Bow hunting mishaps

Let's here them. My biggest one was dropping my bow from around 30ft up. Nothing like seeing 2 grand worth of equipment tumbling down. What's yalls biggest mishaps in the woods or on the way to them.

I thru my bow out of a tree from 25' up when a lightning bolt came down a tree about 50 yards from me. Didn't care about the bow at that point and climbed out of that tree in about 5 seconds! I don't hunt during storms anymore

Bet that was loud.

Dropped my bow also. My pull cord came undone just as I got the bow to the base of my stand. Only the thing it did was crack my quiver hood. My other mishap came while pulling my bow up also. Made my way into an acorn flat before daylight one morning. Climbed up in my loc-on, got everything situated and started pulling my bow up. Got it almost to the base of the stand and it hung on something. I tried to ease it back down but it wouldn't come loose. Not wanting to come out of the stand, I pulled and tried to reach the cam with my hand. As I did, I heard a pop and it came loose. A limb had gotten wedged between the cam and the idler wheel. The pop I heard was the string when it rolled off the idler. Ruined the morning hunt and I had to make an hour drive back home for a 5 second repair

I drove an hour,then walked up the side of a very steep ridge on a very cold morning,climbed up very high,got settled and went to nock and arrow and had no quiver.Quiver stays attached now.smdh

LOL, thats good chevyman.

I once left my bow in the woods after a hunt. Had to go back and find it.

Also climbed and didn't tie it to the rope, im sure thats fairly normal.

Missed dozens of deer, wounded to many to mention. Im shooting a crossbow now btw.

Dry fired one, that wont happen again.

Sure was fun though, except for that wounded deer part. Its sickening.

I had climbed up in a ladder stand on the edge of a food plot for an afternoon hunt and when I sat down not 30 yds. away there was a buck bedded in a brush top. I pulled the bow up as quite as I could all the while keeping an eye on the buck. I got the bow in hand with the quiver still attached. I pulled an arrow from the quiver while still watching the buck and somehow let the broadhead touch the string. It sounded like a bomb went off when the Mathews came apart.

Back when I was a poor graduate student, I dropped my bow out of the stand as I was trying to untie my pull-up rope. It broke the riser and snapped all of my arrows there were in the attached quiver. I climbed down, grabbed my rope and walked back to my stand dragging my bow behind me. I was unhappy to say the least!

Long time ago, I aimed down a hill on a doe (1 of 3) and released the arrow. Shot real low. Reason was the bottom cam hit the top portion of my stand upon release. The string and a buss cable (in 1993 a real cable) was half on. I had nothing to lose, so I pulled the string back and everything popped back into place. The 3 does had jumped back the way they came wondering what the heck. They stood there and just watched me. The one standing broadside, I said,bitch,you look like a 50 yard shot. I drew back, aimed my bottom 4-pin crosshair sight on her and released. Nailed her in the shoulder and tracked her about 100 yards where she laid. The cam had some nicks, so I had to get a new one.

When I was about 17 years old I was shooting robins in my grandfathers pasture. I had an old jennings bow set at 70 lbs with maybe 50% letoff. Without any warning the top limb snapped in half at full draw. The cam hit me right in the nose. It almost knocked me out. It bloodied my nose and blacked both my eyes.Im still not sure it didnt break my nose cause it took a month for the soarness to go away. I have also dropped my bow from the stand and forgot my quiver once.

I also once cut my string with a broadhead. Forgot about that. I set it down on the fourwheeler and climbed on. Somehow a arrow fell out and the little pressure cut it.

I was just a kid didn't know anything about archery. I had a old bear bow, no peep and the metal pins.

I wish you hadn't started this thread..It starting to bring back bad memories..I had a lease in Tn yrs ago..Got finished with my morning hunt and walked back to my truck where I layed my Mathews mq32 that dearly loved, on the ground behind my truck while I took my stand off my back, and threw it in the bed.Needless to say I forgot about it just long enough to back right over it three days into bow season..Bought a new Mathews and rebuilt the old one.smdh

Last yr I tried to shoot one sitting down,out of a ladder stand..I never hunt out of a ladder and I never shoot sitting..Seemed like the right thing to do until the bottm cam,hit my leg,ripped my pants,messed up my shot and caused me to leg shoot a big doe..Killed the one that was with her that just stood there.once again..smdh

