Two chances in as many hunts, effed up

Most seasons I'm able to kill a 130 or better buck with my bow. I learned awhile ago that generally I can expect one good chance at a shooter buck each season. So it's been my practice to really focus and try to capitalize on that opportunity.

Having said that, either god hates me or I just suck this year. Yesterday morning I hunted an outside edge of corn, an oak flat, and bedding. I've never seen a big buck in this location in my life, but it hasnt been corn for 10 years. The only deer I saw yesterday was a nice 10 point, identical to a 155 I arrowed on the same property years ago. I drew on him at 40 yards and let down because I wanted to let the situation develop rather than rushing a shot (oh and a blade on my rage had come out of the rubber band). Fixed my broad head and waited as he closed the distance to what I guessed to be 30 yards. Standing broad side in the open, this was a chip shot. I made the poor decision of trying to put one through his heart. I think I was probably an inch or two high and he probably ducked a couple inches. The result was about 3 inches of penetration smack into his shoulder (it must be a fine line, ive done fine with 4 inches of penetration my whole life...). My skin was crawling all day. I even went out and bought a new ten point crossbow.
Attachment 9413

I spent the evening shooting; probably 150 arrows. Getting tight groups at 40 yards I decided a crossbow wasn't the answer. Attachment 9412

I decide to hunt a farm this morning that I've had zero trail cam pictures of anything remotely decent. And few does as of recently. Basically I'm there on blind faith. Sure enough another nice 10 (140s I'm guessing) comes strolling in right at shooting time. He was even kind enough to wait around for another ten minutes to where I could actually have enough light to see to shoot. At about 15 yards behind my tree broadside, I've got my second chip shot in as many hunts. I forgot to check to make sure I had enough clearance. My cam or limb hit my tree stand seat that I had flipped up. Bow exploded and buck hung around.

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At this point, I'm not sure how I ever managed to kill any of those bucks on my wall.

I hope everyone else has better luck this season!

OK so your saying you hit the first one, how long did you let it go, and then look for it??
3 inches can still kill a deer, or maybe allow you to sneak in and get a shot at it
and I can honestly tell you that it sucks and I have been in your shoe's , well all but the bow coming apart, but I did throw my bow out of the tree LOL, no kidding it went a good 30 yrds doing power cart wheels!
I missed a nice chip shot on a buck two evenings in a row once
and on one great and bad hunt in Ohio,(great on bucks seen and bad on buckls lost)
I hit a great buck on day one, shot looked good, but wasn't sure, so decided to let it go over nite and over the hite it rained then snowed then rained then snowed then rained, come morning , there was just zero sign, hired a tracking dog, and we just never found it , looked for 3 days too, Hate loosing a deer!
SO, I gave up, and went back to hunting and hit a second buck, on second sit, same tree almost same exact spot too,
he dropped at the shot making it way high hit and a little back
waited again, till next day again and just came right back with the dog, didn't want to chance a second lost deer, we had good blood for a little then nothing, like it just shut off!
I never recovered second deer then too, even with a dog!, so in 2 sits, I had two hits and zero deer! it can happen and sucks !!
I did get the one back found a few weeks later by a friend in a dam sink hole we must have walked past a dozen times while looking for it and just never seen it!

things happen, if you hunt enough, both good and bad! hang in there!

This buck is for sure not dead. The broad head was full of flesh and there was no blood trail at all. I guess that's the silver lining. He should still be around for someone else to shoot.

well again I say never say never
My buddy killed a 170 buck at my camp and all he hit was one nut off the buck and the back of the other side of the rear leg, and just cliped that main line on the back, not a great blood trail but did find it 1/2 mile or so from where it was hit, a one in a million kill ,
I think, but hey take em as you get em some times!
but sounds like he will be about, and never know mught get a second crack at him too, some times they don't know what happened and come right back
the buck I shot at came in two nites in a row
so I say get back in there and try again, rut is either on or about to so??
good luck

I'm hoping he comes back around. Thanks!

Attachment 9434

This was the one I broke my bow on. Saw him again tonight.

well thats a great buck, keep at it lots of time left for you Ohio guys, my season ends here in like 7 days of hunting, and archery is more or less over till after X mas, so, could be worse LOl

Hey man I hear ya, sounds like my season, the first day of bow in PA had a nice buck, woulda been my biggest with a bow, come in and went to draw on him at 10 yds quartering away and when I drew I hit my bow hanger, at 1/2 draw I started inching it outta the way with my bow limb, however right before full draw a more mature buck behind him that I didn't see wasn't liking me aiming at his buddy.

This weekend was my dirst time ever hunting in ohio, we scouted it for two and picked trees and we planned on coming back just for the rut. Well the frst day webt great seeing scrub bucks and a bunch of does, Then....... Saturday came... At 8:15 had real nice ten pt(easily my biggest buck ever bow or rifle) standing in my shooting lane at 30yds, which is what I consistently practice at, and I can remember going thru my normal routine and calming myself down, well I mustn't have Been as calm as I thought cuz as soon as my pin hit brown I got trigger happy and yanked on the trigger and sent one right over his back.

Well I'm 0-2 as well but third time is the charm right?

Hey keep your head up. I usually only get one chance at a deer a year with a bow sometimes no chances at all and I still screw them up sometimes. Weird things happen but everything usually gets straightened out.

Hang in there! A few years back I had a buck at 15 yards, and as I pulled my bow up for a shot my hat fell off my head and he bolted!! It happens!! He would have scored in the 160s or better. That still haunts me to this day, but I never give up!!