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Getting another shot

I'm looking for experienced advice on how to pursue a certain buck that showed up unexpectedly tonight. I'll spare my sob story on why I didn't seal the deal, but It boils down to him coming from an unexpected direction, safety harness in the way, and brushing the bow and nocked arrow against the tree while trying to turn around to get in a position to shoot. I finally found an opening and started to draw, when the arrow fell off the string and rest plummeting to the ground. The mature buck took 2 hops at the noise, looked around for a few minutes and sauntered off. He was completely oblivious to me, as far as I know. Was calm and nonchalant prior to the noise. I'm sick to my stomach, as he's the biggest I've had in range for probably 7 years. Putting everything together, including previous trail cam photos, I think I'm onto his core area. I would like to know how long to wait to hunt this area again or maybe I'm screwed and he's out of my life for the season? He came out of a brushy area with tall grass, old apple trees, and other scrub brush. He walked along an overgrown stone fence paralleling a corn field, until it came to a T. (Where my stand was). There is another overgrown "lane", where he hung a right, leading to a small food plot (which I assume may have been his destination. We do have another stand at the end of the lane on the edge of the plot. I can access both stands via fields. So, I'm assuming I should stick to evening only hunting there (and mind the wind of course. ) Also, was thinking maybe I better hunt the other stand next time. Thoughts and advice are much appreciated.

My advice would be to get on him now while he's on that pattern. Hate to say it But him trotting off was enough in my opinion to be suspicious. Chances are he came back to the area after dark to figure out what happened. I'd figure out where he came from and get a little closer. I don't see you catching him off guard in the same spot again. Not this fast anyways.

Also assuming this is private land. If you feel comfortable to posting a aerial photo and the wind direction for that day. Maybe we can figure out where he's hiding?

If not novice. You have to go with your gut. Get in after him or give him and that area a break and hit him on a different pattern later.

Good luck with him. Stuff like that happens from time to time. Lots of time left.

I don't think he's gone completely. My best buck was shot at 3 times by me! I still got him on the fourth attempt.. I'm not kidding, he still had the wound on his back where I had grazed him 2 weeks earlier. I missed him twice back to back on the same morning earlier in the year. All four shots were from the same tree. I can only explain that I made some very silly mistakes with my draw and having my neck gator in the way of my anchor. I was ready to give up after missing him the third time, then went home, and figured out my dilemna. I hope this gives you hope that there's a good chance he's still there. If the deer was oblivious of your location, then he could simply have reacted to the sound, no differentr than when a branch falls from a tree, or a distant gunshot goes off etc.

How does your rest, fall to the ground? otherwise, what happened to you is called "hunting", part of the journey, not like tv hunting huh........ I would get right back on him, right now, I would not hesitate, go for it and good luck,,,,,,,,,,,,

One day, I did not have a good safety belt, just one of those belts, that go around the waist. As soon as I got into the tree, I was fighting with it. A big does comes by, I shoot her, she drops. While again screwing with this belt, here comes Mr. Big. I have shot some nice bucks, but this was well into the 160 category, and he stopped at 22 yards, giving me the perfect shot. Leaning out, and struggling with the belt, I shoot and miss him, right under the heart.

I take another arrow, out of the quiver, as now he is looking at me,,,, this time the recurve did not score, and he was gone,,,,, never seen again even during the gun season.

Do I think about that today,,,,, well I know it was Nov 3 2009, at 2:34pm, so yeah the pain stays with you,,,,,,, and with a smile you remember the great moments in bowhunting and that was one of them......

That is what you have, one great memory, not as good, as him on the ground, but think about it...... You did a lot, to put your self in that position, so I would say, your on the right track......

I could go on, quite a bit, on foul ups on big bucks,,,,,,, I could tell a lot of stories

stay well

Thanks for the input. Here's a pic of the area. Red x is my stand. Orange arrow is his direction of travel (which starts where I first saw him. The lime green circle is a small food plot. The blue dot is the area I'm guessing he was bedded in. And the gray dot is where he was (assuming same buck) photographed in trail cam. There is another stand (which really only allows shooting into the food plot) near the gray dot. I'm not sure how I can get any closer, unless I possibly sat on the ground. Hate to even poke around there for fear of bumping him. That area truly is scrub trees, some apple trees (that only have a few on) and brush (such as buckthorn. ) A stone fence basically follows the corn (standing) field and also lines the fallow field going towards the food plot. There is a "lane", which parallels it. Each year there is a heavy trail and rubs along it. Razor, the rest didn't fall. The arrow did. Somehow it pulled off the string and then fell off the rest too. I can only assume it happened when I brushed up against the tree while turning around. Must've just been enough to keep it on the string, but not completely nocked. Pete, 3x at one buck? Crazy. Although, I have twice missed a doe and shot it on the 2nd attempt.

I look at your posts this way. It's not a mishap or failure, you learned something. I don't consider not killing a deer a failure. You have set the table for yourself (so to speak) by posting your thoughts here. If you really want to harvest this deer, go after him. Learn what he is doing on a daily basis, learn where he is living, sleeping and eating and maybe you will harvest him. It's your decision to learn from this adventure or point your ship in another direction. I know what i would do....I would hunt him.

Good Luck!

I will give you a few tips. I have had almost the exact same thing happen. Make sure your arrow is nocked on tight. It sound to me like you didn't snap the nock on the string. Get back in there as soon as possible and with the right wind, BUT. Move your stand, even 20 yards is enough. You may think he know you were there. But he probably went back and scent checked the area. The different tree and even different entry/exit may just fool him.

I'm hearing I better get back at him and pronto. Unfortunately, next time I can get out is Wed, which I have high hopes for with a front coming. Also, I can bring my climber, but there's really not any trees conducive to a stand, especially without a enormous amount of trimming. Funny thing, the wind was out of the SW, which is the direction they would usually come from. This buck, however came from the E/SE snd theoretically should've busted me before I even saw him. I entered the stand that day from the fallow field too. He should've crossed my tracks. Luckily for me, he only alerted at the noise and didn't go, but 20 yds just looking around before meandering off (not even trotting.) When I got out of the stand, I exited via the standing corn field.

I disagree with some of the guys.

Sticks fall from trees frequently. The sound may momentarily startle a deer, but your arrow dropping to the ground isn't unlike the sound of a stick dropping. You said he sauntered off. He didn't bust out.

And while I'd be careful about playing the wind while in the stand, I wouldn't be overly concerned about the deer scent checking the area when you aren't there. You have ag fields and a dwelling right there. Any deer in the area are exposed to some lingering scent from human activity. That scent isn't as alien to them as it is to a buck deeper in the woods.

Hunt him as soon as you can while he's likely to be on a pattern. Good luck. Post pictures.

Well, it didn't pan out last night. He didn't show (at least not via the same route as Sat.) I played the wind with the route in and used the standing corn. I also brought my climber, but there just wasn't a decent tree available, without major limb cutting. What a great night for activity, though. Plenty of turkeys and squirrels. Also, heard deer in the hardwoods behind me and possibly what I thought was sparring. Too thick to see that direction, however. A buddy sat on a field (corn) edge further to the North (other end of property) and he had does, a spike, fawns, and 4 bears out in front of him. His hunt got spoiled, however when the neighbor got out if his stand (property line splits the field) an hour before dark and started messing with trail cameras. He then got down and drove to the other property across the street to just scout by overlooking another field (planted with a food plot mix.) Low and behold he watches 4 bucks (including the biggest on camera this year.) So, they were out and about. Just bot coming near me. I'm guessing the corn field by me just isn't ripe enough to funnel them in there yet.

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