I was at full draw on a deer one time an it turned I went to let down an gotta about half way down an somehow managed to hit the button on my thumb release deer ran off arrow stuck in the ground I was not happy then but laugh about it now

One time back when I tried bowhunting I got to the club which was an hour drive, parked and walked about 400yds from the truck down to the backside of a clearcut. Put my stand on the tree, tied my rope to my bow and climbed up 20ft. Once I pulled my bow up I realized I left my quiver in the truck. I climbed back down and walked back up and grabbed my quiver. Back in my stand, I climb up 20 ft, realize I left my release in the truck. Back down the tree and to the truck. Back to the stand and up 20 ft, I realize I left my EZ hanger in the truck. By this time I am sweating profusely and mad as crap. I just laid my bow across the handrail best I could. I hunted about 2 hrs, still mad and said F it. It's not my day and went home. Not sure I've bowhunted since that day.

I guess my biggest mishap was when I climbed up in my climber, pulled my bow and hung it on my bow holder. My next step is to detach my quiver and tie it around the tree and remove an arrow and place in my bow. When I went to remove my quiver, there was no quiver. I had taken it off when I was at the house to replace two arrows that I shot earlier and forgot to put in back on my bow. I just decided to sit there and watch, since my quiver was 45 minutes away. I was fortunate that a good buck didn't come by that morning.

Ah yes great memories coming back. I use a free flight release that you actually hold the trigger to draw your bow and let off to release. I had a small 6 and 8pt come by 30 yds well I had a rip in my glove and it hung the trigger when I released sending my arrow 10 ft over the back of the 8 pt. I couldn't help but laugh. When I miss I miss big.

I have to press a button an when the pin settles just get comfortable an lrt off the button an it flies. But if you press the button an something happens as long as you don't let go.of the button you can ease it down seems to be more to be harder when a deer is in front of me lol

I missed a deer at nine yards one time....

12 yards here..... and the bitch stepped on my arrow and bent it when she ran off.

Was hunting an Apple orchard in Michigan and it was around 0 degrees with wind chill. After a few hours of sitting, a descent buck came within range. I was Sooo cold I couldn't draw back. Frozen apples aren't that great either.

I had worked a 12 hr night shift in which I had to slab a whole reel of paper down. I was also catching a cold and took some sudafed. Me and sudafed dont mix well. I ended up staying up all day hunting so I was very tired. It was also cold so I had on extra clothes and coveralls. I was pulling 70 lbs back then. About 4:00 a nice buck walked out and I tried to draw back on him. I couldnt pull that thing back for nothing. I gave it one big jerk and managed to get it back but I had pulled so hard that my broadhead hit my tm hunter arrow rest and pulled the arrow off the string. The deer heard it but didnt leave. I got another arrow but never could draw it back again. About every five minutes I would try but couldnt. Turns out I pulled a muscle in my arm and couldnt shoot my bow for three weeks. I had to watch that stupid deer feed around for almost an hour knowing I couldnt shoot him.

Who did you work for? I had to slab a couple when I worked for graphich packaging. That always sucked

^^^ that's rough sluggun.

I was sitting in a stand one evening waiting on the prime time to hit. I knew there was a good buck working the area and I had been waiting on the perfect wind to hunt it. I had been hunting pretty hard that week and I was getting tired, so I tho I'd take a 10 minute power nap in the stand before it got to late.
I woke up about an hour and a half after dark.
This really wasn't a bow mishap, but I was bow hunting.

probably International Paper

Ive worked for 3 different paper companies but havent left the building. Mcmillian Blodel, then weyerhaueser and now international paper. Our reels are 320" long and 46" from the metal spool to the outer edge of the paper. weighs about 40 tons.

First time I ever had a deer in range about 8 years ago and didn't have a range finder.
First shot went over the does back, because she was In dried slough. She kept walking to me and then turned broadside.
Get another arrow knocked and draw. At about 3/4 back, finger hit trigger on release and it went into orbit.
3rd and last arrow found the target.

