What's your "I blew it" story?

[cbhunter]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

I'm not going to relive it

Missed a 175" ish 10 in Nebraska this year. Least I got the trail cam pics to remember him by

no need to relive it, but PLEASE DO share the pic!?!?


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CB seeing the pic is a 1000x worse then telling the story believe me! :bash:

so are you "AlabamaSwamper"? We need to see your pic regardless lol


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[cbhunter]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

:bash: :bash: :bash:

Holy Ish!


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[Lincoln Co Archer]

Mine makes me sick to this day as well. Still in high school and I carried my future wife hunting for the first time. We had seen an 11pt with a couple of stickers all summer, but we never laid eyes on him hunting until that morning. In a stand on the edge of a grown up hillside, and 2 does come down in front of us about 50 yards. Me wanting to impress the woman decided to shoot the lead doe. As soon as I shoot, I catch movement up the hill and he was bouncing through the briars like a mule deer. If I would have waited just a minute more I would have had a shot at him as he was on the same trail as the does. He would have been all over 170 and to my knowledge was never killed. I literally almost cried when he went over the top of the hill out of my life forever.

 

[TazmanianDevil]

Too cold. Could not stop shaking. Buck fever and way below freezing. He was huge and neighbor got him the next few weeks. 12 point looked like a mule. Got warmer clothes after that. Second year hunting and still not seen one that big again!

 

[JKC]

I have a book of stories that I hate to tell. I can't hear too good so I miss out on a lot of deer and turkey because of that.

 

[double browtine]

Missed a 130" 8 pointer at 15 yards when I was 16. He jumped string and I shot over his back.

I think it 1991, early bow season, I see a small 8 and 10 pointer eating acorns. I blew my grunt call at them at least a dozen times trying to call them my way. I keep watching them, then hear a stick snap over my right shoulder. I turned around slowly to see the biggest 8 pointer I have ever seen, walking on a string, straight to my stand. He stopped at 20 yards, looking right at me, facing me. I am turning around slowly as a can. He would stop behind trees, kinda playing peek-a-boo. Each time I was slowly getting turned around. I finally get turned around, at fulldraw, buck at 20 yards broadside. All he had to do was take 2 more steps to be in the clear. He turned and walked away from me in line with the last tree he was behind. He was at least 20" wide, with 10" g-2's and long beams. I'm guessing he was 140" or better.

2003, muzzleloader season, full rut time. Fog is so thick in Stewart county you could cut it with a knife. Doe is blowing at my 4 wheeler to my right at the edge of the woods line about 100 yards away. I am looking that direction and see like 5 does. I could see farther into the woods behind me, than I could to the open field in front on me. Only could see maybe 30 yards, directly in front of me in the open field. I catch movement in front of me. Turn to see a true giant, 8 pointer chasing a doe in front of me. I get my gun up, safety off trying to get on him, he disappeared in the fog. 5 minutes later, the sun topped the trees and the fog burned off. The buck later got killed on the neighbors farm. 8 pointer was 22" wide. Never heard a score.

There are a few more but those are the ones that hauntbme the most.

 

[Mid-Tenn]

In the last five years just about all my "I blew it" moments involve a cell phone.

 

[DMD]

I've got tons of "I blew it" stories. But, I guess the three worst:

#1. Hunting at Chuck Swan, probably 25 years ago. I had to get up at 1am to make there to hunt. I walked in and sat on the ground. Back then, I still had not gotten comfortable hunting from a climbing stand. But, this was the hunt that changed all that. Right after daylight, I heard something running, that sounded like a horse. It was above me and to my right on an old logging road. It stopped so I could just see it's antlers. I could see then turning as he turned his head. He finally bounded into the wooded area where I was, but, I couldn't get turned around to shoot to my right. He bounded straight down below me, in some thick stuff and I couldn't see him in my scope. Then bounded off and disappeared. That was the last straw - I bought myself a climbing stand after that hunt and I have rarely hunted off the ground since.

#2. Bow hunting back when we had the mid-November Archery Only between ML and Gun season. I was sitting in my Tree Lounge, when I heard a noise to my right. I turned my head to see a really nice (at least to me at the time) 9 pointer - about 5 yards from my tree. I managed to get stood up (no easy feat in the tree lounge), turned around into position, release on string - and buck turned his head away from me and was scratching his side - TEXTBOOK shot. I went to draw my bow and I couldn't break the cams over!!! I tried and tried - but couldn't. I finally, in desperation pointed it toward the heavens and pulled for all I was worth....and the arrow clanged off the rest, and the buck took off like he was shot out of a cannon. My buddy killed him later that season with a rifle.

