The Hunt That Haunts Me!

[hogslayer78]

I figured I would share a hunting story that didn't turn out the way I hoped after 6 yrs of trying. This hunt will forever haunt me and one I will never forget! As we inch closer to bow season I can't help but think about these two deer which I know have spread there genes over the last several years. The first buck in my first couple pics I seen the first time in 2013 and he was probably a 4 yr old and very nice deer for East Texas. I started bow hunting in 2012 and I have killed numerous doe and pigs with my bow and bucks with a rifle but never with my bow. I have passed several young shooters and spikes but just never could get the chance on a big one. In 2014 this big buck came out on me the last weekend of October and never gave me a shot opportunity. Man was I pumped up after seeing him but still let down for no shot opportunity. I had pics of this guy up until 2017. Fast foward to October 28th 2018. I was sitting in a tree stand and passed a young 3yr old about 14" that morning and never seen anything else. It was about 10 am and we needed to pack up and head back towards Houston. I text my wife and said I was about to pack up and climb down and she said just sit till 11. At 10:50 am I caught movement and new it was the biggest buck I would possibly get a shot on in East Texas over the last 6 years of bow hunting. My heart was racing as he stepped out into my opening. He circled around and started to leave and I whistled at him. As he stopped I was at full draw and he gave me a quartering away shot at 18yrds and I let it fly! I knew I hit him and I knew the shot was a little high but at the angle I was shooting 18ft up I just knew I got lungs and he was probably 40 or 50 yrds away. My heart was racing and I text my wife and father in law and told them I shot a stud and I felt really good about the shot. I waited an hour and they came to meet me and we started the search. 10 yrds behind the feeder I find the broken arrow that penetrated the opposite side and it was broke off at 19 1/2". I just knew I smoked him. That day from then on has forever haunted me! We found 1 drop of blood where the arrow was laying and nothing else. We grid searched for 4 hours and came up empty handed! I was in the garage today and came across this 19 1/2" piece of arrow and replayed this hunt in my mind like it was yesterday. Im posting some pics of what im sure was the dad and the one I shot both from 2017. I know there different deer because the older one I had at 7 or 8 then had a broken left brow and the pic of the one I shot from Dec 2017 had both brow tines and he was a little bigger in 2018. The last pic is of one that made it through last year and I hope comes back around this year. Could that possibly be him? I seriously doubt but there genes are there for sure. Big bucks always show up around mid Oct on our property and stay around till Jan. Hopefully this year will be the year I can finally cross off my trophy buck with a bow. Its not always the great hunts we remember the most. Sometimes its the one's that continue to haunt us.

[Pineywoods]

Been there Mike. Hope you get a sure enough wall hanger with your bow this year!

[brokeno]

About 6-7 years ago I had a buck with about a 7-8 inch drop tine. Rifle season was starting the next Saturday and the deer Was hit and miss coming to the feeder. I had gotten off work early and had an eye dr appt and they dilated my eyes. I got home with plenty of daylight so I hurried to my ground blind. Sure enought the drop tine buck comes in at about 18-20 yards and I had a perfect broad side shot but being the idiot I am I was trying to video the kill and he stepped out of frame. He circled a few times and I'm still trying to video my shot. I finally took a shot that I should not have taken and shot the drop tine buck too far back I guess in the liver. I didn't get shot on video but videoed the buck trot off about 60 yards hunched up and then walked into some mesquites. I replayed the video and thought surely he will lay down there and I'll get in a couple of hours. I went back to the house and ate supper and went back 2 hours later and not a sign of blood, buck or anything. I looked for an hour or so and found nothing. I thought I'll find him in the morning. I was there hours before daylight listening for coyotes of anything. After daylight I again looked for blood, hair or anything. I looked for the deer for 3 days straight and nothing and keep looking for him the rest of the season and never found anything. That's when I decided screw trying to video your shot on a big deer. I had him at 18-20 yards and didn't shoot because of trying to get the perfect video.

[Texas Grown]

Just shoot-em! That's a lotta sausage!

[fish4food]

Good luck this season!

I’m still haunted by my rifle misses 2 years ago.

Scope rings came loose.

[Quackerbox]

Pretty you and I spoke that day.

It happens to everyone

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[hogslayer78]

About 6-7 years ago I had a buck with about a 7-8 inch drop tine. Rifle season was starting the next Saturday and the deer Was hit and miss coming to the feeder. I had gotten off work early and had an eye dr appt and they dilated my eyes. I got home with plenty of daylight so I hurried to my ground blind. Sure enought the drop tine buck comes in at about 18-20 yards and I had a perfect broad side shot but being the idiot I am I was trying to video the kill and he stepped out of frame. He circled a few times and I'm still trying to video my shot. I finally took a shot that I should not have taken and shot the drop tine buck too far back I guess in the liver. I didn't get shot on video but videoed the buck trot off about 60 yards hunched up and then walked into some mesquites. I replayed the video and thought surely he will lay down there and I'll get in a couple of hours. I went back to the house and ate supper and went back 2 hours later and not a sign of blood, buck or anything. I looked for an hour or so and found nothing. I thought I'll find him in the morning. I was there hours before daylight listening for coyotes of anything. After daylight I again looked for blood, hair or anything. I looked for the deer for 3 days straight and nothing and keep looking for him the rest of the season and never found anything. That's when I decided screw trying to video your shot on a big deer. I had him at 18-20 yards and didn't shoot because of trying to get the perfect video.

Man that sucks! We read so many successful hunts but rarely do we talk about the bad ones we won't forget. That's why I figured I would share mine. I have lots of great bow hunts I treasure but this was a bad one I won't forget.

[Johnny Dangerr]

I had 2 mule deer bucks come out on a ridge that my land owner told me were way to far away to shoot. I am positive to this day they were 200 yards out and a easy shot.
Couple of years later we got a good map of the area. {Davis Mountains} and they were on the neighbors land. I could of gotten in a world of trouble for killing one.
Still haunts me 20 years later....................

[Tuffbroadhead]

I have been fortunate enough to not have a bow hunt that haunted me because of a choice to let one fly, hitting a critter with no recovery would be a hard pill to swallow for sure.