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Well, I've been bowhunting critters for well over 30 years........been lucky many times throughout that time period. Heck, even a broken clock is correct twice a day, right? I've arrowed around 100 deer (mule deer & blacktail) over that time, some bull elk, bears, lots of hogs, antelope, javelina, all types of predators, birds, etc.....just about everything out West.
There were many times I've come home empty handed from a trip, but that's bowhunting. The CLOSEST shot I've made was 3 yards on a javelina with my longbow and wood arrows........5 yards on a P&Y bear coming towards me in the wilderness, and 8 yards on a tophy caliber mule deer. Archery is about getting close for me........Exciting stuff!
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I have had 2 close calls with antelope with the bow and no success so far. My first hunt we walked about 40 miles in 2 days trying to get one in range. Got belly down on the back of a hill and had some smaller goats feed in to 35 yards out. Sat up on my knees, came to full draw, broadhead got caught in the long grass and arrow clanked off the rest. I let down, knocked it up again, goats had moved to 40 yards - and this time when I drew the string snapped and the bow exploded! That's about the worst ending to a hard hunt so far.
I am extending my effective shooting range to 60 yards this off season and hoping that will get me the last little way. All spot and stalk or decoy though, I can't stand sitting in a hot blind all day.
Deer seem to me to be a matter of putting stalks together. The more you do the more chances one will work out. That is balanced with the fact that to arrow a particular deer, you have to wait till everything is right to stalk in on them, sometimes that may mean just watching them for several hours or even all day.
