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Post by Sasquatch on Oct 26, 2017 13:19:37 GMT -5
It was a cold, dreary morning in the late 1990's deer woods. Having gotten a late start, I didn't walk too far in the woods, choosing instead to perch on a handy stump within shooting distance of several good trails. There wasn't much cover--none, in fact-- but it felt right and besides some of my greatest adventures had arisen from similar circumstances. I had a face mask and gloves on so I figured I would put Bill Jordan's latest product to the ultimate test. ( in retrospect, I think I could have dressed like Binky the clown but back to the story)
About thirty minutes later, steady footfalls announced the approach of the target animal. A deer came into view, and not just any deer but a sizable ten-pointer. He would have scored near 125, way bigger than anything I had ever shot. Even better, the wind was good and he was incredibly relaxed, walking steadily without a care in the world. The buck might as well of had a cigarette dangling casually from his mouth. He never once looked in my direction. I'd like to tell you that his antlers hang above me as I type this, but I'm afraid I simply watched him walk by unmolested at twenty yards.
"What??" you would be forgiven for asking. Well, you see, about ten minutes prior to his arrival a doe had walked by on the same path. I drew my 70# PSE and shot her, and was giving her time when Mr. Horns chose to make his appearance. In my infinite wisdom I had elected to buy only one tag to save money. So, I had to watch the kind of chance you wait years for simply stroll past.
It gets worse. He went down into a little holler and instead of leaving walked around to torture me. ( I could hear him but couldn't see him) Finally, I got up and crunched around in the dry leaves to get him to leave because I wanted to track the doe. He still wouldn't depart, so I actually RAN to the edge of the ravine to scare him off. I peeked over the edge of the depression and there he stood, broadside at ten yards LOOKING THE OTHER WAY! If I had crept up, bow drawn, you know he'd have been staring right at me!
I still think about that deer.
What is your dumbest missed opportunity?
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Post by jman46151 on Oct 26, 2017 14:36:08 GMT -5
It's funny that this thread pops up now. Just a couple of weekends ago I walking around a small plot of private that I hunt on. I was scouting and looking for a spot to put a blind for an inexperienced hunter for gun season. I brought my bow with me just in case some kind of opportunity presented itself. 10 minutes after walking around I found a rub line at the base of a hill. I thought this would be a good place, I'll climb the hill on my way out to check it out. I spent a couple of hours walking around and was getting a little warm at the same time I was walking back by the same hill so I started to climb it and about half way up I decided to set my bow down and take my jacket off. I get to the top and was looking around seeing what trees would need to be trimmed and wouldn't you know it an 8 pointer walks by 20 yards away. I just spent 2 hours walking around, not seeing any deer and now I'm 20 feet from my bow and a buck walks by.
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Post by 3ptbuck on Oct 26, 2017 16:20:29 GMT -5
I could write a book on missed Big bucks with a gun from when I started hunting til I was about 25 or so. I'll try to stick to more notable misses or other mishaps..try to keep them short.
1. Watched an albino doe as a yearling, set up on her as a 1.5yo as that's kinda always been a trophy I'd like to take. Hung a stand just for her.. first time in it Oct 4 she reads the script,first deer in the field and first shot opp at 30yds i misjudge the yardage like a fool and slice her armpit with 1 blade...never saw her again.
2. Pinch point next to my house in November..i don't remember the reason but for some reason I just walked in with 1 arrow, maybe my quiver had broke. Anyways I see 3 shooters that night, 1 being a 9pt that ran in and stopped at 10yds. Buck fever took over and again a 1 blade grazer. He jumped out into the field and stood for what had to be 30minutes while I sat there with no arrows.
3. Oh this another 1 shot on me story but a muzzleloader. Still hunting the woods next my house I actually ease up on 3 bedded bucks. A spike, decent 8 and a BIG 10. Eventually they stand and feed and move around a little.. only 50yds...this gun was rifle sights at the time, I aim and nothing but a cloud and deer without a care in the world. No reloads on me and I kid you not those deer never ran. Never ran as I stood there, never ran as I finally turned around to leave, not as long as it took me to walk far enough I couldn't see them anymore. Just stood there like nothing was wrong.
4. Last year i opened in Ky and didnt make it in the Indiana gun woods til Monday or Tuesday. Hunting public ground, had a mid 140s 10 come in harrasing a doe. They're in the spoils so I did a lot more listening than actually watching but when the buck finally stopped on top of 1 at 70yds I pulled up the scope only to see his head back licking his side. I decided I'd wait a few seconds for him to look forward and that was just enough time to step off the spoil and never be seen again. I will always take the first available shot from now on...
5. I didn't learn that lesson the first time. Years ago I had a nice buck, probably a 120" 8pt frame but had a 3in drop. Had that deer dead to rights at 50 yards quartering-to but decided to prepare for the 20yd broadside shot he was about to offer as he continued on that trail. Of course he does a 180, probably smelled me, and walked straight away.
6. 2 years ago..public ground bow season. Several good deer on cams but 1 exceptional 10pt + extra eyeguard point..probably 150"+. Took the crossbow that day after shooting it some home beforehand. Set up next to a bedding area and here comes muy Grande an hour before dark. Wide open shot, he doesn't have a care in the world...but my rangefinder is laying at home where I had just been shooting and I wasn't comfortable at all without it at that distance and thought it to be too far. Good thing too because turns out it was about 20yds CLOSER than I figured. Another public stud I should have pictures of me holding but 1 little thing got in the way.
There a plenty more but I need to watch for deer for a little while now
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Post by beermaker on Oct 26, 2017 16:31:05 GMT -5
The day before Thanksgiving several years ago it was frigid cold in the morning, too cold to sit. I did some walking around a private farm that I had permission to hunt. Another guy hunting there had shot a doe and I helped him and his son pull it up a hill. We parted ways and I knew they had to go past a narrow stretch of woods that funneled right to a thicket about 100 yards from me. I high tailed it over there and sure enough, a very nice buck came crashing through the brush and stopped 20 yards broadside. I was wearing those stupid glove/mittons and it all happened so fast that instead of simply pulling the mitton back to expose my trigger finger, I tried to pull the whole glove off and it got caught up with the liner gloves I was wearing underneath. I had shot numerous deer while wearing those gloves, but they have not been out of the basement since!
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Oct 26, 2017 18:55:39 GMT -5
He first one that comes to mind for me happened early in my deer hunting life. I had stayed up with friends and family the whole night. Had zero sleep. Decided to head to some public I’d been hunting. Find a spot, don’t even get sat down, and here comes a button buck. I shot at that thing 5 times with my shotgun and it never flinched. That was all the slugs I had with me, so I walked back to my vehicle and went home for some sleep.
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Post by (Not Ronald) Reagan on Oct 26, 2017 19:18:00 GMT -5
I've got a lot, but when I was younger not going out with my dad when I was tired... I can't tell you the numerous times he saw 130's-140's bucks walking in and would take pictures of them and show me... needless to say I don't miss my opportunities anymore to go!
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Post by subzero350 on Oct 26, 2017 19:57:09 GMT -5
I have two instances where I missed opportunities.
1st one was we overslept and got to the hunting property late - after first light. As we were getting out of the truck, there was a very nice 10 point buck standing on our property just looking at us. Obviously he ran away before we could even think about taking a shot at him - never to be seen again.
2nd one was I had to relieve myself so bad I couldn't wait. Got out of the ground blind and left my gun in there with my wife. I was relieving myself on a nearby tree when a buck came running chasing a doe not 20' from me - behind the blind. The doe never saw me but the buck did. He turned and bolted but the doe ran down towards the swamp - right in front of my wife who promptly dropped her. So at least it wasn't a total loss.
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Post by butlerj on Oct 26, 2017 21:05:38 GMT -5
I was 15 with my new pump gun. Graduated from a single shot. I sat closest to the fire trail and my grandpa went closer to the bottom of the light ravine. We sat there for a couple hours about 35 yds apart. I had my back against a big old tree when I heard what sounded like another hunter coming down the fire trail. I rolled my eyes, then turned half way and peeked around the tree to see the biggest buck I could dream of on public land bouncing towards me, I had enough time to sit back normal shoulder my gun and pop out already half way aimed when I lined up with the buck who was now 10 feet away I pulled the trigger... I pulled the trigger again... I forgot the safety. He bounced on past me down the ravine I HollaRd Grandpa! He turned and looked seen that buck bouncing towards him I got behind my tree and tried hollering shoot, my grandpa wouldent (not safe), the buck seen him turned around and started back my way I couldn't shoot... I jumped and the buck turned back for grandpa and ran past him and got further down the hill, grandpa shot twice but missed. He decided to carry a pump instead of his normal carry the sweet 16. I go back and hunt that ridge atleast once a season for the memory.
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Post by 3ptbuck on Oct 26, 2017 23:33:32 GMT -5
Another just popped in my head after reading this..one of those never leave your weapon kinda stories.
7. Probably my 3rd year hunting, maybe 4th..opening morning of gun season about 730 a decent 8pt comes through a gap in an old fence in the woods at stops broadside at 30yds. BOOM he walks a few feet BOOM then continues on without offering anymore shots. I just knew there was no way I missed and had to go look for blood. When I got to the bottom of the tree I had one of Those "you know you should carry your gun" moments but thought heck it's only 30yds. Take a couple steps and bust a bigger buck that was following behind him which was ok as I figured I hit the first.