#3. I was ML hunting on a rainy morning. I had my trusty American Knight ML on my lap, covered with my coat to keep everything dry. My buddy had just killed a small buck, and I told him I was going to hunt a little while longer. I was watching this squirrel, when I noticed him turn upside down on the tree, and look down the ridge, shaking his bushy tail. I turned to see what he saw. In a few minutes, I saw a head full of antlers heading my way. But, as quick as I saw him - he bounded off the ridge and out of sight. I grabbed my can call and hit it. Here he came, on a string. Stopped 50 yards broadside - I put the scope on him - squeezed the trigger - and "snap"!!! Cap didn't fire. I check -and the cap had fallen off the nipple! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! The buck is still standing there....Normally, I have a cap right at hand, but because of the rain - I had put them in my pocket....only in the moment, I couldn't remember which pocket. I'm patting my pockets trying to find them - and the buck is getting more and more jittery. He finally bolts and is gone for ever.

I got more...but, I've embarrassed myself enough.

One thing though - I have tried to learn from each time I blew it and correct it so it never happens again. It has helped me to have less blown opportunities as I have gotten older. But, I am apt to blow it again at any moment!!

 

[darn2ten]

Re: What's your

I had watched this buck for 2 years. All started when I found his shed from when I believe he was 3.5. For 2 summers after I would watch him in a bachelor group in velvet feed in the field in summer. He had a 9 pt. that he hung with that was in the upper 140's. Starting each year about the time he shed his velvet he would almost disappear and trail cam pics of him would be far and few between. I was obsessed with this deer, and made every attempt to keep my impact to a minimum. I made a plan one afternoon to slip in by walking down the middle of the creek and barely easing out of it with my climber. It was a pretty steep hillside with the creek that followed the base of it, with the field on the opposite side of the creek. I was basically there that afternoon for observation to see if I could see where or if he was still using the field. I figured he was, but after dark. My plan was to see where he was staging up in the woods waiting for dark. Where I set up had a great trail about 15 yards in front of me. I started seeing deer about a hour before dark. With about 30 minutes of daylight left I heard something coming from my left. Here come 2 bucks down the trail in front of me. A good 8 and a even better 7 with a kicker off his g2. The 7 would have went in the high 120's and been the biggest buck I had ever killed with my bow at the time. I didn't know what to do, I had the buck I was after in my head and didn't want to screw that up. I was up with the release hooked on with the 7 broadside stopped 15 yards in front of me. I was about to draw when I caught movement about 80 yards through the trees up the ridge. There was a logging road up there. It was him and a few other deer making their way down. They would end up about 70 yards to my right on the creek before entering the field at dark. I let the 7 go and made a plan for the next afternoon. Next day I came in from the top and got setup close to where he had crossed the logging road the day before. Was a great afternoon with good movement. Couple does first then small bucks. Wasn't long and I had deer all over me. As I'm trying to keep a eye on all them I hear more deer coming from my right and below me. I glance over and there he is with 2 other bucks. Thought everything was perfect. I eased up clipped my release on and waited for him to hit a opening. First 2 bucks stepped though, and I came to full draw. A doe up and behind me that I didn't know was there blew. The buck locked up behind a tree. I just held full draw, seemed like forever. I saw him flick his tail and knew he was about to take a step. He did and was broadside wide open. It was steep down hill shot that a guessed was right at 30 yards. Settled the pin and released, followed by that loud thack. Deer exploded everywhere. It was right at dark. I got down and checked out the scene. Couldn't find my arrow or any blood. I decided it was best to back out and be back at first light to search, I definitely didn't want to push him. Next morning I was back and about 40 yards from where I hit him I found my arrow laying by a log. Soon as I picked it up I was sick. It only had one tiny spec of blood about the size of a piece of pepper, the whole rest of the arrow was slick with tallow. I search some more but never found any blood. I knew I had hit him high through the back strap. Long story short, while I was in N. Carolina for my grandmother's funeral at Thanksgiving the farmers son killed him chasing a doe. I've got plenty of story's, but this one haunts me the most.

He had 14pts., 14" g2's, split brows, 24 1/4" inside spread, and was 29 1/8" wide from kicker to kicker off his g2's.

Thats me holding him after he got stored in my chest freezer.


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[plinker22]

Thursday evening, Nov 13, 2014...
This is my first time stepping foot on this property. By maps and Google earth, I choose a tree at the West end of the property in a heavy fence line.

Before leaving for West TN, I took my wife to breakfast, then she drove back home and I high tailed it to the West, about a 6 hour drive. I quickly dropped off my stuff at the motel and headed to the land.

