The lows of bow hunting...

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

This has been my first season bow hunting, and let me tell you it has been very disappointing and very humbling. The first deer I shot was a little to far and jumped the string resulting in a hind quarter shot that was the opening day of bow season this year. Let's fast forward to yesterday after many hints with no success, finally a nice mature doe comes in 19 yards out. After a few minutes she starts to turn and give me a shot so I draw and she stops turning, I them hold the bow at full draw for about 1-2minutes before letting down. A few moments later I get the shot quarterd away let my arrow fly the luminok disapears in her she runs about 20 yards arrow falls out opposite side. Called my brother to bring my very green basset hound out and we start tracking no blood Intill the arrow falls out decent blood on the arrow medium red no foul smell very few bubbles. Searched for about 3 hours last night and 3 hours this morning after 2-300 yards we pick up very fresh heavy blood trail headed into an open field where we them loose it. The field is about 5-800 yards to the nearest cover and the dog lost the trail. So I think I'm hanging the bow up this year.

[MONSTERKEN]

Don't give up, don't ever give up. I have been bow hunting for 5 years now, and haven't "harvested" an animal yet. Things happen, that's why it's called hunting not shopping.

[txoutdoorsman24]

Like Monsterken said, don't ever give up. I've been bow only for 9 seasons and have 4 whitetail kills. Two this season. So two in the other 8 isn't a good percentage but that first successful kill/track will wash away all that crappy feeling. Keep that bow in hand and go hunt

[tmstuk]

I agree with the "don't give up" crowd. The problem for me was once I shot one with my bow I haven't had the desire to kill one with a gun.

[docmay]

Don't give up! Try to learn from this and figure out what went wrong. Animals hit in the chest shouldn't go too far. Think about where the arrow hit and what could of happened. Study anatomy and shot angles. No matter how good you think the shot is, give them time unless you see them fall. I always give them an hour even on good shots. Get back in the game. Shoot does and pigs until you are convinced a bow is a lethal weapon. Practice shooting a bunch. I have killed tons of stuff with a bow but it took my almost 10 years to kill my first deer with a bow. I don't care what anyone says, Bowhunting is not easy and if you don't miss or lose an animal then I guarantee you haven't Bowhunted much. Keep your head up and get back out there!

[2Lazy2P]

Stay with it. If u hang it up now the skills you have learned will get rusty. Even if those skills have come by error you have still learned them, and your better now than when you began. It sucks to lose an animal and makes it hard to sleep at night. But, it happens and all you can do is keep practicing and anticipating that next shot.

[rudedog47]

Endeavor to persevere!

Most beginning bowhunters don't even get a shot their first season. Keep practicing.....be patient....always take your time, pick a spot, aim low. Watch your arrow to your target. Even after bowhunting for many years, bad shots still happen, so don't give up. Nobody makes a bad shot intentionally.

[animalhse]

Like they said!
It's going to happen. Keep shooting and fine tune your skills. It will pay off.
You'll love it!

[speck1]

Nobody likes losing an animal but you can't give up. The excitement you will feel with your first kill will be worth it. What # bow and what broadhead are you shooting? Learn from each encounter until you get it figured out.

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Nobody likes losing an animal but you can't give up. The excitement you will feel with your first kill will be worth it. What # bow and what broadhead are you shooting? Learn from each encounter until you get it figured out.

I'm shooting a 64# draw@28" shooting wac em 3 blade broad heads.

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

I'm not going to stop bow hunting. It's very frustrating to me but I am addictid to it. I believe the shot was a little high and far back liver shot with a little lung. I also believe she wasn't quite turned enough when I shot.

[truhuntr]

The lows of bow hunting...

I began bowhunting at the age of 11. That was 34 years ago and I've never regretted it in the least. I could tell you hundreds of stories about the ones that got away, but prefer to tell others about my successes. I realized at an early age that nothing will help you more than practice. That means practice shooting and practice hunting. My hunting season begins every year immediately the day following end of season. And you should practice at distances greater than you feel comfortable shooting. If you are looking for twenty yard shots then you should practice at 30-40. Nothing helps you more than confidence. Also spend time hunting small game, varmits, or pigs as much as possible. You would be surprised how much better of a hunter you become after killing. And stay positive, I've seen many hunters hang their heads only to blow it when the time came because they were down and out. Every successful hunt was an interruption to one of the most boring hunts ever. And remember that Hunters kill stuff. So get to killing!

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Thanks everybody I appreciate the words. I think I need to get a new sight mine has very large pins.

[smb250]

Don't Give Up!!
We all make mistakes and we learn from those mistakes. I know I've made several and learned from them. Haven't picked up a rifle in two years now. Enjoy my hunts more getting up close to them

[muddydog]

After 40 years of hunting, I can tell you that bowhunting is hard, especially in Texas. TV shows make it look so easy when a 200" bruiser takes a paunch hit a runs 20 yds and drops. Texas deer take a double lung and run like a scalded ape for 500 yds. Bowhunting ain't for everyone, I myself have quit 2 times in the past, but it always calls me back! Get back at it and kill!