Scouted a bit in the rain and set up near a fresh rub. Breaking in the rain gear...

Had 6 does come in... miss at 12 yards... make that 0/5

Can't give up. You've got the jist of finding them. A lot of guys struggle to do that with any consistency.

You'll get 'em next time you just gotta hang in there like a hair in a biscuit .... is there any consistency to the misses? All high, all low, etc? Try to slow down as much as possible. Deep breaths. Aim small, miss small. Don't aim at a general area, aim at a single hair. Good luck and stick with it >>>---------------->>

Especially out at Wheeler. I never could find deer out there when I started.


Make sure you are bending at the waist.

good advise

I've missed dozens of deer as well. I prolly missed 20 before I killed one. It just gets easier with time.

I cheated today and took the boom stick, it was a nasty mess. Rain sleet and snow. I did see 8 deer. I can’t believe I left umbrella at house.

Year one, deer one. I hit a limb.
Year one, deer two. Wrong yardage.
Year two, deer three. I bumped my climber on release (shot low)
Year three deer 4 I hit but tracked and never found. The doe was quartered to me.
I shot at two hogs a couple weeks ago and realized on both shots I was dropping my bow on release (I know I was doing this because I watched both of the arrows go low). I went back to the camp and climbed a climber and shot 20 arrows at 40 yards dead on (even broke a knock with the groupings). Going forward I told myself I would release the shot, then hold the bow steady for a whole one mississippi to ensure I didn't drop early and throw off the shot.

Yesterday I saw 2 does, then 4, about 50 yards away feeding. After about 15 minutes they headed my way. The lead doe headed straight for my tree; however, there was 5 other does around my tree. I was standing completely still when the lead doe look up at me the way they do when they know something is up. After a couple head nods she took off (from under my tree) to ~12 yards and stopped. I drew as she took off. When she stopped I lined up my top pin on her air box and released. I watched the arrow go high over her back/shoulders. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't have my kisser set in the proper spot due to being hard to feel with my mask. I think I'll lose it for my next hunt.

After every shot I can't hardly remember what my sights were doing, it's almost like I brown out for a short duration. I'm sticking with it but man does it suck.

While I've only let two arrows loose this year, I've seen so many deer this year. That's been my greatest improvement from the first two years. I've scouted more and have found prime feeding spots, rubs, scrapes, the whole nine yards. Definitely learning and upping my chances of getting it done.

Thanks for the encouragement fellas, and shout out to TEAM 14 Stickin' Fatties. I'm trying to get it done!

Are you making sure you bend at your waist? Something I do is as soon as I reach my desired height. I ratchet the top of my stand to the tree. I've bumped one before and had it fall. I've made sure that never happens to me again. I understand your frustration, but you need to wait till a deer is within 25 yds. Too many things can go wrong on longer shots. Small limbs you can't see, deer tend to jump the string more on long shots. Bowhunting is about getting close. Get them close and make a good kill shot, then you won't be trailing wounded deer. Since I started using Slick Tricks, I've seen or heard every deer I shot drop dead. Hang in there, hunt safe.

You literally sound just like me. I shot at and had my bow limb hit my stand which made me miss my first time shooting at a deer. I killed the next deer with a bow, but I lost my touch release after. After that, I literally went 8 straight years missing multiple deer (only killed one in the 8 years after missing a couple of times as well during that hunt and wounded another one) From deflected branches to shooting over/under backs, I finally before this season made the change back to the touch trigger release I started with instead of getting by with a cheap trufire that made me squeeze, thus throwing my motion off. First hunt with it, I killed a pig and a 9 point hitting right where I aimed so keep your head up! A couple of things that may really help you as they did me...

1)I switched to a pendulum one pin sight that left out the potential of putting the wrong pin in the moment (I had done a couple of times before)

2)Switch to a touch trigger release such as the scott little goose I started with and now use...can shoot all the robin hoods practicing but when you shoot at a deer with the adrenaline, the squeezing of the cheap trufire would cause me to drop or lift my arm holding the bow

3)Keep your head up...the lack of confidence plays into your missing as well because it definitely did with me...once it clicks, you will become a killing machine! Hope this helps!

Perch, I haven't shot at a deer over 20 yards.

Gobble, yea if I cant fix this I might be headed to a pendulum. I currently shoot a scott little goose. It is extremely hard to be confident with 0/5 on my belt. I know I'm a great target shooter so the skill is there.

Please explain "touch trigger release".

I feel your pain gcr, I bought my first bow in 97. I could wear a target out but couldn't hit a deer. After a couple seasons got discouraged & quit. 10 years later traded for a MQ1, same thing. Another 10 years have gone by & I bought a 60# No Cam. Now I'm 55 years old & still have never killed a deer with a bow but I'm going to stick with it until I do. Good luck to you & keep after it.

Gotta get it done this year

Just meant like a hair trigger that is set so it fires as soon as you touch it...scott little goose for example

10-4

You need to rest your finger on the trigger as you aim. If you don’t, in that millisecond between the time you decide to fire bow and your trigger finger getting to the trigger, your bow arm is reacting to the shot. This will cause target panic down the road.

GCR, this may sound stupid, but give it a try.... the next time you get a doe in range, go through your normal shot routine with drawing and aiming at her, but don’t shoot. Hold on her a few seconds and just aim. Let the bow down, and draw on her again and go through your routine. See if this calms you down. If the last thought that goes through your head before sending the arrow on it’s way is “I sure hope I don’t screw this up” you’re probably going to screw it up. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself and continue to doubt yourself. Don’t overthink everything. Another common trait that most people who develope target panic have is being OCD about things. It’s kinda like Roy having the case of the shanks in the movie Tin Cup.

If you do everything right, you should have a “come apart” after you send the arrow, not before.

This. I still draw back on deer that I have no intentions of killing just for the practice. Not only does it build confidence on your aiming but builds confidence on being stealthy. Letting back down without being detected is harder than drawing back. Confidence in archery is very important. If there’s any doubt it will show itself when you least need it to.
There’s an art to accurately shooting a wrist strap (index finger) release. If done right it is very effective but if you’re not careful it can cause lots of mental problems that are hard to get over. I myself am a better shot with the index finger release than with a back tension or thumb release. This video from John Dudley helped me and can help you to be a better shot with the index finger release.
https://youtu.be/fHh2_OdZ-8Y

I basically used this tip. I drew on the deer today, pulled away from my face, then brought it back to its resting position. I noticed the first time I looked down the sights my kisser button was resting in the wrong place. When I reset, I was able to get a great anchor point and a clear sight picture. Guess what? Dead deer!