Don’t forget to nock an arrow

[Jimbob]

Not exactly the same, but you shoot long enough and something is bound to go wrong eventually.

 

[Billy Goat]

Not exactly the same, but you shoot long enough and something is bound to go wrong eventually.

That's awesome.


It's also why I won't handle a bow without an arrow on the string.

Draw board has a safety for a reason.

 

[Marble]

If you shoot long enough, you'll do it. I have.

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[Copen1822]

Honestly not that uncommon. I've seen it happen 4 or 5 times, but only twice where the shooter actually dry fired. The other times people around the shooter noticed and were able to yell at the shooter to let down before he released.



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[SHTF]

Never dry fired my bow but on a hunt in 2016 we where stalking some trails and doing some calling, and I had an Elk come up to us within 10 yards. nice little 4x5 not huge or anything but low and behold here I am standing face to face with this Elk and no arrow nocked. I tried to get one nocked and he bolted. I was so heart broken I missed that opportunity. Ever since then when Im walking the woods hunting I always have an arrow nocked. So I know that feeling. My situations isnt quite like yours but same principle applies always have an arrow nocked and ready.
Shows alot of character your able to come talk about it like others have said. Dont beat yourself up to bad over it. That bull at 10 yards Haunts me to this day lol.

 

[ShortMountain91]

Yep been there too. Just a short time before elk season too. Luckily my archery shop took good care of me

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[JPD350]

A couple years back I was 5 days in on my Jan deer hunt and I am always ready to take a quail when given a chance. So earlier that afternoon I had missed a couple shots at quail because I didn't range them so the next opportunity I was hell bent on ranging them prior to the shot. Normally I am on auto pilot and nock an arrow right away but I started walking some quail down with my range finder in my hand and I had 2 quail lined up and ranged at 20 yds, it was going to be a double cause there was no way I would miss a ranged 20 yd shot. Without taking my eyes off of the quail I gently put my range finder down, clipped onto the string and drew the bow in one awesome fluent motion without taking my eyes off and man was I completely focussed, dropped the pin on them and POW!! I was speechless and in disbelieve, I just jacked up my deer hunt with 5 days left.
I went to Roswell to look for a string with no success so I had to suck it up and call a friend who was hunting the same unit and confess my stupidity, he shoots the same bow I do and dam if he didn't have a factory string spare! by the next day I had shot about 100 shots to get dialed in and on the last day of the hunt killed a deer.

Moral of the story, carry a spare string or make sure you nock an arrow!

 

[Lopelobber]

Debated posting anything on this for a couple reasons. 1. I’ve got no business giving archery advice of any kind to anyone. 2. It’s embarrassing. Decided to post in case it keeps anyone else from same mistake.

Recently at a local 3D shoot a buddy of mine and I were BSing at little as we approached the next target. Nice early morning, no groups behind us, so I was in a little bit of cruise control. Went through my normal shot routine, but I some how just forgot to nock an arrow... BOOM. Dry fire. String blew up. Super pissed at myself and super embarrassing walking back w stringless bow. Really really dumbass move.

No visual damage to the bow. New string on and it seems to be just fine. Will be keeping a close on it limbs and cams going forward. No one was injured. Could have been a lot worse from a silly lapse in concentration.

Scary stuff… going through the mindless motions can get the best of anyone…
Coyyota- can you shoot me a PM if you get a chance?

 

[roosiebull]

Debated posting anything on this for a couple reasons. 1. I’ve got no business giving archery advice of any kind to anyone. 2. It’s embarrassing. Decided to post in case it keeps anyone else from same mistake.

Recently at a local 3D shoot a buddy of mine and I were BSing at little as we approached the next target. Nice early morning, no groups behind us, so I was in a little bit of cruise control. Went through my normal shot routine, but I some how just forgot to nock an arrow... BOOM. Dry fire. String blew up. Super pissed at myself and super embarrassing walking back w stringless bow. Really really dumbass move.

No visual damage to the bow. New string on and it seems to be just fine. Will be keeping a close on it limbs and cams going forward. No one was injured. Could have been a lot worse from a silly lapse in concentration.

I don’t know a single experienced archer who hasn’t done something dumb at some point and dry fired their bow… you will be vigilant about that in the future… I have never forgotten to nock an arrow, but I assure you I have done equally boneheaded stuff… I dry fired my first flagship bow in 2002(ultratec) before it had a single accessory put on it, and I derailed a bow by strapping my release to my string and pulling the string a little bit to see if a ding on my cam was in the string groove… we all do dumb stuff from time to time

 

[SHTF]

Done it myself also. Its a sinking feeling when it happens. I wont even draw with a release I have one of those fake handle releases or my draw board if I need to test things out.
I will give you an even worse scenario. Me and my buddy Mike where in the woods walking some trails throwing out some calls during Elk Archery season. We had been walking calling and listening for about 45 mins. So we decided to take a break kick back on a log. Normally I have an arrow nocked while doing this but since we where going to break for a few I put the arrow back in the quiver. out of no where here comes this 3by3 as Im standing there within 20 yards, he was ultra quiet and sneaking in on us to see what all the fuss was about. I had my bow in hand but no arrow nocked. I was face to face with this Elk at abou.t 15 to 20 yards. I started to slowly reach for an arrow and then busted out. If only had an arrow on the string I may of gotten my shot off on him. I was so kicking myself. Now if Its hunting season and Im in the woods I always keep an arrow nocked and ready. I wont make that mistake again.

 

[goodgrouper]

I have been on vacation for ten days, my cousin and her husband were house sitting for us. Dude has never in his life handled a bow, walked into my gear room and though “I wonder if i can pull that back?” He now has a pretty good contusion on the back of his ear and busted glasses from them being ripped off his face and shot into the wall.

I’ll take the bow to the mathews dealer tomorrow to have it looked over, does a dry fire automatically mean new strings? In 15 years of archery I've never had this happen.

 

[Thinkingman]

Chatty 3D groups....Forgot to nock an arrow.
Sounds VERY familiar!
NW Mountain Challenge, Stevens Pass, 2019

 

[JMF]

Watched it happen twice in one day. Buddy of mine dry fired his on the third target of a 3d shoot, everything on the bow appeared normal after and he finished the course. 22 targets later I dry fired mine for the first time in 30 years of shooting. It was a bedded elk at 80 yards thru thick trees, I completely zoned out on making the shot and just forgot to load an arrow. I'm just glad I didn't give my buddy much shit when he dry fired his.

 

[BucksNBulls]

Don't feel too bad. I shoot thousands of arrows a year and have had buddies do it on multiple occasions. Always gave them crap.

This year at TAC Big Sky on day three (thankfully) on the RMEF course I was on fire. Shooting 10's and 11's on every target. Had just shot a 99 yard 11 on an elk target and was caught up in the moment. Preceded to walk out to the end of a log over a drop off to shoot the next target and forgot to load an arrow on my 82lb Hoyt RX7 Ultra. BOOM! strings exploded but the cables held. Had to do the walk of shame the rest of the course totally embarrassed because of course everyone we passed saw the bow.

I was the guy that always have said that would never happen to me. Never even came close before, never even hooked to my D loop before nocking and arrow before. Well.....................Never say Never.

Oh, bow was fine and I had already had new strings on order. Got home, threw it in the vise and had them changed out and shooting great. Good thing it was a Hoyt. LOL

 

[OutdoorAg]

I did this exact thing this summer. Couldn’t believe it. Don’t worry OP. You have company