I get to the spot he stood and just find a clump of hair but no blood. I stare at the ground about 5 min just looking for specks, finally turned toward my stand and there's a doe standing not 10ft from my tree and my gun.
This was in my younger and more brown it's down days, that doe would have got it!
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Post by duff on Oct 27, 2017 4:53:04 GMT -5
Too many to tell!
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Post by saltydog on Oct 27, 2017 5:03:08 GMT -5
What he said ^^^^
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Post by arlowe13 on Oct 27, 2017 5:34:50 GMT -5
Well there was this time in high school when a cute girl asked me to drive her home after the football game...oh, wait, HUNTING missed opportunities  |
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Post by griswold on Oct 27, 2017 7:15:57 GMT -5
Many years ago - was bowhunting and had a doe walk right under my stand. Thought i was going to have my first bowkill. Shot - went over its back - clean miss. Deer never knew i was there. Went to nock second arrow and dropped it - almost hit deer on head. Only had two arrows in quiver. Had to sit up there and wait 15-20 minutes for deer to move along. Lesson learned to always take 3 or more arrows...
A couple years after that - friend and i were jawing for a minute before we walked separate ways to our stands. I crossed the trail and walked a few yards and there stood a big buck. He didnt see me at first - so i braced against a tree and fired a shot. I was shook up - buck fever i guess - clean miss - he stood there and looked at me and we were in a stare down for a few seconds - i chambered a second slug and he bolted right then...
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Post by (Not Ronald) Reagan on Oct 27, 2017 7:24:41 GMT -5
Also another dumb one just dawned on me... this was an issue on my dad and myself. Opening morning of gun season two years ago we had what was probably the biggest buck that we've ever had on trail camera and the still the biggest buck that I've ever seen a monster 16 point walk out. Dad shot him at 35 yards with his savage ML and the buck was done, dragging his head along the clover field toward a little grove of apple trees. We watched that buck bed down for 10 minutes and he stood up, we didn't think taking a follow up shot was necessary and we watched that buck walk into the woods, and never saw him again. We tracked that deer and grid searched everyone's surrounding property for 3 days, and no one has ever need or heard of that buck since that day.
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Post by jman46151 on Oct 27, 2017 9:38:23 GMT -5
Reading these made me think of a couple more.
The very first deer I shot at with my bow was standing broadside a little over 20 yards away with only a small tree maybe 1 1/12" diameter just behind her front leg. I thought I can squeeze one in just behind the tree and still hit her in the lungs....you guessed it, smoke the tree dead center. I had to use my knife to pry it out of the tree.
I was drawn for a gun hunt on some public that is mainly open areas with some creek beds and tree lines. I though I was smart because I had both a shotgun and muzzleloader in the truck so I could set up in the brushy areas or an area that offered a longer shot. My thinking was if I was on the ground I would use the shotgun because I wouldn't be able to see as far and I would use my muzzleloader in the stand. Well I decided to sit in my stand about 12' off of the ground because the only tree that I could climb forked right above that. The biggest buck I had seen at that point in my hunting career decides to walk by maybe 50 yards away coming from the direction where I was parked which was only about 200 yards away. Wasn't expecting that. I bring my muzzleloader up and pull the trigger and once the smoke clears I see the deer standing there looking in my direction wondering what the heck just happened. I try to reload but was shaking so badly that I bent my ramrod. I reload just in time to see the back end of the buck disappear into the brush through my scope. As I start trying to figure out what happened I see a limb in front of me that I hit. It wasn't in the scope but was in front of the muzzle. Had I sat on the ground or used my shotgun I think I would have been able to get him.
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Post by throbak on Oct 27, 2017 10:17:13 GMT -5
My very first deer hunt . I practiced in the park under street lights till I could hit a pie plate every time at 20 yds with a Bear Kodiac mag Next day at daylight I was in a Apple tree waiting when it was over I shot 5 arrows and never got even close That was it for the season 1970 you didn’t see deer then like now lol
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Post by johnc911 on Oct 27, 2017 13:22:27 GMT -5
Checking out new property we bought, walking to check out the woods during deer season and not taking my gun with me, had a giant jump up at 20 yards and just stare at me. I was young and dumb
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Post by benj on Oct 27, 2017 13:23:24 GMT -5
Mine is from my first year hunting on my property. I was out for my second time that year and decided I'd still hunt and walk around the woods. I was carrying a Remington 1100 12ga with open sights and a rifled choke tube that I had never shot( first mistake). I stopped close to a stand and was thinking about going up when a good sized buck comes through the woods right in front of me standing head on. Thinking I was about to drop a monster for my first deer, I shouldered the gun like it was a rifle(M-16 as that was what I shot in the Air Force)and went for a center mass shot; boom! Clean miss and the deer just stands there, so I shoot again: boom! another clean miss, I'm thinking WTF why am I not hitting this thing! So I take a third shot( only had 3 shells loaded)and Boom! ANOTHER clean miss and the deer is just looking around like: "what is going on here?" At this point, I'm pleading for him to stay put as I load a fourth shell( because there is no way I can miss AGAIN right?), I get the shell loaded, he turns, and calmly steps into the brush and I never saw him again. Needless to say, I learned a lesson!
