Why??

[meatonastick]

How long did it take for you to kill your first bow deer? I have been bowhunting for about 5 years now, with about 3 outings per year, due to work, but have yet to make a clean kill on a deer. I missed one opening day and another tonight. I get home and shoot my 3-d deer and Im dead on? I dont know what it is? Im getting discouraged!:huh: I think I am shooting to fast, for some reason, I always feel like they are going to bust me and I shoot fast. I just need to calm down and just act like it doesnt matter if I hit them i guess?

[onthehunt]

I did the same thing for years. I would draw and shoot and think to myself,"why did I rush that shot". The main thing that helped me was to be smokin' ready before a deer even showed up. No hanger for my bow, no 100 ways to pass the time, just ready. I am near shooting position while on stand. Bow in my hand, release on my string, cam of my bow resting in a calf strap bow holder. I learned to shoot sitting down and set my stands at angles I will not have to move much. And the most important thing to make you slow down is waiting for the deer to "get right". Bowhunting is all about angles. Wait for that deer to turn broadside or quartering away from you. This is "getting right". I won't shoot a deer if I think it's not angled right or perfectly broadside. Just let them walk. It's not worth the 400yrd track job and countless hours with flashlights and ticks and screwing up your area. It's especially not fair to the deer. Watch your wind a only move when they can't see you and you will have plenty of time to make the perfect shot.

[ACEarcher]

Yeah, I know what your saying. It's tough in the mist of all the excitment. You just have to train yourself to slow down. You get so excited that when that deer is close enough for the shot you draw back and just started putting the pin on the biggest area mass of the deer and not where you really should be aiming. You just pull back and put the pin on brown. Next thing you know you just shot the deer in the liver or clipped a lung or even gut shot.

Try this, when you see deer approach try to stay calm. When you come to full draw put your pin right where the deers front legs meet it's body, but not on the deer itself. Almost like you want to put an arrow right in that 90 degree corner, but not actually hit the deer. Once you know and I mean you know your pin is at that spot slowly raise your pin about 6-8 inches. What your making yourself do is forcing you to aim. Right when you draw back just instinctivly put that pin there and then once you mentally said to urself **** Where is my PIN!!!***** raise the pin up and slowly while you have the pin on the heart/lungs area slowly squeeze the trigger. The shot should be a suprise to you.

Don't ever take a shot that you might have any doubt on. It's never worth it on a doe or even a monster buck just never worth it. Also, before you walk into the woods you should always know that whatever you aim your bow at your going to hit. Archery is 90% mental and 10% physical.

[bigolebuck]

I began hunting with a bow at the age of 11 years old!
It actually took me 5 or 6 years before I bagged my first deer, and believe me my dogs weighed more than the deer did. But it was my first kill with a bow!
I killed a few the next few seasons, but I always caught myself rushing shots, not breathing and just taking the first deer that I saw instead of waiting to see what else was coming in with that deer. 23 years later I am more patient, I don't get over excited with the first deer I see! I actually look around real good if I do decide to take a shot, because I have missed huge bucks that were coming in late. Just be patient and keep practicing shooting out of your stand. Most people miss because it is much different shooting from the ground vs. in a 15-20' stand. Aim a little low if you don't have an elevated place to practice. Most times deer have a habit of squatting down when they hear the noise of your shot, and the arrow goes right over their back. Done that before!
Over all don't give up that is why they call it hunting....

Good luck this season

[Liv2hunt]

Don't beat yourself up, I'm sure your like the rest of us bowhunters because the reason you do it is the challenge. If it were easy, it just wouldn't be the same.

I'm wondering, did you shoot over the deer on your misses? That was my problem. If so, it could be because your practicing on the ground and shooting from a elevated stand? It makes a difference if thats the case.

The other thing is something I'd call "Deer Savvy." Its very important when bowhunting. Its knowing how to move, act when deer are in close. Its knowing what you can and can't get away with when there are multiple sets of eyes under your stand. And its the ability to have patience when they are close. Every time you have a deer encounter, you learn something, you test something and you make mistakes. You learn whether or not you can draw when his head is behind a tree for 2 seconds. You learn how to time your movements with breezes so the swaying branches provide some cover movement.....you get the idea.

