Biggest yes or no
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
Did you kill the largest buck you ever shot an arrow at ?
Yes
No (muzzleloader with open sights)
Whitetail no . Mule deer , Sitka and Columbia yes. Hunt
No. Missed a decent number of good ones.
Blacktail—yes Sitka—yes Coues—no Mule deer—no Whitetail—no
Guess I have some work to do
Don’t hunt deer with any other weapon, so yes.
No, clean miss. But did get 2nd biggest.
Yes. Same deal about only being a bow hunter
Mule deer, yes. Whitetail, no, but got #2. Sitka Blacktail, yes. Columbian Blacktail, yes. Coues deer, no but I got the other five P&Y bucks I shot at.
Mulie.... Yep.
Whitetail.... Check.
And that’s not saying much!
Antler size or body weight?
No, no, no, and no...8^((( Never even cut a hair...
No, I got tunnel vision and hit small sapling in front of deer that had overlooked.
He is asking if you killed the biggest buck you ever shot at with a bow. Not if the biggest buck you ever shot was with a bow. My answer is yes, whitetail and mule deer.
Mule Deer: Yes
Whitetail: No, bounced it off his chest.
Yes and it was a lucky shot as I hit low in the armpit but caught an artery.
NO on the first shot.....but YES when he circled back to my grunt 30 seconds later!
Yes... but I did not kill the biggest buck that came in and I wanted to shoot an arrow at. No good shot angle presented itself. I can still hear the emphatic shouts in my head as I was at full draw. "Turn!! Just turn!! Oh, please!!! Turn!!!" He didn't turn. LMAO.
1. Mule Deer yes 2. Coues yes 3. Whitetail yes 4. Columbia Blacktail yes 5. Sitka no
Yes, whitetail and muley.
Mulie—yes Whitetail—no. second biggest whitey—yes
I don't think some of you are answering the question I believe he asked. As I understand the question, he's asking if you killed (or didn't kill) the largest deer you ever shot an arrow at? Has nothing to do with guns. Yes - Mule Deer Yes - Coues Deer (only two deer species I've ever shot at)
no, and then he hung around and I could not get another shot.
Mule deer-Yes Blacktail-Yes
Yep on whitetails. Still a few shots I'd like a do over on though.
Nope on elk A B&C elk still haunts me. . .
Maybe. Hard to say. Can't measure the ones that are still running.
Nope.... and boy.... do I wish I could say yes
Nope, remember it like it was yesterday. I guess that's what I get for being 14 and not remembering to aim at a broadside buck, 18 yards away.
I may have confused some who were thinking I was asking if your biggest harvested deer was killed with a bow as opposed to was the biggest deer you had a chance on (took shot at) with the bow a kill or not.
it's a bit tough to tally up given some of the answers being multiple yes's or no's on different species but it looks like about...................
65 out of 100 shots commented on at the biggest deer were kills so far.
if we get a lot more responses it may be interesting to see what the "success rate is on the "highest pressure" opportunities. is it similar to all opportunities success rate or different. are riskier shots taken resulting in more non-kill results? we'll see what happens as this gets more responses.
Yes, It’s the does I have trouble with.
Yes. 10-31-03. Sauk County, WI. Non-typical, very heavy palmation.
Yes last September with Charlie and Forest. Forest told me to "shoot that deer when you are ready" Luckily did not even think about it and made good shot! Biggest deerI ever shot with gun or bow.
No, didn't even touch him.................small twig saved his life...of course I didn't see it.
Yes. But its still a small buck. I have never had the chance to miss a big one.
Nope. Buck fever big time.
Maybe. I have killed some big ones and missed some big ones. I actually don't remember if any one that I missed was bigger then the ones that I have killed. That's what happens when you get old.
Nope, hit the fence post at 18 yards. Bad memory I almost forgot until now.
No,no, npe, no, nada. I can get on big ones consistently, but with a bow I fall apart. Have missed several 180"-200" bucks inside 20 yards! Yup, that's right... inside 20! But I have killed mediocre bucks at 50 yards, 35 yards, etc easily.
Nope. This 25yds with my longbow.
"Antler size or body weight?"
For real???
Mule deer - no. Coues - no. Whitetail - yes. Blacktail - yes.
Nope - 2002, 170" class NJ buck (first fall I hunted my own land), I was cool as a cucumber, 17 yards, broadside, relaxed - shot sailed 6" high, right in backstraps... Two holes, ran away with arrow in him. Blood sporadic for 1/2 a mile then ran out. Saw him two weeks later breeding a doe, scab on each side, he got the arrow out. Still haunts me to this day. It was a good learning experience and made me take my equipment and in-season practice and tune-ups the norm though, because I shot that old bow later that day and it was truly 4-6" high at 20 yards and it wasn't that way when season started. Tough way to learn - but nobody to blame but me.
