How many times?
 

How many times have you made a bad shot on an animal? I don't mean taken a risky shot, but ahigh percentage shot and the arrow or bullet didn't hit its mark, for what ever reason or excuse. IE. a non lung or heart shot. Liver shots are not good shots even though you may have a short trail.

RE: How many times?
 

while it wasnt bowhunting, i was rifle hunting one time and shot a little high and got its spine.

RE: How many times?
 

Last year I had a doe broadside at 20. I shot a little far back. One lung and liver. She went about 150 yds. It was a tough bloodtrail but I found her. There was no GOOD reason for me to not make a better shot. I still don't know what I did wrong. I think I pulled the shot by trying to see the impact instead of following through. Rob/PA's "what to do after the shot" thread led to the recovery of that deer.

RE: How many times?
 

This could turn interesting.

Everyone makes a bad shot, it's how you recover and find the deer that matters then.

RE: How many times?
 

a couple times

RE: How many times?
 

Im approaching 26 years of hunting, I wish I could say never but I cant. In a perfect world I would make a prefect, clean, humane 100% accurate shot every time I let an arrow fly, but this isnt a perfect lol. I have to say at leasta fewtimes over the years, but not too many. How many times do you think a pro pitcher threw one off the mark with a permanently stationary target relatively speaking??

RE: How many times?
 

I'm assuming a clean miss is considered a bad shot, then? After all.....It's a worse shot (figuratively speaking) than a wound shot.

Is this waht you're after? Clean misses count, too?

RE: How many times?
 

No i'm talking abouthitting the animal wether you find it or not.

RE: How many times?
 

3 or more. Heck, when I was 14 I completely missed 5 elk, a mule deer, and a nicewhitetail all in one season. TARGET PANIC!!!! The woods looked like it was the Indian Wars all over again:D

I am not at all ashamed of getting so excited that I couldn't even function. Just took me a while to figure out how to control it. Now I can shoot at an animal like it is a 3D target, but I am not sure if that is necessarily a good thing. Sometimes I miss how out of control the hunt could make me.

RE: How many times?
 

One time. I posted the story, last year. It just happens to be the buck in the other thread I have posted.

RE: How many times?
 

Been there with my rifle while moose hunting on a wolf last season........ Made what sounded like the worst moose call I have heard and out of no where about 30 seconds later 2 wolves show up across the beaver pond. The tag is in my pocket so I figure why not, probably why I haven't seen BULLWINKLE all week anyways. Hit the wolf and flipped it right in the air on its back. It bites at it's side a bit like I have seen a bear do in the past and lies there. So I follow the other wolf with my scope and consider taking a shot as it is running away. Decide to let it go and go back to look at the other one and it gets up and runs into the tree line while I watch it. Had no shot unless I wanted to go for a Polish Bullseye. so let it lay (probably should have waited longer but waited about 30 mins) go over and find a good blood trail. End up tracking for the equalivent of 12 + hours over 2 days (the shot was at about 11am) follow a blood trail for 2 + miles into the bush through crazy thickets,over stumps, under logs, through a river. Find 2 miles into the bush 2 large blood spots as if the wolf had laid down on both sides . Long story short no further trail and no wolf it just stopped. 4 of us trying to find a trail and no luck.Also think at one point we were circled by the pack spooky feeling let me tell you, also think that the pack was helping the injured wolf? who knows but it sucked never did find her

RE: How many times?
 

they probably ate her

RE: How many times?
 

Maybe ?? I don't know its not a good feeling though!! I am assuming its the her since she was pure white and the smaller of the two that I saw.

RE: How many times?
 

Twice, but both were with a rifle.
Last fall I had a nice 8 point show up out of no-where ata brisk walk and didn't have time to turn so I had to take the 95 yard shot left handed.After the shot, he just trotted over the ridge finger that I was on and I thought I'd missed him. Ihopped up on the seat of the ladder stand and saw himstop and stare at mefrom 150 yards while presenting me with a quartering away shot. I drilled him through the heart and he dropped. Found out when I recovered him that the first shot blew through the liver.
The other was the first buck I ever killed. I was using an old Winchester 30/30 with no scope. It was FREEZING, and I was hunting on the ground. I'd leaned the gun against a tree and had my hands stuffed inside my coveralls trying to warm them when he showed up over the ridge only 30 yards away. He knew I was there, but didn't know where. After about 5 minutes of playing the "move slowly when his head goes behind a tree and freeze when he's looking" game, I finally got the gun up to my shoulder. I pulled the hammer back and, of course, the "click" might as well have been a brick being dropped. He went on full alert and I shot quickly, and watched the deer literally spin a complete 180, and take off. Somehow, I'd completely missed the vitals, the gut... the entire body cavity. The bullet had passed just below the spine above the hindquarters and severed the artery. I found him less than 100 yards out. My first field dressing lesson was by far the least messy.

RE: How many times?
 

It was my first deer and I had buck fever but i still made a clean kill the bullet hit his spine

RE: How many times?
 

More than 3 for me I am ashamed to admit. There was a learning curve with a bow many years ago and I just plain stink with a rifle. I don't know what it is about shooting at a deer with a gun, but I come unglued. I've gotten better the last 5 years, but before that ugh.[:@]

RE: How many times?
 

I have a hard time beleiveing that more people have only had miss hits or missed completely3 or less times compared to 3 or more. I'm not jumping anyones case here, but seriously if you have hunted more than 5 years you have had some poor shots. I remember when i first started. I practiced all the time and could hit any spot on a target at anytime. But when i got to the woods and saw some real game everything changes. Heck i missed 3 deer before i even connected.I love watching hunting shows and i see the so called professionals misson manyshots.But if you only have miss hit or missed completely 3 or less deer in your days, then congradulations thats pretty impressive.

RE: How many times?
 

Three or more. One being a hog recently! I shot through the_ _ _ _ spot.

You know.