I walked in to my chosen spot and picked a tree, this was at 3:35pm. While ascending in my climber, I cut several branches with a small hand saw. My spot had great coverage yet I could see down into the woods and I overlooked a 100 yd x 100 yd secluded corner of cut corn.

By 4 pm I was about ready to sit down and pull up my pack & coat. As I turned to sit down, I see a mature 170" buck in the cut corn at what I later ranged as 54 yds. Thankfully, I had climbed with my muzzleloader and had already placed the 209 primer in the breach. I was no where near ready to shoot, but I went down on one knee, found Mr Bucky 's chest in my cross-hairs and JERKED the Trigger! Yep, I got buck fever and missed that beautiful buck.

The next day he was killed on the adjoining property and now hangs in an office in Nashville.

This deer haunts my dreams! I just count myself blessed to have seen it and had an opportunity to kill him.

 

[MUP]

Guys, I've had a few of the "I blew it" mishaps thru the years, but I'm blessed this season to be able to say that I have now killed the biggest buck I've ever seen while hunting. This does take a little of the sting out of not being able to seal the deal on a couple of big bucks I've had a chance at over the years now. He's not the one in my signature pic btw.

 

[fairchaser]

Re: What's your

180+ buck at 75 yards in KY.
.300 win mag.
Nothing but air and opportunity between us.
I thought he was 50 yards past the property line.
Turned out he was on the property I had permission to hunt by 25 yards.
That pretty much took my fire.
Haven't really deer hunted since.


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Ruger, most of us when tested like that come up lacking. You were tested and passed with flying colors. That's worth more than any buck!

 

[RUGER]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

180+ buck at 75 yards in KY.
.300 win mag.
Nothing but air and opportunity between us.
I thought he was 50 yards past the property line.
Turned out he was on the property I had permission to hunt by 25 yards.
That pretty much took my fire.
Haven't really deer hunted since.


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Ruger, most of us when tested like that come up lacking. You were tested and passed with flying colors. That's worth more than any buck!

Thanks man. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.


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[Stykbow]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

I saw a bachelor group with a nice ten point one evening. So being the brainiac I am I decided I would pick a tree after the following mornings hunt and kill that buck on his evening evening travel route. This is bow season by the way. So next morning I'm hunting the same spot as the evening before. Hunt for a while and walk down to where I saw this buck traveling. Here I am standing in the middle of this field staring at the woods when I see something move out of the corner of my eye. You guessed it. The entire bachelor group of bucks including the big walks up to within 10 yards of the tree I had been in earlier. They just stand there looking at me for a couple minutes and then trot by me in single file at about 60 yards. I damn near puked right there. Only saw him one other time duration my ML season and he was 300 yards out.


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[DMD]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

Guys, I've had a few of the "I blew it" mishaps thru the years, but I'm blessed this season to be able to say that I have now killed the biggest buck I've ever seen while hunting. This does take a little of the sting out of not being able to seal the deal on a couple of big bucks I've had a chance at over the years now. He's not the one in my signature pic btw.

Hey brother, could you post up a pic? I don't think I have seen that buck. Congratulations btw.

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[MUP]

Re: What's your

Guys, I've had a few of the "I blew it" mishaps thru the years, but I'm blessed this season to be able to say that I have now killed the biggest buck I've ever seen while hunting. This does take a little of the sting out of not being able to seal the deal on a couple of big bucks I've had a chance at over the years now. He's not the one in my signature pic btw.

Hey brother, could you post up a pic? I don't think I have seen that buck. Congratulations btw.

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Bret the pics are in the muzzleloader forum, under the "Muzzleloader Success" thread if you want to take a look, story as well.

 

[DMD]

Re: What's your "I blew it" story?

Guys, I've had a few of the "I blew it" mishaps thru the years, but I'm blessed this season to be able to say that I have now killed the biggest buck I've ever seen while hunting. This does take a little of the sting out of not being able to seal the deal on a couple of big bucks I've had a chance at over the years now. He's not the one in my signature pic btw.

Hey brother, could you post up a pic? I don't think I have seen that buck. Congratulations btw.

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Bret the pics are in the muzzleloader forum, under the "Muzzleloader Success" thread if you want to take a look, story as well.

Ok. Thanks.

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[MUP]

And thanks for the congrats brother.

 

[rem270]

. This does take a little of the sting out of not being able to seal the deal on a couple of big bucks.

But just think if you hadn't of blew it you would have them bucks plus your biggest this year :stir: oke:

 

[MUP]

Rub it in, just rub it in why don't ya! :moon: