Close calls to kill ratio

[tdorf84]

Hi guys, trying to keep my head up after a few close calls the past couple years where I couldn’t quite make it come together on deer in range of my set up while bow hunting. Wondering what other people’s success rate looks. I’m at 1 kill with 3 close calls. First close call I got out later than I wanted and the buck came through as I was pulling up my bow. Second one I decided to move my set about 50 yards and as I got to the base of the new tree he came right under the original. Third one the buck came in behind me right down the path I walked in on, and was twenty yards behind me, but I didn’t have any shooting lanes. How many close calls for every kill with the bow do you guys have? Any tips to up the odds. I think I’ll be sure to have at least one window to shoot through in every direction from now on.

[Twenty Up]

From 2013-2019 I would average 55 hunts per season with anywhere from 0-3 legitimate opportunities for a mature buck in bow range on public ground. I missed, lost and messed up 4 legitimate chances at bucks over 130”. I never killed and recovered a buck off public land to date

2020-2021 : I began hunting a small 61 acre family farm and public land. 8 total hunts with 2 mature bucks taken.

2021-2022: I’m 4 hunts in and 1 mature buck taken so far.


All this to say, keep your head up. Hunting public land in general is extremely difficult. It’s not just you.

[hunter_mike]

I have not figured out how to divide by zero yet so i will say my ratio is very high at least for bucks 3.5 yrs and over within 50 yds. Gotta be 15+ to zero since joining the beast forums in 2012. That said, I don't hunt much (~10 to 15 morning or evening hunts/year) and i have killed a handful of younger bucks that i was pleased with and had some great adventures during that time. I didnt post this to whine, i just posted it because i am betting this is not too uncommon and i think that you really have to put your time and work in to be as sucessful as some folks are.

[Jonny]

Going off deer I think we’re 3.5 or older.

About 10 years ago I had one walk by as soon as I got back in my stand from going in for lunch opening day. Never did that again. Absolute giant buck.

Bout 4-5 years ago I had a 140 class buck chase a doe past me and my dad. Could’ve shot the doe a dozen different times but man did I want him. Stopped him 6 times and every time he was behind a tree.

3 years ago was full draw on a similar size buck and couldn’t stop him in my only shooting lane. Was on the ground scouting with my dad. Rack wasn’t real big but my god was it a horse of a buck.

Last year had one walk right behind a tree within 20 yards and somehow never heard him. Could hear him bounding off 200 yards away, heard a doe that I shot accross a river with rapids. Never heard him.

Shot one with the bow last year and honestly got lucky he gave me a shot. Had to figure trajectory into my shooting lane to go over brush that covered his vitals direct line.

So my math says 1 for 5. Saw tons of nice ones but those are the ones I remember and think I almost had. With the one exception being the one i shot last year, the rest were all within a square mile area of eachother. Have shot 2 2.5 year olds from that area as well and a couple real big does that were pretty old.

[1STRANGEWILDERNESS]

I’d have to think long and hard but it’s skewed the wrong way for sure

Recent years..

This season I’m 0 for 3. No shots fired but close encounters ruined by swirling wind twice and once I’m thinking he picked me in my ground setup that looking back on was just downright chinsey. Though would have worked fine had he popped out 10 yds further away where I thought he would.

2020 I was 2 for 2 with one being a poor shot I got lucky with

2019 I was 2 of 4 and the first two were much larger bucks tho than the second two but I knew I needed to rebuild my confidence. And I was happy with them too but sure would’ve rather taken the biggest buck I’ve ever had in range in my home state..

I think it helps to get out and kill. Does or whatever you want. I know I should be taking my own advice here but you go seal the deal on a few doe things are likely to go a lot smoother when a jumbo comes by.

[mipubbucks24]

Last year I was 2 for 4 on mature bucks, didn’t get a shot at one and did not recover one. From 2014 to 2019 I was 0 for 5 or 6 on mature deer, It’s hard. I have determined I am going to need 4/5 chances to get a mature deer every year. This year I have not hunted much but I have seen 0 mature deer. It’s hard to stay on top of them on public if you are only hunting once or twice a week.

[Ahawk116]

0 for 2 this year. 0 for 0 last year. 0 for 8 the year prior, 2 for 2 the year prior 2 for 4 the year prior. That’s as far back as I can remember.

I’ve killed 9 nice ones and probably encountered 50. Hope that’s encouraging vs discouraging. You just have to keep plugging and try not to make the same mistakes twice.

Shooting woes have cost me this year, but I feel like if I knew the things I know now the ratio would be better.

[tdorf84]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think sometimes I watch too much hunting videos and forget the struggles everyone faces in reality. I did just get a confidence booster yesterday, I was able to take a young buck from the ground. I typically would have passed, but it was my first on the ground, on public, near the metro, and was just too exciting of a hunt to pass up the experience. Also thought he was a hair bigger in the couple seconds I had to send it, but I'm happy with it!

[Boogieman1]

Mature bucks are hard to come by. It’s very important to me to make those rare opportunities count! That said I had at least 4 blunders last season. 2 were definitely my fault as they were misses. The other 2 were just bucks well within range but I couldn’t get a shot off. I learned from those debacles and spent many hours rectifying the situation. Important thing to me is learn from experiences and don’t make the same mistakes twice.