Let Bowhunting Miscues Drive You Forward

Like many of you, I am either hunting or thinking of hunting. It’s my hobby, and as a guide it’s oftentimes my job to take others hunting. I like to think I am a good hunter and a halfway decent guide, despite the fact that my excitement level can be unnerving to some clients.

I maintain a regular practice schedule and feel confident in my shooting. You would think after more than 40 years of bowhunting, most of that time spent shooting a traditional bow, that mistakes would be rare. I’m here to admit, however, that for me, mistakes and/or bad guesses still plague me. I think that’s why I am so addicted.

Bowhunting just lends itself to unforeseen issues and mistakes, partially because animal behavior is just not something you can predict, but also because situations are different every single time. What may be an issue or obstacle on one hunt may not be an issue or obstacle on the next one. In fact, you may encounter a whole new set of issues or challenges.

Just the physical things we encounter, such as mountains, rocks, trees to climb, mud, bugs, wind, rain, snow, heat, cold weather and so on — they are all part of the equation. Plus, there are all kinds of other obstacles — things such as other hunters and predators that can change our prey’s course of travel or even push them completely out of the area.

I had a buddy who was hunting a big whitetail buck near a small two-lane highway that the animal crossed every day. On a morning when the wind was perfect, he slipped into his stand, confident based on scouting and trail-camera images that he would take the buck.

Just after light, he heard the sliding and screeching sound of tires and a big whump. He climbed down and walked over to find a very distraught woman standing in front of her vehicle. She was looking down at the dead buck he had worked so hard at outsmarting. Seriously, how can you plan for that? You just can’t! It’s what I love and curse about bowhunting.

Even the mental aspect of trying to control your emotions, which includes not shaking uncontrollably, is sometimes an impossible task. Maybe not for you, but it’s a struggle for me every time.

2023’s Lessons

This past year, I had a great year and harvested some beautiful animals, but I was still plagued by mistakes and small strategy errors that cost me. What follows are a few examples.

I had practiced and practiced with my Bear Au Sable longbow and took it out after pronghorns. I usually take an antelope every year with my recurve and was confident it would happen again. Some of you may remember me writing last year about getting ready with the bow. Well, after sitting for three days, approximately 14 hours a day, a beautiful buck came walking in. He was nervous, and I could see he was one of the bucks a client had missed a few days earlier. He was on edge, as antelope usually are coming to water, since this is where a lot of predators ambush them, including humans, coyotes, bobcats and even mountain lions.

I had only taken my longbow for antelope one other time years ago and had taken a beautiful buck with a perfect shot. I was anticipating another perfect ending as I drew this time.

I picked a spot in the center of the beautiful buck’s chest and watched my Easton arrow fly high, blowing hair off the buck. I knew instantly what I had done, and a review of the footage from the camera confirmed it. The buck had dropped quickly when I shot. He was about 24 yards away and pronghorns are fast when they want to be.

I knew better, but in my excitement, I had picked a spot on the center of this buck’s chest. His body language and the fact that he had already been missed at least once should have caused me to pick a spot lower on his chest. If so, I would have had some fresh antelope meat. Everything had gone perfectly except for my anticipating the buck’s reaction to the shot. Had the buck stood still, I would have taken him and been two-for-two on antelope with a longbow instead of a dismal 50 percent, which matches my math scores as a kid.

On another hunt, while pursuing elk on public land, I set up about 80 yards from my buddy. My hope was that since he was more on the downwind side that an elk would circle and he would get the shot. Although I was ready, I was a little lackadaisical as I set up and started to call, figuring my buddy would probably see any elk before I did.

I heard heavy footsteps after I threw out a few, plaintive cow calls, and I was instantly a little frustrated. I figured it was my buddy coming to ask me something or tell me he wanted to move spots. I leaned forward to see him and literally came face to face with a bull elk that was headed my way. Ugh! Not being ready, as well as not being able to differentiate the sound of elk hooves from my friends’ heavy footfalls, cost me on that one.

The last story I will share is just embarrassing and involved two big grouse. I was walking with a friend during elk season and a big grouse flew up in the tree.

My buddy said, “Take him.”

I said, “I can’t shoot that one because when I hit him in the chest my arrow will blow through him and keep sailing off into the timber.”

Not being one to litter or lose an arrow and broadhead worth $20, I said I’d shoot the other grouse on the log, that way I could find my arrow covered in feathers in the open area behind the bird.

I drew back and completely missed the bird and hit the log perfectly. My friend’s laughter echoed through the mountains as I went to retrieve my arrow from the log that ensured I would only be eating crow instead of enjoying some fresh grouse.

In order to remain a bowhunter as long as I have, you have to laugh off some of the things that happen that you just can’t control or that you do incorrectly; or those little things will plague you and cause you to seek professional help. That reminds me — I have a therapy session starting in 30 minutes!

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