YEAH!!....OH CRAP....OH NO

[huntn4life88]

Sunday we headed down to our farm in decatur county. Morning proved to me nothing more than a button buck and a tom and a hen walking up and over the hill, however a buddy of mine saw a monster 10 pointed that had about 2 more steps till his 20 yard shooting lane but the doe doubled back and the buck followed.

In the afternoon nothing moved till the last half hour of light and when i went into the woods i told myself i was gonna shoot a doe or a buck which ever one came first and if it was ok by dads standards to take them. So i was sitting there and look over and i see a big deer and a yearling so i look at the bigger one who is pawing around looking for acorns. I look 3 time through the binos and come to a conclusion that its a doe and the other is her yearling. So i draw as "she" walks toward my 20 yard lane, squeeze the trigger and i hear a thud and see the arrow hit a little high but i knew i caught both lungs and it exited perfict through the back side. The deer runs maybe 15 yards and just stands there and gets woozie and falls over and does his death kick.....the yearling comes over and i grab another arrow jus in case. Well i look over and i see another deer with a rack......its an 8 point.....he's walking back towards where he came from nad kinda starts into a trot. I stop him thinking he's 30 and shoot.......arrow goes right over his back.......CRAP.....so i grab another arrow and grunt at the 8 point....he starts coming back up and then he stops turns around and i hear a grunt in the ravine......he takes off running like a bat out of hell and right on his tail is a 12 point with a drop tine and they run over the hill with the 12 still in persuit. So as i got to thinking i start realizing that there was a pretty fresh scrape behind me and if that buck kept comingandi wouldn't have shot that doe he would have come right to me and presented a shot at about 10 yards. well then i think i told myself i was gonna shot anything other than a buck with more potential or a button buck so maybe i will get another crack at those two bucks on another date. So i get down walk over to the "doe" look down an...........OH NO....its a button buck

i feel so bad about it and i was 100% sure it wasn't a button....i looked3 tmes at different angles and never saw buttons.....so i call dad he comes over and is kinda disapointed that its a button buck but then sees the shot and looks up and says "nice shot though" and im happy with the shot i just wish it would have been the 8 pointer or the 12. This deer was only my second with my bow.........but im 1 for 4 on shots on deer now this year inside of 30 yards

1 was at a doe at 23, another was a small buck running does that we want out of the herd, this button, and the 8 point i missed. Man i need to get better at judging yardage.......its only my 3 year bow hunting though and im only 15. So i have got some time.........man i wish i would have got that buck though.....maybe i'll get another chance at him. What are you guys ideas on should i go back to the stand and hunt it again and try to get that same buck or hunt a different stand and try to get another buck?

I'm just upset with myself for shooting a button buck and missing that 8 point. Well atleast i filled one of the 6 tags between my dad and i. O well i still got 2 more weekends to hunt after this weekend. Then theres shot gun season.

Just thought i'd share this story with you guys and see what your input is.

huntn4life88

 

[Liv4Rut]

dont sweat it man, it happens, congrats on a good shot and an exciting hunt. those button bucks are sometimes hard to identify, i wouldnt worry about, he could of gotten whacked by shotgun hunters or other bowhunters. sounds like to me, your not hurting for bucks!!!

 

[IaCraig]

This time of year I would not hesitate to go back to the stand, what are you going to save it for next year? The rut is on now, in 1-2 weeks the bucks are going to start to disappear. My experience has been that the blood does not spook deer too bad, and the only way your going to find out if it does in this case is sit a couple times.

Congrats on a good shot on the button buck. It is admirable that you try to pass on them, but it was a mistake but legal so just say DARN, and forget about it.

IaCraig

 

[Shedhuntermd]

Dont't worry about it I ran across a fellew today that had the same story just with out the big bucks. He as well accidently shot a button buck. I have been on a streak of grazing deer. I grazed a nice buck yesterday and one on Saturday, but however I did kill a nice eight that is going on the wall last Monday. Congrats on your deer, a button buck this time of year will generally move a few miles by next year to find his own turf.

 

[huntn4life88]

I like to hunt for bucks too, but when your 15, have 3 tags to fill during bow season, and only have about a combined 4 days left to hunt and basketball practice is starting up.....i decided i needed to fill atleast one tag after spending a whole months worth of paychecks from hy-vee to buy 2 turkey tags, 2 anterless bow, 1 any sex, 1 anterless for shotgun, and an any sex for shotgun also. So i couldn't resist filling one of my antlerless and it jus happened to b this button buck that i thought was a doe.

Well i wont be back out in the woods again till atleast the afternoon of the 22nd cause this weekend is dad and the family are going to the ISU game and i need to spend time with the girlfriend cause she has been nice enough to let me go hunting every weekend so far.....then sunday is 1 of 2 family thanksgivings so thats a no to hunting too. O well hope i get another crack at those bucks again.

huntn4life88

 

[Buckhunter]

I missed a 140" class on the ground at 13 yard's so dont fell to bad bud!I sure put the steel to that tree though,did not even try to pull the thunderhead out.