Shoulda Coulda Woulda mistake thread- share your 2019 mistake (only one per customer!)

[jog]

Here is mine:
Due to circumstances well within my control I was forced to hunt a unit I was only marginally familiar with. Oh well. Deciding to make the best of it I scouted a little and in late-ish July bumped a big body 6x6. Hmmm, pretty nice animal for this unit. So when the season opened I got after it hard. I knew about a North slope that was pretty much your classic hell hole above the area where i had scouted that bull. That be where he is I thought. I was in the woods an hour before light making my way up ridge and across a small bench to where the timber became that classic mix of dense stands of spruce/fir and deadfall. I had been in there once before some time ago during rifle and it was not for the faint.

It was slow going but I had time the plan being to arrive in the pulp of it around the time he might be coming up to bed and the thermals started to change. It went well and as a bonus I kept finding his day beds along the same general contour spread out throughout the hell hole like a plot line.
A little voice in my head kept nagging me- call him to you call him to you set up set up and call but I was so interested in if I would find another bed I just kept oozing quietly along.

He was already standing up. I heard a twig snap when he stood, his broad rack too many tines and too wide to miss everything. I wasn't really ready of course and by the time I found a window for the arrow he turned and was gone. A big gorgeous mature bull elk in all his magnificent glory. 20 yards. No shot. One huge stupid mistake and I am no newbie rookie first time in the elk woods archer- I never should have made that mistake.

LISTEN TO THAT LITTLE VOICE.

 

[Ranger185]

After bugling with 3 bulls trying to pull them into me during the morning, I pulled back and planned an afternoon stalk. Should have gone in after them in the AM. They were gone by the time I got back in there.

 

[fatlander]

1.)Don’t think that because everyone on the internet says elk will stand and take an arrow like a champ that they really will. I bumped into a really big bull. Stopped him on his way out with a nervous grunt. Ranged him for 67 and quickly adjusted my sight, settled in and touched the perfect shot off. Only problem was he ducked that arrow quicker than any whitetail I’ve ever seen.
2.) Not dissimilar to you, when you know you should do something, do it. My partner and I found an awesome little saddle between two ridges with a wallow between. We wanted to stop for lunch and a cold calling session. My buddy talked me into crossing the saddle, and against my better judgement I agreed. I thought we should stay put. Within 15 seconds of me making the first call and really nice six point comes charging to the exact point I said stop. My buddy was at full draw but needed a couple more steps for a clear shot at 35 yards. As soon as the bull hit our ground scent, the jig was up.


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[805Bowhunter]

Most rookie move ever...in WY for archery elk...found a great place for lunch. Dropped my pack and bow. Was just about to sit down and figured I would walk 100 yards up the hillside and bugle into the timber on the backside and into the next drainage just to see if I could get a response. Left my pack and bow, walked up, ripped off a location bugle, had a bull challenge back at probably 50ish (out of sight but close) and came in fast. He came in to 20 yards almost immediately. Got a good look at him...probably in the 330'' range (I still have not shot a bull over 300''), he busted me and ran out of my life forever. Im not a profanity guy, but this had me about as pissed as I have ever been. Not sure what I was thinking....

 

[JBrew]

Don't be nice to your buddy that's just missed, thinking you'll let him shoot the next one, when you call one in to 26 yards broadside and he goes full retard/doesn't draw. I'll have an arrow nocked as well, next time. Duh

 

[Dakota Dude]

I should have been more patient and let the bulls come to me. I spooked several bulls that were coming to me on a string this year because I was trying to find the perfect location for a shot. Each time the wind would shift or they saw me or my partner.

I also learned the difficulties of solo hunting. Once I was taught the patience lesson I had a bull within 100 yards on the last day. I called to him and he started coming straight towards me. Unfortunately, he came into an opening, looked around, and didn't see an elk. Instead of continuing to me, he just mozied on. Had I had a partner with me, the set up would have been different and there likely would have been a shot.

 

[griebel303]

The second morning of our archery hunt we got up to a meadow where I had seen bulls and cows scouting a few weeks earlier. The sun was just coming up and my hunting partner and I both saw the distinct blonde of a bull broadside about 100 yards out. In the excitement of the moment we both hurried into position, my buddy dropped back to bugle and cow call, and I moved up to a pinch point just outside the meadow in some trees which provided coverage. My buddy let a bugle rip and right on que the bull swings his head and bugles back. He makes a bee line for the edge of the meadow, and I can see him in full view as he gets to about 30 yards, a big body 5x5. I draw back, anticipating him stepping in my shooting lane. He gets closer, 10 yards now at this point and I am seeing it all come together. He gets to the edge of my shooting lane, sticks his head in the clearing to look for the bull and is not impressed he can't find it. He stands there for a minute, me at full draw trying not to spoke him. In the excitement I didn't think about the possibility of him not stepping out of the meadow into the pinch point. After not being able to see the other bull, he decided he wasn't hanging around and swung around to the side of the meadow which had thick timber, and I also setup on with a pretty small shooting lane. Being a rookie in the moment, I put a deadfall tree and a couple saplings to my right between him and I for cover. I had watched many of the Elk 101 videos about not setting up behind trees and losing your opportunity because of it, and it all kind of went out the window. Had I setup on the left side of the pinch point and maybe 5 yards forward in less thick vegetation it would have been a different story. I replay that setup over and over in my head. Lesson learned on slowing down, thinking about the natural paths they take in and out of an area, and not limiting my shooting lanes

 

[jog]

. Im not a profanity guy, but this had me about as pissed as I have ever been. Not sure what I was thinking....
[/QUOTE]
I hear ya brother!

