Bad Luck

[Joe15]

I got hooked up with one of the best bow hunters in this area as he is a family fried. This is my first year hunting with a bow and he brought me to an absolute honey hole. Put me in a tree stand and got into his 35 yards away. That night i heard something behind me and saw the deer the little doe was about 15 yards behind me bought caught sight of me and ran. daylight was getting low and i was very frustrated with myself. with about a half hour of daylight left a 4 or 5 point buck walked in to my main shooting area. I wanted to shoot but didnt know what to do. So he slipped away but stayed close when we grunted and thought he was pretty cool. Afterwards the guy told me i was supposed to stand up and shoot not sit and shoot. I had no idea and felt like a complete one-who-thinks-I-am-silly...im going out tomorrow with him so hopefully i have better luck.

[wolfman-k]

Don't feel too bad, we all have to learn in order to be proficient at what we do. It takes time & practice, it'll come and then you can appriciate it all the more. One step at a time. Good luck & keep learning, you'll be whacking them before long!

[Dave S]

I can relate. The day I shot my first buck, I watched as 3 does came down the field and into the woods where I was sitting. They stopped by my tree for a few minutes nad eventually walked down into the ravine.

They were no more out of sight and I heard something walking up behind me. I thought this was it. It's gotta be a buck. It scratched in the leaves a little and stopped. Then again but closer. This went on for waht seemed like an eternity. I couldn't take it any longer. I took the chance and turned quickly only to have a coyote standing 25 feet away with a bead on me. She eventually put her head down and walked 5 feet under me. Once she was past, she was put to sleep.

Oh by the way, I got my first buck that afternoon.

Be patient and things will go your way.

[Traxxx]

Consider it a learning experience. I prefer to shoot when I'm sitting down, don't have to worry about them seeing my knees shakin . This only works when they come in on your'e left side though, if your'e right handed. One thing I have learned is to draw when you can. If its a bit early, thats ok. If the shot doesn't present itself right away and you get tired from holding at full draw, lower the bow,still at full draw, and rest the bottom cam on your'e knee or thigh. This way when the shot comes your'e still at full draw and only you have move a slight bit. Good Luck

[96trigger]

Right now, I prefer to stay seated also. Its not as easy for the deer to skyline me if I am sitting against a tree, standing up I look like a large blob, and they peg me easier. That said, this year, almost all the large bucks I should have had a shot at were on my right side, except for one, and he skylined me because I was standing up.

I have learned that part of archery hunting is positioning your stand for a right handed shot while maintaining visibility for all right handed shots if sitting. It helps alot in those cases when the deer just pop out of nowhere. I know that the last two weeks, this has been much needed as it was very wet in the woods and you had virtually no warning when a buck was going to pop up. There is a major learning curve to archery, and it can take many seasons to tune your appraoch so that you are successful.

[FL SNIPER]

Don't get frustrated...you had a couple experiences in one sitting that some don't have in a whole season! Sounds like you got hooked up with the right guy too...that will greatly speed up your learning curve. You'll come to find archery hunting is very challenging...a lot of things need to go right in order to harvest an animal. Enjoy your first season of bow hunting and learn as much as you can...don't get frustrated and don't ever force anything...if you weren't comfortable shooting at those first few animals you saw maybe you will be the next time after going through those experiences. Maybe there's a bigger buck with your name on it! Good luck, be safe, and have fun. FL Sniper.

[Powerstroke]

I had 7 deer come by me on friday before 1 came by from the direction I could shoot from. Its not always up to you and the stand placement, but you do your best.

I also prefer to shoot sitting down because you will be more steady if you're not shaking at the knees or trying to balance on a stand platform.

[deerminator]

Shoot however you feel comfortable but in terms of scouting and finding the deer, setting up, etc., trust the veteran. Good luck!

[brassman]

Watch a few hunting videos and watch how they do it, I taught myself most everything I know as far as shooting however I did pick up a few pointers from watching videos and shows. Monkey see monkey do.

[mrklean]

I also prefer to sit and shoot, you just have to make sure you are comfortable from either direction

[Joe15]

this morning i went out and ended up shooting at a doe i hit her back leg and we followed the blood trail for 70 yards before it stopped so she didnt drop but i have been watching a 6 or 7 pt buck at the same spot at the same time everyday...so im going to go after him..wish me luck

[mrklean]

was the doe moving or was it nerves? Hitting the back leg is a little off target, not trying to be a jerk but you might want to hit the range first.

[sticknstring]

I prefer to stand, especially after sundown. Lean right back into the tree so you're not sky-lined. You limit yourself to certain shots while sitting. It can also be more difficult to hit full-draw from a seated position, especially when cold. Heck, a third of my stands don't even have a seat.

[Joe15]

ya she was moving and quqrtering away

[vister]

seems like a lot of people here prefer to sit and shoot, yet i have never seen anyone sitting as they were shooting at the range. i don't know about you, but shooting from sitting down is almost like trying to shoot left handed for me. seems completely wrong, so i stand the entire time i am in my stand. it is easier to shoot at a deer on the right if you are standing too, if u are right handed.

[snoozebutton]

Shooting at a moving deer? You must really practice a lot to have confidence in a moving shot. I only practice all summer and I would never do it.

[Joe15]

thank for all of the help guys. Im hoping to get out this weekend an get the buck ive been scouting

[Traxxx]

Good Luck, you won't forget your'e first.

[96trigger]

I sit on a stool and practice both standing and sitting shots. There is virtually no difference and not that big of a deal if you remember to bend move and bend at your waist. I shoot at home, not on the range.