Hit a brick wall

[Jeff H]

Yes, they are Allen broadheads. Guy that sold them to me called them rages at the shop. Upon further research they are lower end broadheads at that. I'm gnna wait a week and hopefully take a deer with my rifle. Build my confidence back up and go back to bow hunting. Put some more practice in on my off days. I work in a grimey area and have had people try to rob me, I've never been shaken till I drew back on that buck, think these shakes played a large part in this lesson. I can walk away from this at least with some unparralled adrenaline, lessons, and the realization crawling through Brier patches in 20 degrees without coffee is a reason to be absolute on your shot. Again, I appreciate all you guys putting up with a do it yourself or and overall new hunter. Side note: while searching all that area, I found many beds and a massive 50 track sand crossing on that creek in a remote area. Deer prints back and forth all over a 10 foot patch of creek south of my field.

I admire your grit and your willingness to expose your failures on a public forum. You've already learned so much from your short time deer hunting. I bow hunted for 4,5 years before I took my first deer with a bow. No internet. No You Tube and my equipment and knowledge were sub par in every way but I loved it and still do. The adrenaline is what brings us back but you need to learn to control your breathing. Shake off the loss and learn from it.
So far you've found a place to hunt, acquired the equipment to hunt with and practiced with it. You've figured out where the deer are and resolved your blind situation. You've had deer at 15 yds which shows everything else you've done is working, and you've taken a shot in your first season. Oh, and you've experienced "buck fever". I hate that you could not find your deer but I think you're off to a great start !

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I appreciate that, and have more that I need to attend to. I had my bow sighted in to 3-6 inch circles, I took the quiver off and left it and two broadheads in the blind to reduce my scent and travel and have less bulk in my tight blind weight/noise. I took the day off today and have been shooting it. New problem it's firing high and to the right by a solid 14 inches!!!!! It was close to perfect and left to sit during the last few weeks. I dunno where the variation came from... Any ideas??? Could taking the quiver off of caused any issues??? Surely not...

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I will upload a picture when I get home. The bar that has a plastic piece that holds your strings out the way in an x formation. My arrow fletching seems to be hitting as I let go. May be time to take it back to the archery store for professional to look at

 

[Jeff H]

I would not want to give advice without looking at the bow but taking a quiver off should not ever cause a shot difference of 14 inches. You're on the right track. Take it to a bow shop. They'll know. Shooting well builds confidence. When my shots start to stray I stop shooting and start again later or the next day. Confidence is everything in bow hunting.

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I will be going to the shop in the morning, however, I'd also like to note how many deer I see now. Every trip I'm seeing at least three does. Ever since I moved my blind, brushed it in and as nasty as it sound put deer urine on my boots to walk in. I'm seeing them every trip in, however this was my first buck sitting in awhile. But, as a positive I don't feel like I'm missing um because I'm constantly seeing them

 

[Jeff H]

I will be going to the shop in the morning, however, I'd also like to note how many deer I see now. Every trip I'm seeing at least three does. Ever since I moved my blind, brushed it in and as nasty as it sound put deer urine on my boots to walk in. I'm seeing them every trip in, however this was my first buck sitting in awhile. But, as a positive I don't feel like I'm missing um because I'm constantly seeing them

It's nice when the work you do pays off. That' progress. Congratulations !

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I figure, even tho the bucks are fleeting, worst case scenario is they come to all my does in rut. Will the pattern on my does change in rut? They seem to have an affinity to graze in this one spot of the field early morning and right before dark. *Coincidently where I moved my blind the first time in the middle of* lol. From reading I've heard the rut all rules go out the windows and bucks will charge in less cautious on that urge to m8. My rut should be kicking in the next two weeks. Any suggestions to prep for it?? Other than keeping on my does

 

[Tap]

