What's your "I blew it" story?

rem270

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I'm sure everyone has had a "I blew it" type moment that caused you to not get your potentially biggest buck, deer you were after, etc. If you haven't then keep hunting!

Mine was opening day of Ky rifle in 2004. I was sitting in a ladder stand overlooking a cut CRP field with a pretty deep woods behind me. About an hour after daylight I heard something behind me and just a hair to the right. I turned to look and the biggest buck I'd ever laid eyes on at the time was standing 30 yards away. This is going to sound crazy but I was in a 14' ladder stand and I swear on everything he seen me before I seen him and instead of running was trying to skirt past me real slow. The only thing I heard was one twig break and when I turned he was cutting his eyes at me. Call me crazy but that's how it was. I quickly got turned and on him and BOOM. I knew immediately I had missed and was thinking how the heck did that happen. He crossed the field at about 100 yards doing 100 mph and I popped another shot at him that probably didn't get within 20 feet of him. I was plum sick about it. About 30 minutes later another guy killed him on the backside of the property. He was a solid 9 point and all I can remember about him is all the mass. Don't remember how good the tines were but he had tons of mass. I'm guessing he was a 140-150" deer but at the time wasn't into the scoring game.


Let's hear your stories.
 

Biggun4214

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I missed a huge buck in Ohio. He looked like a Jersey bull when he walked up. Probably 24 inch spread with at least 8-10 tines that were up to 12-14 inches long. I was sitting on the ground in a fence row and when he walked up we were sharing it. I took my time and pulled the trigger of my muzzleloader. He ran out into the field about 40 yards and stopped. Nothing between us except a branch about 2 feet tall. There were primers, powder pellets, and bullets all over the ground. He stood there long enough for me to get my gun loaded but not primed, then walked into a nearby thicket.

He was probably 3 yards when I shot. After thinking about what I did, I probably cut brown with my scope and shot under his belly. I may have scorched him a little as well.

I have a 130+ 10 point that this deer could have carried off. LOL
 

hunter0925

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Just this weekend I missed a 160 class Ohio bruiser. 15 scoreable points with stickers and splits and kickers off the bases. I shot in front of him when he stopped because I never quit following through, then got reloaded and shot over him. I'm sick. The bad part is I have trail cam pics of him and my misses are on video.
 

PickettSFHunter

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What's your "I blew it" story?

Shot a arrow under a 150 class deer with a perfect drop tine on public land in Northwest TN just this year. I was sick. Walked in blind based on aerial maps, hung a stand, smoked a doe, then five minutes later made that big mistake. Rushed the shot and it cost me.


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huntintn

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

Monster 8 this year, was out of tags after finishing off a crippled buck a few weeks before. He did stay in the food plot 50 yards away for 20 minutes.

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Mike Belt

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I've posted this before but here goes again. A deer drive I wasn't a part of. I knew the lay of the land and circled around behind the drivers. I climbed a tree almost where the drivers had started. It wasn't long and I could see antlers coming my way. The buck stopped behind a pine 30 yards away and was pulling honeysuckle out of the tree and munching away. He had antlers going everywhere and looked to be at least a 20 point 200" buck. I couldn't see his body but I could see his head. I kept my crosshairs on the white circle around his eye but never squeezed the trigger because I didn't want to possibly screw up his head. Wind was in my favor and I never moved a muscle. I figured he'd step clear any second. He didn't. He backed right back up into the thicket of pines he'd come through and I never saw him again.
 

Buzzard Breath

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

Mine's also an Ohio muzzleloader buck story. [emoji848]

I was sitting in a saddle, on public land, and a big buck came running right at me. About 30 yards out he slowed to a walk and I took a rushed shot and missed. He stopped and started looking around at the sound of the gun. I attempted to reload, but never finished before he decided that it would be best if he made a quick exit. Tall, narrow rack, with tines sticking up everywhere.

That one will stick in my mind forever.

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rem270

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Re: What's your

PickettSFHunter":6oosy0s2 said:
Shot a arrow under a 150 class deer with a perfect drop tine on public land in Northwest TN just this year. I was sick. Walked in blind based on aerial maps, hung a stand, smoked a doe, then five minutes later made that big mistake. Rushed the shot and it cost me.


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NW Tn I'll assume Reelfoot NWR? Not being nosey just making conversation lol. Got a few buddies who have hunted it in years past and they've killed some nice bucks. One was a 168" 13 pt.
 

BAMA BOW MERKER

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Shot a doe with my bow in Kentucky about 6 years ago. Had no clue there was a legit 160 in deer I had on camera within 15 yds. She ran 50 yds and piled up. He went and stood over her for 5 minutes then left.
 

BAMA BOW MERKER

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

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reloadxx

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

I have one it was 2016 i was driving into my hunting land one morning late during muzzleloader and I seen him running across the road. I had never got pictures of this deer and I run camera year round. Well I move camera and got pictures of the deer and knew when and where he was crossing. So I went after him I was in the woods it was 9am and my wife calls she never calls when I am hunting so I thought something was wrong. Nope she just called to talk so I was setting there after the phone call thinking she screw my hunt. Wrong again 5 min later 5 doe come out in my shooting lane at 100 yards. My lane was only 30 yards wide but 175 yards long. Well doe went threw and I had my gun ready thinking he was behind them 10min pass and nothing put the gun down and out he comes walking across my shooting lane at 100 yards he want stop so I yell he stops facing away from he. I had about 30 seconds to decide shoot up the the butt or in the back of the head and I couldn't make my self take that shot and like he appeared he disappeared I have never laid eyes on him again I am still sick over this deer. Here is his mug shot
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Gravey

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Had a nice buck cruise right by me at dark probably 20 years ago. I'm talking 15-20 yard bow range chip shot. Put the crosshairs on it and click...nothing. Deer heard it and took off a short distance so I tried to chamber one but too late. Once I climbed the tree i never put one in the chamber.
 

