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First Deer! Spiked Buck!

14K views 52 replies 18 participants last post by  hunter93 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello everyone. Just registered here. Well do I have a story for you!
I just went over to my uncle's this morning. Got out in the woods and on the backside of this pond levy bout half an hour before sunrise. Well I picked me out a spot and decided to sit down. Bad choice. Got my butt all wet and stuff. So then I decided to stand up. That was a little better.
Well while I was waiting for a monster buck that has been roaming around the area (16 point monster. big basket rack) I see these turkeys fly off of a nearby tree. "Cool," I think silently to myself. "At least I've seen some kind of animal besides a squirrel."
I'm bout ready to turn in and am starting to wonder if deer hunting is the thing for me. (It was my first time hunting deer).
All of a sudden, this buck comes in right off to my right. Not ten yards downwind. Scared the crap outa me. Well since there was a lota stuff down from the ice storm, I didn't have a really clear shot. It started to walk away, so I though, "Now or never." Decided to take a thirty yard shot even thought I've only had my first bow for two days shy of a month. Hit a tree since my window of opportunity was about the size of a softball. Spooked it so it started to run them came back.:confused:
OK? Well I decided to start walking toward it. Crazy? Ya. :sadbanana: Well long story short, a coyote came up twenty yards to my right while the deer was staring me down. We both watched it. That deer must've stared me down for an hour before I got a shot off at it.
Bad shot. Hit it in the front of the shoulder blade, ricocheted off of it and went straight through its lungs and put it down after it ran bout fifty yards off.
Had to hurry up on that last part there. Have to get off the computer.
If any one wants me to elaborate on any of this, just let me know, I'd be happy to. Thanks for reading about my little experience.

Nathan
 
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#2 ·
I'm glad you got your deer but... your story would not be one that young archers should follow. A 30 yd shot with only a softball sized window and only 30 days of shooting! This was a shot for disaster. Everyone who archery hunts will have a bad experience on an errant arrow, but I hope you sit back and ponder the two shots you took and Monday morning quarterback those and say maybe I should have waited or even let him pass for the day. Shot patience is the toughest part of archery hunting in my opinion, the animal deserves, from us hunters, for a well placed shot and a quick death. Take your time be patient and practice so that when the time comes it will become an automatic responce from the shooter. I hope for your continued hunting success. HM
 
#5 ·
Sorry bout the unconvential shot there, but you have to realize the confidence that I'd have to have to take a shot like that and risk injuring the deer. I might have only had my bow for a month but I'm shooting targets about the size of my window of opportunity at thirty yards.

At twenty yards, I usually hit a softball sized target all day. At thirty, not as consistantly at twenty, but still 95 percent of the time. And I shoot a lot.

I hate to sound like I'm bragging, but I have an unnatural talent for shooting a bow. That was actually part of my reason for buying my Hoyt Powerhawk in the first place. I'm shooting at sixty pounds right now. And when I started shooting, I could only pull back fifty twice. I can shoot a sixty all day long now. Like I said, I have a pure talent for it.

I hate to argue with you guys like this, especially since you all have way more experience than I do, but, and I'm very ashamed to say this, I don't take critisizm (if that's how you spell that) very well sometimes. I do most of the time, but not all.

Anyways, thanks for the posts. Like I always say, "The more the merrier."
 
#6 ·
Proof

Here's the proof that I wasn't exaggerating about being able to shoot small groupings at thirty yards after having my bow for only a month.

This is two shots at thirty yards. And the four other arrows that are laying on the ground in the pictures were also in the center circle which, in fact, is abouth the size of a baseball. Yes, a baseball. I've played baseball for nine years, so I should know. I shoot baseball sized groupings at both twenty and thirty yards after shooting for only a month in my entire life.

Sorry for bragging, but I'm so excited at my improvement over such a short time. Now here's for the proof. These are pictures of my thirty yard shots that I'm so psyched about.

.............................................................. Oh I'm so embarrassed. I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures. :ranting: Well I know how to email them so if anyone wants to see my split, yes split arrow at thirty yards, tell me your e mail address on a reply here and I'll email you some pictures of it. It split the knock in half and the shaft of the other arrow is inside the shaft of the first.

Sorry for bragging so much and then not showing. Like I said, just put your e mail address on a reply so that I can e mail you pictures. That is if you want to see that I'm not just all mouth and no game. LOL. Well sorry again about all this. :useless: LOL.

Replies welcome.............. Please.:rolleyes:
 
#7 ·
im guessing your kinda young,how old are ya?
 
#8 ·
Just a bit over the top I think, I really don't know what to think. :shocking: The only thing I can say is I wouldn't have taken the shot you did. I try to take only good shots resulting in clean quick kills, that should be everyone's goal. Sometimes it doesn't go that way then it becomes a long tracking marathon. I would suggest you keep practicing at a 3-D target and watch those shot angles on live animals.
 
#11 ·
ok hear is what i think. i stand behind my previous post, but will say this. we obveasly have a new/ young hunter here. rather that tear him down for his mistake, or gess his age we sould be takeing the time he is on this site to educate him in a manner that will not put him in defencive mode.
wtbm. i can hit a softball at ten yards to. i could probably hit one at more like 25 or 30 yards, but i would never take a shot like that in the field, for several reasons. 1. your blood is pumping, your hands are shaking, you cant even think strate. (you got buck fevor). 2. wait just a min. you'll have a much better shot, that you dont have to shoot through a softball size window. 3. we owe it to the animals we hunt to do our verry best to ensure a clean kill. high risk shots dont do you, or him any favors. even if you never got a good shot, and had to let him pass, maybe you would have seen him the next day, or even that big buck you were talking about. by taking that shot, you may not have gotten a second shot, and then you would have had a spooked buck on your hands. you would not have seen him again, and his wearyness may have also effected the big buck. then you would not have seen another deer all year long. luckly this time it turnd out for you, and your buck. please see this as a learning expeareance. and have a ball next year with your new found knolage.
 
