2019-2020 Bambi whacking

[BigCountry14]

Originally Posted by GutPile

Correct you need to follow the regs. But as a landowner you don't actually need to buy the bonus stamp. But you have to stick to your property. I think most people that hunt their own land still buy the licenses and tags.

I used to, but I no longer buy the license. So I'm probably the exception. Havent had an Md license in close to 10 years now. One of these days I'll get back to hunting waterfowl and I'll buy one again..

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[remrug]

Originally Posted by onedash

I have tried multiple NAP mechanical broadheads and every single one impacts exactly where the field points do. I use tenpoint arrows with tenpoint crossbow.

One issue I had initially was having my range finder in normal mode instead of archery mode. I guess that made a big enough difference that I shot high (spine) two times in a row. It was nice dropping them on the spot but they both needed another shot to finish them off and i don't like hitting the back straps.

I used to hit most of my bow killed deer higher than I wanted to.I know they drop down during the arrow coming at them and I always kept in mind to aim low.Once excitement kicked in,I would forget to aim low.I now site my bow to hit 4 inches low at 20 yrds and hitting too high has stopped for the most part.

[Derwood]

I got out on public land yesterday over a cut corn field. Around 8:30 a mature doe came RUNNING into the field downwind of me. A yearling trailed her close behind. I figured they were being chased by a buck and got excited. She started eating from the corn cobs right in front of me and enjoyed her breakfast for about 10 minutes. I've already got two does in the freezer so I'm just waiting for a buck. Unfortunately, whoever was chasing them never came. Maybe another hunter or coyote spooked them? She eventually saw me in the tree and did the stare/stamp/snort routine for another ten minutes before running off. I think this must mean I've got my scent control pretty under control since she didn't wind me even though she was downwind. Dedicated clothes washed in hunter detergent + rubber boots + deaddownwind soap shower immediately before leaving in the morning is my routine.

Around 10:00 another doe ran around the back of my stand. That makes me think some big boy was chasing them after all. But I never saw him. I had my dog in the truck so I had to get down around 11:30 to let her out. I took her to a spot about 2 miles away to hunt for doves/squirrels/rabbits. We bagged a couple doves and a squirrel. As we worked our way back to the road, I nearly stepped on a bedded fork buck. He was only about 10 feet in front of me when I noticed him, hidden below a brier bush under a large pine. He jumped up and my life briefly flashed before my eyes but fortunately he didn't gore me. Too bad I was carrying a shotgun instead of a bow at that moment. He was clearly juiced up and ready to go!

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Archeryrob

Are you target shooting with braodheads also? I had a terrible time when I first started with a crossbow. Missed a nice buck and skimmed his belly. 10 yards ok, 20 iffy and 30 and 40 was OMG.

Found out the bolts were weak in spine and the broadheads were planing and the target points were not. I bought stiffer spined bolts and all the trouble went away.

Mechanicals and I’ve shot one in to a target and it shoots the same as my field points. NAP shockwaves. First time the arrow hasn’t gone pretty close to where I knew I was aiming. Or the deer wasn’t where I knew I was aiming by the time the arrow got there.

[gwchem]

Don't let the errant shot get you down. It could've ended worse.

I shot a deer in the ass once. He was standing still, I was in a nice ladder stand holding a rifle. I've consistently shot that gun better than 2 moa in every position for years. Bad shots do just happen sometimes.

[newmuzzleloader]

Twirl your bolt to see if it's perfectly straight. Are they carbon or aluminum? I've had aluminum bolts that developed slight bend from my mishandling them pulling out of a target which caused it to shoot off center.

[AlBeight]

Originally Posted by remrug

I used to hit most of my bow killed deer higher than I wanted to.I know they drop down during the arrow coming at them and I always kept in mind to aim low.Once excitement kicked in,I would forget to aim low.I now site my bow to hit 4 inches low at 20 yrds and hitting too high has stopped for the most part.

If you’re shooting from an elevate stand, that is why you’re hitting high, not necessarily because the deer drops. You sight in on flat ground, then with elevation the gravity affects your arrow less than full 100% value gravity, so you alway need to aim low as if the animal was closer and your arrow won’t drop as much, when shooting from above (or below). You can read up on ballistics if you want, but just trust me. Especially if you have a really fast bow or crossbow, the difference between flat land zero and shooting downhill zero is very significant. They make rangefinders with angle compensation ranging now, which tells you what equivalent flat land range to shoot that deer at so you don’t need to aim low, you simply aim at a closer horizontal range than the deer is standing.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by newmuzzleloader

Twirl your bolt to see if it's perfectly straight. Are they carbon or aluminum? I've had aluminum bolts that developed slight bend from my mishandling them pulling out of a target which caused it to shoot off center.

I would, but the pieces are in the trash. They are carbon bolts. I think it was one of the brand new ones.

That said, I think I’ve only shot one or two of my new ones so far. I had 3 Barnett headhunter bolts that came with my crossbow and I bought a 6 pack of the same about a month ago. Test fired two of the new ones and they grouped perfectly with the old ones and I called it a day. Probably need to test all of them to be sure.

But it also coulda been me. I hazily remember him starting to scoot as the bolt arrowed in. One of those I can’t recall now if that’s a real memory, or if he really only started to move after he was hit.

But I guess all’s we’ll that ends well. Worst shot that’s ever hit and shortest distance ones gone from a bow. Go figure.

Does make me feel a little better all ya’ll talking about messed up shots. Also taking to someone who shoots cart horses with antlers he mentioned his two longest bow kills both ended up hitting them in the butt and cutting the femoral and not where he had aimed.

[RetiredArmyGuy]

I took this buck on 11/11/19 at 9am down by Gibson Island. He was must have been looking for a doe because he walked within a yard of my blind. I shot him with a crossbow at 5 yards as he was quartering away. We saw him in July at 6am with a bachelor party close to the road but then only at night since then on trail cameras. This is probably the most interesting buck I have taken in my 30 plus years of hunting. It was a great way to celebrate Veterans Day.

[Antarctica]

^^^ Nice deer! Congrats.