Missed shots lost opportunities and the one that got away

[Scoutie]

There’s a ton of nice bucks going down this year and Congrats to everyone finding success!

I’d like to hear a few of your failed attempts and particularly the once in a lifetime animals that got away. I’ll start with my own.

This year I missed two absolute dominant trophy bucks over four days on a weeklong trip. I used a suspect budget scope on an entry level rifle and didn’t take the time to get surgical with my weapon.
I relied on it being good enough and I think the scope got bumped or the crosshairs were not zeroed. I’m a good shot with most any gun And neither one was that long range either so I know it wasn’t me.

Needless to say it’s been a very tough pill to swallow, a critical learning experience and some really hard memories to cope with as these were absolutely magnificent deer and I had invested a lot of time and money to get myself in position for those experiences. I did everything right but came up short with my equipment.

You can bet that I’ll be buying a quality rifle and fine-tuning it razor sharp before I try again.

[Z7Extreme]

Its always tough missing on an opportunity. In September I messed up on a great opportunity on a 350"+ giant 7x7 bull elk. He was the first bull I called in this season and everything about my setup worked flawlessly.. I had him stop broadside at 30 yards in my only shooting lane. But my arrow failed to make it that short distance due to a small dead tree that I had failed to see due to fading light and extremly thick spruce forest. My arrow hit the tree dead center and the bull spooked and jumped a few yards. I stopped him again but he never presented me with another shot. I tried to find him again for a few weeks and passed on about 6 other bulls in hopes of finding him again. I couldnt hold out any longer and ended up folding my tag on a nice 6x6, which is still the biggest bull I have shot so far. So all in all I had an amazing season but Id be lieing if I said I didnt think about the one that got away everyday. Im already counting down the days until next season so I can resume hunting the big boy.

[1899b]

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[buckbrush]

I had a 190" mule at 40 yards. Rushed the shot, released an arrow and watched him run away, never to be seen again.

I was watching a 196" ghost whitetail destroy a bush, tried sneaking in to get a shot off. Spooked him and watched him run into a very thick quarter section of brush. I was devastated. Figuring I was done for the day I headed back to the truck about a quarter mile from the truck a doe runs out in front of me followed by the same buck I had spooked off earlier. Went from the saddest day hunting to one of my best days in a split second. One of the only times a deer has gotten bigger as I walked up to it after the shot.

[freeride]

2 days ago I am watching a group of very relaxed cow elk knowing there is probably a few bulls somewhere close too. Nothing... I turn to leave and there is a legal bull broadside looking at me. He bolted before I could do anything.

I cant stop thinking about it right now.

[1stLand]

My first time out hunting whitetail for the first time last week, I see a big tail flash across the trail from me. I try and follow it's tracks but dont end up seeing where it went. Saw it an hour before last light.

The next 4 times I go out hunting I dont see 1 deer. Not even a doe.


Hopefully my luck changes tomorrow!

[artie]

Years ago when it was no problem to get a sheep license I was having scope problems an old weaver k4 and sent it away to be repaired. But I went out hunting anyway and ran into a nice ram. I was shooting with open sights and never came close to the ram. I still think of that ram that got away.
I guess even with open sights you need lots of practice.

[KazIce]

Wife got her hunting licence this year and is super eager to join me. I fill my tag in October so after that it was all about her whitetail. Seeing lots of small bucks but nothing she wants to take. Early November she sees one that she is excited about, a really nice buck. But he’s moving around on the field and does keep getting in the way. Eventually he’s broadside and she says “I think he’s farther than we realize” I say “no I’m pretty sure he’s 250 still just shoot.” So she shoots, deer kicks back and I think she’s got it. The deer doesn’t run, does are running but he isn’t. So I’m expecting him to fall over; he’s facing away so there is no follow up shot to be had. Then he runs away without any issue. I’m baffled. It’s fresh snow so easy to figure out what happened. Get out to where He was standing, no blood anywhere. We keep tracking it but no signs of a hit. Go back to where he was standing and range it to our position. 420 yards. Missed low so the snow sprayed the buck and that’s why he kicked like that. Yeeeeesh I messed that one up bad! Rifle is sighted for 200 but I just said treat it like 200 it will be fine. Yeah. She doesn’t trust me quite the same as before lol

[Hawkhills]

Been after the same deer for 3 years.A true monarch.Today I was in place walked in low and slow.Got in position and waited. Does on the field ,this is the year I'm thinking.An hour and a half no mr.big.Wind direction perfect just a matter of time.Out of no where he blows.He wasn't 30 feet from me.Slinked in from the bush side.Saw him spin and flat out gone.Calling him Dracula.Have seen him multiple times after legal light.First time I see him close up and he scared the crap out of me.Another week to go.Hoping he finally makes a mistake

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[OL_JR]

Chasing elk in my usual haunts I pull up to the access point well before legal light and as I like to do just have a coffee and a listen. It doesn't take long to hear the first bugle however the elk are on land that I have no permission to. Where I hunt timing is everything, there is no such thing as picking up the sign and carrying on after them. Either they are where you can hunt them or not.

