I don't tend to have very much free time, so I will shoot my bow once or twice (100-200 arrows total), just prior to hunting season, to verify that my bow is still accurate, and my form is still good. (Admittedly, the first shot of the year that I took in 2019 was on the biggest buck that I've ever harvested, and at 54 yards. It was a fluke hunt opportunity really early in the season and I hadn't had a chance to practice. It's good to be lucky.) I practiced this year and verified that I was still on out to 60. Anyway, I don't tend to practice shoot at all during the season because all of the free time I have is spent in the woods, actually hunting. I trust my gear and my skill.
During one of my first hunts this year, I drew on a button buck, just to go through the mechanics and make sure I could get stood up and drawn without it seeing me in this new stand. I nearly got to full draw when my release detached from my wrist. Arrow went flying. The release went down, "THWACK!", let go of the string on the rebound, and flew off over my left shoulder and onto the ground below my stand. That was humbling, but I chalked it up to me going over with the first Velcro overlap when I should have gone under. A good palm slap to the forehead and I won't ever do that again. Geer all checked out fine. Everything was still tight and no rattles, so good to go. Release was even fine. Total user error.
2ish weeks ago, I lip squeaked in a yote to like directly under me, and shot to the right of him. Thought I must have pushed the shot a bit or something. Something I'd have to keep in mind for future shots.
Hunted all weekend this past weekend in the cold. Walked most of Saturday and loved it. Sat most of Sunday off and on since there wasn't any cover wind and froze my arse before dawn and after dusk.
Hung a new stand on Sunday and climbed into it around 2:30. Rattled as soon as I got situated and in walks a mature 150 - 160. 1st mature buck I've ever rattled in that presented a shot opportunity. Tall white tines and pretty symmetrical. He came in to 40, didn't see anything, turned to go back, so I popped off a couple of short grunts. He turned back around, started thrashing some pucker brush and came into me on a string. I decided I would be happy to end my season with this mature buck. He presented a nice nearly head on shot at 15 yards, as he was coming up out of a ravine, so I took the shot when he stopped. Clear missed him to the right. Couldn't believe it!!! I'm no crack shot, but now I'd missed two targets within 15 yards. WTAF?!
I was steaming mad and nearly climbed out of the tree and went home, but the weather was perfect, and we're still smack in the middle of the rut, so I stayed put and told myself that I would concentrate on not pushing my next shot. 30 minutes later and another 150 - 160 with thicker chocolate tines, comes running across behind me. I mepped him and got him to stop broadside at 14 - 15 yards, (tail to the left and head to the right). Had left hand open, as not to squeeze and twist the bow at all, I centered on his heart and released the arrow. To my shock, I watched the arrow just graze the bottom of his neck / front of his chest and stick into the dirt. I couldn't believe what just happened! AGAIN!!!
I felt completely dejected all Sunday night and Monday morning. Set up my target over lunch on Monday to shoot it at 15 yards from my deck, aimed center target and missed the target completely to the right. Turns out my arrow rest (whisker biscuit) had been bumped quite a bit to the right. I was shooting a good foot or more to the right at 15 yards! All bolts were still tight and I was great elevation wise, but off left and right. I felt like a complete asshat. My guess is that during my release mishap, the release swung around and clocked the arrow rest hard enough to jolt it to the right, but not loosen the bolt in the process. I was so F-ing angry at myself that I didn't run at least a couple practice shots through after the release mishap. I could kick myself!
Humble pie. It tastes awful, but every once in a while, I force myself to eat some. Some years, more often than others.
During one of my first hunts this year, I drew on a button buck, just to go through the mechanics and make sure I could get stood up and drawn without it seeing me in this new stand. I nearly got to full draw when my release detached from my wrist. Arrow went flying. The release went down, "THWACK!", let go of the string on the rebound, and flew off over my left shoulder and onto the ground below my stand. That was humbling, but I chalked it up to me going over with the first Velcro overlap when I should have gone under. A good palm slap to the forehead and I won't ever do that again. Geer all checked out fine. Everything was still tight and no rattles, so good to go. Release was even fine. Total user error.
2ish weeks ago, I lip squeaked in a yote to like directly under me, and shot to the right of him. Thought I must have pushed the shot a bit or something. Something I'd have to keep in mind for future shots.
Hunted all weekend this past weekend in the cold. Walked most of Saturday and loved it. Sat most of Sunday off and on since there wasn't any cover wind and froze my arse before dawn and after dusk.
Hung a new stand on Sunday and climbed into it around 2:30. Rattled as soon as I got situated and in walks a mature 150 - 160. 1st mature buck I've ever rattled in that presented a shot opportunity. Tall white tines and pretty symmetrical. He came in to 40, didn't see anything, turned to go back, so I popped off a couple of short grunts. He turned back around, started thrashing some pucker brush and came into me on a string. I decided I would be happy to end my season with this mature buck. He presented a nice nearly head on shot at 15 yards, as he was coming up out of a ravine, so I took the shot when he stopped. Clear missed him to the right. Couldn't believe it!!! I'm no crack shot, but now I'd missed two targets within 15 yards. WTAF?!
I was steaming mad and nearly climbed out of the tree and went home, but the weather was perfect, and we're still smack in the middle of the rut, so I stayed put and told myself that I would concentrate on not pushing my next shot. 30 minutes later and another 150 - 160 with thicker chocolate tines, comes running across behind me. I mepped him and got him to stop broadside at 14 - 15 yards, (tail to the left and head to the right). Had left hand open, as not to squeeze and twist the bow at all, I centered on his heart and released the arrow. To my shock, I watched the arrow just graze the bottom of his neck / front of his chest and stick into the dirt. I couldn't believe what just happened! AGAIN!!!
I felt completely dejected all Sunday night and Monday morning. Set up my target over lunch on Monday to shoot it at 15 yards from my deck, aimed center target and missed the target completely to the right. Turns out my arrow rest (whisker biscuit) had been bumped quite a bit to the right. I was shooting a good foot or more to the right at 15 yards! All bolts were still tight and I was great elevation wise, but off left and right. I felt like a complete asshat. My guess is that during my release mishap, the release swung around and clocked the arrow rest hard enough to jolt it to the right, but not loosen the bolt in the process. I was so F-ing angry at myself that I didn't run at least a couple practice shots through after the release mishap. I could kick myself!
Humble pie. It tastes awful, but every once in a while, I force myself to eat some. Some years, more often than others.
Went to my back up bow for the rest of the season. DOH!!
