Got in the stand at about 10 minutes to 3pm. Started some rattling and grunting sequences around 4:30pm. At 6:10pm or so I heard antlers hitting brush and twigs snapping. He was coming right towards me. I grabbed my bow off the hook, put my release on the string loop and stood up and waited. He came down the trail slowly and I saw a very nice rack, but it was just dark enough where I couldn't tell which buck it was, but I knew it was one of the Big 3. He turned broadside at 30 yards and put his head down. I put my 30 yard pin on his vitals, took a couple deep breaths. The camera went off in his face and I let my arrow fly, he jumped up and took a couple steps forward and looked around. He stood there broadside, but my quiver was hanging on a branch so I couldn't knock another arrow right away. He took a few slow steps forward behind a pine. I grabbed my quiver, put it on my bow, knocked another arrow waiting for him to step out towards his rub at around 40 yards. Instead he strolled slowly back in the direction he came from. He never ran or blew. I grunted sporadically for the next 10 minutes or so and even rattled a little trying to get him to come back, but he knew better. I heard some crashing from a different direction, got the bow ready again and a big red fox came out, stopped at about 30 yards, looked around and trotted across the field.

Got off of the stand, pulled my arrow out of the dirt while grunting to pretend I was a buck and walked out on the field instead of up the trail where he was. I'll grab the memory stick from that camera tomorrow late morning to see which buck it was and post it tomorrow night.

Currently I'm sipping some Merlot and licking my wounds. One thing is for sure, I'll be shooting the bow in the morning to see if my sight is still on. It is still on the pencil marks, so I think I just whiffed. Another thing for sure, I'll be back in that stand tomorrow afternoon!

I hate taking shots in low light conditions. You can never see your arrow flight and aren't sure where you hit them until you look for blood.

Keep on him willy, you'll get him.

I got 2 days of hunting comming up for me, gonna kill a few skillet heads for the freezer.

good story and hopefully you can catch up with him. i will be out for the next 3 days so hopefully i will have some pics and a story for yas

Keep after him Willy. Sounds like he wasn't to spooked after the miss. Looking forward to the picture.

Keep after them Willy! I missed a big buck last night too . If I would not have have slammed on the brakes and swerved I would have gotten him for sure .On the way home from hunting.

Its definitely that time of the year, I also could have smacked a large one out trolling last night, but the deductible doesn't make it worth it.

I had checked my vertical on my site and it was still in the pencil marks. This morning, I shot it at 30 yards and my arrow skipped off the ground and into the neighbors garden. Tried at 20 and I stuck the deer in the windpipe. My horizontal was off by about 6-8 inches. Made the adjustment and was dead on again.

Sat tonight and nothing came out.

Here is the pic just before the arrow stuck in the ground


Here is the pic of me searching for my arrow.


Hope someone can learn from this...shoot a couple before you sit!

At least you have a good story. That is hunting...

exciting...frustrating I am sure but you had a good opportunity....maybe a bigger one is in the cards!!

good luck

Oh man Willy sorry to hear about that. It was your big boy too. Just keep at it and it'll pay off I'm sure. He didn't spook so I think you should be alright. Good luck and I hope you get another crack soon.

You have to watch those hoyts they are heavy, ugly and like to rattle loose


lol I know it's not right but you would have said it to me.

The orange army assault starts soon in Mn doesn't it ?

What do you think I was rattling with?

Yes, firearms opener is Saturday. I'm hunting on private property surrounded by Indian Reservation though, their firearms season has been going on for over a month already and they haven't got any of my big boys yet.

ugH! so close!
but you'll get him!!!!
good luck willy

its always better a clean miss than wounding them though willy

A Bowtech would never do that.

absolutely would not !

Oh so close, nice pic though. We saw are only deer while doing our work duties, He ran across the trail 40 yards from where we were working. I think he wanted to help but then saw we had enough hands. So I told him to check back tomorrow!

GLTA