I am so depressed right now I could vomit! I got to my stand at 5:00 this evening and it's the same stand I hunted yesterday and the one above in the picture. The wind was perfect, blowing N and NW right in my face or left cheek. At 6:45 this evening I heard some thrashing and looked to my right out to about 30 yards down in the little ravine that runs NE to SW. I saw this tree top(8 to 10 ft. maple) rocking back and forth. I started to fetch for my binos but saw the bucks massive horns and knew it was one of my two target bucks. He was the one I've got the last two matched sets of sheds to. So I reached for my bow and got into kill mode and positioned myself for the shot. I was actually pretty calm and focused and ready to get down to business. He finished rubbing that tree and started up the bank and around the hillside I was on right in front of me at a mere 15 yards and in the middle of a 12 yard wide shooting lane! I mean nothing but air between him and me and I was already at full draw! I settled the 20 yard pin center deer right behind the shoulder and kept it on him till he was right in front of me broadside. He was walking slowly and just before I was going to stop him he stopped and I touched off the trigger and shot! I was so focused on my shot I didn't see my arrow hit! I just knew he was a dead deer walking and there was NO way he could escape!.............WTF happened! After the shot he sprung up from his tracks and took the other 160" 10(avatar deer) with him to a thick flat right in front of me about 60 yards out! I calmly reached for my binos and waiting for him to tip over any second! They both sort of just melt away in the brush. I pan my binos down to where m arrow is sticking out of the dirt right where he was standing. I can't believe what I was seeing. From my perch, it looked like my arrow was clean. Long story short, I climbed down about 30 minutes(while it was still somewhat light) to examine my arrow. NO FUGGIN BLOOD ANYWHERE!!! He was 15 fuggin yards right in front of me while I was already at full draw and pin settled behind his shoulder...........and I missed him! I don't know what happened but I am still depressed and sick about it! I was within 20 yards of 2(two) 160 inch main framed 10 pointers tonight with my sights on the target deer I was after last year and this year and I missed him at 15 yards! I'm telling you guys I didn't get buck fever either! I was calm before, during and even after the shot. I feel down deep inside if the same shot were presented again, I wouldn't change a thing! My arrow just had two small 1/4 inch long strands of hair but NO blood anywhere.(tip,shaft,fletching or nock) nada, zilch! I do know my arrow appeared to be up the bank alittle from where he was standing so I must have shot over his back. My good friend Stacy thinks during the heat of the moment I might not have been anchored correctly and unintentionally aimed higher possibly and if he did drop some it added more problems to me shooting over his back. I just know I feel like shit and to have a perfect opportunity laid right in my lap and blow it like that!!!............and I shot for 30 minutes before going out and drilling the kill zone at 20 back to 40 yards! I will be shooting again in the morning or afternoon checking my gear and anchor point. So close fellas! Like JD said, at least I didn't wound him or hit him badly and I know he's still out there! But I'm afraid I just made my hunting more challenging by educating my two target bucks tonight! We'll see.
Hours hunting: 7.5
bucks seen: 2
does seen:2
yotes seen:0