I shot my first buck with a gun the first time out, but it took 8 years to take my first doe with a bow;) It does seem like they came much easier after the first one, I think its because at that point I reached the level of "Deer Savvy" needed to be successful.

[meatonastick]

Thanks a lot guys,
Yeah, I may and think Im shooting over their backs. I shot at a very mature doe tonight and she got the best of me. I seen the doe I shot at last weekend, and then had 7 other deer come in. The biggest doe came the closest, turned broad side and I took the shot. I walked it off picking up my arrow on the way out and it was 23 yds. ( approx.) I have to practice shooting from my stand, because I thought I had everything else under control tonight and it still backfired. :o

[onthehunt]

Without a doubt find an elevated place to shoot. It sounds like it could be your problem. We all are learning this game, have faith:). It will happen and the first one is the hardest.

[arrowhead]

I find it hard to judge distance in the woods ,especially looking out into an open field. I do use a range finder. Looking out at 20 yards it doesn't look very far out. I try to focus on a little spot on the deer and follow throughon the shot. Alot of times the archer is excited about taking a shot and is trying to look around the sight to see the impact before the shot is fully over.

[onthehunt]

Judging distance is tough when your over a field or any open terrain. It even gets more difficult when elevated or judging in hill country. The only thing to help you is to practice with your range finder or just pace objects off. Don't ever beat yourself up over getting excited. If you stop getting excited when a "shooter" comes into range, take up golf:thup:. That's what it's all about!

[grtwhthunter/fisherman]

one other problem which is so hard sososo hard is to follow through with your shot a guy taught me this i was shooting fine from tree and ground but at deer seemed to miss more than connect.turns out as i shot at deer i would actually move bow out of way to see where i shot the instant i released, i caught myself doing it, just one mans observation if you still have problems:)

[BarnesX.308]

9 years.

[mudmarlin70]

aim small, miss small:bow:

[bobmetzg]

dont peak, follow through on your shot doesn't matter archery or gun. if you dont follow through your not gonna fill a tag. once you learn to follow through on game and not just a target you will be fine.

[fatboy]

You are probably dropping your arm and not keepng your hips and shoulders square. Dropping your arm only without bending at the hip changes your anchor point and lenght of draw causing you to shoot high. Try this, Pull your bow aim straight out and force your hips to bend to align your bow ontarget it should help. It took me about 3-4 years to get my first deer, a doe. I screwed up a million times before I finally got it. Also if you have to question if this is my shot, it probably isnt. Give it time you will be surprised how often they will offer you a great shot if you dont force one first. Trust I learned all this the hard way. Also pick a spot, a patch of hair and concentrate on hitting it. If you are off a little you still double lunged em. You will often miss by shooting at the whole deer instead of picking a spot!

[ganggreen]

If you hunt from a tree, practice from a tree. Angles will make you miss faster than anything else. If you are shooting over the top of these deer that is your problem. You have a tendancy to shoot high out of a stand. And don't fcount on the, if I hit it, I hit attitude. Concentrate on one spot. Alot of guys forget to pick a spot. They are just shooting at the deer. Pick a spot on the crease, or in the center of the lungs, or whereever you want. Just make sure to pick a spot and shoot that spot.

["String Music"]

I shot a doe on the my first hunt from a tree...All my friends say that I was gonna be spoiled...I have hunted now for 4 straight years...I have killed 15 deer...Three 8 pters, One 7 pter and a spike...All the rest were Does! On OPening day this year I had a Doe broadside and I shot right over its back also...The deer was maybe 20 yards...Dont know what happened...I think I peeked to see what happened and moved my aim...If anybody tells you that they have never missed than they are liars...All the pro's miss...It just happens...I used to have a problem rushing the shot also...I would draw under the deer and as I raised my sight up to the deer I would get excited and shoot premature...I shot a couple of deer low with some gut shots but always recovered them...I practice now and talk myself thru the shot...I tell myself to take my time and try to stay on target for a couple of seconds before taking the shot...:thup: