After a miss...
- Thread starter cnelk
- Start date
As soon as I shoot, I make a strong mental note of just where the animal was. I then watch the animal as far as I can then listen as much as I can to keep track of it. After waiting an hour, I go to the spot where the animal was when I shot, and hang a piece of flagging. At that time I start looking for blood and my arrow. If I can find neither of them, then I try to follow the path of the animal and see if I can pick up blood or tracks or something that indicates just where it traveled. After that, I will return to try some more to find the arrow. Depending on how that goes I will likely start a wider and wider search for either the animal or some sign of where it went.
If I got that shot in the early or mid morning, I may have time after exhausting all of the above to go sit in my stand in the evening. The next day I will return to that same area and keep an eye out for scavengers (coyotes, bears, and birds) while I sit in my stand again for the morning. Now it is more than 24 hours after I shot at the animal. I will hike out again to look around for scavengers. I am no longer looking for a salvageable animal. In another two or three days I will check again.
I hate a miss. They are a lot of work, and may leave you guessing forever.
If I got that shot in the early or mid morning, I may have time after exhausting all of the above to go sit in my stand in the evening. The next day I will return to that same area and keep an eye out for scavengers (coyotes, bears, and birds) while I sit in my stand again for the morning. Now it is more than 24 hours after I shot at the animal. I will hike out again to look around for scavengers. I am no longer looking for a salvageable animal. In another two or three days I will check again.
I hate a miss. They are a lot of work, and may leave you guessing forever.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
I try to find my arrow. If it\'s a clean miss I usually know it, but I\'ll double check for blood. Drop back 10 and punt 
roblem:
I may also emit unsavory language :x
roblem: I may also emit unsavory language :x
Buglemaster
New member
- Aug 25, 2017
- 334
What Lou said. If I don\'t get that pulled off, I\'ll watch the subject as long as I can see him ( never shoot the girls), watching for any indication that I might have connected. Then look for the arrow to confirm my fears. Find big stick to whack self in head as I walk..
trophyhill
New member
- Aug 20, 2013
- 46
Nock another arrow and shoot again if he\'s still standing there. If he takes off try and call him back. If that doesn\'t work find my arrow and go find another one and forget the miss. Kind of like Brett Favre when he throws a pick. You have to bounce back from it and make a great shot on your next opportunity.
Some interesting answers.
I see that some knock another arrow and quickly call.
THAT IS THE THING TO DO.
Unless the elk is totally alarmed, there is a good chance he will come back, or stop for another shot.
Many years ago, me and a buddy called in a raghorn. He came by me and I shot and missed.
We called and he stopped. I knocked an arrow and shot again. Miss.
The bull moved off a bit.
My buddy called again and the bull turned to offer me another shot... MISS
By this time, the bull was closer to my buddy and he drew and shot... MISS
We named him \'Lucky\'
I see that some knock another arrow and quickly call.
THAT IS THE THING TO DO.
Unless the elk is totally alarmed, there is a good chance he will come back, or stop for another shot.
Many years ago, me and a buddy called in a raghorn. He came by me and I shot and missed.
We called and he stopped. I knocked an arrow and shot again. Miss.
The bull moved off a bit.
My buddy called again and the bull turned to offer me another shot... MISS
By this time, the bull was closer to my buddy and he drew and shot... MISS
We named him \'Lucky\'
Bob Frapples
Member
- Mar 10, 2014
- 367
If it\'s a good clean miss and the animal tore out of the country like a freight train, I usually laugh. I\'m then thanking The Lord the animal isn\'t wounded because my bow wasn\'t doing as it was told. Spend the next hour or so searching for the rouge arrow or digging it out of a tree.
If critter is still standing there laughing at me I repeat process until I\'m out of ammo.
If critter is still standing there laughing at me I repeat process until I\'m out of ammo.
I\'ve been lucky enough to have never wounded a big game animal with an arrow and not recovered it. (Bullets and muzzleloader projectiles have not been so kind to me!)
So if I miss, and it\'s a clean miss like last year, I\'m with Bob ... laugh, thank God that my record is still intact, and move on.
Like others, I have seen animals more confused than scared, and they stand around, offering a second chance. That seems to be more of a rifle or muzzleloader thing, in my experience.
Once, I fired 4 shots from a muzzleloader at a whitetail. It takes a long time to reload a muzzleloader!
And no, he didn\'t come home with me. I have no idea what happened that day, but my experience is that the marksmanship doesn\'t improve with each passing shot!
So if I miss, and it\'s a clean miss like last year, I\'m with Bob ... laugh, thank God that my record is still intact, and move on.
Like others, I have seen animals more confused than scared, and they stand around, offering a second chance. That seems to be more of a rifle or muzzleloader thing, in my experience.
Once, I fired 4 shots from a muzzleloader at a whitetail. It takes a long time to reload a muzzleloader!
