Your most haunting or embarrassing missed shots.

[CaseyU]

First antelope tag. I was after an aweosme buck for a couple days and had him come in to 76 yards. Adjusted the slider sight and. Settled inti my anchor, shot was true and antelope ducked and stood up. My arrow was burried in the dirt right behind the antelope. I was blown away and was rudely interrupted by another nic buck running into the waterhole near me. I hauled ass over there and beat him to have a 15 yard shot. I could almost taste the backstraps. I let it fly and shot right over his back. Forgot to return my slider back. Gpt my redemption 3 days later but lesson learned

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[Fauntleroy]

First shot I took at this buck last year with my bow went into that dead zone where nothing sits up high. Miserable experience and thankfully it ended happily. Could have gotten far worse.

 

[Mutto]

Saw nice 10pnt buck go behind a large dense blue spruce. Saw a view of the hooves and neck and fired. Was a small 6 point....


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[Juggernaut]

Shot a turkey and dropped him and while I was laughing at my buddy for forgetting to chamber a round mine got back up and took off that's what I get for laughing

 

[elkkilla1]

200 yard bedded 4x4 blacktail, didn't know I was there laid down prone for the shot and missed over its back.

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[BH107]

1. One trip when I was younger in my early 20s I was hunting with my dad and some of his friends in Colorado. The other guys were going to hunt their way through some thick brush, so we decided to post up below them and catch anything that got pushed out. My dad and I were sitting about 100 yards apart at the edge of a clearing when here comes a big heavy 4x4 mule deer. He stops just behind a big bush with just his head and neck visible... I don't have a good shot. The deer is nervously looking around as I wait for him to clear, and after about a minute he finally takes a step and then jumps right as I pull the trigger... clean miss. The worst part was my dad had him broadside at 150 yards the whole time but was letting me take the shot.

2. Similar situation except the shot that I couldn't take. It had been a tough year and we hadn't seen many bucks. Later in the trip I shot a big forky on the second to last day, easy 150 yard shot and dropped him in his tracks. I laid my rifle down and started to gather my things when I saw movement and another big 4x4 came down the same trail and almost tripped on my dead deer... I just had to watch him walk by.

 

[work765]

3 gloriously missed shots last year in Utah that resulted in zero deer for that trip. All shots were under 200 yards. I basically suck and will never forget those.


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[ColeKira]

NJ 11/11/2008. I called out of work to bowhunt the rut all day. Got dressed by the barn and noticed a LARGE buck maybe 135-140 about 200 yards away. I sprayed some buck bomb on my boots and into the air, dipped into the woods and ran up my stand. No sooner had I hoisted my bow and knocked an arrow, he was 15 yards broadside and I sent an arrow about 5 feet over his shoulder and he was gone. About an hour later a very large 6 point over 20" wide appeared 20 yards in front of me, never got a shot off. Mid day had another large buck cruising, no shot. Late afternoon, the woods exploded and a HUGE buck was chasing a doe all around my stand, up and down the creek. Shaking, I managed to get a grunt tube in my mouth and stopped that buck dead in his tracks about 25 yards out. Perfect shot through an opening in some briars. Buck took 3 steps and laid down behind a tree. A few minuts later, he stood up and walked away with blood dripping off his ham. When I got down, there was 1 limb in the way and it was hanging from the half slice my Muzzy 3 blade made. The arrow had deflected and hit his hamstring. I watched him walk/limp away and never found him. He was 155-160. This was 1 mile as the crow flies from Donald Trumps golf course in Bedminster. Anyone who hunts the area knows the caliber of deer in the area, and I blew it 4 times that day.

 

[HUNTNUT]

Shot a Dall's sheep in the Brook's range and we were packing it back to base camp. Had stopped half way back and were spending the night. Got up the next morning, had backpacks on and were heading out when a wolf howled 300yds across the river. Dropped everything and spotted him looking at us from across the river. My guide called out the distance and I got a rest on my backpack. Put the crosshairs behind the shoulder and let one fly. Saw the bullet go under him. In the craziest of that moment didn't think of my bullet being 5/6 inched low at 300yds. Guide said damn, that was a big wolf. I"ll never get that chance again.

