Mental Weakness

You know, tonight's hunt started off full of optimism. I headed out after a long day of work. I decided to hunt a favorite spot because the wind was perfect, and I had a gut feeling the buck I missed opening day was  still calling that area his sleeping quarters.

I wasn't wrong.

At 5:45 p.m., the first doe showed up. Then the second, third, and fourth.  They grazed & played a bit.  All of the sudden, they spooked..., somewhat.  They were actually pushed out of the way by a buck making his presence with a dominant demeanor.  He was hooking and trashing some small trees & saplings. What a sight.

I had already ranged & re-ranged the surrounding "marks". I had this.  I waited patiently. No big deal.  I already had told myself I was going to hold at 32 yards, on the heart area to ensure a lethal hit in case he jumped the string.

At 6:05 the moment of truth presented itself.  I second guessed myself. SHAME ON ME!!! You see, I miss judged him the first time, and undershot the buck.  This time, I held a little higher at the last second. I squeezed the release. The shot was high!!

I failed myself, but more than that, I failed the animal. How sick is that? I failed the animal I was aiming to kill? YES!  He deserved better. Pass on him, miss him, or kill him. He's roaming around wounded, if he doesn't get overtaken by coyotes. I knew as soon as I'd let go of the arrow it was bad.  Have you ever shot at a target and realized it was a poor/bad shot the SECOND it was made? That's how I felt. 

I consider myself a dedicated archer, and fairly good shot. I consider myself an experienced hunter, meaning I practice hunting scenarios, have killed my share of game, have tracked, etc. etc. So what happened? It's not a lack of practice, physical skill or talent.

I attribute tonight's epic failure to mental weakness.  It happened tonight. I was mentally weak tonight. I have lost few deer to coyotes. I have missed my share, too. But wounded..., knowing I have made a bad shot, my second (on a buck, for that matter). 

I am being hard on myself, I guess. I think I should. I need to improve on my mental toughness. The game I pursue deserve that "true hunter" mentality.

Simply said, it's difficult to know I have wounded an animal. Hunting never gets old, but wounding a whitetail, I never will get used to it (not should I).

I guarantee this. I will be commited to strengthening that faulty metal link.

After two hours of tracking, loss of blood, I called it. Rain tomorrow lessens my chances of a successful, quality tracking duty.  I'll go back, regardless.

I am a hunter.

God bless. 

Bow String & Cable Give-away

In appreciation to my likes & followers, I'm giving away a set of Vapor Trail Archery string & cable as soon as Hunting Freakz reaches 5k followers on Twitter.  My friends at VTA have been kind enough to sponsor this give-away.

To enter your name for the drawing, simply LIKE and COMMENT (FB - Hunting Freakz).  Share the page to get your friends a chance, as well.

Be a good sport, have fun, it's simple, don't over think it.  :)

Good luck.

Vapor Trail Archery - Hunting Freakz: Promo Sale

Happy to announce a promo sale ONLY via HUNTING FREAKZ, thanks to my friends at Vapor Trail Archery! 

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"Quit your crying"

ORDER NOW! Use promo code: #VTAhuntingfreakz to get the deal. Ends on October 18, 2013 at 11:59 p.m.

My 2013 IL Archery Opening Week

Well, my friends, it is here, the much awaited 2013 IL hunting season. Time to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, from archery equipment, to archery and hunting tips.  Time has come for me to practice what I preach, and thus, this is how opening week has gone for me, so far:

I'd just got back from a magnificent trip, and apparently lost track of what day it was.  Thinking it was Sunday, I set my alarm to wake up at 4...., it was TUESDAY!! Needless to say, I ran a bit late on opening day, but managed to make it.  The morning hunt yielded an awesome encounter with a young spike and the admiration of experiencing the woods coming to life.  I can't stress  enough how special it is to be alive, be able to enjoy a passion, and how much this piece of public realestate means to me.

(This was a bitter-sweet day. As I rode my bike to my hunting location, my thoughts were with my hunting freakz buddies, Kyle and Rudy.  We used to make the ride together. Kyle retired, then it was Rudy and I. Rudy transferred (coast guard), now I'm solo. We made so many memories.)

The evening hunt did not lack it's hiccups.  Hunter error 1: I forgot my hunting pants! Yes, I laughed & laughed. I made fun of myself. Hunter error 2: I misjudged a mature buck and missed. I had been videotaping a buck that was bedded close to me. I made a decision to pass on him, being that it is early in the season, and that my NR tag is expensive.  However, as I was taping him, I made some contact/social grunts with my mouth. Out of my left side, storms in a smaller rack buck, but mature.  Chocolate horn. Heavy bases. It happened so quickly, the younger buck got a bit startled.  I settled my pin on the mature buck, and yes, I missed. Unfortunately, because of how fast things transpired, I wasn't able to get the camera on that buck. But what an encounter!

(Check out the vid & don't forget to view the simple pics)

The second day I skipped because the wind just was no right for the hot spot, the  "Killing Tree".

On the third day, winds were once again perfect. I went through my ritual and settled on the stand.  I knew deer were going to begin to move around 6 p.m., and sure enough, they did.  No bucks, just does. The first one came toward me, but never got to within 30 yards. The next two made their way also.  They read the script and came within my shooting comfort range.  As soon as the first doe gave me a broadside shot, I settled my HHA Sports Optimizer pin, and the rest is history - no tracking required.  I had just killed my trophy, a pressured public land whitetail. 

My approach and tactics to hunt this piece of dirt hold true .  The grueling 2 mile ride each pays off, especially when hauling a deer, and I'll do it all over again. Let me remind you why it pays off. IT'S A HEAVILY HUNTED AREA! How awesome it is to be able to see deer more often than not, to film, to take a shot, to have multiple encounters, being able to "pass" on deer, and just be on them in general? It's a rush, let me tell you. I don't kill a lot of deer, but one here & there is a lot for this area, IMO.

(check out my tips) 

Well, I've ensured meat in the freezer, I thank God for what he has provided, and look forward to more meat......, with an added bonus of a mature buck.

Good luck to everyone this season, may your freezers be filled with backstraps and your homes with joy. God bless.