What did I do wrong?

[t6]

I live in SW near Longview.  I've been practicing however, never been to a 3d range.  I like the idea of throwing the target down the hill and shooting at it for the practice.

I didn't switch from Muzzle Loading to Archery for a couple of the reasons mentioned.  I drew the multi-season tag and thought it would be cool to try to take a deer with the bow before my shoulder is completely shot.  Its on its way and I'm told there is no help or chance at repairing it, just too much damage. 

I dont like hunting in the heat and probably wont do it again.  I have pain from pulling the bow back but its been bearable so far. 

I appreciate the advice and promise to keep practicing until I am able to take a deer. 

Passed this morning on a small spike and two does. 

[mfswallace]

I'm thinking nothing.... Most of the professional's will tell you what they think is the right thing to do. I am an amature like you(lots of experience though) and pretty sure that you did the best that you could. Every one of these guy's that are going to tell you that you did something wrong has done the exact thing that you did. They missed, they wounded an animal, they harvested an animal, hard to say.... Keep at it, enjoy your hunt, and do your best to fill your tag... LIKE THE REST OF US!!! Unless your are one of those professionals....

[kglacken]

Lets keep at least one thread positive!

For real!  A guy on here just wants some advice on how to make that shot more successful. Anyone willing to help him? I think he understands that you should practice a shot before you take it. 

[DoubleJ]

Lucky Shot Archery in Chehalis has a nice 3d course

[sebek556]

sucks about the shoulder man, whats your current draw weight at? The reason I ask is my wife is shooting a Mathews passion at 45lbs, and she is still getting pass throughs on deer. Maybe if you drop your draw weight you could be more comfortable shooting? 

[DoubleJ]

sucks about the shoulder man, whats your current draw weight at? The reason I ask is my wife is shooting a Mathews passion at 45lbs, and she is still getting pass throughs on deer. Maybe if you drop your draw weight you could be more comfortable shooting? 

  I shoot 49lbs because of a bum shoulder

[SGTDuffman]

Just more practice. The only way to get better at judging and making angled shots is to do them. I don't know where you're located, but if you're anywhere near Kenmore, they have a good walk through range with lots of up and down hill shots from 10 yds to about 70 yds.

If that's not an option most of the newer range finders have angle compensators on them to help you figure out what range to hold for angled shots. Many of those can be specifically selected for certain bow speeds as well to get you as close as possible.

I've shot lots at the range from 10-60 yds and occasionally at 70 yds, but while hunting I won't go over ~45 yds. I've got lots of practice at 60, I'm just not comfortable taking that long of a shot on an animal. Too many variables I can't replicate on the range to get me confident at those ranges in the woods. I figure if can't routinely cover the group with my hand, it's not hunting range.

[JJD]

I'm thinking nothing.... Most of the professional's will tell you what they think is the right thing to do. I am an amature like you(lots of experience though) and pretty sure that you did the best that you could. Every one of these guy's that are going to tell you that you did something wrong has done the exact thing that you did. They missed, they wounded an animal, they harvested an animal, hard to say.... Keep at it, enjoy your hunt, and do your best to fill your tag... LIKE THE REST OF US!!! Unless your are one of those professionals....

I too am in my first bow season, Thought I'd better give it a shot before I got too old to draw a 60 lb bow.
I am likely not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I do understand that if you ask for opinions, ya might want to be prepared to hear honest opinions.  The opinions might not be what ya want to hear. 
In less than optimal light, steep terrain, varying foliage, etc, judging distance can be tough.  Only way to improve is practice geared to the way you hunt. 
Note that the majority of experienced hunters (“professionals” as you call them) are often more successful than less experienced hunters.   Yeah, the pros miss once in a while too.  Part of hunting involves the unpredictable nature of animals.  If they are tied to a tree decreasing said unpredictability, its called slaughter. 
So your opinion is that where there’s a broadhead in the air, there’s hope?  Just keep flinging them around and you’re bound to hit something sooner or later?
My advice to the original poster;
Glean what you can from the replies posted, some advice is founded in years of experience, some is pure bologna.  You’ll figure it out.

JJD

[Snapshot]

What went wrong was that you didn't get close enough. Simple as that...

[t6]

My old Browning Mirage is set at 48 pounds.... I can shoot about two dozen arrows at practice before the shoulder is screaming.

Thanks for all the advice.  Yesterday I saw ten deer in a two hour walk.  Not one that I wanted to take. 

Today was only one that I passed on due to distance.  I forgot my range finder and was not confident in the distance.

