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Heart breaker

mossbergbryson

Junior Member
79
0
I had a decent doe at about 40 yards this morning and after 5 minuets of starting at her bc she saw me she turned broadside to me. I pulled up, put my red dot right behind her shoulder, squeezed the trigger on my crossbow and clunk. I hit a sapling that I thought I would clear. I can't even explain all of the emotions I felt as she would have been the first deer I ever killed. I just have to stay after it and keep the faith. This is my second year deer hunting and I thought it was all gonna come together this morning.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Welcome too deer hunting.... We've had veteran deer hunters with multiple big bucks do the same.... How you rebound is what makes or breaks you.... Good luck and welcome too the site....
 

mossbergbryson

Junior Member
79
0
I was using a red dot. I just didn't see that little tree lol. I'm not gonna let it stop me from getting out every chance I get.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Welcome too deer hunting.... We've had veteran deer hunters with multiple big bucks do the same.... How you rebound is what makes or breaks you.... Good luck and welcome too the site....


Well said J. Good luck to you out there. Just one more doe that lives for you to hunt another day.
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
That is waaaay better than wounding one and not recovering it. Consider yourself (and the deer) lucky. Find a way to laugh about it and move on. You will have another chance to harvest a deer and now you know, check for trees lol.

Best of luck buddy. We've all been there.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I use a crossbow with a scope and have still punched a couple of trees. Are you comfortable shooting your crossbow at 40 yards? I've killed plenty of deer with mine and only lost one. The one I lost was at 34 yards… It was the farthest shot I've taken with it and I didn't get the deer, so I don't shoot that far. When playing around the yard I've taken shots out to 80 yards with it and it still patterned fine. I think it loses momentum though with the farther shots and won't take one again with my current set up.

I don't know your set up, so I'm not saying either way. But I think this might of been a blessing in disguise. Good luck and keep at it buddy!
 

mossbergbryson

Junior Member
79
0
I'm comfortable shooting at 40 but I think it just lost so much energy it dropped off. I shoot an old horton. I'll get one soon i think we have had some great activity near our stands.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Hopefully some other guys chime in here that have had experiences with those. Did you by chance get a pic of the bolt stick in the tree?

Once you loose a deer, you will pray for a clean miss like this. Trust me on that…
 

Mike R

*Supporting Member*
336
55
Just get back at it is all you can do. Had they same happen to me few weeks back. Seen him a week ago tomorrow with a doe out in a cut bean field. Stopped looked seen it was him waved at him. Though "next time I'm taking you for a ride in my truck".
 

mossbergbryson

Junior Member
79
0
Oh yea there is always next time. I clipped the side of the sapling so it just kinda took a chunk out of it. I never found the bolt either.