GregH

Being lazy cost me a dandy buck one time. I mean that ...... ONE time.... never again!

I was hunting one of my favorite creek crossing stands. At the start of the season I had noticed that a very big tree had blown over into the creek and partially blocked the bank on my side of the creek where the deer exited the water. I thought, oh well, they'll just walk around it and get back on the trail and things will be good. Well, during that hunt a large 10 pointer, one that greatly exceeded my goal of taking a clean 5x5, approaching 160", started crossing the creek to my side. I was thinking, oh man, this is going to be great! This buck would certainly look great on my wall. As he walked around the blow down, instead of getting back on the trail, he cut straight through the brush and started angling away from me. There was nothing that I could do! []After he got about 25 yards away, walking away, I tried grunting........ nothing. He heard it and stopped and looked in my direction. I repeated this a couple more times until I couldn't see the buck anymore. I never saw that buck again! [:@]

That was a big learning experience for me..... never take a chance like that and always do what has to be done to tip the odds in your favor. Needless to say, after the season was over, I went back and completely pruned up that spot to make the deer want to go past my stand.

Anyone else ever lose a chance by being lazy?

Germ

Yes last year in KY[:@] If I was not sitting on my ass, I would have got to fling an arrow[&:]

Carpmaster

Nice! Been there!

Edcyclopedia

Yes!
The true question is how many times?
Everytime I make this mistake I always remember what Forest Gumps mother told him...
"Stupid is as stupid does".
I'm a slow learner I guess...
I'll put it together soon and start my own story book

MOTOWNHONKEY

Yes. I was dead set at getting to my stand by noon one day because a buckI was hunting was making appearences late afternoons. It was late in the season and you know how all the hunting can add up and take its toll. Well, I procrastinated (SP?) and didn't get there until 2 and sure enough I walked up on him not 20 yards from my stand. [:@]Just a typical 12 point, no biggie.[:@][:@][:@]

JoeRE

Yes, tons of times. I have gotten to where I am paranoid about any 'shortcuts' I make in my setup. Murphy's law rules bowhunting so I never stop trying to eliminate variables. Havent had a missed chance (at a deer anyway) in 3 years now as a result but maybe that means I am saving up[&:]

Schultzy

To this day I still get ticked off at myself!!! Back about 16 years ago I went out on a Friday night the day before gun season opened here in Minnesota. I was 18 years old. I told myself I would be home early being I was going bow hunting that following morning. Well 2:30 A.M. came around and I finally rolled in the driveway, 2 hours later then I had planned on getting home. Alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. and I didn't get my ass up till 6:15 A.M. that morning. I rushed up and took a shower and headed out. I was about an hour or so late walking into my woods quietly to my stand. I stopped about 60 yards from my stand which was set up on a rub line being I thought I heard something. Sure enough, there was a nice 140" buck 15 yards in front of my stand with another doe. I watched them for 20 minutes until the doe got sick of the buck hounding her and off she went running trying to get away from him. Never have I done this since then. If I know I'm going out hunting that next morning, my ass stays home. My priorities were a little out of whack chasing some split tail the night before. Never again will this happen!!![:@]

GregH

I know that one too! []

One morning I slept through my alarm and tried bolting to my stand, late. When I got there, I got up in the tree and started pulling my bow up. I looked to my right and there was a 140+ class 8 point watching my bow swing back and forth. He actually seemed to follow the rope up to see me standing there then bolted!!! [:@][:@]

GregH

I finally figured that one out when I was about 25. I do not miss those 2 hours of sleep, pounding head, buffalo herd in my mouth walks to my stand anymore! [:'(]

I got the rest of the year for nights like that!

quiksilver

While I can't confirm or deny what would've happened if I'd have been able to roll myself out of bed, I can tell you that there have been plenty of Saturday mornings where the after-effects of a long night on the piss have prevented me from waking up and getting myself together.

We've all had those days, when you should be sittingin a treestand . . . but instead - youwake up with some girl you've never seen before, your mouth tastes like the Devil's *******, and yourbrain feels likeit just had an aneurysm.

...and then there are the times where you DO somehow manage to wake up, only to get to the woods and be too sick/lazy/hungover to walk to your planned stand site - so you climb somewhere closer to the car, and spend your whole morning gagging your guts out in the treestand, drinking Mountain Dew to make the pain go away.