So what's your's?

[keep]

What's the animal that you had in front of you or you had working in and you boogered the animal? Do you think about it often or loose sleep over it? I'm talking about one that you HAD and blew it.

I have 2 but only one haunts me. The first and the one that haunts me less is a whitetail 2 years ago. I had him at 15 yds, me at full draw and him broadside watching does. I shot and my cam hit my leg and I completely missed. He was about 127-130 10pt and would have been my biggest by 7-10 pts and my first book deer but that's not my worst.

Last year I was up north moose hunting. I had a bull on a string coming and I made a mistake and quit calling but didn't know that was wrong at that point.
He was at the water and I could hear him walking through it. The water was within 100yds of me. I would grunt and he would grunt back and when he did I could feel it vibrate in my chest, almost like when you turn the bass way up on your radio. That was a bit intimidating because then he felt close.
I got back to camp and told the guys and Eric said once he answers you, you then repeat everything he does from then on and he will come right it ready to fight. I mistakenly assumed like turkey and elk once you have them coming for sure you stop calling and let them come in. Nope, not these, you want them to find you and see you with your fake antler up so they want to fight and will start posturing and get that rut crazed mentality so they will walk right into the shot.
Every time I hear about moose or see a video I think back to this blown opportunity. Eric also said that moose specific moose was almost 60" which is huge for that area. They hadn't been able to shoot him the last couple years so that makes it worse. This one haunts me.

So, what's the one that you blew and now loose sleep over?(not just didn't get a shot but a mistake you made that cost you)

[Geezy Rider]

First time I put in for elk in New Mexico. I drew opening weekend, mature bull. Had a 5x5 at twenty yards. All he had to do was take two more steps and I would of had a clear shot at him. His harem spooked ( to this day I don't know why.), he followed them back down the mountain and I couldn't get the shot. Yeah, that one bothers me. What went wrong?

[Osceola]

I was hunting just north of Chama New Mexico one morning and had a 6 by 6 elk come walking in at 30 yards.He lacked about 2 steps being out in the open broad side when he stopped and started smelling the wind.I had the wind in my face but he slowly turned and walked away.About 2 minutes later a man came walking up the mountain toward me.If he would have just been a few minutes later.

[ecallarman]

I was bowhunting in south texas a few year back and decided to out of the ground blind right before dark and head back to the 4 wheeler. I had taken my release off and put my arrows in my back pack. As I stepped out onto the road mister monster buck was about 40 yards walking with head head down eating corn headed right towards me. He was huge, 12pt appx 140-150 class deer. He was a beast! I started shaking trying to figure out what to do while hidding behind a mesquite bush. Mind you I had never taken a deer with my bow at this point. I put my release back on and was trying to fighting with my back pack to try and unzip it quitely but fast. I finally got an arrow knocked and now I start thinking, should I just kneel where I was and wait for him to come in front of me (would be 10 yards) or stand up and draw while I took a slight step out? I decided to stand up and draw and by the way all of this seems like 10 minutes have gone by. I am steadily telling myself aim low, aim low, third pin, third pin. DOn't forget I am shaking. SO I stand up and draw and take a step out and BAM he is right in front of me at appx. 7 yards with his head still down eating. For some reason I still put my third pin on him low and let the arrow fly. I watched the arrow go right over his back. The arrow hit some cactus on the other side of the road and he runs over to the cactus where the arrow was to see what that noise was. He NEVER knew I was there. Before I can get another arrow knocked he walks of into the thick brush. I think about that all the time. By the way it was at First Point.After I told the ranch manger of the story he calmly reaplied that he knew what buck I was talking about and that it was probably one of the biggest on the ranch. He also smartly said "I thought I got all the dumb deer off this ranch"

[Casey]

The buck below, I had at 16 yards the next morning after taking this photo. I was just waiting for more shooting/video light. I could have shot him, but I waited. Just as I got ready to do it, a hog walked in and scared him off.








This buck popped out at a little over 20 yards the evening after the morning I took this pic. I shot right under him. I thought my 20 yard pin would work but he was further than I thought. Trickyolgus shot him a few weeks later and he scored in the mid 170s.

[HoffDawg]

I was 16, just started bow hunting, came around the bend in my grandfathers woods. I heard a grunt, turned and looked, seen a huge 18-20pt standing and a little thicket. slowly brought my bow up, and i couldn't draw it. I was shaking so bad. he grunted once more and then took off.

When gun season opened, my dad shot a nice 10pt, took it to the check station, and there was the monster I seen with my bow. Ended up being a 22pt.

[HoffDawg]

Another one was, I was about 19 or 20. Was hunting our neighbors hay field. Had a really nice scrape and rub in the corner of the the woods line next to the field. Just about 7:30 opening morning of gun season, I see a deer come up from the bottom of the hill. I shoot it goes down. Ended up being a button buck. Then I hear the sound of running through a frosted corn field, which was behind me. I run over to the edge of the woods line and I see about 15 deer going across the field, away from me. Had a few nice bucks in the herd.

Don't know if they would of came on to the property I was hunting, but there was a real nice trail coming out of that field to the corner where the rub and scrape were at.

[Smart]

A twelve point when I was 13......My Dad has seen in him and his tall white antlers down in our bottoms and stood within 40 yards from him but could not get a shot through the thick grass. The deer stood up and knew something was up but couldn't see my Dad. All dad could see was the tops of his antlers. He said the deer literally disappeared as he waited for him to make a move....

I saw him the next weekend in a stand close to the bottoms and missed him at 30 yards. My Mohawk 600 slid off the tire I had leaned it on and bumped the scope. I was too scared to tell my Dad so I just took it and went hunting hoping it would be OK. My Dad would have been upset with me for not taking better care of my gun and I just panicked. He would have gone in to get my brothers Browning .308 had I told him so it was all on me. I forgot all about the gun being bumped when I saw the deer... plus I was probably just hoping it was still on. Needless to say it was shooting 7" high and I evidently shot right over its back at 30 yards. For several years, I could see that big wide deer with all those points running across the open bottom land while I laid in bed at night....I'm OK with it now but this thread isn't helping...LOL..

[Gerald G]

In Alberta moose hunting, I had really nice moose broadside at 25 yards. The only problem was that one little twig in the middle of my shooting hole. I still don`t regret passing the shot, I just wish things had worked out a little different. But I still think about it all the time.

[stuntriderant]

Was hunting about 10 miles from Garvins store in Kimble county. Sittin in a tripod tucked back in a cedar thicket over looking an opening on a bottom about 30 yards off the ranch road. Had a very mature blackbuck come in on a string! I let him get comfy and broadsided. I drew my bow and right at full draw he looked up right at me and bolted. I wanted to cry. First time I have seen a free ranging blackbuck on that ranch. Never seen another since.

[WCB]

I was hunting my second year on a season lease at the old BAO and had a beautiful 10pt at 18 yds perfect broadside looking away and calm as could be. I'm in a ladder stand about 12' up in an old oak with the wind slowly blowing from left to right. He was and still is the biggest deer I have ever seen while hunting. My mind had him at 160 but in reality he was probably 140/145. Very typical, no trash and as symmetrical as you can get.
As I drew I just knew he was going to hear my breathing or the arrow sliding across the rest. I made full draw and was surprisingly calm. Just me and this majestic beast. In an instant I tagged the release and sent the arrow flying toward this hoss only to clip a small limb in the tree I was sitting in and take a dive. It clipped him low on the brisket...
This was right before dark and I headed to camp and got Bjohn (Brian) to help me track. We tracked drops of blood in the dark for an hour and a half and maybe 150 yds.
Followed up the next morning with tuffbroadhead (Dale) and leoparddogs (Tony) 2 tracking dogs. Went another 100 yds and the trail petered out. Never found him or any other sign and we looked for hours...
I still kick myself in the arse on that one!!

[100%TtId]

There's an axis and a sika in Kerr county that haunt my sleep on a regular basis. The scene plays out over and over, like Groundhog Day, always with the same result....a miss.

It drives me to raise my skill level and work harder at being successful.

[WCB]

#2 was on public land still hunting in the rain during archery season. I had walked in a couple hundred yards and started my stalk. Stand at a tree for 10 minutes and check out every twig, limb, opening, whatever. Slowly walk no more than 10' to another tree and watch for another 10 minutes. I continued this for about an hour and finally heard movement to my right. Had a doe walk within 7 yds. but didn't have a shot. Just wasn't ready and as she passed me she kept looking back. She eventually noticed me but in full camo she wasn't sure what I was. At 10 yds and in front of me she dipped once and then busted out of there like no ones business.
I then took off my backpack and squatted. As I watched where she came from I heard a slight rustle in the wet leaves. About the time I got my release attached to the loop an awesome straight up 12 pt. stopped at 7 yds to my right. Honestly thought I was going to **** my pants!!
Anywho, he was follow the doe and walked to about the same spot she spotted me and looked around. He saw me but had no idea what I was as I was completely camoed and squatting down. He dipped once and I thought it was over. But no. He dipped again trying to get me to move!! No way was I going to move. As he dipped the third time I knew he was going to bust soon so I drew as quick as I could and took aim. He bolted away but still quartering and I knew I had him. As the arrow released he went down in a small draw and I missed just over his back...
**** the luck!!

[Grayson]

You don't wanna know.

[WCB]

You don't wanna know.

Yes we do...