Well I'm bummed out today!!!

[Stonegod]

Well I read the thread that SeekBp started about hunting during certain barometer readings.....my brother hunts this way but I have followed this method only off and on. Well yesterday I had S/SE winds which are perfect for the blind I've been hunting and the barometer was reading 30.42 and slowly falling...so I said to myself....this is going to be my lucky day! As I was walking the 1/3 mile or so long gravel drive that runs from the house along 8+ acres of lawn then past the back lake, a rabbit shoots out from under a spruce tree at about 60yds and acrosses the gravel drive and into the old apple orchard. I slip a field point in to my xbow...get it in my crosshairs at 60yds and slowly start stalking, at what I guessed was 40yds (turned out to laser at 43yrds) he starts to hop away so I let my arrow fly. I was trying for a high rib/spine shot to save the meat....BAM....perfect hit. Well know I'm really feeling that this is going to be my lucky day and pretty confident in my shooting skills....clean/skin the bunny and head to my blind. I settle in and within 15-20mins I catch the sight of deer weaving through the trees a about 80yds. A yearling comes to 22yds....I put my crosshairs on her....then mom comes in right behind her, so I swing the crooshairs on to mom but she's only offering me a head on shot. The second yearling comes in and crosses behind mom and stops at 20yds broadside.....20yds broadside!!!.....it look just like our 3D target!!lol I'm not nervous....no shakes....zip....just want to end this long deerless nightmare!! I let my arrow fly......my first.....serious "can't miss" chance at a deer. All 3 jump and move off to about 50yds and stare back at me. I'm confused and think my target should be going down ......but no they all just wonder around looking at where the noise came from, but not looking all the concerned ( no white flags waiving). It's then that I notices that my arrow had clipped the top part of my half unzipped blind flap. The arrow ended up out where the deer were but no blood/hair...a clean miss. So guys here's my first kill pic!LOL.....a 2lb cottontail rabbit taken at 43yds......the 100lb+ deer at 20yds.....I miss!!!.....just my luck!!LOL if I had checked for window clearance....I'd be eating venison!.......so how long do you guys think it will take for these 3 to calm down and return to this area?........I'm running out of time.....again!LOL

[Big_Holla]

Nice job Stonegod! BIG lesson learned on watching for the clearance for your bolt!! Even vertical bowhunters have that happen now and then!!

[Stonegod]

Chuck, do you think it'll take them long to return to the area? As I said they just slowly but alertly walked (no running) away.....acted nothing like when I would actually bust a group of bedded dear.

[Big_Holla]

I would say if they didn't come back at all they got buggered a bit. Would say a day or two but you don't have much time now so hunt them if you can, esp. after this warm up passes and it gets cold again.

[Seeker Bp]

Hey Stonegod, Nice shot on the bunny..They eat good too! Hate to hear about your second shot, but it happens. So are you going to start watching the barometer a little closer now? I know I have since hearing about it. If momma didnt bust out of there with a bunch of concern, I would be right back in there if the wind is right, Time is clicking off this week quickly. I wish you the best of luck! I too am pressing the issue this week, hunting my house where the odds are better...would like one more doe for wintercamp Backstrap....

[mrbb]

well its a guess on if or when a deer will come back
but I have shot at and missed a deer 2 evenings in a row, and had him come out again on day 3 too, juts never offered a good shot
so, I say if winds are right , hunt, odds are theer are more then these 3 deer in your area, and since they didn't really see you, or guessing they didn't, they could be back next day
Hunt, thats the best way to up your odds! and time is ticking!

[PlayTheWindMike]

Well Stone that is the largest k-nines I have ever seen on a rabbit. What did it score? sike....outstanding shot though, with only a couple days left of deer season I would be in blind if I didn't have to work. Go getem

[Whitetail Freak]

Stone, hey least ya didnt go hungry that nite lol with only a couple days left of deer season I would be in blind if I didn't have to work.
ill be out for sure while at the campout trying my luck ya never know could be 4th down n 2 mins left and BAM touchdown deer down that would be sweet

[blackbeard]

Get back out there, time is running out. I'm surprised they spooked that bad from a crossbow unless they are much louder than a compound. I've killed a few deer over the years that I missed first and they didn't go anywhere because they thought it was a nut falling or something. But I was in a treestand too and that makes a difference.

[Lord ToneKing]

I'd be happier with that bunny than what I shot tonite. I shot a mature doe that had 3 fully devloped babies in her....ALL bucks :(

I passed on a button buck and went for momma, Im kinda sick about it


Very impressive shot on the rabbit though, good job

[Stonegod]

I'd be happier with that bunny than what I shot tonite. I shot a mature doe that had 3 fully devloped babies in her....ALL bucks :(

I passed on a button buck and went for momma, Im kinda sick about it


Very impressive shot on the rabbit though, good job

Wow.....I didn't realize that their babies would be that far along this time of year. Is it unusual for them to be that far along this early in the year?

[radicalxl]

I agree with everyone else. I myself feel that they weren't spooked much at all. Go back out.

[nomad_archer]

I would get back out and hunt them as soon as you can. I the doe I shot this year fell over 40 yards from me and the other 4 deer that where with her came back and fed around me for the next hour. So I say get back at it. Your bold clearence issue made me laugh only because I did check for cleareance once and smacked my lower cam off of my tree stand a few years ago.

[Lord ToneKing]

Wow.....I didn't realize that their babies would be that far along this time of year. Is it unusual for them to be that far along this early in the year?They fit in my hand thats how big they were :( They even had hooves developed. All I could think was 3 monster bucks in about 4 yrs with all the good genetics out there. I'm losing most of the property I'm hunting out there but just luckily landed the neighbors property because I offered free roof repair on their barn and gutter cleanouts in spring and fall...and any other household maintenance issues

So anyways, I've had this happen before during late muzzleloading season, but not with fully formed babies like these


I will only shoot yearlings in late season from here on. NEVER will I shoot a mature doe after the rut again. I was gonna take a pic with my iphone but just didnt feel good about it. Not something I want to remember

[Stonegod]

Hey lord toneking.....weren't you the one that posted pics if that big boy over by I-90 last season?....if so whatever happened.....sheds?.....was he ever sighted again?......was it even for real....or a prank?

[mrbb]

as for them having babies inside them,
well over the yrs here in PA, I have killed many doe in early JAn that had them inside of them
so NO I do not think its that unusual for them to have them at this time of the yr, or sure isn't from my knowledge
and my local butcher agrees with me, I asked him last nite
he is a farmer for a living, and he asks that all the time, as he tend to dislike deer, and is always happy when he hears about a doe that had 3 inside??
over the yrs I tried to stop shooting does past the first week of Jan, due to this, unless someone really asked me for a deer and I know they Needed the meat

but thats hunting never know come late season!

[Whitetail Freak]

quote I will only shoot yearlings in late season from here on. NEVER will I shoot a mature doe after the rut again. quote

Ok i don't understand couldn't even yearling's have babies in em this time a year? i mean they do get bred during the rut so why just yearlings?

[mrbb]

well NOT all yearlying get breed there first yr, a Mature doe is MUCH more likely to have been bred
and I would also think they would get bred first, as bucks sure seem to follow mature doe forst, minus the young bucks that don't seem to know any better, and they do chase the yearlying first, but just don't see them putting out to them!!

thsu a yearlying if it got bred, would be one of the last to get it, thus, lower odds of having young pretty far along inside them
so targeting a yearlying over a Mature doe should lower that deal
But again, I try to kill all the doe I plan on early in OCT. if I plan to target them
as I also feel waiting till late season on a doe, you took/lost a LOT of food other deer need come winter