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Post by butlerj on Oct 27, 2017 15:09:57 GMT -5
My first bow hunt, I had a bear white tail my grandpa gave me when he gave up bow hunting, I had practiced a ton with it, any ways, my first year using a scent drag also late october, I sat down by my tree and at dawn got up to stretch and try drawing my bow in heavey coat, my weight pulley popped off on the draw. I sat down bummed thinking I should go home, but I figured I might as well enjoy the morning and watch. I decided to start clearing all the leaves with in 5 feet of me to see if I can find this pulley, not really caring about the noise of the leaves, I heard a twig snap. I looked up and seen the body in the brush 30 yds away, I stopped, sat back up with my back against the tree and watched as antlers poke through, the. The younger 8pt prolly 2-2.5 yo appeared. Nose to the ground walking slow and following the trail I walked in on, I let this buck get with in arms reach before I stood up and then flailed my arms to get him out before he tried to make me his date. I almost thought he was sick he didn't move very fast. When he was gone out of sight I sat back down cursing my bow (and myself for never checking tightness of bolts and screws), and dug around some more aboUT ten minutes later I found my pulley and put my bow back together. Still a memorable day as well. What would have been my first year bow hunting and more than likely first bow,and buck.
Still buckless. 20 gun seasons 5 bow seasons. (I haven't hunted bow consecutively as I have with gun).
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Post by majyang on Oct 27, 2017 15:40:40 GMT -5
Hard to admit as a Marine BUT... I still laugh at myself about this one. After many years of being out of the hunting scene (due to various reasons) I finally get a tour of duty in a place where I can finally go out and HUNT! Yes! Indiana! It's late October when I check in. I quickly learn two things. 1) gun season opens in a couple of weeks and 2) Indiana is a shotgun only state (I hunt public lands). Fast forward a couple of weeks. It's now opening day. I'm perched high in a tree, on a borrowed climber, with my brand spanking new high speed, low drag, Remington 870 courtesy of Dick's Sporting goods. Bench shooting, I've put about a box of slugs through it and I have this thing zero'd in perfectly at 80 yrds. (shoulder is for sure not keen on this shotgun only thing) Anyways as that beautiful morning sun starts to stretch out it's rays, forcing the darkness to fade; I see her coming! A nice big'o doe! I stand and ready myself. (Now try to image how a Marine shoulders and fires a weapon... shooting hand tightly wrapping the pistol grip (ok stock in this case), shooting finger relaxed and off the trigger, weapon pulled in tight into the pocket of the shoulder, ensuring a nice solid cheek weld, non-shooting hand cradling the weapon (right below the action) with elbow tucked in tight just slightly resting on forward hip (for support).
Now for all you shotgun shooters out there, (if you can picture this position in your mind) you already know how wrong it is. But on with the story. Big'o nice fat doe, not a care in the world, strolling right on in towards me. At about 30 yards, I call it good and finger shifts to cover the trigger. (Plus I'm shaking so bad I can't even feel my knees any longer) She stops at the sound of the safety coming off. She looks up right at me, BUT it's too late... hell erupts from the Remi BOOM! Not even waiting for the smoke to clear, my eyes are already scanning about to claim my prize... which to my amazement and disbelief, is standing in the exact same spot looking straight at me still... almost as if was asking me (did you hear that?" My brain is screaming, "No freaken way! How the hell did I miss?"... quicker than a politician going through tax dollars, a second slug gets chambered. I shoulder the shotgun again, breath, ensure the gun is seated tight tight tight in to my shoulder, support hand properly cradling the action, and my elbow is now firmly tucked in to my hip for added support. I rest the cross hairs right on her forward chest as she's quartering towards me. I breathe in deep, i partially exhale, holding my breath at its natural pause, and with a slow steady squeeze the whole time..... BOOM! Oh yeah!!! she defiantly dead this time. No way she escaped that time. She is way too close and I'm way too good... I'm a dag-gum expert rifleman by god...
NOPE, there she stands. In the exact same place, looking up at me in the exact same way. Third times a charm right? In absolute disbelieve now but without hesitation I rack in the third and final slug. I shoulder it again and quickly scan for her.... she's gone. Lesson learned that day. Shotguns don't shoot the same way rifles do i.e M16, M4, AR, etc. Support hands needs to be extended out, supporting the barrel from dipping as the weapon fires. Welcome to Indiana!
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