A couple of things to mention.
Yeah, you need to get experienced help with your equipment. 14 inches off is not an issue if you're shooting groups...especially if you are shooting sights. Just adjust them so you're hitting the bull. Exactly WHY you're off 14" is hard to say, but if you're grouping, and have good flight, then it's a matter of adjusting the sight. Could it be an issue with your string clearing heavier hunting clothes? Have you practiced while wearing everything you wear while hunting?
And just because arrows group, doesn't mean flight is good. Flight is important to penetration. A fish tailing arrow won't penetrate as well as a well tuned arrow.
And some of the world's greatest target shooters can't shoot on game worth squat. They fall apart when they are shooting at a live creature as opposed to paper. Keeping it together when aiming at a live deer can be tough. Personally, I think that buck fever is the main issue for the majority of novice hunters...and a lot of old timers, too!
Easy to say, but try to not put pressure on yourself to kill a deer. Actually, I believe that passing a few up that you know you can kill will help calm nerves. Going through mental imagery when you watch deer will help. Imagine going through the shot process on deer you don't intend on shooting. And I mean REALLY get into it. Imagine the proper shot angle. Imagine the single hair you want to aim for. Imagine executing the perfect form and release. Imagine the arrow hitting exactly where you were aiming.
Professional athletes and Olympians use mental imagery because it works.
Train your subconscious to have experienced perfect shot execution on game.
And shooting stuff like groundhogs or other low-pressure targets makes shooting on deer a little less nerve wracking, too.

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[PSE_Ryan]

problem resolved on my bow, after some research and testing my kisser was loose and slid up on my string. i'm just used to pulling the kisser to the corner of my mouth. i slid it back down, slightly pinched it with my pliers. back on target with no adjustments to my sights(this would also explain why my peeper didn't feel natural when i looked through it. I've also recently purchased purchased ramcat broadheads for my arrows. anyone have experience with these? my local bow store suggested them. i want to test them out and see how true they fly compared to my practice tips, but they were expensive and i don't really want to waste one. Back on track once again

 

[weekender21]

I know they're expensive but you do need to confirm your new broadheads are grouping with your field points. You can always buy new blades for your practice head if you don't want to buy another 3 pack.


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[Drycreek]

I’ve been out on this thread for awhile because I’ve been trying to get a deer myself. Glad to see you got your bow issues resolved. Good thing you’re seeing does also as that indicates that you’re not stinking up the spot with human scent.

Just as a confidence builder, let me relate this short story. The first year I bowhunted I killed two deer. I thought “ This ain’t hard “. I had a three year drought after that and rediscovered the meaning of luck ! Bowhunting is tough, but extremely rewarding. That’s why we do it. Keep it up. Every mistake teaches you something.

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I've established it's not worth hunting the spot i currently have setup in the morning time. there are two entrances, the first time i came in second entrance it was ok, every time after that i've ran into deer walking in all accross the field. everytime i hunt in morning after walking in i never see them, except when i walk in and scare them in the dark. untill i can get some more locations setup for morning hunting i'm just hunting in evening. I go in about 2 ( earlier than most, but i don't see any deer) around 5pm the does pop out the woodwork, and towards dark i see a few scattered bucks checking out my food. This leads be to believe my only real opportunity at this spot is in the evenings, i need another location for morning hunts. i see deer every time i go in the evening, never in the morning except at like 2-4.30 in the morning and i spook them. So off this information i usually am hunting saturday and sunday now. I drop corn in small piles around the field at different yardage, and leave old apples a 100 yards where they move through in that creek spot. apples are free as my work provides them for breakfast and they get old. i drop the corn and apples on tuesday and thursday, i keep my scent out of there the rest of the week. I go back in saturday and sunday have yet not to see a deer now that i've fixed my blind (great call by you savant hunters in here . that's what i'm working with right now. you guys will be the first to see a deer if i get one, gnna opt out of gun season starts this sat. and stay steadfast with my bow

 

[Tap]

I've established it's not worth hunting the spot i currently have setup in the morning time. there are two entrances, the first time i came in second entrance it was ok, every time after that i've ran into deer walking in all accross the field. everytime i hunt in morning after walking in i never see them, except when i walk in and scare them in the dark. untill i can get some more locations setup for morning hunting i'm just hunting in evening. I go in about 2 ( earlier than most, but i don't see any deer) around 5pm the does pop out the woodwork, and towards dark i see a few scattered bucks checking out my food. This leads be to believe my only real opportunity at this spot is in the evenings, i need another location for morning hunts. i see deer every time i go in the evening, never in the morning except at like 2-4.30 in the morning and i spook them. So off this information i usually am hunting saturday and sunday now. I drop corn in small piles around the field at different yardage, and leave old apples a 100 yards where they move through in that creek spot. apples are free as my work provides them for breakfast and they get old. i drop the corn and apples on tuesday and thursday, i keep my scent out of there the rest of the week. I go back in saturday and sunday have yet not to see a deer now that i've fixed my blind (great call by you savant hunters in here . that's what i'm working with right now. you guys will be the first to see a deer if i get one, gnna opt out of gun season starts this sat. and stay steadfast with my bow

Hunting strategy can be more compared to a maze that to a brick wall. Learning where the chinks in deer's armor and how to exploit those weaknesses IS the challenge of hunting.
Finding "the way that works best" (or what works worst) should be our goals. You DON'T need to access stands in the pre dawn or after dark. It's a big mistake that a LOT of hunters make. Getting in AND OUT of stands without educating deer is way more difficult than you may think. And blowing them out of the field AFTER the hunt is almost as damaging as blowing them out BEFORE the hunt.
I have some very productive stands that I refuse to come or go to at dawn or dusk. I just wait until it's light enough to glass the field to determine there are no deer present. When it's safe, I waste no time in getting through. Evenings are a little tougher. It's not as easy to get out through fields in late afternoon. Sometimes our exit route needs to be a different route than our entrance route in order to not educate deer.

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[Drycreek]

Hunting strategy can be more compared to a maze that to a brick wall. Learning where the chinks in deer's armor and how to exploit those weaknesses IS the challenge of hunting.
Finding "the way that works best" (or what works worst) should be our goals. You DON'T need to access stands in the pre dawn or after dark. It's a big mistake that a LOT of hunters make. Getting in AND OUT of stands without educating deer is way more difficult than you may think. And blowing them out of the field AFTER the hunt is almost as damaging as blowing them out BEFORE the hunt.
I have some very productive stands that I refuse to come or go to at dawn or dusk. I just wait until it's light enough to glass the field to determine there are no deer present. When it's safe, I waste no time in getting through. Evenings are a little tougher. It's not as easy to get out through fields in late afternoon. Sometimes our exit route needs to be a different route than our entrance route in order to not educate deer.

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Something I have used in order to get away clean when deer are on the plot is a phone app with coyote howls on it. After a couple howls, they usually move off. I have also used a grunt call to do the same. If I'm hunting with someone, I just have them drive in and clear the plot. I'm convinced that a vehicle scares deer much less than a human waliking about.

 

[weekender21]

Access can be a difficult nut to crack. I think you're on the right track identifying that hunting that spot in the morning works against your overall success. It may be difficult on a property that size but look for areas you can sneak into early in the morning between feeding and bedding then wait for them to show up on their way to bed.

Another option if you absolutely need to be in the woods in the morning is hunting the borders of the property in areas that won't negatively affect your higher probability evening spot. Not necessarily high odds locations but low impact to the evening movement.

 

[PSE_Ryan]

You make a good point weekender, every other time I go in at 4 a.m I see the same 6pt buck running around through the field up by the road. Guess it wouldn't hurt to sit up there in mornings on one of the walked over trails. I haven't seen too many bucks. However, I have consistently put the same three does in that field every night at 5.30 to 6 right before dusk. They walk over the creek, up the hill into the field

 

[PSE_Ryan]

I Abbandoned my blind this past Sunday hid in an overhanging bush in a shot about 20 yds from them. They came to their favorite spot. I drew back on my bow, shook the bush and they took of doing short bursts of squeals. Gnna hunt them again tomorrow when hopefully everyone's at Thanksgiving. This year my priority as follows Learn, learn, learn. Take any deer I can for meat. This summer will be the start of me laying game cams etc and scouting for bucks

 

[weekender21]

I love running trail cameras but your lack of intrusion into your local herds core area has played in your favor. Don't forget that and resist the urge to check your cameras too often during the season next year.

I usually don't check cameras during the season unless I'm already in the area hunting. There are exceptions but just keep in mind the deer can tell you've been in the area hours after you've checked a camera and left.

Good luck with the rest of your season!


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[Tap]

I This summer will be the start of me laying game cams etc and scouting for bucks

Waiting until summer to scout is a major mistake.
Start scouting as soon as the season ends. Winter and early spring is the best time to scout. All the sign is still easily seen and read before spring green up. Terrain, cover seams, funnels rubs, srapes, all the good stuff is still visible and intrusion and disturbance is not an issue. That's also the best time to analyze potential stand locations. Do that while the leaves are OFF not during the summer when foliage is thick.
Patterns generally don't change from year to year. You may have to tweak things a bit, but winter IS the time to scout.

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[PSE_Ryan]

Well, for those who have been following my journey. The deer I shot two weeks ago has been found. My arrow three inches below his spine. Is there any good use for the meat still. For example, dogs, or hogs,or anything to make me feel better about the waste?
Also, ty, as always this forumn keeps contributing to my learning. I'll start scouting Jan 2nd. The day after season ends.