T

[HunterFisher]

I didn't have an arrow knocked and by the time I got ready, the buck was out fifty yards and walking away.  Never presented a shot. 

After learning that quick lesson, I continued to another landing and quickly found another buck. 

Nobody has touched on this one yet.  That lesson will come undone the first time a blackberry vine trips you up with an exposed broadhead.  I never walk through the woods with an arrow nocked, too dangerous.  Only once has an animal bolted while trying to nock an arrow.  That lesson taught me to slow down and move like a snail AFTER the animal relaxed.

Sounds to me from your recent posts that you have already adjusted your approach to the situation.  Getting closer is definitely the key. 

I'd suggest seeking out a bowhunter ed class next year.  I had a 78 year old man in a class last year who had decades of hunting and bowhunting experience.  He took the class "just in case he could learn something new."  Pretty cool.

[DoubleJ]

I didn't have an arrow knocked and by the time I got ready, the buck was out fifty yards and walking away.  Never presented a shot. 

After learning that quick lesson, I continued to another landing and quickly found another buck. 

Nobody has touched on this one yet.  That lesson will come undone the first time a blackberry vine trips you up with an exposed broadhead.  I never walk through the woods with an arrow nocked, too dangerous.  Only once has an animal bolted while trying to nock an arrow.  That lesson taught me to slow down and move like a snail AFTER the animal relaxed.

Sounds to me from your recent posts that you have already adjusted your approach to the situation.  Getting closer is definitely the key. 

I'd suggest seeking out a bowhunter ed class next year.  I had a 78 year old man in a class last year who had decades of hunting and bowhunting experience.  He took the class "just in case he could learn something new."  Pretty cool.

I always walk with a nocked arrow and don't see this as an issue

We debated this in a thread long ago and if I remember correctly, most members do the same.

[RadSav]

I wasn't really looking for an ass chewing, I was looking for advice on shooting at angles. 

In getting to your original question there was a cut in yardage you needed to make for the 30 degree (I assume down hill) shot.  Not knowing the details of your bow set up I can not be exact, but the cut should have been between 8 and ten yards.  So 58 yards, 30 degrees down hill you'd have wanted to hold as if he were 48-50 yards on flat ground.  So really if you have been practicing at 45 yards that's only 3 to 5 yards past what you are used to.  Back before range finders we made that error all the time.  Even at the distances we had practiced.  Easy cure for that is to get a rangefinder with a trajectory compensator. They are getting quite reasonable these days.

The fact that you shot 3' low gives me a better idea of what you did wrong though.  Even at 48# of draw your trajectory would not be 3' low in five yards.  Shooting that low especially on a down hill shot usually means you tried to watch the arrow instead of following through and trying to keep your pin (or hold over in this case) on target.  That happens to the best of us when big horns come into play.  Years ago I shot 18" low on a huge blacktail on level ground at 18 yards.  And "Yes" I had a pin for that and "Yes" I practiced at 18 yards.   I wanted so badly to watch my arrow hit that deer that I watched it right into the ground   Sometimes big horns can turn a regular guy into a bumbling idiot.

Later that year I shot a P&Y blacktail at 48 yards while he slept on the other side of a log from me.  I had to increase the arch of my arrow to get it over the log and still hit that deer in the vitals.  I ignored my sights, changed my anchor, and short drew the 65# bow to what I guess was about 45-50#.  I had never practiced that shot and of course did not have a "Pin" for that.  And yet 20 yards from where he had been sleeping when I took the shot he laid dead as dead can get.  One day your an idiot the next your a genius.  That's just the way life is.

[Stick em]

That's a tough shot for any archer, unless you regularly hunt from a tree stand. A lot of things come into play with angles. Lot's of good advice here too. You just need more practice at angle shots. Rule of thumb is uphill shoots high, down hill shoots low. So if your aiming down hill at an animal that's 30 yards, use your 40 pin. If your game is 30 uphill use your 20 pin. That's just a suggestion point of reference. Try bending your knees when you shoot downhill. It will help eliminate some of the angle. I use a 5lb burlap rice bag that zips shut and is filled with old clothes. I can hang the bag or throw it down a hill and practice those angles anywhere I can shoot. Good luck and don't get discouraged. Stick thrownin' is a tough sport, that's why it's fun.

[DoubleJ]

Rule of thumb is uphill shoots high, down hill shoots low. So if your aiming down hill at an animal that's 30 yards, use your 40 pin. If your game is 30 uphill use your 20 pin.

This is exactly the opposite of what is true.