I'm curious to hear about "The one that got away." We've all got these stories, I'm sure. Here's mine.

2 seasons ago I was hunting an inside corner Nov. 7. I hunted the morning and had some errands I had to run. Climbed down at 10, did the deed, and was back in the tree at noon. Ya'll, I wasn't in my tree 10 seconds when I heard something running in the leaves. I look to my left and a doe is bustin it right to me. I think to myself, "Now, what's eatin her?" Not giving it much thought.Didn't take long till I found out. A VERY nice 10 point was chasing her! I'm guessing somewhere in the high 130 - low 140 class. Did I mention they are running RIGHT AT ME, and I had JUST climbed my tree?? Yeah, that's right.....he stops 10 yards from my tree, broadside, tounge hanging out, panting, out of breath, doesn't have a care in the world, and my bow is ON THE GROUND!! [:@][:@]

He continues the chase and I hurriedly pull my bow up. Enter buck #2. Yep, same deal, just not as big. Nice 8 point comes bustin by, hits his head on my pack as I'm pulling it up, and continues on. Ok, so I get the bow up the tree, get an arrow nocked and am digging in my fanny pack for my release. You got it, here they come, only from my right. The bigger one stops 18 yards away, broadside, and I am so friggin wound up I can't buckle my release......I watched those 2 bucks chase that doe for an hour the next ridge over, all I could do was sit and cry.

Needless to say, I do a few things QUITE differently now. Lesson learned. Let's here yours.

All I have to say is "cell phone" buck.

Guys make sure when you power off or silence your phones--that they really are off or silent.

I had a bigger buck than the one in my avatar come in to some grunt calls that I was making. Actually, I called him away from a doe. He was "sneezing" which I later found out to be the mysterious snort wheeze.

Long story-short story, I was full drawn on a nice mature buck less than 7 yards away when my phone vibrates in my backpack. A friend of mine was calling to see when I would be out of the woods[:@]. Looking back, I could have killed that buck before the phone vibrated but I was afraid the small twig in between us would have caused me to miss (which it would not have affected the arrow one bit I'm sure)

I still regret not shooting him even to this day. Oh well![&o]

BTW: Mobow, I cried in the woodsthat day too.

My "close call" was with a big 8 pointer the 4th day of the '06 season. I came here and stated exactly what happened. I got overwhelmed and picked a VERY bad spot on the deer to aim at. I hit....he got hurt....but luckily it was only a flesh wound (I saw this deer and have subsequent photos of him in the field).

MY fault. No excuses. "I" picked a TERRIBLE aiming point......and was shaking when I did THAT! Period.

Mine was about 10-12years ago. I was on a morning stand and I had to go "relieve" myself. So I got down out of the stand....went out about 75yds and was doing my buisness...when I heard a crunch and looked up...and standing there.... still to this day was the largest buck I have ever scene. He came from a trail that is 15yds from my stand and just stood there broadside...He just looked over at me...I can still see the condensation pour from his nose...then he casually walked off.( I swear I could hear him laughing) I cried like a little girl

Lesson learned...ease up on the coffee in the morning,bring a bottle and never get down during the morning hunt!

I actually have two stories of the"one" that got away.
1. Rifle season 2004 3rd day of the season and last day on this particular stand. I told myself about 9:30 I would need to get out in order to get my dad's stand out of his tree and make it to where I wanted to hunt the evening by 1PM. 9:00 rolls around and I start to slowly get my pack together. I remove my "blind material" (BTW, I'm 25' up a pine,blind is an old blanket to block my movement), and put it all in my daypack,eat a sandwich, now It's 9:20 and I am ready to go. Take a shell out of the old 7MM bolt action and send it down. I grab my daypack and start to put it on-------crash-crash--crash----WHAT THE!!! I look over and see a giant buck chasing two does 40 yds through the woods from the right. I was thinking about ten things at once while trying to take my pack back off . Iwas going to graab the grunt call when they steped into a clearing 50 yds out and I hear another deer following these 3. Pack gets set down, rifle comes flying up the tree as fast as I can pull the rope! I get another shell in the chamber just as buck number 2 gets into the clearing and stops at the sound of my bolt action. He is in my scope and I could have taken him, but he was just a little basket 8 point and NOTHING compared to his big brother who is probably only 100 yds out, but I can't see that far. I grunted for a bit to no avail. On a good note, I did take a nice 10 pointer later that day, but not like the one that got away.

