First Hunt 2017 Lessons learned (Warning - Long Winded Poster)

[JRFaulk]

After a looooong hiatus from bowhunting, I finally got a chance to get in the woods this afternoon.  It's been over 25 years since I've bow hunted, since I wouldn't go without being practiced up, and marriage, kids, running my business (all the usual stuff) kept me from getting there. I promised myself I would bow hunt this year, and started working hard on that goal for about 6 months, after I made a hunting weight bow.   I have muzzleloaded (flintlock) and rifle hunted, but the skill set for bow hunting is a notch higher (I know, preaching to the choir).  Anyway, for the time being the only land I can hunt is the management area, which I hadn't had time to scout.  I headed there this afternoon, got in the woods about 3:00 p.m.  Temp was 83°, sky blue.  When I edged into the woods off the management road, I began to notice evidence of deer nosing up acorns, which are starting to fall here.  It looked like several passed this way with regularity.  I started to look for some position to take, maybe knock up a natural blind, when I noticed a fallen tree and headed for it.  When I got there, I saw it was actually two  red oaks, each about 27-30" in diameter, that had grown together for about 6 feet.  I'm not sure why, didn't really look like a lightening strike, but for some reason the trees split and fell 180° from each other, creating a great natural blind with the root boles standing up about 4' vertically, leaving a hollow about 4' wide and 8' deep.  After clearing a couple of shooting lanes, I settled in and waited.  Did I mention it was 83°?  The mosquitoes knew it , and were busy attacking me like I was their last meal of the season.  It reached 6:31, official sunset time for today.  In Tennessee, legal hunting hours are 1/2 hour before and after legal surise/sunset, and I was going to stick it out till the end.  I was resigning myself to not even seeing a deer, when I heard a noise, which turned out to be a doe and two yearlings, and they were headed toward me.  I drew back,  and released when the doe crossed into my shooting lane at about 10 yards.  When I released the arrow clattered against the bow, the doe jumped the string, and the arrow went right under her ribs ---- and the adrenaline kicked in as she blew to warn the yearlings, and the whole troupe heading out of range.  I have tried to analyze lessons I hoped I've learned:  1)  Don't hold the bow at full (or even half) draw waiting for a slow moving, feeding deer.  I believe that the hold made me shake a little, which caused the arrow to clatter, which caused the deer to jump the string, etc....  2) When the temperature is this warm, make sure you have a mosquito net for your head.  I had one, but had never used it before today.  I was glad it was there.  3)  If there's a good side to missing a shot, at least I didn't wound it, I didn't have to field dress it in this heat, and I didn't have to worry about trying to cool it down.  All in all, it was a great day!  Can't wait to do it again!

[Hawkdancer]

Good hunting tale of the one that got away!  They will probably be back(deer AND skeeters! ). Sounds like a good spot to set up at.  Haven't bow hunted big game yet, going out for bunnies this fall, got to make up some blunts.  Keep after them and keep us posted!  Btw, the ThermoCell(?) is supposed to be a good bug chaser.
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

Warning long winded reply
It's all about the hunt JR. it sounds like you had a good one to me. Just getting a shot is really a cool experience. It's good you had a clean miss. Last year was my first bow hunt ever. My first shot was at a doe that walked directly under the pine tree I was sitting in. I made some mistakes to. For one the angle and shot were much more difficult than I thought. I only had one small "window" to get my shot off and only had two small glimpses of doe before she got to the "window" I split my attention in the split second I had between watching to see what doe was doing and concentrating on my spot. Another lesson learned. Just concentrate on the spot, don't let anything else get in your head. At that moment there is nothing more important in the entire world than that spot. Burn a hole in it. I agree, don't even partially draw bow till your ready for shot. If you can try for a quartering away shoot. It's easier to get a shot off without being seen and makes the sweet spot bigger.
     My next shoot was a four point I saw walk out of the woods. He walked right down the lane I was standing next to. When he got to about thirty yards I stopped looking at him and concentrated on my spot. My spot got closer nothing else in the world, 25 yard 20,15 at 9 paces my spot passed me and turned quartering away. In a second or less I drew my bow and let my arrow go right to my spot. It is a great feeling and like you said one I very much want to do again.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting were all routin for ya
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

Good storys......It seems to be entirely too warm here yet.All the corn is in the fields yet.Even the soybeans too.Waiting for a cool front to come through.

[Hawkdancer]

AWW!  Phooey! We are past archery here and we would have to do rifle rules(blaze orange, bright pink). Next year!  May be tying my .58 muzzleloader!  Good take as I said!
Hawkdancer

[bradsmith2010]

I hunted in Tenn for 10 years,, I love it,, white oak acorns are my favorite place to hunt,,
yes dont draw your bow till your ready to shoot,,
make the bow quiter by putting a piece of thin leather on the rest so the arrow wont clank if you get excited, ,dont ask me how I know that,,

be patient you will get a good close shot again,, take your time,  you are moving faster  than you think in the presence of the deer,, take deep breath and execute your shot like you practice,,