Had a doe come in at 37 yards an rushed to get a shot off well I let it fly, shot right under her she ran back from where she came from an came right back. So i knocked another arrow let it fly shot right over an she ran off behind me, well sitting there cussing at myself for not ranging her I look to my left an there she is, stood up an grabbed my bow drew back an let it fly the arrow hit a limb an I missed. 3 misses in about 3 mins will get you to laughing at yourself pretty good. She is lucky to be alive, my buddy text me asking if I killed her an I said no he asked if I was going to still hunt or not I said well hell no I ain't got any arrows left smh

I drew back on some coons one time and decided to wait till they got closer...so after holding a while, I let down and they got to bout 15 yds so I drew back on em again. Well I was tired so I drew back goin from top down and mid draw, I touched my release and stuck my arrow in the middle of a tree 15 yards away about 30 foot up haha so as I was walkin back all discouraged and mad, I turned into a green field and there sat a fat rabbit. I wanted to take my frustration out on the rabbit so I drew back again and shot, clipped it's butt as it jumped 6ft high and ran off...couldn't find my arrow and broad head cause it buried on me...Needless to say I didn't bow hunt another time that year after that haha

Was carrying a stand out one foggy night and kept hearing something following me. When I stopped it stopped. When I walked faster it got faster. I felt like it was getting closer and closer. Finally made it to my 4 wheeler almost in a panic. Threw my stand off and....
I had a really long bow pull rope, which came undone and was dragging a bunch of briers behind me.
Felt like a fool

About 7 years ago I had just moved to Kansas and decided to go bow hunting. I had not scouted or anything just picked a good draw. Went in found a tree and climbed it. It was early season and fairly warm. Sat there for 3 hours and something told me to look up the hill, there stood a 170" 10 point heading down toward me. I stood up turned to grab my bow and the bungee cord on my Summitt treestand was just under my heel. It made the loudest noise you ever heard, and my big buck ran off. Went back to the same tree 4 years later and killed a 13 point in 45 minutes.

Bama recurve that's hilarious.

Nothing spectacular for me, but on my first hunt this year, I got to my spot and realized I did not have my release. Had to walk all the way back out to get it.

This is only my 2nd year to bow hunt, and I wouldn't call this a mishap more than a "rookie mistake" & something funny that happened...

I had a spot setup where I had rifled hunted for years in the past & ranged distances & thought I had the area well-pegged... Sure enough, here comes a doe easing into my setup, coming thru a gap in the brush I was fairly certain was 20 yards away, ie a chip shot... So, she steps into the gap, I give her the ole "bbaaaaAAAH", she stops stone cold, I line up the 20 pin right on her chest, and release the arrow - *ZING* - and brush off every flea on the bottom of her chest!!! *BOING* She jumps STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR (ie Sylvester the Cat cartoon) and lunges into a bush on the other side of the gap, and hangs up there. Every so often, she'd ease her head into the gap & STARE at the spot where my arrow had gone -- searching for the frog or squirrel or whatever it was that tried to bite her!! LOL Course, I'm fumbling around trying to nock another arrow 'cause I immediately realized I had mis-judged the distance (was actually 30 yards) ... but, long story short, I never got another chance to shoot her...

I learned a LOT on that hunt, and just laughed it off & chalked it up as a learning experience...

I tossed a bow out of a tree one time so I could grab the tree. The stand platform shifted on me and I started to fall.

Was in a tree one time before daylight and heard a thump below me. Just after daylight a buck came in and I drew on him and my sight was not there. It was the thump I heard before daylight.

Drew on an old buck one time that was nothing but a cowhorn spike. I had one of those thicker facemasks on. When I drew the bow my headnet twisted into the kisser button. I settled the pin behind the deer's shoulders and pulled the trigger on the release and it ripped the headnet off of my head and forced the bow to slam down into my chest. Once I got my wits about me and figured out what had happened I got down to get my arrow because obviously I missed the deer after all that. I get down there and there is blood everywhere where the deer was standing. I followed it to the woods and he was laying just inside the woodline. The arrow had hit him in the throat patch from side to side and completely cut his throat. He ran about 15 yards.

Oh..... here's a mishap from this past weekend and an FYI for you. If you leave your Rangefinder in your pocket and wash it with your jacket it will completely ruin it.

GAAAAHH-LEEE!!! I thought you were going to say the "blood everywhere" was from the headnet ripping both your ears off!!! LOL day-um!

That's freakin funny right there! I can completely see that happening to me.

Shaw Try the Thirdhand Archery Bow Holder and you won't never need a tote rope again... Jim makes stabilizer straps too. I won't use a climber without the stabilizer straps. They are like a seat belt (metaphorically) for your climber.

