I had a blond bear at 20 feet, drew, got target panic, released early, arrow went high and clipped the top of his shoulder.  Results: broken arrow, ashamed hunter, and a very annoyed bear.
Almost had my first bow kill.  By the way the bear is fine, barely cut the skin on the top of his shoulder.

Dude that happens to all of us.

Sorry to hear it happend to me many of times on squirrels and chipmunks id be a wreck on a bear.

Well you got that out of the way.Now go back and kill one.I have found there are two types of hunter.Those that miss and those who keep quiet about there misses.

There's always next time, mate! You'll drill him next time!

I missed a real sitter of a boar (pig) today. There's always next time.

That stinks for sure, i know how it is to put a huge effort into just getting a shot and then blow it. Missed a gobbler on the first day worked my butt off all season only to miss another on memorial day i hunted 28 out of 31 mornings. It will just make the one i get that much sweeter and it will for you also keep at it.

I know how you feel realy. I went on 13 bear hunts before I got one srewing up my shots on five of them before I got one but I didn't give up

pick a spot....good luck...mark

No shame in that, I bet I did it 10 times on deer when I started hunting with a compound, this will be my first year with a longbow, and I expect it'll happen again with that a couple of times untill I get it right. Hang in there.  Bret

I did the same on my first bear. Let it go. There are two kinds of hunters: those who have missed and those that will!  

I too shot over game when shooting out of a tree
stand even though when I practiced I could drill
the target....Bob Thompson (zipper bows) told me
I was not bending at the waist....What I was doing
when game was near was not bending in fear of being busted!!!!! Really screwed up my shot....
allen

Its a shame it didn't work out... but losing that overwelming feeling of enormity of the situation would plain suck... I mean thats what makes it so enjoyable... and when we goof it up, well it stinks... but its what makes success so very sweet!!!

I am happy for you with the awesome encounter!!! Now next time, you've got that overwith and (statistically speaking) you'll have moved on a little wiser for it, and you'll do much better...

Now get back out there and get on a good un!!!

Dang I wish I even had the chance to loose a arrow on one. But understand how you must feel. <><

It happens to all of us, one day I missed at deer at 5 yds and the next day killed one at 25 yds. I can understand how you felt especially with a bear that close.  Keep plugging.........

Dave

Don't be hard on yourself. Laugh it off, really.

Don't take it too hard.  There's a world class longbow 3-D shooter, who will remain nameless, who shot at the largest racked buck he had ever seen several years back.  To quote him "I shot a perfect field goal right between his antlers!"  It happens to ALL of us at one time or another.

It's better that you shot a bit high and barely nicked him and have him perturbed than to hit him somewhere that would have injured him without being a lethal hit.  Then you would have had an angry bear on your hands, possibly literally!

Bill

Coulda been worse.....bear coulda been mad and HUNGRY. Missing is tough, but atleast it wasnt a bad wounding. Better luck next time!

You don't want to know how many groundhogs I've missed, and they keep comin' back to my garden. Guess I better get better quick or get used to having no tomatos this year.