Veteran hunters might scoff and believe the topic of shot placement is a bit remedial, but being cocky and neglecting it can turn what could be your greatest hunting trip into a long ride home with a sick feeling in your gut.

Mother Nature reminded me of the importance of shot placement this past week while bowhunting a prime lease in Northwest Missouri. The weather dipped down near freezing the night before, and the prospects looked great for a quality hunt.

I wasn’t disappointed, and as the first peaks of sunlight trickled down through the heavy timber along the Missouri River, a good mature doe silently made her way into a shooting lane a mere 22 yards away from me standing perfectly broadside.

I could almost taste the fresh batch of smoked summer sausage, as I quietly drew back and centered my pin directly behind her front shoulder. Having bowhunted for nearly 20 years, this was going to be chip shot I told myself. That’s when my arrogant veteran attitude got the best of me.

As I began placing pressure on the trigger of my release, the doe turned slightly placing her in a quartering away position. Not a problem, after all, quartering away is just as good if not better than broadside at this range.

As I eased the trigger back, I instantly realized I was still aiming at the back of the shoulder and the arrow was streaking through the air with nothing I could to change the unfolding events.

The shot hit exactly where I had intended for a broadside deer.

Unfortunately, the trajectory of my arrow carried it right into the doe’s shoulder and although it penetrated very deeply, it did not pass through. Had I just moved the pin a bit further back on the ribs to compensate for the quartering away angle, I probably would have quickly watched the doe go down.

Instead, I watched as she slipped out of sight into some heavy brush with no chance of a follow-up shot. After waiting for around a half hour, I quietly climbed down and looked around near the stand for any sign of a blood trail.

Finding nothing and not wanting to push the deer out of the area, I opted to quietly leave knowing that even though the arrow had not passed through, it had hit the deer’s vitals. Allowing a few hours to give the deer time to expire seemed like the best move as temperatures were low, and I knew time was on my side.

After lunch, I returned and quickly discovered a sizeable blood trail just inside the heavy brush.

Fortunately for me, the razor sharp broadhead had done it’s job, and even though my arrow had left no exit wound, the trail was an exceptionally easy one to follow. I found the doe 60-70 yards into the thick timber.

The satisfaction of recovering the deer was quickly brought to an end as I approached the downed animal.

Apparently a predator or predators of some sort neglected to heed my thoughts of leaving the doe lay for a while and had taken up the trail immediately and made short work of my deer.

As I looked at the remains of the deer, I couldn’t help but blame myself for such a lousy end to the hunt. Had I not been overly confident and rushed the shot before thinking it through, the deer would have been quickly recovered, and I would be going home to a meal of grilled butterfly chops and a cold one to celebrate.

Instead, I was left standing in the woods with a freshly devoured deer carcass and one less doe tag.

On the long ride home, I couldn’t shake the thought of what the consequences of making such an error in judgement would have meant on other hunts.

What if the deer had been a trophy you’d waited a lifetime for, and it was never recovered. Or maybe you’ve saved for months or years to take a trip with an outfitter, neglecting one of the most fundamental principles of hunting would be even harder to live with.

Most whitetail hunters pursue the sport because we enjoy the challenge and dedication it requires to be successful. While we may spend countless hours, days, and even months preparing, those heart-pounding moments when your query finally arrives normally only last seconds.

Whether hunting with gun or bow, taking time to not only study shot placement and put these practices into play both on the range and in the field is a small price to pay for the added confidence and pride you’ll have when your shot hits its mark, and the game is in your hands.