 

[JWP58]

Calling in a 6x6 elk during bow season. Fella walked in silently and I didn't even have my bow in my hand when he showed himself at 40yds. Such a noob mistake lol. We looked at each other for about 10 seconds before we both figured out we f'ed up

 

[brettdunn7]

Missed the largest whitetail I’ve ever seen in the woods by MMs as he ducked my arrow at 40yds.


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[Michael54]

I have 2
Pa whitetail. Biggest buck I've seen in the woods. I shot, he stumbled and headed for the ridge behind our property. As I was getting out of my stand I heard a bang the next property over....got to where he was when i shot and there was hair everywhere and a little bit of blood. The neighbor got him. I went back and replayed my shot from where he was standing and in between me and my stand was a freshly pulverized 4" diameter oak branch laying on the trail......ended up scoring 155 or 157 I think. Was a bad day for me.
#2
Archery season with a crossbow I shot at a really nice 8 point buck. He ran off with my bolt still in him. I looked for that deer for 6 days straight and never found him. I didn't sleep very good that hunting season. I hate wounding animals and not recovering them. Replaying it over and over in my head and checking my crossbow multiple times I still can't figure it out. I should have had a clean pass through shot on the lungs....

 

[Benjaminwill80]

Ever emptied a quiver at a deer,,,,,,at 20 yards...…...I have.
Buck Fever BAD!!!!!

i feel your pain!

Hunting whitetail in W. KS yesterday morning and came across a nice buck with a handful of does. As I watched them I realized they were going into a little draw that would let me get out of sight. Sprinted up the field as soon as I was clear and crossed over into another plowed field. Ran about 200yds and could just see his rack so dropped to my belly. Saw a stand of grass 50yds ahead and belly crawled up. Once there, I was 100yds from the buck. He decided to lay down for a nice nap. Layout was nearly perfect. There was a little washout running under the barbed wire fence I was able to crawl under and belly crawl 80yds using the terrain and grass to stay out of sight. Wind was perfect so he nor the does scented me. I sat on him for another 30-40 min at 20yds waiting for him to stand. Finally he stands. In that moment I started shaking so bad couldn’t hold steady.
Missed him bad on the first one. Hindsight being 20/20 never should have let that one loose. He still hasn’t seen me. Draw on him again, let it fly, have no idea what happened but that one scared him. He ran to about 60 yds away and stops. I crawl forward, get to a hump can’t go any further and range him. Says 20yds. By this time I’m steady and fire it off. Watch my arrow go right under him. Realize no way that was 20yds but my buck fever scrambled brain didn’t compute. Must have ranged some grass closer. He decides to only go about 20 yds so I crawl up again. 40yds. I’m sure 40 this time, double and triple check. But now it’s a cross wind. Draw up and let it fly. Right in front of him. Moves off another 20 yds, I move in 20 more, back to 40yds. Unfortunately by this time I am not trusting my shooting. I think I must have pulled the last one. In the recess of my brain I think, but the wind is now coming across and pushed it. For some reason my doubt over shadows that and I think just hold steadier. I draw, steady pin, steady breathing, relaxed hands and body, smooth release....and let the arrow fly....right in front of him in the exact same spot as the last. Sadly, the guy just mocked me and didn’t really take off until I stood up since I was out of arrows. 2-3 hr stalk, five shots I would have told you were gimme’s going into the day.
I’ve only hunted big game for about 5 yrs and started bow hunting the last three. I have read the articles of guys getting in range and sending arrows over the back or under, etc and always thought how can they do that...now I know.

 

[MtnOyster]

In 1993 I missed a typical 8 point whitetail that I figured would score around 170-180ish biggest deer I had ever seen on the hoof while hunting, I had sold the bow that i'd killed everything with a few months before to help pay for my wifes engagement ring and had a new bow (XI legend) that I couldn't keep tuned and had no confidence in when he stepped out at 30 yds, I threw that piece of crap as far as I could that day.

In 2005 i had forgot to fowl the barrel on my rifle and went hunting opening morning gun season on a cold raining windy morning with a freshly cleaned and oiled barrel, the biggest non typical deer that you could imagine walked out in the wide open at 75-100 yds, prolly would have put me in the top 3 in the state (KY) non typical whitetail,
You guessed it...…….I missed, for the life of me I couldn't figure out how until we cleaned it at deer camp and put a round down range.

I think about those 2 deer every day I hunt, most people never get a chance at one like either of them.
I'll prolly never get another chance at a deer like either one of them again. aint life a bitch sometimes....

