# Rookie Mistake



## GrayG (Dec 10, 2017)

I made a rookie mistake yesterday. I climbed about 15 feet in a small pine tree with very little cover. Deer sign and acorns were plentiful, but I realized my mistake as I settled into my Lone Wolf stand at around 4:00 P.M. About 30 minutes later, 3 does approached, but spotted me about 30 yards out. A quick circle down wind of me and they were out of there. Shortly after, a small buck approached from the same direction as the does and again picked me off and circled down wind. Off he went. I was kicking myself for my poor tree selection when I saw a deer approaching from the other direction. He walked directly under my tree and turned broadside at 15 yards. As I reached full draw, he turned toward me and looked right up at me. He turned and bounded off about 5 yards and turned toward me again, trying to figure out what I was. I remained at full draw for at least a minute because any movement and I knew that he would spook. As I began shaking, he finally turned broadside to leave and I took the shot. He made it about 125 yards. This hunt reaffirmed for me the importance of picking a tree with good cover. 
    I used a 50 LB. hickory selfbow, Zwickey Eskimo Broadhead and cedar arrows.


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## JustUs4All (Dec 10, 2017)

Congratulations.


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## lagrangedave (Dec 10, 2017)

Great day to me.................


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## Dennis (Dec 10, 2017)

Awesome


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## chrisharper (Dec 10, 2017)

Very nice, grats!


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## Clipper (Dec 10, 2017)

Congratulations.  I've had the same thing happen to me even when hung branches behind me, but I'm not the best at staying still.  Good job on making your shot on a nice buck.


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## AllAmerican (Dec 10, 2017)

Congrats, great story, way to stick it out and bag a nice buck with a Selfbow!


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## jekilpat (Dec 10, 2017)

Glad your hunt had a happy ending.  Congratulations!


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## Stump Shooter (Dec 10, 2017)

Congrats on a great hunt!


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## sawtooth (Dec 10, 2017)

Mighty fine right there. Congratulations!


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## charlie 2 arrow (Dec 11, 2017)

Great story! Congratulations on a fine buck!


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## bowhunterdavid (Dec 11, 2017)

That will work!! Congrats.


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## kmckinnie (Dec 11, 2017)

I like that bow. Congrats for the deer and thanks for the advise.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Dec 11, 2017)

Man that's great. I cherish any game taken with a self bow. Have you ever noticed tho, excluding the rut...bucks with any age on them rarely use the same trails as the does and younger bucks ? You mite not have made as big of a mistake as you originally thought. But I agree with more cover is better. Great job and story !


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## pine nut (Dec 11, 2017)

I'd say you managed well and completed the mission!


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## Avid Archer (Dec 11, 2017)

Good job on a dandy late season buck.


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## Allen Oliver (Dec 11, 2017)

Congrats!


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## hogdgz (Dec 12, 2017)

Congrats on a fine buck. 

And I agree with Hillbilly stalker, that's how I killed my big 8 last year. Set up  on a small trail that was parallel to the main trail.


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## Barry Duggan (Dec 12, 2017)

Excellent.


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## GrayG (Dec 12, 2017)

Thank ya'll for the kind words. The trail the older bucks take is almost always in thicker cover too.


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## Al33 (Dec 12, 2017)

That's quite an accomplishment young man, I'm happy for you! Congratulations big time!!


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## Barebowyer (Dec 14, 2017)

Well done!  Congrats!


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## SELFBOW (Dec 17, 2017)

Mistakes sometimes pay off!


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## dwhee87 (Dec 17, 2017)

I've been there at full draw when my arm and the little tree is was in started shaking. In my story, though, the big buck made it out alive. Congrats on connecting.


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## Mudfeather (Dec 31, 2017)

He made the mistake...if you were like me you would have shot one of the earlier deer and not got to the big one..Congrats to you..


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## Vance Henry (Dec 31, 2017)

Man that's just awesome!


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