some point but always feel bad that i took him before his genetic potential was reached if you know what I'm saying.


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## farmer steve (Nov 4, 2019)

I feel them big bucks come and go but to experience just seeing one is a blessing. I only have 2 that were nice enough to go on the wall but have encountered many more that qualified but fate had other ideas. Good luck this season.


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## Polish hammer (Nov 4, 2019)

Sadly 20 minutes after making that last post on Halloween I shot a 9 pt let him lay went in n looked next day didn’t look good got a tracking dog n still little blood and small spots in his bed this thread jinxed me.. lol jk I found my fletching where I got him and it was tore off the arrow so I’m almost positive I hit a limb and when arrow hit deer it came off sucks very crappy feeling.. been years since loosing a wounded deer for me but puts it back into reality


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## ropensaddle (Nov 5, 2019)

Polish hammer said:


> Sadly 20 minutes after making that last post on Halloween I shot a 9 pt let him lay went in n looked next day didn’t look good got a tracking dog n still little blood and small spots in his bed this thread jinxed me.. lol jk I found my fletching where I got him and it was tore off the arrow so I’m almost positive I hit a limb and when arrow hit deer it came off sucks very crappy feeling.. been years since loosing a wounded deer for me but puts it back into reality


Its bound to occur and always dreaded deer are remarkable healers though if not lethally wounded he will likely be an old b&c. What always amazes me still is how desolate woods can seem one week then the next deer are everywhere .I'm going to give it a try the rest of the week if something doesn't change my mind.


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## motorhead99999 (Nov 5, 2019)

Shot this with my son on Holloween


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## SuperDuty04 (Nov 5, 2019)

Can’t be a bow hunter and not have an occasional bad shot due to an unseen limb or other obstruction. Just the nature kf the beast. But it sure is a crappy feeling to think you made an animal suffer. In 34 years of bow hunting, I’ve had it happen a time or two, one was a massive buck I stuck last year. I never did find him. Bothered me for weeks!


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## ropensaddle (Nov 5, 2019)

SuperDuty04 said:


> Can’t be a bow hunter and not have an occasional bad shot due to an unseen limb or other obstruction. Just the nature kf the beast. But it sure is a crappy feeling to think you made an animal suffer. In 34 years of bow hunting, I’ve had it happen a time or two, one was a massive buck I stuck last year. I never did find him. Bothered me for weeks!


Only weeks  I still get bothered in my shame lol. Have any other bowhunters wondered why we spend hours preparing and play all the scenarios over and over about a set up but rarely does it play out just like planned? Bucks especially highly pressured mountain deer almost always catch you off guard . I never take a crap anymore without my bow lol


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## ropensaddle (Nov 5, 2019)

motorhead99999 said:


> Shot this with my son on Holloween


Gratz; well done, son on bucks not drugs!


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## motorhead99999 (Nov 5, 2019)

ropensaddle said:


> Gratz; well done, son on bucks not drugs!


That’s the goal. He does everything I do he goes on most of my fishing trips, bow hunting he has racks of trophies in his bedroom from ice fishing tournaments and derby’s. I don’t even enter anymore I just put everything in his name. Last season he won 500$ at a walleye tournament with my help of course. It really irritates a lot of people that they got beat by a 5 year old lol. This fall was also his first time shooting squirrels and had a blast.


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## motorhead99999 (Nov 5, 2019)

SuperDuty04 said:


> Can’t be a bow hunter and not have an occasional bad shot due to an unseen limb or other obstruction. Just the nature kf the beast. But it sure is a crappy feeling to think you made an animal suffer. In 34 years of bow hunting, I’ve had it happen a time or two, one was a massive buck I stuck last year. I never did find him. Bothered me for weeks!


I shot a monster last year and hit him in “no mans land” or whatever they call it. Seen him two days later laying in a pond then my neighbor had pictures on trail cam of him during muzzleloader and looked good and healthy which made me feel better


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## SuperDuty04 (Nov 5, 2019)

motorhead99999 said:


> I shot a monster last year and hit him in “no mans land” or whatever they call it. Seen him two days later laying in a pond then my neighbor had pictures on trail cam of him during muzzleloader and looked good and healthy which made me feel better



they often run to water when wounded.


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