And no, he didn\'t come home with me. I have no idea what happened that day, but my experience is that the marksmanship doesn\'t improve with each passing shot!
my first reaction is total disgust with myself, then I look for blood arrow etc, after I confirm it was a complete miss I honestly have fight the urge go back to the truck cause I have just blew my one chance for the season an I seem to mentally throw all the marbles in. take my toys an go home. mentally of course. I don\'t quit hunting but its a struggle. im just being honest. but like others I will take a clean miss everytime over a wounded animal
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
\"cnelk\" said:
Good story Brad.
My buddy\'s first bull was similar. He fired off in Mid morning just uphill from us, so cut his bugle off and we took a knee. I was right behind my buddy when the bull started coming in. He stopped at 30 yds broadside...MISS! :x
Bugled at him again as he started to go back up where he came from, he immediately turned around and came inside 20 yds. I watched my buddy start to draw (hand shaking), and the release let go about halfway, and the arrow hit the ground about 10 yds in front of the bull. :crazy:
When the bull heard the arrow hit, he must have thought it was an elk, because here he came. We are kneeling right out in the open and he\'s 15 yds...12yds...10yds...I see my buddys hand trembling as he draws. Bull turned broadside at 8 yds, and my buddy finally connects! :upthumb:
Maybe I should have mentioned calling after the shot. Certainly that is a good idea. It sometimes settles an elk that has been hit. It certainly costs you nothing. If the elk doesn\'t know what made the sound, they seem somewhat likely to hang around if you call. I think they believe another elk made the sound they just heard. If the elk that was shot at busts out of there, only rarely has it been my experience to stop them or turn them. Only about 10% of the elk I have shot offered me a second chance. I will take 10%, but it is no panacea.
Colorado_Lew
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 189
Same thing that I do when I make a good hit. Call and try to stop the bull sometimes they will come right back in for another shot. On a good hit I\'ve had them stop and stand where I can see them topple over.
Brad, I have two questions and an observation on your story of the confrontation with \'Lucky\'. The observation; appreciate the candid honesty! The questions. How many arrows were you carrying, and what was going through you mind after the third miss? I know you are using a backpack obtained by your shooting prowess so what happens at a time like that? I killed a buck a few years ago that was at 12 yds. but I spined him. I had no good excuse and it haunted me for a year! I guess I could tell myself and others that he jumped the string but that was not the case!
So after a miss I think one thing to do is look back at previous success to remain confident in your ability tempered with realistic optimism!
So after a miss I think one thing to do is look back at previous success to remain confident in your ability tempered with realistic optimism!
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
\"mainebrdr\" said:
Hmmm...do I detect some inside information here :eh:
I dont mind mentioning my misses!
The way I look at it is if Im shooting, Im into elk
I carry 4-5 arrows
If you look at old pic of Fred Bear and others, they had a QUIVER FULL too !!!
There was one time that I was down to my last arrow of 4. It was my first elk.
We called in this BIG 6x7 and a young cow.
My first arrow went over the bulls back at 40yds
He took off. The cow stayed.
My second arrow went low, under the cow.
My buddy kept calling.
My third arrow sank into a tree between me and her.
With only 1 broadhead left, I snuck up close to her and smoked her at 15yds.
Word of wisdom...
Always, always make sure your buddy has the same arrows as you do - just in case :mrgreen:
The way I look at it is if Im shooting, Im into elk
I carry 4-5 arrows
If you look at old pic of Fred Bear and others, they had a QUIVER FULL too !!!
There was one time that I was down to my last arrow of 4. It was my first elk.
We called in this BIG 6x7 and a young cow.
My first arrow went over the bulls back at 40yds
He took off. The cow stayed.
My second arrow went low, under the cow.
My buddy kept calling.
My third arrow sank into a tree between me and her.
With only 1 broadhead left, I snuck up close to her and smoked her at 15yds.
Word of wisdom...
Always, always make sure your buddy has the same arrows as you do - just in case :mrgreen:
Bob Frapples
Member
- Mar 10, 2014
- 367
Hmmm, 4 shots with a smoke pole? I\'ve seen that same buck!
When I was younger and preferred quantity over quality, the \"old timers\" would tell me it was just a phantom buck. I\'ve seen more than I care to mention over the years, usually I don\'t want to tell folks about them, cause then they\'d be skeerd to hunt with me. Especially if they were in the woods during one of my encounters.
Come to think of it, maybe that had something to do with my dad \"upgrading\" my .308 Remington 742 auto to a bolt action .308?
When I was younger and preferred quantity over quality, the \"old timers\" would tell me it was just a phantom buck. I\'ve seen more than I care to mention over the years, usually I don\'t want to tell folks about them, cause then they\'d be skeerd to hunt with me. Especially if they were in the woods during one of my encounters.
Come to think of it, maybe that had something to do with my dad \"upgrading\" my .308 Remington 742 auto to a bolt action .308?
