What did I do wrong?

[t6]

Tonight was really a good night despite not connecting. 

I hiked up on some private property where I had seen some good quality deer in the past.  I admit I wasn't ready for the first buck.  A small forked horn.  Not a big deer but one I would have been proud to have taken with the bow in my first season.  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.  This one was a beautiful 4x4.  He immediately had me pegged so moving or trying to stalk closer was not an option. 

I ranged him at 58 yards which was about 13 yards more than I had practiced or even had a pin set for.  The angle was fairly steep (I'd guess it to be nearly 30 degrees)  When he stood up and was broadside, I decided to try the shot.  I missed. I was about three feet low.

I know what pin I used but I'd like to hear what more experienced hunters would have done. 

Not terribly disappointed yet, It was still a good night.  I saw five deer, two of which I would have been happy with. 

How would you have set up the shot?

[DoubleJ]

Shooting at a distance I had not practiced, at an angle I had never shot, without the option of stalking closer, I would have passed on taking a shot.  Shooting with parameters you don't know has the very real possibility of injuring an animal

[Kola16]

Shooting at a distance I had not practiced, at an angle I had never shot, without the option of stalking closer, I would have passed on taking a shot.  Shooting with parameters you don't know has the very real possibility of injuring an animal

  If I have not practiced a shot, I will not take it, and nobody else should either 

[sebek556]

I would not have taken the shot. If it is past my set range, it's just that past my range. Had the buck I have been drooling over for months last night at 65 yards. I have shot that range before but my personal set max is 55. A open dried out hay field is no place for a stalk but i will not take the chance of wounding a animal. Needless to say my freezer is still empty.

[KFhunter]

You are about to get a reaming from the H-W ethics nazi's.
And they are right, you shouldn't be lobbing arrows at a deer unless you are well praticed at that range and elevation change.  58 yards uphill is a long shot for anyone.

You most likely, if you did hit the deer, would have wounded it and made it suffer. 

That is what you did wrong, no harm done this time though.

I would suggest that you do some ambush style hunting and less stalking with the bow until you're more proficient at it.

[DoubleJ]

You are about to get a reaming from the H-W ethics nazi's.
And they are right, you shouldn't be lobbing arrows at a deer unless you are well praticed at that range and elevation change.  58 yards uphill is a long shot for anyone.

You most likely, if you did hit the deer, would have wounded it and made it suffer. 

That is what you did wrong, no harm done this time though.

I would suggest that you do some ambush style hunting and less stalking with the bow until you're more proficient at it.

I didn't post mine from an ethics standpoint.  I posted from a common sense standpoint.  If you've never taken a certain shot before, why in the hell would you do it trying to hit an animal not having any idea what your arrow will do?

[h20hunter]

I agree with the other posts. Tried to shoot past your range. A little reverse buck fever. I may have done the same thing. Learn from it and get back on thedeer and stick the next one.

[DoubleJ]

I do apologize though.  I don't mean to bash.  I just didn't know any other way to post what was in my head.  Sometimes I have difficulty softening things.  If my post was read as attacking, I really didn't mean it that way as much as I meant it in a teaching way.

[Kola16]

I do apologize though.  I don't mean to bash.  I just didn't know any other way to post what was in my head.  Sometimes I have difficulty softening things.  If my post was read as attacking, I really didn't mean it that way as much as I meant it in a teaching way.

Sometimes the truth hurts, and it has to come out. I think that we have all found that out one way or another   

Hopefully this thread doesn't make it to far.

h20hunter has great advice. Learn and move on. Good luck to you down the road 

[h20hunter]

Lets keep at least one thread positive!

[KFhunter]

I do apologize though.  I don't mean to bash.  I just didn't know any other way to post what was in my head.  Sometimes I have difficulty softening things.  If my post was read as attacking, I really didn't mean it that way as much as I meant it in a teaching way.

I thought my post as going to be first, but I got sidetracked and it ended up below yours.

nothing wrong with your post 

[KFhunter]

auctually everyone is being civil 

[h20hunter]

Only page one.....

Encourage, educate, support, advise.

[sebek556]

  exactly, here is a good link for figuring out angled shots 
http://www.archersadvantage.com/TipSheets/UpDownHill.htm

[Igottanewknee]

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....