Humans do not learn from successes. Every time we succeed, we celebrate the moment and are glad that nothing went wrong, but what did you learn?
Humans learn from Big Fat Mistakes! When things go wrong, we learn, or we are doomed to repeat the mistake. If the mistake is Bad, we learn faster.
I was sitting in the tree stand that I had scouted out. Three large oak trees were like an upside-down tripod. The buck trail went right by the base. Several scrapes and tree rubs were scattered within bow range.
The spot was hot! I arrived an hour before daybreak and sat comfortably in the new stand. I had used screw in steps to get into the tree and was over 15 feet high. My safety harness was on snuggly as I waited for the sun rise. The stand was at the top of a ridge, so the sun would hit me first.
The morning chill kept me bundled up. I had a shaft loaded on my bow as I watched the back trail that I was sure the buck would follow. Suddenly several does came creeping down the trail. They stopped and marked every scrape. My bow was hanging from a hook and at the ready.
The forest was waking up. I could hear birds, squirrels, and then a soft grunt. The buck was coming in. He was a broad 4×5 pointer with at least a 24-inch spread. He boldly marched toward my stand like he owned the forest. I was in his living room so maybe he did.
The sunrise was getting so bright that the buck cast a long shadow. He looked like two bucks! The stout buck came into bow range but was so close that I could not get a clear shot. A leafy limb below me was blocking my shot.
At 15 yards, the buck stopped and turned broadside. It was a perfect shot except that the sun was directly behind the buck. I was blinded by the light, as the song says. The top and the bottom of the buck were blurred by the bright light.
“You know what you get if you don’t shoot”, is the classic quote all hunters hear. I was at full draw, and it was now or never. I guessed where to hit the buck. Keep in mind that there was also a huge shadow of the buck in front of him. It was an antler fest, some real and some just shadows, and I was excited.
My fingers released and the arrow flew true. Just under the buck’s belly! The nine pointer watched the arrow dig into the dirt and bucked like a mule. I knew That I missed. Suddenly the herd of does came running back through the melee and in a moment, the forest was deerless.
So, what did I do wrong?
- I placed my stand too close to the deer trail. My first best shot was straight down.
- My stand was too high. I was exposed to the sun and backlighted by the sky
- I failed to prune/clear my shot radius.
- I took a shot that I was not sure about. I could not completely define my target.
- The shadow, sun, and closeness could have been resolved had my stand been lower.
My perfect plan became a classroom. These 5 lessons helped me tag many other great bucks over the years. Had I just learned on Bad Luck, I would have learned nothing. Being honest with myself made me a better hunter.
Bow hunting is damn hard! Anyone that says different is lying. Making a perfect shot at intimate ranges, in harsh and difficult situations is hard. A rifle is forgiving since range increases odds but being close is exciting and real hunting. Just ask Fred Bear.
All legal and ethical hunting is hard! That’s why poachers poach and cheaters cheat. It’s easier and takes less skill and honesty. There is no celebration when poaching, trespassing, or breaking the law. Some corrupt individuals find a thrill in cheating. Shame on them. They never took the time and opportunity to learn from their mistakes! They also ruin access and opportunity for honest and ethical hunters.
Be the BEST hunter you can be!
Montana Grant
