Well, this was a great hunting experience... That's about all that I can call it. Let me explain: Friday, I got off work at noon and drove up to our hunting spot and met Dave there. He had seen 5 bucks that morning so he was really optimistic about our chances of seeing something. We drove
up to the area where he'd seen the deer and we set off through the trees. Two hours later, nothing. I guess we did find a chair to sit on but yeah, nothing. Isn't that always how it goes? So we started back to the truck. We were getting close to the truck and walking through the trees when out of the corner of my eye I see a deer. We stopped, watched it, and saw that it was a nice 3-point buck! I told Dave to switch me spots so he could get a distance on it with his range finder. I was turning to get around him when my stupid knee decides to slip out! Yeah, I almost fell right over. So I'm hopping around trying to get my knee right and Dave is like: "What are you doing?!" The deer meanwhile has moved out of sight and for all I know it's gone. Well, a truck drove up the road right then and by some miracle, the deer comes back into view and starts walking up a trail right in front of us! So we get behind a tree, set up the range finder, and see that this buck is going to walk right in front of us about 17 yards away! The wind is in our face, deer coming broadside, everything is going to be perfect. I get my arrow set and I'm waiting to pull back and... nothing. We waited and waited and no deer. We peer around the branches and the freaking deer is laying down right in the trail on the other side of the tree looking at us. So we're sitting there trying to decide how we're going to get a shot at a deer only 10 yards away. Finally, we decide that Dave will poke his head out to try and occupy its vision while I move down around the tree to get a shot. It takes about 5 minutes to move the couple of feet to where I can see its body without it noticing me. I've got about a foot wide hole between the branches where I can shoot and I draw back and somehow it just doesn't seem like that deer is 13 yards away like we thought. I asked Dave if he was sure and he's like: "Oh yeah, it's about 13. Just put your 20 yard pin a little low." So I put it low, took a deep breath, and let it fly! Deer jumps up, falls down, my heart soars to my throat, deer jumps back up, runs away, my heart sinks. Dave's all: "Did you hit it?!" I'm like: "I don't think so..." We walked up to where it was laying and paced out the distance... Less than 10 yards. My arrow was planted in the dirt, only missing its back my inches. Yep. Just tattoo "As If" across my forehead. Ten freaking yards away. It should be noted that I've spent my whole life using a primitive bow that requires getting the animal within 20 yards to get a decent shot. My first year with a compound bow, and all I want is my old bow back. Sigh... So anyway, we tried to follow the deer to see if we could find it again and no luck. We did, however, see two moose! A gnarly bull and cow that we were less than 100 yards away from! Here's some pics:
So we went back to camp and I was left to torture myself with what could have been. We went out again later that night, but nothing to see besides some stray does. I did find another balloon though! The funny thing was that it was in the same forest where I found the balloon last time! Crazy, huh? This one said: "I Love You." Haha. The next morning we woke up early and went out looking for elk, but didn't see anything. We scared up some more deer, but that was it. I'm still pretty bummed I missed that shot, but it was a blast and such a rush! Definitely made the whole season right there. I should have just jumped on it...
up to the area where he'd seen the deer and we set off through the trees. Two hours later, nothing. I guess we did find a chair to sit on but yeah, nothing. Isn't that always how it goes? So we started back to the truck. We were getting close to the truck and walking through the trees when out of the corner of my eye I see a deer. We stopped, watched it, and saw that it was a nice 3-point buck! I told Dave to switch me spots so he could get a distance on it with his range finder. I was turning to get around him when my stupid knee decides to slip out! Yeah, I almost fell right over. So I'm hopping around trying to get my knee right and Dave is like: "What are you doing?!" The deer meanwhile has moved out of sight and for all I know it's gone. Well, a truck drove up the road right then and by some miracle, the deer comes back into view and starts walking up a trail right in front of us! So we get behind a tree, set up the range finder, and see that this buck is going to walk right in front of us about 17 yards away! The wind is in our face, deer coming broadside, everything is going to be perfect. I get my arrow set and I'm waiting to pull back and... nothing. We waited and waited and no deer. We peer around the branches and the freaking deer is laying down right in the trail on the other side of the tree looking at us. So we're sitting there trying to decide how we're going to get a shot at a deer only 10 yards away. Finally, we decide that Dave will poke his head out to try and occupy its vision while I move down around the tree to get a shot. It takes about 5 minutes to move the couple of feet to where I can see its body without it noticing me. I've got about a foot wide hole between the branches where I can shoot and I draw back and somehow it just doesn't seem like that deer is 13 yards away like we thought. I asked Dave if he was sure and he's like: "Oh yeah, it's about 13. Just put your 20 yard pin a little low." So I put it low, took a deep breath, and let it fly! Deer jumps up, falls down, my heart soars to my throat, deer jumps back up, runs away, my heart sinks. Dave's all: "Did you hit it?!" I'm like: "I don't think so..." We walked up to where it was laying and paced out the distance... Less than 10 yards. My arrow was planted in the dirt, only missing its back my inches. Yep. Just tattoo "As If" across my forehead. Ten freaking yards away. It should be noted that I've spent my whole life using a primitive bow that requires getting the animal within 20 yards to get a decent shot. My first year with a compound bow, and all I want is my old bow back. Sigh... So anyway, we tried to follow the deer to see if we could find it again and no luck. We did, however, see two moose! A gnarly bull and cow that we were less than 100 yards away from! Here's some pics: 
So we went back to camp and I was left to torture myself with what could have been. We went out again later that night, but nothing to see besides some stray does. I did find another balloon though! The funny thing was that it was in the same forest where I found the balloon last time! Crazy, huh? This one said: "I Love You." Haha. The next morning we woke up early and went out looking for elk, but didn't see anything. We scared up some more deer, but that was it. I'm still pretty bummed I missed that shot, but it was a blast and such a rush! Definitely made the whole season right there. I should have just jumped on it...
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