PickettSFHunter

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

rem270":2mi0z7nh said:
PickettSFHunter":2mi0z7nh said:
Shot a arrow under a 150 class deer with a perfect drop tine on public land in Northwest TN just this year. I was sick. Walked in blind based on aerial maps, hung a stand, smoked a doe, then five minutes later made that big mistake. Rushed the shot and it cost me.


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NW Tn I'll assume Reelfoot NWR? Not being nosey just making conversation lol. Got a few buddies who have hunted it in years past and they've killed some nice bucks. One was a 168" 13 pt.

Not Reelfoot but i would prefer not to say on an open forum since I do go every year and will probably start going several times a year since EHD cleaned us out good.


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rem270

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Re: What's your

PickettSFHunter":pnf2mrkv said:
rem270":pnf2mrkv said:
PickettSFHunter":pnf2mrkv said:
Shot a arrow under a 150 class deer with a perfect drop tine on public land in Northwest TN just this year. I was sick. Walked in blind based on aerial maps, hung a stand, smoked a doe, then five minutes later made that big mistake. Rushed the shot and it cost me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
NW Tn I'll assume Reelfoot NWR? Not being nosey just making conversation lol. Got a few buddies who have hunted it in years past and they've killed some nice bucks. One was a 168" 13 pt.

Not Reelfoot but i would prefer not to say on an open forum since I do go every year and will probably start going several times a year since EHD cleaned us out good.


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No harm done there and don't blame you. Thought maybe it was a draw hunt or something and a one time thing is why I asked.
 

infoman jr.

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I could a write a book of screwups from my 2016 season.

I shot and lost this buck, a 7x4, in velvet. He survived and ended up being killed by the neighbors in rifle season.


I missed this buck at 25 yards in November. I just choked. My hunting partner killed him the following morning a few hundred yards away.


A few days later, I had shot a doe because I hadn't killed a deer yet. I was sitting on the ground beside the doe on a woods road waiting on my buddy to bring the ranger to me, and up trotted a doe followed by a big 10. The buck stopped 5 yards away from me looking away. I had time to put my release on, but there was nothing I could do. I knew better than to shoot a doe in the rut.

Again in November, I was 30 yards from this deer when his picture was being taken (same place as the previous encounter). That stand faced the other direction and I didn't see him until he was at 20 yards behind me. I grabbed my bow, and I decided I needed to pivot the EZ Hanger out of the way so my limb wouldn't hit. He saw me and bounded off. I could have just shot him while sitting.


After all that, I just used my buck tag on a doe and called it quits for the year.
 

THEdonkey0515

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I've told this on here before.

2016 season Last week over muzzy a buck that would have ranked my 3ed best all time nice big 8 got away from me....

I was in one of my favorite locations up in a tree well before daylight with thick pines to my back over looking a hard woods ridge. When I hear something behind me in the pines walking right to me. Stand up turn around gun up only for about 6 hen turkeys to start popping out. They stay in the pines making noise for a good while. About 30 mins later once again something of good size trashing around in the pines heading my way thinking to myself hear comes the turkeys back when the big 8 comes running out around 70 yards give him a little maaaaa call with my mouth stops dead broadside. Put my brand new first year using it to Thomson center impact 50cal right in the sweet spot pull the trigger BANG flop down done deal. So I thought. A few moments later dad who is hunting on the same lease just us that day is texting me asking if I had shot he knew where I was, & like I said just us on the lease so he had a pretty good idea it was me.

So while texting him back explaining what had just happened telling him I got a deer down it looked like a good one something else starts to make its way from the thicket.....A doe.... guessing he was chasing her in the pines was some of the load noise I was hearing. during all this I never bothered to reload. my deer is still laying there stiff as a board deader then a doorknob. A few moments go by I'm focused on the doe know just watching her as she makes her way down until she spots my buck she is looking at him kinda funny. So I slowly turn to look also it's been a good 10-12mins by now. To my surprise his starting to wiggle around & getting back to his feet not only that, but once he gets back to his feet he starts walking right at her right at me like nothing never happened. I'm almost kinda shocked so I just set and watch in what seemed like 2 seconds his 20 yards away then it hits me I need to reload, but it was to late I moved a inch they both take off.

It looked like some dumped a gallon on red paint out were he was down. Never was able to recover him after a few hundred yards trail got ice cold. Looked & looked for that deer.
 

GRIT

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I guess you can call this i blew it.Back in 1989 or 1990 i was hunting in Goodlettsville tn this was like 3 houses down from being in the city limits.I had seen 3 huge bucks in that spot one morning during the last week of bow season i had the largest one of them come to within 30 to 35 yards of me but i didn't take the shot thought i would wait for rifle next week and get him then. Well the guy 4 houses down that lived in the city limits killed him during opening day of rifle and he got in all kinds of trouble and they took the buck from him it was a 16 point typical that would have field dressed way over 250 .I felt so sorry for the guy that killed him when they took his deer.To this day that was the largest rack i have ever seen on a buck.
 

fairchaser

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hunter0925":sy9ah0g3 said:
Just this weekend I missed a 160 class Ohio bruiser. 15 scoreable points with stickers and splits and kickers off the bases. I shot in front of him when he stopped because I never quit following through, then got reloaded and shot over him. I'm sick. The bad part is I have trail cam pics of him and my misses are on video.

You need to post those videos. We've all been there but most of us don't get them on video.
 

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