2. Last year bow season, I had been telling my dad a place to put a stand aall year. He did not, so late October Idid. I had very limited hunting last year and got into the area one satuday AM. I was in my stand for an hour or so and heard a running deer along an old logging road, only saw brown as the trail is about 60 yds away. Ten minutes later I hear a crunch and look to see a decent 8 pointer 20 yds away heading towards me. He is walking as i get my hand on my bow and click the release on the loop, now he is 10 yds broadside, i'm 20 feet up in a small clump of trees. I get to full draw and he stops 15 yds quartering away (perfect right?), I hear the arrow hit, did not see it(which is why I switched to bright blazers) and think Ok,now fall over. he jumps about 30 yds and starts to walk away, all I see is rack(16" 8 point). Then he starts grazing again! What?? I wait an hour and a half, seemed like all day, and get down. Go to my arrow and look. Gray hair(a bunch) and the arrow smells like tallow, oh no! Sure enough, low shot, brisket, trail for a couple hours, little blood, but nothing. Fast forward 1 month and 3/4 mile away, rifle season, I shot an 8 pointer about 150 yds out with a nice 3 blade scab on the brisket! I could still put my finger through the hole after skinning him out. Strike two I guess
dandbuck

that really sux

I had several close calls last season...I guess you could call them that. Both just didn't present a shot because they took a path that lead them out of my range. More so bad luck or poor judgement of stand set up than anything. Just makes it better when everything finally lines up in your favor.

Two years ago, about 2 weeks into the season and I'm recovering from major shoulder surgery . . .

Around 7:30am, 3 does bust out of the thicket I'm hunting in and run across a wide open field and encounter another deer standing there. I could see a nice rack with the naked eye and just about dropped my binoculars when I saw the massive monster wearing the giant rack! The does danced nervously around him and then took off. For some unknown reason, he started trotting across the open field directly at me!!! Even though he had no clue I was there, he was looking right in my direction and I had NO CHANCE to draw my bow without being seen (tried it once before at this same location with disastrous results). He came in to 15 yards or LESS and turned broadside. There wasn't a stick of cover between me and him and I could even see his hooves. From where he stood motionless, it would have been maybe the easiest shot I've ever had . . . if I had been at full draw! I could not draw because there was NO CHANCE he'd miss the movement and with my recent surgery, my draw was a lengthy and difficult experience that I could just barely manage anyway. He finally began walking and once I drew, he was directly behind the heavy grapevines that I'd been unable to clear - again because of my surgery.

He walked away unscathed and I never saw him again![:@]

One of my close calls i would have to say is this past muzzelloading season. I got in my stand kinda late and see a few does as the time goes by. pretty soon here comes a small six point about 100yds away. so i get all buck fevery and start shaking. keep in mind, this would be my first muzzeloading buck and deer. He goes back into a clump of woods that he came outta. I radio back to the ol man and tell him one is headed his way. 20 mins later, he comes from the right at 20 yds. right along a heavily traveled trail.I quick get the gun up and set the cap ( i got the traditional kind where u pull back the hammer).I aim right smack dab behind the front shoulder, pull the trigger and pow! Smoke goes everywhere. I look and he's still standing there! i look in front of my barrel and there is a broken tree branch! the scope blocked my view!! so now i start reloading and are about to shoot when i look 115 yards up by these oaks. Here comes another big 8-point! this is the buck i had been chasin all year long. I quick get on him and here he comes, and comes and comes and stops. the wind starts to swirl and he gets a wiff of my scent. I can tell he is about to book it so i am a lil high and pow! He runs off and i get down to check for blood. all i find is some hair.

The next weekend i got him! Shot right over him! That night i missed him i was so mad but the next weekend i was screaming for joy when i found him!

2 years ago the weekend before shotgun season i decided for whatever reason not to go hunting. So i wake up at about 9:30 and look out one of my bedroom windows and spot antler tips in a drainage that runs throught the field in front of my house.so i get the spoting scope and get on him. Just about that time he stood up and i fell down!!!!This buck was a standard nine point with 2 6" droptines one on each side! He was probably 20-21" wide and real massive!
I instantly started formulating a plan to get to this buck. I thought "crawl up the shallow draw that would bring me out about 40 yards from him" nope thats up wind. The long way was the only way! so i circled out the back of my house around the hill that it sits on and started my gruling 200 Yard crawl for this deer. There was just a slight wind but it was cold and wet! As i crawled through the soggy cut corn field. As i got closer i spotted the doe he was bedded with, but luckily she was facing the same way he was, away from me!I slowly closed the distance 100....90....80....70 now at60 yards something is wrong he is suddenly laying on pins! He has spotted a car driving down the road that splits my farm and my neibors about 150 yards away. There themonarch stood at sixty, I, on one knee bow drawn, and cotemplating. "I can hit this shot, i have in3D". "No this is not a target, it is adeer that is wired for sound right now"! "I don't have the set up to be shooting a game this far". "But he is just right there, a short sixty away"!Then themonarch was bolting low to the ground as on his final run! I watchedin aww as i let my bow down and sat in stunned disallutionment.

I field judged this buck to be about a 190 class deer,he was shot by a poacher a year ago, but escaped the the dirty hands of the rapest of the land and was found by a land owner, the antlers grossed 211 3/8".

At the time i was shooting a Fred Bear Vapor 300 single cam, set at 65# 30" draw, With Cabela's Outfitter arrows(Very heavy)at that time those arrows were 13 gpiWith a 125 gr.three-blade Muzzys.