Help! Target Buck potentially spooked, What to do?

[TheObserver]

Out rattling yesterday afternoon, rattled in my first Buck as light was fading. He came in with purpose not quietly but not running, his area bedding/Rubs all over, he was coming to smash whatever Bucks were fighting and send them out of the area for sure.

I heard the sticks breaking and was looking intently in the direction, down a small draw full of thicket. Sure enough I see a rack coming up right to me over the thickets. It's one of the 4 points I am trying to get.

I draw my bow while he can not see me, he didn't hear a thing and keeps walking. Now he stops 20 yards away, some very very small twigs in the way that I figured would not derail the flight of my arrow whatsoever (have shot my arrows through grass at Deer and kills them like nothing was there), I know that twigs/branches deflect arrows, it happened to me last year at 55 yards (did not see the twigs), but these were so tiny! and with being so close I thought I would have this Buck for sure. Nope.

Clean miss.

I could not believe it, all the time I put in here was my chance how could I be so f****n stupid. Could have let him start walking again and bleated with my mouth and he would have stopped clear of anything but I jumped the decision.

After the arrow went by him he reacted, but just stood there looking around. But when I went to grab another arrow out of my quiver he took off, he did not see me the whole interaction/time he only heard me reach for my arrow. Not full tilt but he was not sticking around, as he was taking off I doe bleated and it sounded like he stopped, but I couldn't pursue it was just to calm him down hopefully.

My questions are these,

1) Do you guys think he is spooked and I shouldn't pursue anymore/leave his area alone and look for the other 4 point or other Bucks?

2) Or do you think I should keep going to his area and rattling/trying for him, or keep trying for him but without rattling? (still hunt when it rains again or set up between bedding/feeding) do you think he has forgot about it or he is spooked?

I'm trying to tell myself it wasn't a traumatic event for him and not a big deal so I should keep going and he probably didn't think about it too much.

Last night I was sweating for no reason and almost puked I was so dissapointed in myself, would have been pretty happy to get a Blacktail like this with my bow on foot, the only animal I have gotten so far that I would've considered mounting. Can't believe I blew my chance it was surreal...

[grantk]

Get in there and get him, it's the rut.

[Norwestalta]

He not gone very far. Patience. Nice deer by the way.

[northof49]

Nice BT….I’d ditch the sticks and string and grab the rifle.

[Ferenc]

Looks like a nice area from the cam pics to put up a blacktail decoy .... that along with some rattling ... can call

[ACE]

​Fawn in distress call . . .

[Bugle M In]

He will still be somewhere close.
my buddy shit at a big 4pt with 4 does just above an opening and missed cleanly and they all took off.
We spent the day looking and couldn’t find them.
The next day, about 26hours after that shot, my other hunting partner found all 5 of them, 4 does bedded the buck standing and sniffing, probably 600-700 yards above the missed shot the day before.
And yup, buck fever with the 2nd hunting partner and he missed as well!!!

Find the does.
He should be around them or looking for one that is in heat.

I hunted in the snow 2 years ago, really foggy out, couldn’t see more the 30-40 yards.
Cut a buck track so followed him.
Within 400 yards, he had located no fewer than 5 deepest groups of does (Maybe 2 to 4 for on each group).
He has travelled in a b-line.
Everytime he cut into the does, you could see how he checked them all out from the tracks in the snow.
Guess he knew that first group, no does in heat, so off he went to the next group.
He did this 5 separate times.

I finally caught up to him on the 6th group, about 600 yards from where I cut his first track.
He was just in the process of checking out another group if does.
I’m He was legal but passed him up.

Find the does in the area.
He has more than likely not gone far.
Especially if he has been hovering in the area for days waiting for the does to go into heat, imo

[walks with deer]

Send me gps i will go check for you so you dont waste your time out.

[Ron.C]

Shitty, it will sting for some time but a clean miss is better than a bad hit. Out of curioisty did you miss low/high? Ive talked to allot of guys that hit or miss low as they drop their bow arm (forgetting all form) on a big animal. Almost like instant onset target panic. (Ive been there too).

In regards to shooting through grass/brush, try not to. It doesnt take much to deflect an arrow

If he didnt run off completely spooked, you may see him again. Still rutting and his urge to breed may best his survival instincts. If you are in a good spot where you are seeing lots of does, no harm in sticking it out. He may be back, or you could arrow another

But those big bucks dont get like that by repeating mistakes

[high horse Hal]

its a 50/50 situation