A Second....second chance buck!
StickFlicker
9/9/09 11:19pm
Only a few weeks ago I was bowhunting for antelope in New Mexico. On the third day of the hunt, I found a buck I could get excited about and drew to shoot. However, my peep sight didn't rotate correctly and I couldn't see my front sights. I let down the bow, played with the peep and drew again about a half dozen times, unbelievably without the buck seeing or hearing me do it! I pondered just taking the shot instinctively, but just was not willing to risk wounding him. He eventually wandered off and my chance was gone....
On the last day of my hunt I was lowering my standards to take any decent P&Y quality buck. I saw a buck that would fit the bill and get ready to shoot him. When I rose up to shoot, I saw that there were three other bucks nearby that I hadn't even seen. I waited watching each one of them raise and lower their heads until I picked what I thought looked the largest. Then I had to wait for him to eventually turn and give me the shot I wanted.
After successfully arrowing him, I realized that this WAS the buck I had lost the opportunity on earlier in the hunt!
On the last day of my hunt I was lowering my standards to take any decent P&Y quality buck. I saw a buck that would fit the bill and get ready to shoot him. When I rose up to shoot, I saw that there were three other bucks nearby that I hadn't even seen. I waited watching each one of them raise and lower their heads until I picked what I thought looked the largest. Then I had to wait for him to eventually turn and give me the shot I wanted.
After successfully arrowing him, I realized that this WAS the buck I had lost the opportunity on earlier in the hunt!
10,146
Then, on the last day of my hunt this Monday, the same buck gave me a second chance, just like my antelope had a few weeks earlier! This time I drew the right arrow, but again had my peep sight fail on me!! When I drew on him the previous week, he had whirled around at the sound of me drawing the bow, I really didn't think there was any chance that I could let the string down without alarming him. I again considered taking the instinctive shot, but since I don't practice this I just wasn't willing to take a chance on wounding an animal. I finally let the bow down, made some adjustments and re-drew. I couldn't believe that he never even looked my way after drawing on him twice! This time the shot was true and I put the arrow through his shoulders and he was down within sight! My curse was finally broken, and on such a great buck. I was the most excited I've been about a kill in a long, long time! I had told my friends the week before that I thought the buck was about 15 inches wide, with at least 5 inch points. I also had guessed that he would score in the 90 to 100 inch range. He ended up being 16 inches wide, with 6 inch points and a very quick scoring of one side of the racking and doubling it (with inside spread added) came up with a gross of very close to 100 in velvet. I'm thrilled to finally take a Coues with my bow, and even more excited that it was a great buck. I'd like to thank my friend Mike Ornoski for helping me to break my unlucky streak!
Congrats on two great hunts this year and thanks a bunch for sharing! :thumb
What peep are you using, so I don't have the same problem?
I don't think it's the peep's problem, I think it's a problem with the string stretching. I'm not sure why it is stretching throughout each day! I replaced the string a month or so before my antelope hunt, but shot a few 3D shoots with it and had no problems. I also put a D-loop on the string to nock to, rather than nocking on the serving. I had never used one before, but think that has probably been as big a part of the problem as anything. I can test draw it and adjust the peep in the morning, and a few hours later the string appears to have stretched causing the peep to rotate to a different position! It's very frustrating. ](*,) I put a tube on if for elk season, to force it to rotate correctly, but don't like it and will just replace the entire string set-up once that hunt is over and I have time to set it up and sight it in correctly.
Marvin