Yes, Archery

[Hanshi]

I know some of you are archers and kill game with either a bow or a crossbow.  Tell me about hunting with a bow cuz I'm all ears....okay, all eyes then.  I tried bow hunting some 63 or more years ago.  I had no teacher and so learned on my own. 

I was in a tree stand when a doe came along.  it stopped barely 20 yards away (probably less) but was behind a bush that was so close to being gone that I could see through it okay.  I figured that if I could see through it certainly an arrow could get through it.  I pulled the string back - it was a Bear recurve - and released smoothly I thought.  Well the deer swapped ends in a flash.  As it hauled hiney down the trail I saw the arrow hanging & flopping from the deer's hindquarters.  The hit was too far back but worse was the fact that the arrow did not appear to penetrate anything other than the skin. 

Just to be sure I climbed down and searched first for blood and/or the arrow.  I tried following the doe but with no sign of blood there was no way to know if I followed the correctly or not.  So I lost both arrow and deer.

Another time in a tree stand I noticed a buck moseying to my rear & left.  Now I was shooting fairly well at hay bales at 20 yards and knew, JUST KNEW any deer I saw was a "no contest".   That buck was in the clear so I "aimed" at the spot behind the left shoulder and expected that within a few moments I'd be gutting him.  He ran after the shot so I got down immediately and walked over to the spot where he had been  when I shot.  I didn't bother with following him or looked for blood.  This was because I noticed my arrow several feet above my head imbedded in a tree!!? 

For the last 15 years I lost the ability to pull a bowstring.  Ra has wrecked my hands and they can't handle pulling a string.  If I ever hunt with sharp sticks again it will have to be with a crossbow. 

[beowulf]

a friend used his crossbow this last archery season , this thing is the latest out there with a velocity of 400 ft per second , he drew on the buck at 30 yards , it was a near perfect shot until the buck twisted to the side allowing the arrow to pass within 6 inches , he then took off for the deep woods , I was amazed that he could dodge one at that speed and range ! never underestimate your target ! bill can hit a quarter size target at this range all day , so lets just say he was rather shocked !  lol

[Hanshi]

I've had that happen on several occasions with revolvers and flintlock rifles.  One time I was out of my stand having seen nothing and was going to my truck.  A deer sped across the farm path and way too fast to try a shot.  But where there's one there's more.  As the deer leaped out of sight I immediately dropped to a kneeling position because I don't shoot at deer offhand.  Sure enough a few long moments later another deer stepped into the clearing.  I had my rifle up and ready to fire.  The area just behind the shoulder was the target.  But just as I pulled the trigger it dropped from the shot.  Walking up to the deer I saw no wound near the heart/lung area.  So I turned it over and saw that I'd hit the opposite side of the neck!  The critter had twitched it's head around causing me to hit the left side of the neck when his right side was toward me.  There have been several other similar occurrences over the years.

[Patocazador]

I shot at a doe with my crossbow @ 38 yards. I aimed for the heart but she spun and I pierced her head from ear to ear.
It killed her of course but she broke my arrow by thrashing around.

Those carbon bolts (arrows) plus a good broadhead cost about $12+ dollars each.

That was not "Bowhunting on the Cheap."

[beowulf]

I've had that happen on several occasions with revolvers and flintlock rifles.  One time I was out of my stand having seen nothing and was going to my truck.  A deer sped across the farm path and way too fast to try a shot.  But where there's one there's more.  As the deer leaped out of sight I immediately dropped to a kneeling position because I don't shoot at deer offhand.  Sure enough a few long moments later another deer stepped into the clearing.  I had my rifle up and ready to fire.  The area just behind the shoulder was the target.  But just as I pulled the trigger it dropped from the shot.  Walking up to the deer I saw no wound near the heart/lung area.  So I turned it over and saw that I'd hit the opposite side of the neck!  The critter had twitched it's head around causing me to hit the left side of the neck when his right side was toward me.  There have been several other similar occurrences over the years.

..... had something similar happen with a flintlock ! was standing in a field when I saw something bouncing in a field about 300 yards away , realized it was a herd of deer , and just cocked and raised my rifle , they came charging on , jumped the fence and ran straight at me , stopped about 25 feet away , a herd of a dozen , one was lined up just right , and at that distance it should have been a sure thing ! my sights were locked on his left eye , so I squeezed the trigger , three seconds later I`m standing in an empty field ! not only did he dodge the bullet , the entire herd just vanished in seconds !  I was both disappointed and impressed !