Better To Be Lucky Than Good

[Patocazador]

Saturday was the archery deer opener and everything was set ... I hoped. I had set up a trail camera near a tripod and a nice buck had been there 3 days prior.

I got in the tripod at 6:30 AM and waited until legal shooting light at 7:05. I could see down mowed paths in 3 directions.

At sunrise (7:30) a doe showed up about 60 yards away. She fed towards me for a bit but then started to turn back. I put the range finder on her and it said "39.5". I had been shooting at that distance for the past month so decided to give it a go. I shot and saw her drop immediately. Then I saw the bright fletching in her head(???). She flopped around until I could get down and cut her throat.
I had no idea how the shot could have been that far off even for an almost 40-yard shot. However, I was happy as could be that I had venison only 30 minutes into the season.

She was a large (for Florida) non-lactating doe and I sure didn't mess up any meat.







Florida has a 2 deer/day limit so I went out again Saturday evening hoping for the big buck. As luck would have it, a large doe fed right up to me at 17 yards. I elected to pass on it as I hate to clean deer after dark with all the mosquitoes.

I went back to the tripod the next day and saw the probable reason for the bad shot. I had shot between two branches and the arc of the arrow on a ~40-yard shot probably caused it to glance off the top branch thus deflecting it.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[horsemen61]

Glad you shot one @Patocazador i am sorry that your shot wasn’t were you wanted.


If a Hunter is being honest we have all flubbed a shot once or twice in our life at game I’m glad you did the best you could to quickly and humanely finish it off


I think you did a good job

 

[jmr40]

Due to the elevation of the stand she was closer than your range finder said. That accounts for the high shot. But unless she had her head turned in an odd way you were pretty far off to the right.

At any rate you've got to get your story telling perfected. Nothing better than a tall tale. I'd have sworn that I was aiming at the ear while she was at a dead run. I've known a few guys who were experts at the craft of story telling. They would be recounting hunting or fishing stories that at 1st sounded believable. But as the yarn got longer it soon became obvious they were embellishing the truth with a wink and a smile. They never expected anyone to actually believe the tale, but would NEVER admit it was anything but the truth.

 

[Aim1]

You're range finder maybe right on, a lot of times if you are shooting from an elevated platform and lower your bow arm rather than bend at the waist many times you will shoot high.

Crazy shot, so you missed it's brain I'm assuming?

 

[Captcurt]

Meat in the freezer. I'll take luck over skill any day.

 

[Patocazador]

Crazy shot, so you missed it's brain I'm assuming?

I didn't go into the skull or even skin out the head but the exit was under her left eye.

 

[FL-NC]

From that shot placement, I would think that she would have been DRT/rag doll.

 

[Highland Lofts]

As luck would have it.

No wasted meat on that deer, it doesn't get any better then that.

 

[courtgreene]

Two things, and you probably already know both of them. First, like you I can hit at that distance on a target block but choose not to attempt shots that far (you don't know THAT, but you know this next part) because a target block doesn't move at the sound of the bow string reacting to swift change between static and dynamic energy. Arrows are fast but not faster than sound, so you probably DID NOT miss. She probably reacted between release and the arrow's arrival. The second thing, about the thrashing, I've accidentally shot one in the head once, and a kid I taught to hunt did the same. When you hit the brain the nerves fire like crazy. She was dead while thrashing.

Again, I assume you know all of that, because I've seen your posts on here and you seem like a very knowledgable fellow. I'm posting for others who read this.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I was happy as could be that I had venison only 30 minutes into the season.

Heck yes.
Our archery season opens this Saturday.
I'll be tickled pink if I have venison in the freezer on opening day.
I'm not going to be picky. The first legal deer I see is getting a meat missile sent its way.

 

[courtgreene]

Good luck Paul, I thought the same thing. Then my harness rubbed the tree as I drew making a scratching/rubbing sound, and that deer was gone. It's never a sure thing.

 

[Patocazador]

At any rate you've got to get your story telling perfected. Nothing better than a tall tale.

OK, I just figured out the reason for the errant head shot. The brand of arrow was a "HeadHunter". The mystery is explained.

 

[spraay]

I had no idea how the shot could have been that far off even for an almost 40-yard shot. However, I was happy as could be that I had venison only 30 minutes into the season.

I went back to the tripod the next day and saw the probable reason for the bad shot. I had shot between two branches and the arc of the arrow on a ~40-yard shot probably caused it to glance off the top branch thus deflecting it.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Congrats on getting your deer. It sounds like you dispatched your quarry quickly enough. I love archery, but it is difficult to execute the perfect shot. I've had some go well and others go very poorly. Having a shot deflected by a small, unseen branch is common. We do the best we can and it sounds like you are grateful for your game.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Then my harness rubbed the tree as I drew making a scratching/rubbing sound, and that deer was gone.

I had the craziest thing happen opening afternoon.
Once in the stand, I realized that my flashlight wasn't in my pack. I'd used it and not returned it.
So I was forced to leave a bit earlier so I wouldn't be walking out in the dark.

As I got up, I spooked a doe. She blew at me and ran away. I sat back down, and less than a minute later, she came back.
And I missed her. I heard the arrow hit some brush. It was legal, but getting dark. SMH

I've never had one blow and run, then come right back. Crazy.

 

[Captcurt]

I had the craziest thing happen opening afternoon.
Once in the stand, I realized that my flashlight wasn't in my pack. I'd used it and not returned it.
So I was forced to leave a bit earlier so I wouldn't be walking out in the dark.

As I got up, I spooked a doe. She blew at me and ran away. I sat back down, and less than a minute later, she came back.
And I missed her. I heard the arrow hit some brush. It was legal, but getting dark. SMH

I've never had one blow and run, then come right back. Crazy.

Several years ago I shot a small buck in Northern Missouri right at dark. I wasn't sure that I hit it because ran about 50 yards, stopped and snorted. After an hour wait my friend and I checked it out with a light. My arrow had 2 or 3 hairs on it, but 10 feet away was a blood trail that a blind man could follow. The buck went about 100 yards and crashed. One blade on the Thunderhead had sliced his Carotid. Had a doe snort after I double lunged her with an arrow. She only made it about 75 yards.