BAD DAY #3 OFB

[oldfarmsblueman]

Started out in woods at 5:00.DARK no moon.Walked over half
a mile.Couldn't find my tree.I looked for ten minutes then found
I was right next to it .I put reflector tacks in it.Put out some
Betternut on deer path at 20 yds.Climbed into stand and got
strapped in.Fifteen min later I hear a noise.I look and there's a
deer 15 feet away on my bad side.It knows somthing is up
because the place had not had time to clear up after I got
in the tree.Doe walked around and picked me up when I made
a noise with my boot on the stand.I froze and she went back
to eating.She left and came back again.She came from my left
and was very siddish.I was leaning hard with my harness and
at full draw she stoped one step of a clear shot.She left.Next
thing she comes back,I see a spotted fawn and then a big doe.
I figure she was the yearling doe from the big doe who had the
fawn .The big doe spots me and jumps back.I freeze and she
calms down.Next thing there walking under my stand.I have a
shot at the young doe at about 12-15 yds.I thought I heard
the arrow pass through and hit the ground.She flew out of
there and stoped about 50 yds away.I could see her
tail flickering.And figured I had a good hit.I looked but could not
see my arrow.10 min later I got down to look for my arrow.
NO ARROW .O crap .I waited a while then started to look.
I was at the bottom of a very steep ledge.I said she has to
follow along the bottom.I look nothing.I go up a little and find
blood.Next I find my arrow. Gut shot .I don't know what
went wrong but I hit to far back.She climbed straight up the ledge.
I coulden't believe it.I am almost to the top and I see a doe
looking down at me.I freeze and check her out.Nothing wrong
with her.I get to the top and still finding blood look up and see
a deer.Eating about 40 yds away.I freeze then anouther deer
feeding.I sit down and see a buck (spike) beating up a bush.
Then I see a big doe.Now they are ruining my way .I'm not
shooting any more.The buck comes with in 15 yds and I thought
went down the ledge.The big doe go's below me then comes
back up looking right at me.She looks then go's over the ledge.
I go back to tracking and 5 min later the spike buck was still
15 yards below me in some downed trees he gets up and go's
over the ledge .By now I'm getting nuts.I know I'll never
find this doe I hit.I have gone 175 yards and loose blood.I
must have hit the liver by the looks of the blood.I start on
hands and knees and find no more.an hour later I find a
few drops 100 yards away on a logging road.She stayed on that
for 50 yards then I coulden't find any more.I left and came back
with a good tracker friend.I'm color blind ao figured he could
see things I missed We spent 2 more hours and he only got
40 more yards and no more blood.She laid down and sealed
the hole with food that came out when she laid down.I gave
it all day and did all I could but still feel like crap.Then when
I got all my things together I went to get my Butternut and
it was gone.It was 2 feet long and I think a deer eat it .
At 3:50 I went to my Son's to sit in the food plot.When I got
there he was cutting wood.I walked out and was going to sit
for a while in my stand.I walked out and saw a tail swatting
flys.A doe and spike buck were already in the plot so I backed
out and went home.At home I cleaned the arrow and shot it.
It shot left and low .I'm not going out tomorrow untill I
figure out what is going on.

[jamaltwy]

at least your out hunting!! take solace in that!! right now things aren't going perfect but thats why we call it hunting and not killing.......... i feel your pain just check your equipment and get back out there little cowboy!! I know you spend a lt of time on your stuff...... don't sweat it enjoy it!!!! have fun keep us posted!!

[Buckshot06]

I know how you feel OFB, it is tuff not being able to find a deer you hit.
Check out your gear and make sure it is not just a bad arrow.
You spent a lot of time finding the correct setup so I know you will figure this one out . Keep us posted.

[royden]

It happens OFB. When you shoot tomorrow ... shoot that broadhead on another arrow that shoots good and see what happens. There is a chance the head got messed up shooting the deer. also check and see if you need to index your heads

good luck and once you get 'er dialed in get right back into it.

[oldfarmsblueman]

After running this Thu my head all night I have to figure
out what went wrong.I came up with many things.One
was the deer was walking and I may have not kept
moving but the shot was very close and that should have
only been an inch.Second the deer never come into your
clearing and I was shooting into a hole that I thought
was clear but I might have hit a small peace of hemlock .
I heard a loud whack and thought it was the arrow hitting
the ground.I was using 85 gr spitfires for the first time.I
think maby they make a loud noise when they open?.Third
I have a hard time wearing glasses with any mask.They
get pushed around or fog up.I did not have them on but
shoot OK with out them.Forth is bow or arrow?
I shot the arrow yesterday after I cleaned it off.It shot low and
to the left.That makes me wounder because the deer was
moving to my left and should have helped????I noticed my
new one pin sight was set on 30 not 20 and thought it
had moved.After shooting this morning I see that the tape I use
to mark my yards with was right I had not moved it after some
adjustment.I shot this morning and put it back to where it
was yesterday.It still shot a little left?I thought it was right
on?.I shot 3 shots this morning with the same arrow.After the
third shot the nock broke off even with the arrow??I put the
spitfire on anouther and shot two shots.They were above the
others and high because I still hadn't moved my sight back to
where it was yesterday.I thought there might be a differance
between real spitfires and the practice blades but there is none.
I put both in the same hole at 20 yds after I moved the sight
to the RT.I also am thinking my anchor point with my new scent-lok
head cover.It adds to my neck and if I don't push hard into my
neck it could have screwed me up.Plus even though these deer
were back and forth around me for a while when the time to
shoot or not comes very fast.I maby should have stoped her
but with 4 other eyes on me I didn't for fear of getting busted
at the last sec.LOTS OF COULD BE"S



The 3 with circles is the arrow from the deer the 2 above are
an other arrow.The arrow at 12:00 is a practice spitfire in a
real spitfire hole.
The spitfire was looking like new.No damage at all.The shot
was very close at about 52# and I don't think hit any bone
but did not go through.I think she pulled it 50 yards away.
How come no pass through??I would say the doe was 1.5
and 80-90 lbs.

[voodoofire1]

OFB, I've had the same thing happen to me, and so have a few of my friends when hunting with expandable broadheads, it's a heartbreaking experience for sure, and one I'll never repeat again, keep your head up, and if you can, try cut on contact heads....

[SPIKER]

I feel for you brother, hang in there.

[royden]

OFB - do you anchor by having your thumb behind your neck? I'm not a fan of that anchor due to cloth's/ no cloth's uphill/downhill variation ....

that sounds the most suspect ... although a broken nock is not good either.

[Doegirl]

I cannot shoot with a facemask on, at least not consistently.
Spitfires are excellent heads, but I don't think they're for us low KE folks. Every year I gravitate towards mechs and it seems that everytime I get burned. I've just come to the conclusion that if I'm shooting a vertical bow, just forget the mechs. Break out the Phantoms and Flames. But I will have to preface that thought in this situation. A COC might have not made any difference in the outcome. A gutshot deer in this warm weather probably won't be salvageable if not found immediately.

[oldfarmsblueman]

Yes I anchor behind my neck and agree it could be a problem.
It works great on the ground.I will try to change ,when I
started I had my thumb knuckle behind my jaw.I'll try going
back to it.I think Doegirl is correct with the spitfires.Between
them and light arrows I see a problem.I'll go back to 75 gr
Wasp bullets.Had anouther screw up today will post in Day #4.