Missed the biggest buck of my life. :(

[Pope94/IA]

Thats right... I missed him... Right over his back.

Around 4:45 I noticed that there was a big buck in the field with his head low and following some does. He went over the hill so I thought that was the last of him. Guess not. Around 5:10 he came back over the hill and I did a doe bleat to him. He popped his head up and started towards me. He started about 150 yards away and the whole 150 yards he walked he was grunting the WHOLE time. I could hear him. It was pretty cool to witness. My stand is in a big tree (not sure what it is, maybe oak) but their are like big branches going every where so I am really really hidden in there. But if you stand up the only shooting lane you have behind the tree is in very small area and well of course that buck walked right into that lane. I never had time to range him so I did a quick guess and I guessed around 10 yards. Well... my bow doesn't have a 10 yard pin. The first pin starts at 20. So im using the 20 yard and aiming low... very low. I swear I was pretty much aiming below the buck. I shot. Right over his back. 10 yards... how? not sure. I guess beind so close and being at an angle doesn't help much.
Im not an expert scorer but I can get a pretty close estimate and I would have said he was 155-160.
I have been having some pretty crappy luck the past few weeks. Well maybe just on tuesdays...

Last tuesday I shot a nice 8 pointer that would have gone 135. But the shot was high and we looked for ever but couldn't find him. Very little blood. like 3 or 4 drops about 400 yards from the stand. But then today (tuesday) I miss the biggest buck I have ever seen while in a stand. I can't wait to see what next tuesday brings...

[Hunt4Life23]

Damn Andrew, just stick in there and keep your head up and you will get one. That shows you need to show at all distances to know where to aim. I like climbing in a tree stand or going on my deck and shooting at a target anywhere from 5 yards to 30 yards to make sure i know where to aim. Get him next time!!

[IOWABUCKHUNTR]

And that my friend is why they call it hunting and not killing...

Stick with it, you'll get him!

[IOWAWHITETAILS]

Thats one thing I learned the higher u are and the closer the dear is makes the bow shoot HIGH.....I hit a nice one early in october......15 yars 22ft up open field shot hit it high in the shoulder(Knuckle) arrow went in 6" had some blood but ended up losing it....like hunt4life says practice in a tree....or a deck....But ive always said u can hit bulls eyes all day long when that dear comes in its a whole nother story....hang in there IA

[Pope94/IA]

Yeah there is a differance when in a tree compared the ground.

Missing actually isn't such a bad thing. Atleast I get to keep hunting during the rut.

[cwanty03]

welcome 2 the club. last wednesday i shot a 150'' 11 possibly 12 pointer biggest deer even seen in woods much less had a shot at. everything from beginning to end was done in 15 secs tops. 17 yards he was exactly i rushed everything and hit high never found him......absolute low of my life but i know it hard stay positive..... go practice asap and lets get back out there and get the big1!!!

[SRBowman]

I feel your pain brother!! Saturday I had a beautiful 8 come in, wasn't an absalute monster, but he was big bodied, very semetrical rack. I was in the middle of a snow storm after it had just got done raining for 2 days straight. Anyway, I got to the stand around 245, set some scent, and started grunting pretty constant. At 320 I look up and see brown, almost likek it was a neon sign in the blazing white snow. He moseys around, and messes with my scent bombs. well he is all of 15 yards away at this point, but right out of my shooting lane. GHe finally decides to take a step to my lane, I draw back and he holds up!! I sat there for what seemed like forever, he finally comes in and I let it fly. I see my arrow sail right in front of his chest!! i was so jacked to be seeing this deer for so long, and I just plain hurried my shot!! Kills a guy inside to know you are that close, but we survive, and thats what makes us BETTER hunters!!

[wis_bow_huntr]

just keep this in mind and youll mind will be at ease. A good clean miss is always better than a bad hit and wounding the animal..Ill take a good clean miss over a wounded deer any day. He may be back, but give that stand a few days to settle down.

[mossberghunter93]

Keep at it man you'll get one.

[HuntingBry]

That is tough luck, but all you can do is get back out there. Look on the bright side, you are getting a lot of chances.