hunter25

Missed a very nice one last year and think about the darn thing every single day. Ah, the memories...

by23856

I didn't miss him, but it was my fault regardless.

I watched a very thick, wide, and tall ten point walk up from behind me and to my left, on a trail I knew existed that's about 25-30 yards from my stand. I'm comfortable out to 30 yards in the woods. However, I never bothered to clear a shooting lane through the branches of the tree I sit in because I figured that anything that would come up that trail would turn right and follow the trail 10 yards in front of my stand. This guy turned left. He must have made a lot of 'left' turns over the years to live to get that big.

I suck at guessing sizes, but he was big and I still kick myself for not having a lane cleared to hit that trail. I have one cleared now, but I'm sure lightning will never strike twice, but then, maybe it will... That's why I love this sport.

DaveH

It's happened to me more than once. [:@]

The most recent one was last November. I rattled in the "king of the woods." He was a 140 class buck and would be considered huge by local standards. I drew just before he cleared the last bush and then held at full draw for 2 1/2 minutes while he stood facing me head on at 20 yards. I can hit a baseball sized target every time with a broadhead at that range, but refused to take the straight-on shot. When he FINALLY turned and I got a clear view of his vitals, I took careful aim and touched off the release . . . hitting the overhanging limb between us because of the trajectory.

I have beat myself up every day since then reliving that nightmare--especially when I went back 3 days later and saw where someone had back their truck up to that exact spot to retrieve a deer. I never saw him again.

TURKEY FAN

Well i have done some things and had mechanical failures to miss a few monsters.....The first one was a nice buck and i mean nice, it was nov 8, 2000, it was really cold that november and at 7:30 here comes this heavy 10pt right to me in a stand i really didnt have faith in, he just was cominng in on a string smelling some buck poppers i had laid out. Well he turned broadside at about 25-30yds and i went to put my realease on my bow and it was frozen shut it would not grab the bow string for me to pull it back.........so here i am blowing hot air on my realease trying to warm it up and finally it grabs, i draw back and tap the realease and "BONG" My arrow shoots high over his back!![:@] Second time happend in 1995 during ohio gun season, my uncle had sat me down against a tree and wished me good luck...........i had sat there seeing turkey and trying to stay awake and at 900oclock i had lost faith again in the spot my uncle had sat me.........i leaned my shot gun up against a sapling tree in fromt of me and turned on my side to get up and only 30yds behind me stood "MR.BIG" he had a bull winkle spread and he was an old deer from what i can remember and we were haveing a face off, while i am trying to feel around behind me trying to reach my gun...........well it didnt work on this ol boy and he just trotted of into a honey suckle thicket![:@][] Later that day my uncle had a shot at him and missed him due to how big he was!!! lol!

Blakeyboy

My first season with a bow was last year, missed a huge 6x6 at about 25 yrds on the second day, figured minimum 180 deer....minimum. But thats how it goes for rookies, called a wolf in my first try too, but never got a shot...came in behind me. Never saw either again, but i'm gonna keep hunting the same area for the buck. So each year i'll hope and pray for a chance at him...hope to get a glimpse of him this year...he's a whopper whopper.

B

Matt / PA

maybe........

You want to talk about pain? Try having to watch a panting huge nontypical standing in the open at 5 yards.........while your bow is on the other end of the haul rope 20 feet down.

Stalker22

My 1st season 1st day hunting I missed an 8pt. I aimed too low and the arrow hit a tree stump instead. It was harsh because my best friend was with me that day. I heard it over and over and over about how I blew a great chance.[:@]

6ptsika

Been there, done that Matt.
It was for the best, he wasn't a giant, and my brother was hunting with a muzzleloader about 60 yards away, and shot the largest in the state that season about 10 minutes later.

Stonyrvr

Last year a few days before the rifle season opened I was sitting in a snowstorm with temps in the low teens. It was snowing so hard I put my glove over my arrow rest as my bow was hanging on a hook. I turned to my left and a big ten pointer was standing about 15 yards away. I stood up and pulled back the bow as he entered my second shooting lane. But when I looked through my peep it was packed with snow. I tried blowing out the peep, but that didn't work so great with a scentlok mask on. By the time I cleaned the peep of snow, he was gone.

mammasboy

Unfortunately,YES![&o] I have come to think that every hunter that has a wallhanger, has another that they have missed or fouled up. Anyway, that rule pertains to me.[:-]