Hunting Blunders

[Widowmaker]

What was the biggest blunder you made that kept you from getting that trophy that you were after?
__________________


Mine was on a bull elk,It was late evening,and I had been pursuing a bull (approx.290" P&Y 6x6)w/cows for over three hours,when the wind swirled and I backed off onto another ridge to watch them appear out of the timber on a hogback,headed down to feed after dark.I only had about 20 minutes till dark,and it was about a half a mile over to the ridge that they were on,and I shed my backpack and started running down the ridge I was on,and up the other side of theirs,while side-hilling around in front of them.As I crept up to peek over the top,I saw him feeding perfectly broadside to me,with the herd of cows on the other side of him feeding unaware of my presence!I ranged him at 40 yds,bent over to draw my bow back(while panting heavily from the run over to there),starting straightening up and settling my pin behind his shoulder,when my rangefinder fell out of my front shirt pocket,and "clanked" off of my brace of my bow,and watched in disbelief as the whole herd bolted out of there in a split second!
__________________

[Hot4huntin]

I bet that was a sick feeling!!

Bobby and I were predator calling one night under a full moon. I was behind a metal gate and was about to draw back on a yote that was coming in to the call. I knocked my arrow off my rest and it clanked against the gate. Of course, the yote didn't hang around.

[Dahmer]

My worst blunder was on a spot and stalk pronghorn hunt. I stalked within 50 yards of a bedded buck and was just waiting on him to stand to get off a shot. I noticed a badger heading towards me so I threw a small dirt clot at him. That stupid badger started making awful sounds and ran at me. Well I decided the smart thing to do would be to run from him yelling and cussing. Needless to say the pronghorn didn't stay put after that stunt. I ended up killing the crazed badger, but my pronghorn tag went unfilled that season.

I HATE BADGERS!

[BIG D]

I shot under a big, old 8 point I was hunting last year at about 14 yds. I think I was in so much disbelief that he was actually standing in front of me, I forgot how to shoot my bow......

[Bucks&Broadheads]

Had an arrow pop off my string during my draw on a nice 8 pt. last season. Luckily, I was using a WB at the time and it caught the arrow. The buck was nervous but stuck around long enough for me to knock the arrow again. So i drew back, and it popped off AGAIN! This time the deer took off and I was left wondering how I failed to knock my arrow properly not once, but twice

[trailboss]

A couple of years ago I had a doe come in right at last light. I got in a hurry on the shot because I was about to run out of filming light. I shot at the doe and shot over her back. Okay no big deal - just a doe.

Well I got back to camp and was reviewing the video and though I couldn't see it from my angle, the camera could - a nice 10 pt buck about 140ish was just 2 steps from being in my shooting lane!

Trailboss

[Hog Exterminator]

Ha Ha bow crazy, back when he was shooting the smoking pole, took down his feeder in one bullet. shot all the way through the leg, missed the buck, and almost brought the feeder down on the buck! he would have if the buck was a little bit slower.

[Bucks&Broadheads]

Ha Ha bow crazy, back when he was shooting the smoking pole, took down his feeder in one bullet. shot all the way through the leg, missed the buck, and almost brought the feeder down on the buck! he would have if the buck was a little bit slower.

Now that's funny! I Would love to see the video of that

[BIG D]

TB, that had to hurt just a little.

[12ring]

Biggest Blunder I made was bowhunting all year long. If I'd of had a rifle on more than one occassion, I'd have some pretty nice deer on the wall ! Last year, 2 weeks before seasons end, I was in the bowstand. Had my bow AND a .30-30 in the tree. Had about a 135" 9 pt walk out. A good 30 minutes before dark. Eating corn @ 15 yards, broadside, head down, looking the opposite direction. Got my bow off the hanger, release hooked, but when I drew, he spooked. I have no idea what he heard. I heard nothing. A small 8 pt @ 10 yards heard nothing. The 8 pt remained there, eating corn. The 9 pt ran about 30 yards and stopped in some semi-brush for a split second. If I'd have picked up the gun first, it would've been a different story!

[trailboss]

Biggest Blunder I made was bowhunting all year long. If I'd of had a rifle on more than one occassion, I'd have some pretty nice deer on the wall ! Last year, 2 weeks before seasons end, I was in the bowstand. Had my bow AND a .30-30 in the tree. Had about a 135" 9 pt walk out. A good 30 minutes before dark. Eating corn @ 15 yards, broadside, head down, looking the opposite direction. Got my bow off the hanger, release hooked, but when I drew, he spooked. I have no idea what he heard. I heard nothing. A small 8 pt @ 10 yards heard nothing. The 8 pt remained there, eating corn. The 9 pt ran about 30 yards and stopped in some semi-brush for a split second. If I'd have picked up the gun first, it would've been a different story!

That ain't a blunder - that's just bowhunting!

Trailboss

[JRL]

I had my trigger pull lightened from the factory setting over the summer and only shot it one time to make sure it was on sight. I shot over the back of an awesome sotx 8 point. I was lucky enough to have him come right back in the next morning. This time I hit him, but it was low and forward (apparently I develped a big twitch with the new trigger adjustment). There was alot of fleshy blowback and good blood for about 100 yards, but I never found him. We searched for hours. That was definitely the low point of my young hunting career. I was physically sick.

Lesson learned: practice shooting a lot more (especially with the change in trigger pull) and get completely comfortable with your weapon

[bowhunterhelm]

Well not mine but I'll spill the beans on Tejasbowhunter since I filmed the entire event.

We spotted a large, surely gold metal axis browsing in a pasture with several does. We put the stalk on the axis and belly crawled to the edge of a tree line. When we cleared the tree line the axis was standing in the open and Shane got to take his time and wait for the perfect shot. The axis was only 100 yards away and would have been a gravy shot with the 270. I got the camera on and told Shane I was on him and to shoot when he got the chance. Silence for about 10 seconds and then "click", I asked him what the hell was going on. He worked the action on his rifle, I thought he had forgotten to put a round in the chamber. I told him I was on the axis again and to hurry up and shoot. Silence for about 10 second and then "click". I then asked him what the f&^$ was going on. By now the axis were growing leery of the clicking sound coming from the tree line. We retreated into the brush to find out what the heck was going on with his rifle. Of course the muzzle was pointing straight at the ground the entire time.

We found out what the problem was, and it could have been disastrous. Shane had grabbed a few 243 shells on his way out the door. He and his son had been hunting earlier and he unintentionally got the wrong ones. Luckily the gun didn't explode.

Shane now has the nick name "Click" and we've run it into the ground ribbing and joking with him for the past few years.

He never got that axis but got an even better one a few weeks later.

[Chance Love]

Man, I've had a bunch of them. Years ago on my old lease (near Brady) I saw a nice 8 point (130") feeding in a field late one evening. I went in at lunch the next day and built a small brush blind near "his" corner. I went back at 2:00 and got ready for a long sit. He cam out a little before dark and looked freakin' awesome! He finally came in range. When I drew my bow, I managed to roll my pants leg in my cam and rolled my string right off the bow! That is definately a mistake I make sure I will never do again. BTW, I never saw that buck again.

[huntmaster]

I've got tooooo many to tell just one, so I wont tell any.