Rookie mistake while hunting from a ground blind

[TomT]

In the interest of saving my fellow archers from this mistake in the future, I tell the following tale...

Sunday night I finally had a small herd of elk 35 yards from where I sat in my ground blind.  Had plenty of time to range them and carefully aim.  Watched my arrow fly right under the largest cow.  Although startled, they did not run.  Rechecked my yardage and let loose with another arrow.  Watched the arrow fly right under the cow again.   This time they ran away. 

Sat there stunned until I saw the spot on the edge of the window where both arrows had struck the blind as I released.

I don't mind eating tag soup, but hate that it's due to my error.

Practice shooting from the blind!

[lokidog]

My wife did that with a doe the second time she tried shooting one from the blind.  I found that arrow two years later.

But twice?  Ouch.... 

[bracer40]

TomT,

You're a brave and better man than I. Good on you for sharing a personally hard learned lesson. My own lessons from a fantastic & hard hunted 18 days are still festering wounds that I'm determined to drive me to get better in every way possible for the new season.

[RadSav]

Happens even to veteran blind hunters.  Last year I hit the edge of the window shooting at a turkey's head at 7 yards.  Lucky for me he was a slow bird and I killed him running away at 40.

Most blinds are not made with archers in mind.  I like the Primos XXL blinds, but I have to use a taller chair if any shots are down hill.  Bearpaw set up a special blind for me a few years ago.  At first light I realized he set it up for sky busting geese instead of shooting turkey at 10 yards   Every time I tried to peel Velcro off the windows a tom, still on roost, above me would gobble.  I finally had to just rip the whole thing in one fast motion.  Of course when the hens came down they flew half a mile before setting down.

It's a poor day you don't learn something.  And for some of us the learning curve is just a tad bit larger than it should be. 

[TomT]

I'm thinking about just cutting the window to a larger size, of course that lets in more light so it's a catch 22.  When I raise the seat, my bow touches the top of the blind.  Maybe I should stick with tree stands, but I like the comfort, protection from weather and scent containment (at least some I think).

So, I think it just comes down to practice, practice, practice.

[blindluck]

My dad had a buck in front of him this year, put an arrow right thru his blind peeled the fletch right off the arrow. Lesson learned!!!

[gilroym]

last year I had two different bait piles one on each side of my ground blind. The first pile they ignored for two days so I figured they were not into the pears so I set the second pile of alfalfa out on the third day and they ignored the alfalfa and moved right onto the pears but my windows were not open so I had to quietly open the window spooked two deer off before I could get the window down but I was able to get the last deer before they took off.

[Todd_ID]

A hunting buddy of mine ruined a good drumstick on a turkey at 20 yards by hitting the bottom of the window: I got it on video, too.  We did recover it though!  They bleed out just like a deer with an arrow in their hindquarter.