Heartbroken

[Joec7651]

I had a great trip bow hunting last week but ended up in disbelief. I got a big doe for the freezer but missed a once in a lifetime buck.

I was in my ground blind on the edge of an oak flat that was simply beautiful and LOADED with acorns. I had seen does and a spike all week that I passed. It was about 8:30 this morning and out stepped a bonafide stud. He stopped broadside 15 yards out with no clue I was there. Not a single leaf between the two of us. I’m 49 years old and he was the most impressive buck I’ve ever seen alive, without question. He was bigger than most you see mounted when you walk into a Cabelas.

I already had him caped, butchered and in the freezer. I was so sure of the coming shot that I wasn’t nervous and everything went into slow motion. I drew my bow. Settled the pin behind the shoulder to send the Thunderhead through both lungs. I anchored, the release settled into my jaw, a second passed and I released. Everything was perfect. Except for one small detail.

The lower cam on my PSE hit one of the steel support bars inside my ground blind. I had my bow too close to the front wall of the blind. When the cam hit the blind as it rolled over, I watched that perfect shot that I was so sure of harmlessly stick in the ground a yard before it got to him. I was dumbfounded as I watched him run off with my arrow sticking in the ground next to where he was standing. Completely heartbroken was an understatement.

I’m not joking at all when I say he’s the largest buck I’ve ever seen on the hoof. I’m also not joking when I say at that moment I would have bet my house on the shot I was going to take. It wasn’t to be for me that morning. Boys, don’t put em in the freezer till after you get em strung up and the hide off.

 

[DrMike]

I hurt with you, Joe.

The first mule deer I ever shot was a great deer. Nothing wrong with that. I bleated from a tree blind and he stopped and looked up, no doubt wondering how that hot doe managed to get up in the tree. I shot a perfect shot with my .356 Win and he dropped immediately. At the shot, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Immediately behind my deer--the deer that I had focused on while excluding everything else--stood the largest mulie buck I have ever seen up to that time and since. What a hog! He turned and disappeared into the brush, never to be seen again. Big bucks don't get big by chance, but they can manage to be blessed with incredible luck.

Maybe you'll get a crack at him next year.

 

[Joec7651]

The week of Thanksgiving I’ll be in WV for their gun season with my 308 or 270. The week after that I’ll be back here in Ohio for our gun season. We have to use strait walled rifle rounds here in Ohio. I’ll see if luck smiles on me then, and maybe let the air out of him with a 45-70 slug from my 1895. As big as he is I have no doubt his sons are roaming those same woods. I reckon that’s why it’s called hunting. I’m blessed to have seen him but man was it a bitter mouthful of humble pie.

 

[ShadeTree]

Oh man, I feel for ya. Lost opportunities happen to all of us, each time hurts at the moment. Been many instances I wish I had a do over. Never on a giant, but then again I never killed a giant, so unlike you I never done everything right to get the chance. If any solace to be taken at least you can say that. You outsmarted a giant and had him at 15 yds unaware you were there. Most of us have never accomplished that feat.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've been there too.... but there is a worse scenario... be thankful you missed him clean.

The very worst gut wrenching feeling is hitting one bad and never finding it.

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[NYDAN]

I feel your pain. Sometimes the moon, the stars, and sun just line up for a hunter. I would imagine most of us hunters on this forum have been there is one form or another. As mentioned above, at least it was a clean miss.

Dan

 

[JD338]

Sorry to hear that you missed that monster buck but glad he's still around for a second chance at him.

JD338

 

[Joec7651]

As far as the clean miss goes. That’s one of the things I’m thankful for. That and having been that close to him when he was calm. I’m thankful that it turned out as it did with a clean miss. To have wounded him would have been sickening to my very core.

 

[Silentstalker]

I feel for you. Similar thing happened to my Dad but his cam hit a log he was hiding behind. The target buck was 28”+ mule deer.

Those are the experiences that fill my dreams at night. The big ones that got away... it keeps me going back!!

 

[gbflyer]

Dropped a beautiful 6 point bull on about a 200 yard running shot. Dropped like he was pole-axed. As I patted myself on the back he staggered to his feat. Not wanting to waste meat I foolishly took a head shot. Cleared one main beam clean off. He began walking away and my dad and I both emptied our rifles at him. One drop of blood. Punched my tag and spent 5 days looking. Nothing. Still pains me today and that was 30 years ago.

 

[Joec7651]

Dropped a beautiful 6 point bull on about a 200 yard running shot. Dropped like he was pole-axed. As I patted myself on the back he staggered to his feat. Not wanting to waste meat I foolishly took a head shot. Cleared one main beam clean off. He began walking away and my dad and I both emptied our rifles at him. One drop of blood. Punched my tag and spent 5 days looking. Nothing. Still pains me today and that was 30 years ago.

My cousin had a similar situation. Luckily he didn’t wound the deer though. His buck walked in and he was focused on its antlers, so that’s where his crosshairs went. He fired, and the deer dropped. Walked up to it and saw he had shot one side of its rack off. The deer came to, got up and ran off none the worse for wear. It knocked the deer out long enough for him to walk up to it and watch it run off. :lol: :lol:

 

[Guy Miner]

Stuff happens. To all of us I suppose.

I think we've all had that "one that got away."

Better luck next year!

 

[cloverleaf]

Hang in there- sorry to hear that it happened, but it does happen. Motivates me to shoot more, try and choose good shots only. AND... you got to see a magnificent animal. Fortunately, some times they do "get away". IF not hunting wouldn't be half as much fun. Any chance you could go shed hunting this winter/ spring? CL

 

[noslerpartition]

I had something similar on a driven hunt.
I was in a box stand, which is not ideal.
All windows and the door open.
At the side of the door I saw a sounder of boar running. I picked one out, swung with him and the moment I pulled the trigger, my barrel stopped dead. It hit the door-frame. I saw dirt flying behind him, clear miss. Since then I try to get an open stand...
My instructors always said that the second best shot is the clear miss....
Hope you see him again!

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[Guy Miner]

My instructors always said that the second best shot is the clear miss....


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I feel the same way. If I don't make a killing shot, then I hope I missed the animal completely.

Of course if it's something coming angrily towards me... Well, I'll take any hit I can get! :grin:

Guy

 

[noslerpartition]

My instructors always said that the second best shot is the clear miss....


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I feel the same way. If I don't make a killing shot, then I hope I missed the animal completely.

Of course if it's something coming angrily towards me... Well, I'll take any hit I can get! :grin:

Guy

Ok. If I had an angry boar coming for me I might reconsider a clean miss being the second best shot.
I'd rather take one leg out, prefering the head or boiler room.


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[Joec7651]

I try to live this as well as say this little prayer as best as I can remember before I go out.

 

[sask boy]

Unfortunately if you have hunted for any length of time you have a story of a miscue.
Mine was about 15 years ago when I had a very large Whitetail playing cat and mouse with me. I have a pretty good eye on measuring up buck and this guy was at least 180" and stuck his head out of the bush at approximately 100 yards and was looking to come out, in my mind it was a chip shot so I did not wait for him to clear the bush I placed the cross hairs on the base of is neck and squeezed well he disappeared from my scope and the bush :shock:.

Blessings,
Dan