BC that's crazy. I bet when it first happened it scared the crap outta you. I know it would me.

Had some does come in behind me off my right shoulder one time...I got stood up and turned around, drew on them, and the bottom cam hit my quiver (my quiver was attached to my stand on that side) and broke it off. My quiver and other arras fell to the ground. They bounced off a short piece, not sure what happened. Now I hear another deer coming and it's possibly one of the biggest racked bucks I've ever had a chance to shoot at with a bow. I have to stand there with no arrows and watch him feed forever. I finally spooked him while trying to use my pull up rope to lasso the quiver. I have a caribiner on the end of my pull rope, I was trying to ring an arrow and pull it up. I got it off the ground, but it slipped off and fell, spooking him.

I also shot a limb as big around as a quart jar, not 5 feet in front of me. I just didn't see it in my peep, and when I released I thought the world exploded!

ikill thats why i don't attach and thing to my stand but back pack. I have the quikee quiver bracket that screws into the tree. I know
someone makes a hook you can tie to pull up rope, a caribier would be tough. I've cut a z shaped limb when I've dropped my hat or face mask.

I was just talking to a buddy about that story of breaking my quiver off, and he asked "wasn't that the same morning you forgot your release??"

Yes, sure was! I forgot about that part. When I got in there I realized I'd left my release in the truck, so I figured I'd just finger shoot that Mathews. Negative, Ghostrider, that ain't happenin'! Feels like it's going to pinch your fingers off. I had does come in at daylight and tried to pull my bow with fingers, must have looked like a monkey humping a football, they saw me and ran off.

This one turned out OK.....

last season, bowhunting on opening day of rifle season. Had a 1-horn spike come out in a place I'd not anticipated, almost directly behind me, walking from left to right.

Turned around facing the tree and tried to line up a shot to the left of the tree...harness strap was coming up over my back and prevented me from being able to stand up straight...No Shot.

By this time the deer had taken a few more steps so I spun around the other way to get a shot to the right of the tree. This time I drew the bow only to find the strap coming right across my face where I couldn't put my face down to anchor.

Spun the OTHER direction to get the strap to the other side of my head and still couldn't stand up straight.

All the time I'm dancing and twisting in the stand, the deer is 25yds away, totally oblivious (to this day I don't know how I didn't get busted).

finally managed to squad down, while staying straight from the waist up, got a shot, double-lunged him. he ran maybe 40ish yards if I recall, and piled up.

My first and only deer with a bow.

Congrats brother

Hey shaw. What happened at the indoor range in Oak ridge?

Release misfire. I wouldn't classify that as a "bowhunting" mishap.

Climbing blind in a new area picked the wrong kind of tree got most of the way up. The tree stand turned loose. I went back down the tree as fast as I came up. I broke trough the bottom of the stand when I hit bottom.

I was in a loc-on one morning on a sloping hillside. A coyote approached from behind my right shoulder, up hill and level with me. I turned and drew on the left side of the tree(now) with the bow pretty close to the tree. I let loose on the yote at maybe 15 yards...lower limb hit a limb I'd cut off and the arra broke in half and hit the yote sideways. Made a LOT of noise. Didn't appear to hurt the bow limb, but it fubared the arra.

Me and 2 friends were shooting at a range in Wetumpka,it was a cool place.They had this booth set up so it projected a video of a buck on some kind (target material).It would pause for about 3 seconds,you had to pick the vital shot and let the arrow fly.It was the best practice.You had a few minutes between shots,so this one time the video starts and we let the arrows fly,I hear WHAM!,my cousin had unexplicably not nocked an arrow.He dried fired a practically new Mathews.There was no phyical damage to the bow but plenty of mental at the time..LOL

I'M 38 now but in my early bow hunting years probably 17 or so I was hunting a green field with a Pearson 'wheels only" compound bow my arrows were from Wal Mart,uncut,aluminum,long as your leg,and fat as your fingers.They looked like spears in the air.I once was attempting to shoot a spike.This green field was situated in a 8 year old grown up clear cut.Not a tree around to climb so i made a make-shift ground blind.I had 4 "good" arrows and shot all 4 in the direction of this spike.I would miss and hear my arrows land in the clear cut across the field.The little buck NEVER spooked!I sat there out of arrows and at dark made my way from the field with that spike on the other end,he never ran off.I felt so stupid on the way to the truck.

^^^ ha-ha I know your pain.