Game Stalker

In the deer woods,thing can happen quick.Describe a moment where your decisions or mistakes cost you a harvest.

My story is this:I was at the base of a tree where I had previously taken a 9 point.This tree had another tree that had fallen around it.A swampy ravine was behind me.I had a partially drank water bottle in my pocket.About 2:00 p.m.,a buck came up the ravine behind me from the 1 o'clock position towards an 8 o'clock direction.I twisted my waist to the left and couldn't get the angle.Turning my body made the water bottle crush and the deer wheeled around instantly at the sound, heading back the way it came.Now I had to quickly stand up to my right side.By the time I got up and the gun leveled,the deer bounded down the ravine.I had considered that possiblity when I decided not to stretch around the fallen tree and bury my water under the leaves until needed.I knew that might be a bad decision.It was.I got BUSTED!

marlin30/30_drabe

when me and my dad were hunting, a buck came out that he could see and have a shot at, so it needed to move just a little more a shot and i was blowing the grunt call lke crazy (stupid thing to do) that buck was gane after about 10 seconds on the grunt call

iSnipe

Well, it didn't cost me a "harvest" per se', but...

I was driving along a small backwoods road and came across a hunter going the same direction as me, walking with his rifle. As I passed him I started to round the next slight corner and noticed a big doe walking as if to cross the small road as soon as I drive by.

I got it in me to do a good deed...

I quickly turned around because I wanted to drive past the deer still in the woods, go up to the hunter, then excitedly tell him the good news just ahead of him! Unfortunately what I planned and reality never crossed paths. LOL!

As I got closer to the slight curve, I can already see that the deer made it to the road! To make it worse as I closed the distance the doe ran off and when I rounded the corner just enough, the hunter was hunched and was going to take the shot, but I RUINED it for him!

I turned around yet again and kept heading where I was originally because I didn't want to face the guy. LOL!

iSnipe

doetrain

I got busted one day because instead of going by my gut feeling and remaining in the stand till at least noon, I listen to the experts and came to the conclusion that I should not stay in the stand during heavy winds so late in the morning. No sooner had I lowered my bow to the ground I look up to see my group of Does I had been hunting for two weeks coming right at me. Needless to say I did not get my Bow back up before they spoted the movement and flanked me yet again. The end of the story is that I did not see them again befor the season ended a week later,therefore no Doe in the freezer.

podunk kennels

Benn busted a whole lot as I like to slip around as opposed to stand sitting. One funny story, I was easing down a rivver bottom all morning, had forgotten to eat breakfast so my gut was rumbly. By 9:30 Id covered a couple miles and seen no deer. I decided that the situation called for an emergency can of sardines in my pack. As soon as I cracked the can a doe blew and a small but legal buck busted out of a clump of palmettos in front of me. Probably wouldve never seen him if he hadnt spooked. Many times hunting from the ground getting busted isnt a loss as many deer will stop a ways off or slow down to look back, works against conventional predators but not so effective against rifles.

Father Forkhorn

I've been busted by one of two things: in my earliest days, I got nailed a couple of times trying to raise a gun to my shoulder for a shot. I had to learn to do it w/o being seen.

The other was turning my head too quickly, especially after hearing leaves scrunching. I now wear a face mask and am much more discreet.

H.L.H

It was thanksgiving morning and i had been hunting in our field and i hadn't seen anything all morning so i decided to get up and walk around. i still didn't see anything so i started to walk towards my house and right in front of my house i spooked a doe. It ran into a bottom so i followed it into the bottom looking for it. Then i finally spotted it on the opposite ridge. I was following it in the scope of my 30-30 when it finally walked out into the open as soon as i was about to pull the trigger my dad started the leaf blower on our porch and then all i saw was a white tail going into the brush. It happens

Tail Feathers

I got busted last season by removing my cap and scratching my head while in a ground blind. The deer had magically appeared without me seeing them (amazing how they do that) and bang, that movement did it.

PY Antlers

I was hunting in Iowa a in Nov. of 2008. Step up was in a valley where 3 hogsback fingers came together, a little pasture on one side with a couple apple trees and CRP on the other. I was sitting over top of a drainage ditch so I could cover the pasture and still have the apple trees in range as well. I heard a deer jump the fence behind me. When I turned and looked I saw a small doe with a 150+ 10 point coming behind her. The doe passed on my right 20 yards away. When the buck got to my immidiate right he stopped and made a scrape but was quartering towards me. I was at full draw and decided to wait until he turned to follow the doe. Well, to my surprise he walked straight towards me, down the ditch, under the tree and walked behind me! Afterwards, I thought' Damn! I should have taken the shot! But I'm glad I didn't, it was a low percentage angle and I respect mature bucks like that to much to risk no recovery or wounded deer. I never saw that buck again

aharley1

Well, not really a bust, but I was watching a couple of does that i had seen regularly from my tree stand. One day I decide to see what effect a light rattle from a pair of horns would do (it was during the rut). I waited until they were looking away & gave a light rattle & bingo...both were gone in a flash! They didn't look back, didn't slow down, just gone!