Bend at the waist *&^!-it!

[jonathan creason]

About an hour before dark I had a lone, young doe wonder in and start milling around about 10 yrds. from my stand.  I let her settle in, and when she turned her head I drew, found my anchor and focused on a light patch of hair.  Before I knew it the arrow was gone and zipped harmlessly right over her back.  She jumped when it drove in the dirt behind her and spent a few minutes trying to figure out what the hell that was.  Then she turned broadside again at about 20 yrds. and once again right over her back the arrow went.  She trotted off a few yards, but I think if I would have had more arrows she would have given me another chance.  I got down to get those 2 back and she just trotted off, never blew.  Oh well, maybe that's the Good Lord's way of saying I need to hurry up and get this pyramid bow done so I can take one with it and not glass.

[hammertime]

Is the trade bow I sent you working yet -give that one a try-Hammertime.Good luck with the rest of your season

[gstoneberg]

Jonathon,

I carry 4 arrows in my quiver and I have shot them all at the same deer twice.  One time I got her on the 4th shot and the other I had to watch her walk around trying to figure out what had happened for 20 minutes.  I'm convinced in some cases it just isn't that deer's day to die.  Keep shooting, you'll get one. 

George

PS. In one of those cases above, I got a shot at a deer the next day and picked a spot under it to see if that helped...you guessed it, I shot under that one.

[jonathan creason]

I haven't been carrying my trade bow because I've been slack about building some arrows for it, Hammertime.  I just don't feel right shooting aluminum out of a nice wood bow like that.    That's on my to-do list for this week, though. 

Haha, I hate to say it, but I might have been in the same boat George. 

[criveraville]

but I think if I would have had more arrows she would have given me another chance.

jonathan that's too bad you did not follow the Boy Scout motto, "Always be prepaired."

Hope you arrow one soon

Cipriano

[Little John]

I know  the feeling of shooting over big game, and it sure is an easy thing to do. Good luck to ya.

[Pat B]

Pick a spot!!! 

[Mechslasher]

she probably "jumped the string" and you didn't realize it.  deer have a reaction time of .01 seconds and can drop 15" in that amount of time.  it takes an arrow about  .03 seconds to travel 15-20 yards.  i've had more deer than i care to think about just flat out duck an arrow.  missed a fat four pointer fri. afternoon at 15 yards under my favorite persimmon tree.  the arrow was dead on target until he dropped his front legs, then it sailed right over his back.  the arrow hit right where i was aiming, he just wasn't there anymore.  he stopped about 10 yards away and started feeding again.  when deer are nervous, they usually are when they are feeding, i try to aim at the heart area and i've still shot over their back.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Im unsure of your experience level Jonathan, so this may not apply at all. I dont gap shoot in any form, I pick a spot and shoot without ever really seeing my arrow. When I first started traditional archery in the early 90's I found myself second guessing my instincts at the very moment I was drawing my bow. I ened up sighting down my arrow and shooting over many deer until I let my tuned in instincts do what they though they should do. Its been nothing but good for me since. I have ZERO experinece gap shooting and had to right to even try to do it on deer. Maybe your excitement got the best of you and you didnt trust your instincts? Either way......this deer hunting is some fun stuff man!

[jonathan creason]

That could have very well been the case, Chris, although I didn't notice her move until after the arrow had hit.  It very easily could have happened quicker than I was able to perseve, though.

You're also probably on to something, Pat.  I did try to pick a spot as small as possible, but I did notice on the second attempt that I had a harder time focusing on as small a spot as before.

I shoot instinctive-ish, Pearl.  I do notice the arrow, but mainly use it to make sure my alignment is correct.  I very well could have second guessed, though.

It's all good, though.  It was a clean miss, no wounded deer wondering around out there, and I feel like I did the little things right in preparation for the shot.  My confidence isn't rattled, and I think if I get another shot I'll make good on it.  This would have been my first ever bow kill, which would have made it special, but then again now I get that chance again.

[nyarrow]

I don't know if your shooting from a tree stand or not but often we don't have the chance to practice from a stand like we should. I try and practice shooting from standing, kneeling, sitting etc but have limited chances when up the tree. The best was I have found to battle this is bring three extra field tipped arrows. Once I get settled into the tree I shoot each of them at various objects within my comfort range. I usually do this away from the area I expect the deer to approach so I avoid any sort of alert. This has helped me build the confidence and get a good feeling of trajectory from the varying heights of my climbing stand.

[Hillbilly]

Jonathan, you sure ain't the first. I shot right over two different deer in the same afternoon last fall.

[lowell]

The doe I got this year, I definately picked a spot a little lower than normal.  I had shot over a couple deer from that stand in other years and vowed I would not again!!

  I shoot down hill from that stand and it appears to be a farther shot than it really is.  My subconcious (sp?)  tells me maybe 15+ yards when in reality it is only abot 8 yards. Seems I had to trick my brain a little...at least it worked from that stand once!! 

  I can't remember ever shooting under a deer .....only over!!

[crooketarrow]

  You did what many do. At the last second your eye wandered to the horzional out line of here back. Really easy to do from above. It's a strong eye deterent because it's so big.

[crooketarrow]

  One other thing shooting instintive. You do'nt have to tell yourself to bend at the waist. You bend naturally to the degree of the shot. You can't shoot down with out naturally bending at the waist.
  If you think I'm wrong get up in your stand and try standing up straight and shooting down you can't do it. No you looked at her back in the excitement. I've done this lots of times when I was younger.
   Here's how to stop doing this. It starts with practicing pick a spot shoot and NEVER -NEVER take for eye off the spot untill your arrow hits. No matter where it hits don't follow your arrows flight. Always keep your eye on the spot always. Learn to do this in practice when it comes to shooting at animals do this and you'll never look at there backs. This is follow through.