Lets hear the goof up stories and ones that got away
 

We all post pics of some good kills and some great shots but lets hear about the blunders and the misses. We have all done it right? you finally get the big one under your stand and BANG! something you did messed it all up! So lets hear the stories.....


as for me? stepping off the road to shoot a caribou in the Canadian arctic after driving 1200 miles and 34 hours only to sink up to your neck in powder while trying to take the shot at the only bull you saw in 4 days on the last night! Oh yeah almost forgot about the part where my guide yelled DON'T SHOOT YOUR BARREL IS PACKED WITH SNOW!!! ARGHH!!!

or the bi-pod thats leg snapped closed as I pulled the trigger on a 170 class mulie in Wyo 2 years ago. Now that is the last time I ride around on my 4 wheeler with my rifle slung over my back getting packed with dirt.

I guess my biggest blunders have been with bows.

I used to shoot fingers, then I cut the tip of my finger off so that particular year I switched to a release and was getting used it. But one evening I had a really nice bull elk come out in front of my blind I had set up in some pines. When the cows all came through the bull followed and was about 30yds away from me broadside. I had drawn my bow back and was waiting of him to clear the trees. And when he did I had the pin right on his heart area and opened my fingers to shoot. Nothing happened. Then I flustered my self and hurried up trying to get back on the trigger of the release and hit it before I was back on target and sent the arrow right under him. He kicked his legs out in front of him but he never got touched. I got humbled pretty good.

I have another that worked out in the end. My first deer hunt as a child. Three deer standing together. My father said to shoot the one in the middle he's the biggest. Buck fever had a hold of me so bad I jerked the trigger so hard I hit the one on the right in the neck. Of course the deer was killed instantly but I trully missed my deer.

to date, probably my only shooter buck within range...

just snuck up on me...then I couldn't get my glove/hand through the bow strap on my bow, he ran off...

to do over well I would have been ready and seen him sooner hopefully, but would've just had that hand grab the bow, draw, shoot, if he ran off no loss, but perhaps I could have gotten a shot at a big wide 8pt.

My best one was with a doe late December. I was using my bow to fill a season choice tag in Nebraska. I got a new jacket that was a little big and it was cold so I was wearing it and this doe came in and at about 40 yards she stopped and turned to go down another trail. Broadside I draw and release but my string hits the coat and she hears it and spins out of the way and the arrow goes to the side of her.

She didnt really know what it was so she ran off about 60 yards and started coming back my way. I knocked another arrow and got ready. This time she was coming right for me and at about 20 yards she went behind some brush so I tried to draw and she heard me. Ran about 20 yards to the side and stopped right in an opening. I let the arrow go and she ducked and the arrow sailed right over top of her. I just gave up and went home to warm up.

Hunting in Co on public land I had been watching a mulie grow up over ten years. Started putting in for a tag when he was 8 to 9 years old and got drawn for a tag when he was 11 to 12. Scouted for a full week with my bowhunting buddy, no sign of him. Opening day spotted him a 400yds a 200" monster my buddy was filming and could not see him clearly so we decided to cross the first ravine which put us a little less than 200 yards. Spotted antlers walking through the aspens buddy said I got him and I fired and rolled him. 30 min later we got to him, only to see the big boy sneeking over the ridge. My heart was broke I shot the wrong buck!! Still a giant, but I knew I would never get a chance at big boy again.

I've got three quick ones. Most were due to young&stupid syndrome.

1: My dad bought me a shotgun for deer hunting when I was 14. We took it to the range and it seemed to shoot OK at the with slugs. Didn't try buckshot because nobody in my family uses it. I have missed probably a dozen deer with that gun (including a large doe standing broadside at 10 yds) I just knew I couldn't have missed those easy shots so I asked a knowledgeable old man why I kept missing. He told me that the gun my dad picked out for me has a Full choke and was probably bending my slugs out of shape and causing inconsistant flight:s6:

2: I was 12. First time bowhunting from a treestand. Shot angle didn't occur to me. I shot 3 arrows at a group of does. Missed every shot. Climbed down and retrieved my arrows. Later that evening the does came through again. Another three strikes:s6:

3: About 13. bowhunting on public land during the firearm season. At the time I shot with both of my eyes open and did fairly well this way when shooting 3D targets with my neighbor. I had a doe come up a valley and stop about 20 yds quartering slightly. I came to full draw, found my anchor point and released. my arrow flew left and completely missed the deer. In retrospect I realized that I was aiming with the "Phantom" pin rather than the actual pin.:s6: