OK………now what was your WORSE momement/miss

I could go on for hours here…….

I’m fortunate enough to be able to hunt a 7-county metro area private land that is loaded with quality animals……I have to admit I’ve missed probably 10 wallhangers over the past 15 years…….

My worse episode……..
Well, I’m buck hunting in a ground blind at the edge of a wood lot, against a picked corn field. Just as it starts to get light out, a doe and fawn walk out into the field. Thought cool………only buck hunting though……but they were about 50 feet from me. The doe casually walks off into the field and the fawn stays close to the tree line. So, I pull out my fawn bleat call and thought I would have some fun. Blew and blew…….no response…….So, I pull out my grunt call and start blowing……..Well, here comes the fawn………Cool…….She is about 15 feet from me, turning her head in confusion like a puppy……I’m having fun. Its cold, I got my gloves on, gun is on my lap, I’m in my little folding stool.

So, as I’m having a blast calling this fawn in close, it is now about legal shooting time. I happen to notice something out of the corner of my eye…….I look over and here is a buck (what I originally thought was the doe) about 50 feet from me in the open field, ready to charge me down. So, with a less than gracefull action, I strip off my gloves, grab the gun, stand up, pump 4 slugs through the barrel and missed a beaut of a 10 pointer………

my dad’s girlfreind’s dad was driving a deep ravine below me. Another man was on the other side of the ravine and I was on the other. A very nice buck started up toward me, but saw me and started to turn. Now me, never have shot a buck and worried he may git away, took a pot shot that I wish I would have never taken. He ran the other direction and out of my life. Just proves that you must take your time and aim

my dad’s girlfreind’s dad was driving a deep ravine below me. Another man was on the other side of the ravine and I was on the other. A very nice buck started up toward me, but saw me and started to turn. Now me, never have shot a buck and worried he may git away, took a pot shot that I wish I would have never taken. He ran the other direction and out of my life. Just proves that you must take your time and aim

I really do not have much of a story for missed shots. Missing a doe or 2 OK 3 on a deer drive with a bow. I had to run in the deep snow to get my arrows back, so I could shoot at the next group that was coming by. I put the next one right through her! The last drive of the year!

For missed opportunities, now I have more than a few. Similar to SLOP Bass’s on the other thread.

I got out of my tree @ 10 am during the rut to grab something quick to drink and go to the bathroom. As like always during the rut I always carry my bow with me (do not venture more than a step from it when in the woods during the rut), cause I have seen it more than not walking to or fro the stand or scouting something out and having bucks come with in range with my bow lying on the ground 20 yards away or still hanging in the tree ! A hole different story though! I took my break and was back at the bottom of my tree around 11, hooked my bow to my string and started to climb with my climber stand. I got to the top and put my rattling antlers on the hook and heard a stick break. I look over and see MR MAC DADDY @ 18 yards ( I ranged it after). There was one HUGE Problem . My bow was still lying on the ground hooked to my rope .

So…. here I sat with MR 6×6 @ 18 yards and my bow on the ground. So I tried to sneek my bow up the 25 feet or so I was up the tree. Lets just say, I got it about 10 feet off the ground when he picked up the movement and shot off like a rocket. I sat there thought about it (the rack). How big was he??? Good question. He was with out a doubt either the largest or 2nd largest deer I have ever seen in the wild! I have seen some big bucks either scouting or hunting and he towers everything but 1 other deer I saw. I shot the deer of a lifetime last year, but this boy dwarfs him. I’m guessing you would have to add another 20 inches on to my other one to compare the two, maybe 30??????

Lesson Learned: Why did he pop up like he did??? Afterwards my buddy said he watched him come across the field, Paul said he heard trees breaking and guessing that the buck heard this also thinking it was a fight in MR. Bigs territory, he came to check it out! I was clearing a new lane out where a trail had formed. For what ever reason he showed up, he was gone now. SECOND GUESSIING: IF I could do it all over again! I would sit there be patient until he walked away, get my bow up in the stand and try calling him back either grunting or rattling. Easy to say now right!

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but when I have an encounter like this, I get really sick afterwards, I end up dry heaving for about 5 minutes or so. I’m guessing the nerves get to me. I have very rarley (1 time) experienced the fever before or during a shot, but after the encounter, I come totally unglued at the seams ! What a feeling , nothing like it!

Gary you did it agin!

I really do not have much of a story for missed shots. Missing a doe or 2 OK 3 on a deer drive with a bow. I had to run in the deep snow to get my arrows back, so I could shoot at the next group that was coming by. I put the next one right through her! The last drive of the year!

For missed opportunities, now I have more than a few. Similar to SLOP Bass’s on the other thread.

I got out of my tree @ 10 am during the rut to grab something quick to drink and go to the bathroom. As like always during the rut I always carry my bow with me (do not venture more than a step from it when in the woods during the rut), cause I have seen it more than not walking to or fro the stand or scouting something out and having bucks come with in range with my bow lying on the ground 20 yards away or still hanging in the tree ! A hole different story though! I took my break and was back at the bottom of my tree around 11, hooked my bow to my string and started to climb with my climber stand. I got to the top and put my rattling antlers on the hook and heard a stick break. I look over and see MR MAC DADDY @ 18 yards ( I ranged it after). There was one HUGE Problem . My bow was still lying on the ground hooked to my rope .

So…. here I sat with MR 6×6 @ 18 yards and my bow on the ground. So I tried to sneek my bow up the 25 feet or so I was up the tree. Lets just say, I got it about 10 feet off the ground when he picked up the movement and shot off like a rocket. I sat there thought about it (the rack). How big was he??? Good question. He was with out a doubt either the largest or 2nd largest deer I have ever seen in the wild! I have seen some big bucks either scouting or hunting and he towers everything but 1 other deer I saw. I shot the deer of a lifetime last year, but this boy dwarfs him. I’m guessing you would have to add another 20 inches on to my other one to compare the two, maybe 30??????

Lesson Learned: Why did he pop up like he did??? Afterwards my buddy said he watched him come across the field, Paul said he heard trees breaking and guessing that the buck heard this also thinking it was a fight in MR. Bigs territory, he came to check it out! I was clearing a new lane out where a trail had formed. For what ever reason he showed up, he was gone now. SECOND GUESSIING: IF I could do it all over again! I would sit there be patient until he walked away, get my bow up in the stand and try calling him back either grunting or rattling. Easy to say now right!

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but when I have an encounter like this, I get really sick afterwards, I end up dry heaving for about 5 minutes or so. I’m guessing the nerves get to me. I have very rarley (1 time) experienced the fever before or during a shot, but after the encounter, I come totally unglued at the seams ! What a feeling , nothing like it!

Gary you did it agin!

I hear ya about the buck fever……..I get it after the commotion……Even had my pop tell me I was shaking worse than a nun in a brothel when I shot my biggest buck………During the shot, I’m as calm and cool I can get, but when the animal drops, I loose composure……..get the shakes…………

I hear ya about the buck fever……..I get it after the commotion……Even had my pop tell me I was shaking worse than a nun in a brothel when I shot my biggest buck………During the shot, I’m as calm and cool I can get, but when the animal drops, I loose composure……..get the shakes…………

I guess I’ll take the Fever after the shot, way better than during or before! In fact I think that is why I like BOW Hunting so much! The only bad part is that feeling only comes around 1 to 3 times a year if I’m lucky!

I guess I’ll take the Fever after the shot, way better than during or before! In fact I think that is why I like BOW Hunting so much! The only bad part is that feeling only comes around 1 to 3 times a year if I’m lucky!

Lil Ripper, You probably don’t want to know how many times this has happened to you. I saw that happen to me 5 times in one year! After chatting with a buddy and finding out it has happened to him also, we came to the conclusion that to a Buck within hearing distance of you it sounds like another Buck making a rub. So this year make it a point to go up your tree slowly keeping very alert to the woods all the way around you. I even rub the bark on purpose while I’m sitting there. Just thought I’d throw my $.02 in and let you know your not alone.

Lil Ripper, You probably don’t want to know how many times this has happened to you. I saw that happen to me 5 times in one year! After chatting with a buddy and finding out it has happened to him also, we came to the conclusion that to a Buck within hearing distance of you it sounds like another Buck making a rub. So this year make it a point to go up your tree slowly keeping very alert to the woods all the way around you. I even rub the bark on purpose while I’m sitting there. Just thought I’d throw my $.02 in and let you know your not alone.

Muskyman, I hear you about the climbing thing , but I think I attracted him when I was on the ground taking out a small tree and limbs to make a new shooting lane on a trail that developed behind me. I was making quite the ruckus. I am very cautious and try to be quiet while climbing. I have since then, if I use my climber, place my bow in the climber during the rut while climbing and take my time getting up the tree! Thanks for the shared info though! Nice to know I’m not the only crazy one!.

Muskyman, I hear you about the climbing thing , but I think I attracted him when I was on the ground taking out a small tree and limbs to make a new shooting lane on a trail that developed behind me. I was making quite the ruckus. I am very cautious and try to be quiet while climbing. I have since then, if I use my climber, place my bow in the climber during the rut while climbing and take my time getting up the tree! Thanks for the shared info though! Nice to know I’m not the only crazy one!.

Gary,

I’m the same way. I was a stone cold killer when I shot my first Buck, and after he was down I managed to drag him about a quarter of a mile THE WRONG DIRECTION. I get the same when when i boat aMusky. I’m OK during the fight but after I land the fish I’m likely to fall out of the boat.

Gary,

I’m the same way. I was a stone cold killer when I shot my first Buck, and after he was down I managed to drag him about a quarter of a mile THE WRONG DIRECTION. I get the same when when i boat aMusky. I’m OK during the fight but after I land the fish I’m likely to fall out of the boat.

I hear you Rootski, Very calm and collected before hand.. after….. well that is a different story. I have actaully had to sit down & hug the tree I was in for fear of falling out after the last buck I took! I guess I’m a tree hugger Never thought about it that way????????

I hear you Rootski, Very calm and collected before hand.. after….. well that is a different story. I have actaully had to sit down & hug the tree I was in for fear of falling out after the last buck I took! I guess I’m a tree hugger Never thought about it that way????????

This happened to me several years ago when I was young, dumb, and full of…………… well I won’t go down that road.

I was getting ready for the MN. Firearms deer season (I do not remember what year) checking out the weather forecast the day before opening day. The forecast called for snow showers mixed with rain, I did not have any rain gear for deer hunting so I headed out to the local sporting goods store to find something. At that time our sporting goods store was a Holiday Gas Station / convenience store. Of course I needed to find something in orange and the only thing I could find was a cheap plastic noisy poncho. The next day I had the cheap plastic noisy poncho packed away in my day pack and away I went. It was not raining or snowing when I took off and even after I got into the woods and into my tree stand the rain or snow had not started yet, from there it all went down hill. After about an hour in my stand it started snowing and I held off getting out the cheap plastic noisy poncho, but it was not long and the snow turned into rain and if I was going to have any chance of sticking out this bad weather and staying put in my stand I had no choice but to get out the cheap plastic noisy poncho and put in on. I stood up in my stand and laid my gun down in the folding seat of the tree stand and then proceeded to pull out the cheap plastic noisy poncho and pull it over my head. On my head I was wearing an orange stocking cap and like an idiot I tried to pull the cheap plastic noisy poncho over my head without taking off my stocking cap. While I was trying to pull the cheap plastic noisy poncho over my head which I had not bothered to try on the night before the stocking cap got pulled down over my eyes and the cheap plastic noisy poncho was stuck on my head! When I finally got the cheap plastic noisy poncho on and the stocking cap off my head that was covering my eyes I saw straight ahead of me no more than 20 yards away a bewildered long tined buck looking straight at me with his head cocked as if to say what the heck are you doing? So there I stood with no gun in my hand and this very respectable buck and me staring each other down. I knew as soon as I moved a muscle that buck would be gone, but it did not happen that way. I slowly started to reach down to pick up my gun on my right side in the folding seat of the tree stand, much to my surprise the buck did not move he just stood there still staring at me. Now I am standing there with the gun in my right hand but not up to my shoulder, I had only managed to stand straight up with the gun in my hand at my right side. “Surely when I raise the gun up to my shoulder that buck would be gone like a bolt of lightning” I thought to myself. So I raised the gun to my shoulder and squeezed off a shot all in one motion, this was not a fast movement but not slow either just steady. Well I should have taken a few more seconds to put a bead on the buck instead of just pointing and shooting, I missed the buck but did manage to hit the tree he was standing next to.

As many a deer hunter knows all to well the only part of that buck I saw after that shot was his white bouncing away in the woods.

This happened to me several years ago when I was young, dumb, and full of…………… well I won’t go down that road.

I was getting ready for the MN. Firearms deer season (I do not remember what year) checking out the weather forecast the day before opening day. The forecast called for snow showers mixed with rain, I did not have any rain gear for deer hunting so I headed out to the local sporting goods store to find something. At that time our sporting goods store was a Holiday Gas Station / convenience store. Of course I needed to find something in orange and the only thing I could find was a cheap plastic noisy poncho. The next day I had the cheap plastic noisy poncho packed away in my day pack and away I went. It was not raining or snowing when I took off and even after I got into the woods and into my tree stand the rain or snow had not started yet, from there it all went down hill. After about an hour in my stand it started snowing and I held off getting out the cheap plastic noisy poncho, but it was not long and the snow turned into rain and if I was going to have any chance of sticking out this bad weather and staying put in my stand I had no choice but to get out the cheap plastic noisy poncho and put in on. I stood up in my stand and laid my gun down in the folding seat of the tree stand and then proceeded to pull out the cheap plastic noisy poncho and pull it over my head. On my head I was wearing an orange stocking cap and like an idiot I tried to pull the cheap plastic noisy poncho over my head without taking off my stocking cap. While I was trying to pull the cheap plastic noisy poncho over my head which I had not bothered to try on the night before the stocking cap got pulled down over my eyes and the cheap plastic noisy poncho was stuck on my head! When I finally got the cheap plastic noisy poncho on and the stocking cap off my head that was covering my eyes I saw straight ahead of me no more than 20 yards away a bewildered long tined buck looking straight at me with his head cocked as if to say what the heck are you doing? So there I stood with no gun in my hand and this very respectable buck and me staring each other down. I knew as soon as I moved a muscle that buck would be gone, but it did not happen that way. I slowly started to reach down to pick up my gun on my right side in the folding seat of the tree stand, much to my surprise the buck did not move he just stood there still staring at me. Now I am standing there with the gun in my right hand but not up to my shoulder, I had only managed to stand straight up with the gun in my hand at my right side. “Surely when I raise the gun up to my shoulder that buck would be gone like a bolt of lightning” I thought to myself. So I raised the gun to my shoulder and squeezed off a shot all in one motion, this was not a fast movement but not slow either just steady. Well I should have taken a few more seconds to put a bead on the buck instead of just pointing and shooting, I missed the buck but did manage to hit the tree he was standing next to.

As many a deer hunter knows all to well the only part of that buck I saw after that shot was his white bouncing away in the woods.

My worst fear came true on the biggest deer I’ve taken. I want to kill anything I’m hunting as quickly and humanely as possible. I was archery hunting at my cousin’s farm in SD. The mule deer come up out of the river breaks during the winter to feed etc… Now these deer get pretty well acclimated to tractors/vehicles etc… I’m thinking they are going to be easy to hunt.

I stalked up to a nice buck in a grove of trees. I draw back, he’s broadside 27 yards. I release my arrow, it’s flying perfect. Just as the arrow gets to the deer, it hits a small twig I didn’t see. It deflects right into the whiskey. It all happens very fast, but in my mind, I was worried. The buck disappeared down over the hill. I hustled over to the spot, only to confirm my thinking. There was about 12 inches of fairly fresh snow, it clearly showed a shot through the belly. I was lucky to enough to be able to see the deer bed down in a draw about ½ mile away with one of his does. Anyone who has archery hunted knows how small of a branch it takes to completely deflect the flight of an arrow.

I decided to let him lay for at least an hour, there wasn’t much blood at the spot I hit him. I came back an hour later, his head was still up and I decided to wait another hour, I had plenty of day light, so I didn’t want to push him any further. We waited for an eternity. My cousin and I decide there was no chance of me getting within bow range out in the open praire, especially with his girlfriend watching over him. Dan was going to make a wide circle out around the deer to try and drive him back into the trees where I would be waiting.

Amazingly, the deer got up and headed right for me. He came by within 10 yards, but no shot until he turned directly away from me. I’ve been told you can send one in that way, but I wasn’t confident in that shot. I’ll wait until he turns. Unfortunately he was about 35 yards when he offered me a shot. I missed…

At this point, he is getting sick of us humans. I’m worried he is going to leave the country. He laid down in the trees a few hundred yards away. We left him for another hour +. His head was still up, so we attempted to push him one more time. This time he came by and I was able to put a kill shot on him. I was sick that the deer had to suffer this long, but we did what we could as quickly as we could without losing the animal completely.

My worst fear came true on the biggest deer I’ve taken. I want to kill anything I’m hunting as quickly and humanely as possible. I was archery hunting at my cousin’s farm in SD. The mule deer come up out of the river breaks during the winter to feed etc… Now these deer get pretty well acclimated to tractors/vehicles etc… I’m thinking they are going to be easy to hunt.

I stalked up to a nice buck in a grove of trees. I draw back, he’s broadside 27 yards. I release my arrow, it’s flying perfect. Just as the arrow gets to the deer, it hits a small twig I didn’t see. It deflects right into the whiskey. It all happens very fast, but in my mind, I was worried. The buck disappeared down over the hill. I hustled over to the spot, only to confirm my thinking. There was about 12 inches of fairly fresh snow, it clearly showed a shot through the belly. I was lucky to enough to be able to see the deer bed down in a draw about ½ mile away with one of his does. Anyone who has archery hunted knows how small of a branch it takes to completely deflect the flight of an arrow.

I decided to let him lay for at least an hour, there wasn’t much blood at the spot I hit him. I came back an hour later, his head was still up and I decided to wait another hour, I had plenty of day light, so I didn’t want to push him any further. We waited for an eternity. My cousin and I decide there was no chance of me getting within bow range out in the open praire, especially with his girlfriend watching over him. Dan was going to make a wide circle out around the deer to try and drive him back into the trees where I would be waiting.

Amazingly, the deer got up and headed right for me. He came by within 10 yards, but no shot until he turned directly away from me. I’ve been told you can send one in that way, but I wasn’t confident in that shot. I’ll wait until he turns. Unfortunately he was about 35 yards when he offered me a shot. I missed…

At this point, he is getting sick of us humans. I’m worried he is going to leave the country. He laid down in the trees a few hundred yards away. We left him for another hour +. His head was still up, so we attempted to push him one more time. This time he came by and I was able to put a kill shot on him. I was sick that the deer had to suffer this long, but we did what we could as quickly as we could without losing the animal completely.

About 8 years ago I missed a buck because it came through so early and I was deep in cover I could not see the bead very well on my 30-30. The next year I bought a scoped rifle and that problem is gone for good.

About 8 years ago I missed a buck because it came through so early and I was deep in cover I could not see the bead very well on my 30-30. The next year I bought a scoped rifle and that problem is gone for good.

I wouldn’t say your problem is gone for good. I have had to use my open sights a lot more than I thought I would over my scope. Glad I have both options on my rifle. Especially when you try to pick up a running deer or if your scope would ever fog up on you.

I wouldn’t say your problem is gone for good. I have had to use my open sights a lot more than I thought I would over my scope. Glad I have both options on my rifle. Especially when you try to pick up a running deer or if your scope would ever fog up on you.

I have taken a trotting deer with scope. At first I didn’t even draw on the deer but it slowed down so I pulled up and was amazed at how clear he was in the scope at 2x. My gun is scope only. So far I haven’t encountered a situation where I needed open sights but I suppose it could happen. At point blank range I can just point the gun which I have done twice with other rifles. My Leupold has yet to fog up in the woods. Knock on wood. At low light scopes rock though. I can still see through it when I can’t with the naked eye. Obviously I quit hunting before then.

I have taken a trotting deer with scope. At first I didn’t even draw on the deer but it slowed down so I pulled up and was amazed at how clear he was in the scope at 2x. My gun is scope only. So far I haven’t encountered a situation where I needed open sights but I suppose it could happen. At point blank range I can just point the gun which I have done twice with other rifles. My Leupold has yet to fog up in the woods. Knock on wood. At low light scopes rock though. I can still see through it when I can’t with the naked eye. Obviously I quit hunting before then.

I agree a good scope is well worth it. Try not to shoot em all

I agree a good scope is well worth it. Try not to shoot em all

Ok, here goes…. kind of fits with the scope/no scope discussion. Last year Opening morning of Wisc deer season. I’m up in my stand around 9:30. Several shots in the area have already rung the morning bell so I pretty much was on alert. Anyways, I started to get a little hungry so I grabbed my pack off of the back of the tree, opened it up and grabbed out two pieces of beef jerky. Picture this. Now I am standing up – facing the tree – my gun slung on my shoulder with two pieces of beef jerky in my hand….
Although I am quite sure the rest of you can fill out the rest of this story with “keen” accuracy, I’ll go on..
So..I look over my shoulder because I caught movement out of my right eye. By the time I got halfway turned to see what it was that caught my attention the deer was already about even with me. I realized…whew…it’s just a doe..relax. So as she is trotting by I grab my grunt call, just to see what she’d do. Now add that to my handful of goodies (1 1/2 pieces of jerky, gun slung on my back, and a grunt call in my other hand). Well she didn’t stop trotting after several burps on the tube by me.
I start to lean down to hang the grunt tube back on the tree when I hear buuuuuuuuurrrrrrrp. burp. burp (no it wasn’t me with gas). So I quickly, un-sling my gun and get it to “ready” position. As I looked up, down the trail cames a large buck (an honest 130 class but a trophy for me). Needless to say he was on a raging sprint after some tail (whitetail). I shouldered my rifle when he was about 20-30 yards away. I caught two glimpses of brown through the scope before I realized that if I didn’t do something quick he was going to be over the fence and gone in a matter of minutes. So, I whistled when he was dead level with me on the trail (15-20 yards max). You guessed it, he kept going. He got about 20 yards, and I yelled “HEY” (couldn’t whistle anymore cause all of the salt on my lips from the beef jerky). He kept running. And up and over the fence he went in a matter of seconds. I didn’t end up getting him in the scope again as he disappeared into the thicket. So, as for the scope debate: here’s my two cents. Scope, no scope it doesn’t really matter, the only thing that I can think of that would have worked in my situation is a machete.
ps-I realize that there is not much that I could’ve done to better this situation (kill the deer), but I have darn near woulda..shoulda…coulda’d myself to death. Ah well, that’s why I keep going back…too get my next chance at ol’ mossy horns.