How has your bow season been. Mine has been tough.

[8uck5nort]

Hope everyone else is having better luck than I.

Opening weekend. Oct 1st and 2nd

Friday night shot and hit a decent buck at about 20 yards in the evening. No blood, no arrow and it rained that evening following morning after I decided to back out since I had nothing to go on. Came back next morning and found arrow with one lone white hair plastered to one of my vanes. Not a trace could be found of the deer.

Saturday evening different spot. Had another buck come at about 15 to 20 yards He was a little smaller than the prior one but respectable for around here. He caught me moving and locked up behind a small sapling hiding hsi vitals with me holding my draw. I held and held. He finally took about a half step and I shot. I though I put a good hit on himt. Got down and again no blood, no arrow, and getting dark again. Backed out and came back next day with help to look. Discovered I had grazed the sapling. Found a few spots of blood, but no arrow. Eventually kicked him up on way out to truck. He will live to see another day as it looked to be a shoulder wound.

Two weekends later. Last Sunday.

Sunday evening. Had two does come in and stand about 30 - 35 yards out perfect broadside. I over thought the situation cause I was still feeling the sting from the experience with the bucks. I decided to let the does walk. However, as luck would have it one of them turned and took the exit trail I was set up on. Bad thing was she passed directly beneath me. I decided to try for the spine shot I have been practicing for the last two years. Nailed her in the neck just forward of the shoulder... She bolted and ran with arrow sticking out. What a bone headed move. I will never do that again. Needless to say no arrow, no blood and again no deer. To top it off there is/was a doe running around with an arrow sticking out of her neck. Sigh....

Last two years I knocked everything down I shot with some very good pass throughs... This year I suck and now it is affecting my better judgement. I hate that I lost a mortally wounded deer because my confidence is in shambles. I practice frequently and often in the off season. So I am not a lazy hunter. I am taking this weekend off from hunting and spending some time in FLA on vacation with my wife. I sure hope whatever is going on works its way out of my system for my sake and the deers.

Ok, I'll stop whining now.