#12 ·
good point HuntNH .i was just curious as too how old he was.i tend to be more forgiving of young hunters but if an adult posted this i wouldnt be as forgiving
 
#13 ·
Im not sure how you ever got a shot off standing on the ground? With a rifle maybe but with a bow....not saying you cant but it dosnt happen very often. My advise is get ya a tree stand. You got a better view, deer cant see you as easy ect. ect. Good luck
 
#15 ·
Congrats on your first deer I'm sure your are excited I will always remember my first one. Don't let the naysayers bother you the fact is you wemt out in the woods and killed a deer with your bow and that is something to be proud of. If you don't shoot you can't kill a deer, you'll have plenty of time to figure out the rest.
 
#16 ·
first deer reply

hey buddy sounds like you had a great experience in gods outdoors, i don't really think you did anything wrong, with taking two risky shots, but i bet with a little more preparation being ethical would'nt be a worry. where i come from we really hunt for meat, and kill a couple nice horned deers a year I'm a fairly new bow hunter myself, only been doing it for about three years now, but one things for sure if you don't shoot you won't hit em? so congradulations, i hope this sold you on deer hunting and i hope you can't wait to go again.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Naysayers, you're letting me down now! What I read is just shoot at them and if you don't get them shoot another! I was trying to point out a better shot than the one he took. Either I'm getting old or ethics today is something different than what I was taught. I said it was good he got his deer but... it wasn't a sure shot and for those who are saying take it anyways you're giving really bad advice, period. To all the new archers: practice, practice and take the shot you know you can make, broadside or 1/4ing away, the animal deserves nothing less. I guess I'm on a different page on this one, but you'll never convince me I'm wrong. These posts sadden me on your thinking! I too like to fill tags but I won't take a questionable shot just to hopefully get a kill. It's simply wrong!:yucky:HM
 
#18 ·
Here is a prime example of what I am trying to say, my son came home tonight from college and passed on a 10 pt buck last night because it would not present a perfect shot and at 6 yds. It was a straight on shot. That buck backed away, not wounded, and may return and not be so lucky. My son is a very good shot shooting 74 lbs and could drive an arrow through a poor shot angle but why take the chance? I am most pleased with him :ibtl:.
 
#20 ·
I agree that taking poor shots is unethical. I wish I can say I've never done it but I have. I' ve also taken good shots and shot poorly, but anytime I've not made a clean kill I feel terrible. There has been a time or two I've nearly quit hunting because I felt so bad. Luckly no animal has been lost. What I'm trying to say is if you don't feel remorse when an animal is wounded and suffering you shouldn't be hunting. You're bad for our sport and the animals deserve better. If your out to just kill join the Taliban as a suicide bomber. Now the guy that started this thread I hope IS young and will learn from the advice given by many on this forum DON'T TAKE A RISKY SHOT, PERIOD!!
 
#21 ·
Huntingman, you're absolutely right on this subject and if anyone tries to convince other people that taking poor shots is ok well that's just wrong and totally unethical.

Taking poor shots is not a good practice at all and when someone says "If you don't shoot you won't hit em" all that tells me is, that person could care less about how many Deer they leave wounded in the woods only to die a slow unnecessary death.

When a person acts in unethical manners it affects all of us Ethical hunters

I understand there's always going to be bad shots while bow hunting, it's murphys law but the ETHICAL hunters know we shouldn't add to the problem by willfully taking poor shots and I haven't even begun to mention the risks of totally missing the animal and possibly injuring other hunters.

Hunters already deal with a hoard of anti hunting negativity we shouldn't do anything that could possibly add to their anti efforts.
 
#22 ·
unethical behavior,risky shots and those that encourage it are no better than someone who thinks its okay to drink and drive as long as no one gets hurt and you dont get caught.wrong is wrong no grey area at all
 
#24 ·
non of us are trying to tell him not to be exited about his first deer. we are just trying to get him to learn from his experiance, so that he dont take any more risky shotts in the woods. and wile i dont think we should be ripping on him, wich we arnt. i shore as hell wont be telling him that its ok for him to go out and take a shot like that again.
 
#25 ·
that about sums it up
 
#26 ·
dude?

in all seriousness buddy? i mean i don't think youu need to justify a shot that noone here saw you take, the animal, was recovered? the proof is in the pudding? i mean i understand some of you other guys, saying take ethical shots but it wasn't like you took a shot in the direction of another human? you shot at your game, and guess what you killed your game, everyone that has ever gone hunting has missed a deer , either with a bow or gun? u didnt even miss your deer? when i first started hunting it was in a family hunting club, we ran dogs the third deer i ever killed was a spike buck and i shot em dead as a door nail, took his legs out on the first shot, and hit him all in the chest with a second after he went down, nobody gave me a talk about how i should have shot the deer they were just happy for me.
 
#27 ·
IMO you probably didn't make the greatest decision in taking the shot you did, but it worked for you. That's great that you managed to hit and kill the deer. Learn from your experience, and next time just remember how lucky you were. Luck isn't everything in hunting but sometimes it plays in your favor. But as my grandfather told me, "You can't always rely on luck coming to you in hunting, sometimes you have to make your own luck through your experiences and wisdom from them."
Glad to hear a new inexperienced bow hunter killed his first deer, take these experiences and hopefully collect more.
 
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