 

[264win]

I watched 2 buddies shoot 5 arrows EACH at a small 6x6 as it responded to my calls and thrashed some small trees about 25 yds away. Both guys can shoot, just had the worst bull fever I have ever seen.
They will never live that one down... lol

 

[Kmarkwardt]

This is one of my favorite threads of all time. Just need to figure out which one(s) of mine to post.

 

[journeyman713]

Brought my 5 year old Bow hunting Whitetail. We sat in a makeshift ground blind put together just the week earlier inside a fallen pine tree, near a good trail. Like clockwork, here comes a deer, down the trail I hoped for, 25 yards broadside, draw, aim, shoot, Whack! We got em! I thought.
Looked around, no blood, no hair, Nothing!
Finally found the arrow, lodged halfway through a scrawny sapling no bigger than my thumb, just a few yards short of where the deer was.

 

[adamm88]

I have a few, the one that haunts me the most was opening day rifle season i was 15 or 16, I had a buck come across a logging road, when i had my first opportunity i shot, probably 75 yard shot with me leaned up against the tree. I fired 3 consecutive more times and emptied by Gun(Winchester model 70) the deer turned up hill and put a few more rounds in and shot a think once more. he ran up over the ridge and another hunter shot and put him down. When we went to check for blood we followed where he ran and there was one bullet hole in him we think i hit one one of the shots...

I have plenty of other misses especially in my teens but that one was my only buck and worse.

 

[Elk97]

Just a couple of weeks ago. Hunting with my son, he spotted a bull elk over the side of the ridge we were working up. He was out front, had one in the chamber but signed for me to move up and shoot. Wasn't prepared, crawling in snow while trying to quietly chamber one. Bull was in heavy timber but only 60-75 yards. I didn't have a shot, crawled some more, bull started to move and I took a shot while I was off balance and not stable. Complete miss but the bull charged full run right at me. I'm ejecting and reloading while thinking I'm going to get run over. The bull veered off and is now heading right at my son who is trying to get his scope on it. I saw it through my scope running left to right at about 12 yards and was just going to pull the trigger when my son shoots and the bull disappears sideways out of view. He got it in the right front shoulder and it crashed down the hill into a tree. My son thought it was wounded from my shot so felt he had to try and knock it down. Glad I missed, didn't deserve to get him after such a stupid set up and poor execution on my part. Pretty easy pack out though on a logging road.

 

[Gumbo]

My name is Gumbo and I have target panic (aka buck/bull fever). I don't shake, I rush shots.

I emptied my quiver (5 arrows) in ONE DAY without cutting an elk hair this year. Happened while I shadowed a herd for about 6 hours. I even had two big bulls absolutely battle each other at 80 yards. Three of the shots should have been dead elk (40, 20, and 20 yards), the other two were totally dumb and semi-unintentional. The bulls I missed were the ones that fought, a 340ish 6x6 (3x) and a huge, massive 6x8or9 (2x). I thought I had the anxiety of rushing the shot licked after 5 years of solid archery shots on several animals, including 8 that would go P&Y. Turns out I was still on the edge of the cliff and I hadn't truly addressed the issue. Now I am committing to the Joel Turner mantra/mindfulness method fully. It is crazy how you can NEVER punch the trigger when practicing, no matter how much is riding on the shot, but get an animal that you really want to kill and that unlike a target can move and the thumb goes into auto-pilot. For me it seems to be the fear that the animal will move and I will lose the opportunity, combined with seeing the whole animal as a target rather than picking a spot.

EPIC fail.

So in response I beefed up my trigger springs so I really have to commit to pulling instead of aiming. And my mantra is pretty much Turner's except for my preparatory line, instead of "I will shoot this shot perfectly or I will not take the shot" which seems to increase my anxiety in practice, I'm going with "This is no big deal" which more accurately represents my problem and has a calming effect. Then into Joel's mantra verbatim. I considered trying a hinge again, or a tension activated release (both of which I still have) but neither of these are as hunter friendly AND more importantly I'd learn to punch those too. The problem is in my head and that is what I need to deal with. I also plan to hunt more birds, which I suck at hitting for precisely the same reason as I missed the elk.

Thanks for providing the nest in the trust tree that allowed me to get this off my chest!