Well with a little luck the bugles get closer and it becomes apparent that they are choosing my little patch of huntable land to bed for the day. I ready myself and try to anticipate an ambush position. I choose as wisely as I can between cover and shot opportunity and it almost works however the elk herd starts to pass by just out of bow range.

The cows start filing one by one and I can hear the bulls coming so I try my best to persuade some attention. When the first bull comes into sight it is a mature 6 point. The bull following it is a mature 6 by 7. Around these parts both well above average.

My calling isn't working, they are so wrapped up in the herd and themselves even my most gut felt efforts on the reed are ignored.

As elk like to do the wind is in their face and also mine as I shadow them and hope for something to happen out of thin air. I'm trailing 75-100 yards away. Maybe with persistence one of my challenges will be received or a greedy bull will just have to check out that cow even though there's twenty or so ahead of him.

Suddenly I hear the crack of horns making contact. I do my best to slither in closer to the sounds and in short time I'm watching two elk in a battle not more than 40 yards away. One elk is completely guarded from my arrow by trees and brush and the other one looks to be in a shootable position. As I raise my bow I key in on a small, bowed over poplar. Seemingly insignificant at first it's now becoming pretty apparent that it's right in my shot path. I wrestle with myself. While the obstruction is small I'd hate to wound an animal, and while no shot is ever 100% certain, it seems like I would be asking for trouble.

Shortly after the bulls break and start walking away parallel to each other, I'm think this is it, it's over. My instinct is to slowly make my way closer. Maybe something will happen.

After a 75 yard stare down of each other they pivot and start making their way back. I can't believe it. Now what to do, I'm basically in the open and they are facing right at me coming straight in. I try my best to lower my profile and get behind a tree. The bulls keep coming.

Now my biggest regret here is not being educated enough on shot placement. At this time frontal shots are not an option to me with an arrow. I don't feel comfortable with it so I'm basically waiting for them to turn broadside. Well they make it to about 10 yards, still completely engaged in each other. In retrospect at this range I would have had plenty of time to shoot. I'll never forget the look on the one bulls face as he pegged me.

They both take off however I don't give up and keep shadowing them as the rest of the herd has no idea I'm there. The bulls eventually join up with the cows and I lay low for the rest of the day next to their bedding area hoping I will get a shot. I have a couple opportunities at cows but I'm horn hunting all of a sudden and only one of them big dudes that evaded me will do. I never get another shot at the bulls and I still relive how I could have done things differently.

I've shot a few elk and have had more than a few close encounters but that one still bugs me.

[freshtinov]

Strictly hunted Alberta this year after growing up and hunting bc my whole life. I called in 11 bull elk In my first season here and all evaded me.... the biggest of them all I called in the Thick timber and couldn’t get a shot with my bow so I knew there was an opening back to the west i hurried down an old cutline and wouldn’t you know as soon as I broke through the trees so did this 6x6 bull..... if I had knocked an arrow I would have probably had a shot but, I was to focused on getting to the opening..... he had dark horns with ivory tips and upswept browtines.... I can still see him.....when he walked away he wasn’t alarmed he just knew something wasn’t right and by the time I knocked an arrow I only had a Texas heart shot. Some mornings I wonder what he’s doing... maybe eating some old oats off a fields harvest or having a sip of water from the drainage I almost connected with him at. Either way he would be happier cut and wrapped in my freezer, at least that’s how I feel........

[C & C]

I watched my wife miss a hog of a 6X6 WT

We had been hunting all day and were on our way into our afternoon spot. The morning was uneventful except for a slip on the ice my wife took. After her fall I looked at her rifle and I could not see any marks where it hit the ground and she was adamant she it didn't let it touch the ground....

We were on the path in and the buck jumped out paused and ran into some immature pines. We both looked at each other and instant adrenalin. We quickly went to the edge of the tree line and I grunted twice and he was right back out on the path not 30 yards broadside.

I had already filled my tag and it was all on her, she raised her rifle and it felt like forever but she shot....BOOM... and the buck was back in the brush. I though for sure we were about to walk up on the biggest WT I have seen while hunting.

We waited a bit and went to look for blood...there was nothing, I could see his tracks clearly in the snow and not a drop. It was 30 yards and she was a ringer with her rifle. We went back out to the path and I grunted again. Couple more grunts over 10 mins and he was again out on the path only this time close to 150 yards out and facing away. He stayed there for another 15 sec and poof gone. I checked his tracks again and no sign of blood.

Took her rifle out the next day and I couldn't hit paper at 25 yards. Couldn't get the scope to rezero at all. Ended up ditching the cheapo scope and bought her a Leupold. Learned a hard lesson that day.

[Jdunbar]

Was out last weekend and from where we were sitting I decided to get up go for a little walk about 415. Check out a spot over the hill. Then soon as I was about 200 yards away a nice sized white tale comes out from where I just was!

At first I wait a bit then I took a shot. Missed him went to load up again only to notice that I left my ammo in the truck. The deer sat there and watched me pack up my stuff since it was to late to go back get more ammo. Probably was laughing and mocking me the whole time

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by 1899b

..

Can only mean a couple things.......

You started typing then You thought “nah, $&@“ it”

Or you got a booty call......