Not that long ago, someone posted a thread in the general deer hunting section that asked for everyone's top five deer hunting tips. In that thread, my response was this:
Earlier this evening, I really should have taken my own advice. I was posted up in a new set that I had just hung this afternoon... overlooking a couple trails that neck down into a cattail swamp. I had a good feeling about this spot but I really didn't think I'd see anything, since I made a ruckus hanging the stand. Much to my surprise, at about 6 o'clock, three does came out of the cattail swamp and into the woods, making their way right to me. They were closing ground fast and so I reached for my bow quickly... In my hurry, I completely forgot about the 3" limb that was sticking up right along my stand... As I pulled the bow around, my resting arrow hit the limb thus causing it to rattle on the shelf of my bow. Not 35 yds away, the lead doe looked up immediately and stared right at me. After staring for a minute or so, they never flagged tails or anything but they just spun around and skirted my set by about 60 yds. Effffff.... A golden opportunity right down the drain.
Instead of sitting there day-dreaming for the last hour or so, I should have been taking an inventory of my surroundings, both on the ground and up in the air. Had I paid attention to the details tonight, I would be posting pictures of a bloody arrow and a dead doe instead of this sad little piece. Oh well, that's bowhunting fellas.
My #1 tip ties in with attention to detail. We can come up with all sorts of tips regarding wind, scent-control, scouting, practice... etc... But there's nothing more important IMO than being accutely attentive at the moment of truth. All too often I hear of hunters that get so amped up and excited (rightfully-so) when they make a shot at a deer, that they lose focus and can't remember which way the deer ran, how the deer reacted, or where the arrow hit. You can prepare all you want, scout the best spots, do basically everything leading up to the shot right... But if you lose focus at that most critical point, it's going to (eventually) cost you a deer. IMO, it's the hardest thing to do because deer hunting is such a rush... But it's absolutely imperative. When you shoot at a deer, be completely tuned-in to what's going on. Replay every little detail in your mind countless times before you even THINK about climbing down from the tree or out of a ground blind. Don't leave your perch until you're 100% sure what just happened. Do this, and your odds of recovery will go up exponentially.
Earlier this evening, I really should have taken my own advice. I was posted up in a new set that I had just hung this afternoon... overlooking a couple trails that neck down into a cattail swamp. I had a good feeling about this spot but I really didn't think I'd see anything, since I made a ruckus hanging the stand. Much to my surprise, at about 6 o'clock, three does came out of the cattail swamp and into the woods, making their way right to me. They were closing ground fast and so I reached for my bow quickly... In my hurry, I completely forgot about the 3" limb that was sticking up right along my stand... As I pulled the bow around, my resting arrow hit the limb thus causing it to rattle on the shelf of my bow. Not 35 yds away, the lead doe looked up immediately and stared right at me. After staring for a minute or so, they never flagged tails or anything but they just spun around and skirted my set by about 60 yds. Effffff.... A golden opportunity right down the drain.
Instead of sitting there day-dreaming for the last hour or so, I should have been taking an inventory of my surroundings, both on the ground and up in the air. Had I paid attention to the details tonight, I would be posting pictures of a bloody arrow and a dead doe instead of this sad little piece. Oh well, that's bowhunting fellas.