If the question is more of "did you kill your biggest with the bow", then yes - by far, as all 15 of my shoulder mounts are bow kills, I have never even seen a big buck with a gun in my hand worthy of mounting. Apparently I suck with a gun
nope! it was my first attempt at archery first season first deer all in 30 minutes or less...seen him coming from 110 across the beans , watched him walk across the field! I drew the bow way to soon and he caught me so I held and held then started shaking, he began walking again on the same path and I knew I couldn't hold much longer ,he got to the spot I wanted I chirped he stopped in his tracks, and right then it hit me how far his he! I didn't range anything (rookie mistake) so I guessed 30 and let it rip as I watched the arrow go over his back lol I ranged it later it was 18 yards! good whitetail 4x4 buck to, ill never forget that buck he taught me a lot lol MikeC
WT yes, Coues yes, Mule Deer no, Sitka BT no
No shot right under him 160 class
No, misjudged yardage on a 170 class 10 that I decoyed into my ladder stand on an irrigation pivot.lol
Mule deer, no Whitetail, no Sitka Blacktail, no Coues deer, no
YES : ) and the second biggest on the 2nd shot : )
No. I was 12 and he was the 3rd deer I missed that morning :). Love me some bowhuntn!
Yes, but I shared him with coyotes. I shot him with about 1/2 hour of daylight so I left the area and gathered my lantern and flashlights. I "knew" where he was but I was mistaken. After three hours of looking well after dark I went home waiting for daylight. I found most of him 15 minutes after daylight. I had been within feet of him several times in the dark.
Yes....and I hope to say yes several more times in the coming years! :)
Mule deer-yes Whitetail-no
Yes WT, Cut hair on mule deer and killed on second shot, and yes on Coues.
No, but I killed the three inch sapling that was between me and part of his heart/ lung area. I told myself an inch behind the sapling.
I missed the first giant buck I ever shot at...I was 14 in a homemade wooden platform stand that my dad and brother and I built together. Literally the first time I ever hunted by myself I watched a monster 8 and a huge 10 spar in the bottom of the ravine behind me. The 8 came up my way after they were done, so I drew just before he stepped out from behind the bush...then he turned the other way...I managed to get the bow around the tree to the other side at full draw without spooking him, but then shot right over his back...he danced around just out of range for another 15 minutes trying to figure out what was going on...I've killed a few nice bucks with my bow in the years since, but that encounter is one of the most vivid hunting memories I have.
Yes. In fact it's the biggest whitetail I've ever seen. And he now graces my wall.
101 out of 160 so far
63%
consistent ratio to the first 100 responses
Whitetail -- Yes
Mule Deer -- Yes
4 of the 5 species yes Damn Whitetails drive me nuts!!!
No! An unseen vine deflected my arrow into the ground at his feet, and he left.
Yes and yes... Ha-Twice, both my top 2 deer were bow kills.
Whitetail-I wish about 10 times & I passed this guy. Mule Deer, never cared but ONE.
Yes to mule deer, Sitka and whitetail.
I answered yes, but thinking on it a bit I think maybe would have been a better answer. There were a couple I drew blood on but didn't put down that may have been bigger. Cant weigh or measure the ones that got away.
Define "biggest". You mean body weight, rack score?
Yes, but I missed him with the arrow and killed him a month later with a muzzleloader.
Nope....mid 160 class blacktail at 24 yards....mental fricking melt down :(
Yes......2nd and 3rd NOPE!
Mine is a "yes" for bear, elk, QL caribou and free range red stag, as well.
WT yes. MD yes. Elk yes bear no. Antelope no no and no
No, and thanks for bringing it back up.
Biggest whitetail yes. If I could hang the mounts of the deer I've screwed up on I'd need a trophy room. Add three days ago in Illinois to the list of the deer I screwed up on.
No. I have several bow/gun WT in the same range, but I haven't broken the 160" mark with either yet. You never forget the truly big antlered deer you miss no matter what weapon you have in your hands.
No, missed a mid 160's last year.
Mule deer and Whitetail yes
Oh, yeah - Elk. Nope.
He was walking, I was swinging, and my lead sent the arrow off the side of a lodgepole. Just one stinking blade & just one tiny bit of contact out there on the end. But it was enough.
And FWIW, I think you’re really not getting a representative sample. Especially now that you’ve let on as to your expectations.
Yes again, responding to biggest I have shot at.
No...2 times, both would have been my largest whitetail.
Yes I did. 130" whitetail. :)
Yes twice. Elk as well. Blew a shot on my biggest moose. Missed a few over the years that I wish I had back.
This ones for you scoot. The ole Forrest Whittaker eye. lol
No 15 yards it still haunts me
Ground hunter....he must have left a mark.
WT - yes Antelope - uh no
Yes, 8 yards almost directly below me
Yes
Too bad you didn't ask for a picture with it...could have been epic
Maybe. Hit one high and lost him that was pretty close. Don't know which was bigger
No
1978: Using a recurve standing on a Baker Treestand in early November. Missed a mature upstate NY buck twice. First time as he trotted by 20 some yards away. Second time when he stopped broadside and looked the other way. Never picked a spot. After my second shot, he looked at me and trotted off.
At that range, I could hit a leaf every time, but completely missed a 200 lb deer.
Oh Hell No! I have missed/wounded or simply effed up at least a dozen shot opportunities on 160 plus whitetails. It could be even more! I spent most of the 1990's hunting with Jim Hole in the legendary Edmonton Alberta Bowzone, anywhere from 1-3 weeks every November. And all I did was screw up over and over again. I eventually gave up and quit hunting there (or maybe Jim threw me out of camp). I've had some success bowhunting a few other species since then, but big whitetails are, and perhaps always will be my nemesis. Thanks for reminding me, by the way!