 

[AaronMColeman]

My first season bow hunting elk this year. I hunt a National Forest area right behind my house so I'm familiar with the terrain but there aren't a ton of elk up there. I got out in the morning, got up to my glassing/bugling spot and ripped off a bugle. Before I could finish a big mean growly bugle came over the top of mine.

I figured he was a big heard bull already with his cows and he wouldn't come to me so I spent some time moving toward him to get a dominate position to draw him out. Never called again thinking he was bedded down with cows and wasn't moving.

I got to a nice meadow where I wanted to call again and set up. I peaked over a rock to see if I could see into the timber and he was right there staring at me! I ducked, drew back, didn't have a chance to range but I had to shoot at him. My shot was probably 6" too far forward and way too rushed. Nailed him in the shoulder and got about 4" of penetration.

I spent the rest of my light tracking blood (barely any anywhere), then nowhere near the blood trail I found the bloody arrow right when I'd decided to pack in for the night and look in the morning. I think he's ok...very sore shoulder but he'll live. Such a bummer though. Bottom line is I rushed a shot, was a bit outside my comfortable range, and ended up hurting a super cool animal. I got too excited by the huge rack

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Should have quit my job and hunted the whole season. Deer season is coming up....

 

[jdumke91]

We glassed a herd at day break this year that was still 1300 ft of elevation above us. The sun was coming up and they were following the last bits of shade. There was a way out for them over the top of the mountain as well as some timber down a couple hundred yards. Instead of watching them to see which area they went into and then making a move based on what side of the mountain they might be on we just hauled ass up the hill. Only 5 minutes later when we got to a spot where we could see them again they were gone and we had no idea what section they were in. We chose to still climb up the mountain and try to call to locate them in what we thought was the bedding area but were met with radio silence. The hike up over to the other side of the mountain was near impossible from where we had hiked to. In retrospect if we had just waited a few more minutes to see where they ended up leaving to bed we could’ve saved ourselves a very long day of hiking.


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[Remps17]

The classic call and do nothing mistake cost me a 330 bull on opening day. I got to relaxed on a mid day calling set up. I raked some trees and made some light bull noises. Stood there with little cover as I here a twig break and by that time it was to late. Holding my bow in my hand no cover and the biggest bull I have had sub 50 yards staring directly at me.

So easy to take a mental break in the woods while hunting. Those mental breaks sure cost us some nice animals.

 

[CJF]

Killed a bull opening morning. Got it all packed out by the next day. I'm thinking "yes, I've got 4 weeks to call for buddies with no pressure to fill my tag and freezer". My wife said, "No, your done".

Shoulda hid the meat and horns for a couple of weeks. I'll know next time I get lucky!

 

[BeaverHunter]

Killed a bull opening morning. Got it all packed out by the next day. I'm thinking "yes, I've got 4 weeks to call for buddies with no pressure to fill my tag and freezer". My wife said, "No, your done".

Shoulda hid the meat and horns for a couple of weeks. I'll know next time I get lucky!

Did your buddies help you pack it out?

 

[Marble]

I failed to bugle back to a bull at 50 yards in heavy timber with a herd of cows and he disappeared into the next drainage.

The next day I was working in on a bull to get about 150 yards from him. Wind was tricky, but it was because I was near the top of the ridge and I had thermals and prevailing wind fighting each other. I went to the top of the ridge to avoid any possibility of getting winded and a cow nailed me from about 180 yards with the wind and she could see me. They left....

I went into the timber where they were just to get familiar with it and discovered the thermals were pulling the wind perfectly up the hill in a steady perfect breeze. I should have came straight across the hill right at him. I would have been about 60 to 80 yards from him when I started my calling sequence. He was a good 6x6.

Trust the thermals!!

 

[NCSU_Lewis]

First up close elk encounter. Came around the corner in the trail, got the wind in our face along with unmistakable elk funk. Stood in the middle of the trail and let out a few cow calls and a little bugle. Bout 15 seconds later had 3 raghorns on top of the ridge on a rock inside 60 yards. Obviously couldn't get set up for a better calling sequence at that point. When they smell close, they are close. Plan accordingly.....

 

[KyleR1985]

First trip - Having a cow ML tag, and not buying otc either sex archery. Had a few years worth of encounters in one day and had to watch...

 

[trophyhill]

One of my woulda coulda shoulda's was hesitating at the "Moment of Truth". Should have killed that bull!

 

[280Ackley]

Had a bull bugling below me and my buddy. Another bull decided to sneak in quietly. We got setup before he spotted us. The bull turned and gave me a broadside shot. Buddy was watching through his rangefinder. Asked him the yardage he said 30.........8 in a whisper. Me only hearing the first part put my 30 yard pin on him. Shoot right under him. Bull runs down 20 yards and calms down after a few cow calls. He starts feeding and comes back into range. At 45 yards my buddy grunts to stop him. I have no open shot!!! Scoot over towards my buddy who has an opening. In the process I put my knee in between my cam and string. When I release sting whacks my knee sending the arrow cork screwing of the bulls back.

 

[11boo]

Should have taken the neck shot offered on a huge bull I called in this year. 18 yards, I was sure he was going to take one more step out, but didn’t.