John Warren
Member
Everyone misses. Which one taught you the most and which one haven’t you forgiven?
Misses That Still Bother You
- Thread starter John Warren
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Kyle Wright
Active member
Seventeen years ago, I missed this buck with my bow. I think about the shot two or three times a week. Thanks for bringing it up.
olsensoutdoors
Member
Not a miss, but shot my biggest buck ever at 35 yards quartering away with a bow a few years ago. Hit him a little back but had good blood for about 80 yards after that nothing. I spend the next 3 days gridding that whole area walking roughly 20 miles total. Never found him. We think he was around 170”. Still have nightmares about it and is the only animal I have ever lost with my bow sadly.
@Terry Houin remember that second doe we never found on the doe cull? I think about her every single day.
The first wild turkey that I ever missed still haunts me.
Partially because I missed a second one like 10 minutes later, and partially because @Don Trump Jr. was there to witness both...and then thoughtfully message our friends group to inform them of what happened.
Partially because I missed a second one like 10 minutes later, and partially because @Don Trump Jr. was there to witness both...and then thoughtfully message our friends group to inform them of what happened.
W
William
Guest
Missed a bobcat about a decade ago from my buddy’s truck.
Got out, left the cab doors open and came back to the seats clawed up and a steaming shit on the dashboard. Havent left the doors open since.
Got out, left the cab doors open and came back to the seats clawed up and a steaming shit on the dashboard. Havent left the doors open since.
Michael Teague
Member
Black bear. 100 yard shot with my
.308 Henry long ranger. Barrel was destroyed, I guess during the pandemic ammo shortage companies were using whatever they got and I got some corrosive bulk .308.
Anyways I zeroed the rifle in with handloads shooting 4” groups at 100. Good enough to kill I figured.
Seated and resting the rifle on the side of a tree, I had a perfect sight picture, crosshairs on the vitals, squeezed the trigger and watched the bear react. The shot broke its front right leg, and she tumbled 50 yards down the side of the draw… got back up… I fired again…. Dropped, and back up again, limping and doing its best to run down the rocky draw… I pulled out my .44 mag and just let it have it. I think I shot it in the body twice before I started aiming for the head. Two shots landed. Blew the jaw apart. I felt incredibly bad for it.
I sent that rifle back to Henry and they replaced it with another, no questions asked, and everything I’ve killed with the new one has dropped on the spot.
I also learned a little about the inadequacies of .44 mag and bears. One of the hornady XTPs fell out from under the skin as we pulled the hide off.
But yeah, not a miss per se, but a pretty good learning experience that’ll stay with me forever.
.308 Henry long ranger. Barrel was destroyed, I guess during the pandemic ammo shortage companies were using whatever they got and I got some corrosive bulk .308.
Anyways I zeroed the rifle in with handloads shooting 4” groups at 100. Good enough to kill I figured.
Seated and resting the rifle on the side of a tree, I had a perfect sight picture, crosshairs on the vitals, squeezed the trigger and watched the bear react. The shot broke its front right leg, and she tumbled 50 yards down the side of the draw… got back up… I fired again…. Dropped, and back up again, limping and doing its best to run down the rocky draw… I pulled out my .44 mag and just let it have it. I think I shot it in the body twice before I started aiming for the head. Two shots landed. Blew the jaw apart. I felt incredibly bad for it.
I sent that rifle back to Henry and they replaced it with another, no questions asked, and everything I’ve killed with the new one has dropped on the spot.
I also learned a little about the inadequacies of .44 mag and bears. One of the hornady XTPs fell out from under the skin as we pulled the hide off.
But yeah, not a miss per se, but a pretty good learning experience that’ll stay with me forever.
I’ve been pissed when friends or clients missed, but never mad enough to shit on the dashboard
olsensoutdoors
Member
Me and buddy both tried to double up on turkeys a few years back, had em at 15 steps. Did a count down and everything. We both missed I don’t know how but talk about a kick in the stones. Always heard it could happen just believed it to be folklore.
Somehow this is better than him hitting and you missing
Michael Sullivan
Member
Had the buck of a lifetime come into 20yrds while bowhunting. Stopped with it's vitals directly behind a tree. Ass & antlers sticking out. Held as long as I could and the second I let down he walked off. Redrew as he stepped behind a giant bush. The following year I clear cut every piece of brush within 40yrds of that stand.
Are we putting misses and hits for animals never recovered in the same category?
John Warren
Member
I would
Then we need all the bow hunters to use this as a confessional
John Warren
Member
*Looks down at my tradbow in disgust, "This is your fault."
A. Lawson
Member
Pronghorn this year. Father in law got me new shooting sticks the night before we went out. I found a great buck pretty early in the morning and was working low spots to get into shooting range when I realized the antelope saw me and was coming right towards me to check me out. 150 yards closer. I couldn’t get steady on the new sticks, and had never practiced with them but I pulled the trigger. He took off about 50 yards and turned back broadside to look at me. I drilled him right through the heart on the second one. I had never rushed a shot like that and couldn’t believe I missed an antelope that came to me. Well, I got up to him and realized I didn’t miss. I got shot him and the bullet exited out right through the family jewels. 300 WM blew his dick right off, urine just running out onto the ground. While I didn’t miss the animal it haunts me that I rushed a shot and it couldn’t have gone worse for the animal. I just thank the Lord I was able to kill quick with the follow up.
Rjohnson.307
Well-known member
Two specific times haunt me to this day.
Both were archery hunts.
1. 350" class bull elk on a general tag public land. Snuck in to the fringe of a herd bull and his heram. He was moving his cows up the mountain to bed and I was trailing right behind. They held up in a small patch of aspens and I started to give him some sweet cow sounds followed up with a bugle to coax him out. He came out of the aspens screaming, I ranged him at 50yds. I came to full draw and settled my 50 pin in the center of his chest as he was in mid bugle with steam rolling from his lungs in the cold morning air. I said to my self "You're dead" and touched it off. In disbelief my arrow sailed less than an inch over his back. He turned and took his cows out of the country. I didnt take into consideration the steep up hill angle. Should've put my pin under his arm pit.
2. Big Mule deer. September 1st, opening day of archery. I glassed up a bachelor group of buck feeding at first light. In this group was a gorgeous mature buck with huge G2's(see pic below). I took some pics through the spotter and waited for them to bed. Once the group bedded in the tall sage and I began the 700yd stalk. The last 100yds i was crawling on hands and knees, at 30yds from the bush I marked the bucks near, a small buck sensed something was up. He stood and stared me down, the gig was up. I was crouched on my knees and came to full draw as the rest of the bucks stood. The large buck stood at a guessed 30yds broadside, I settled the 30 pin and let it rip before they all blew out. The arrow deflected off a branch and hit the buck in the brisket, I knew right away it was not going to be lethal. Blood was very sporadic and we never crossed paths again
Both were archery hunts.
1. 350" class bull elk on a general tag public land. Snuck in to the fringe of a herd bull and his heram. He was moving his cows up the mountain to bed and I was trailing right behind. They held up in a small patch of aspens and I started to give him some sweet cow sounds followed up with a bugle to coax him out. He came out of the aspens screaming, I ranged him at 50yds. I came to full draw and settled my 50 pin in the center of his chest as he was in mid bugle with steam rolling from his lungs in the cold morning air. I said to my self "You're dead" and touched it off. In disbelief my arrow sailed less than an inch over his back. He turned and took his cows out of the country. I didnt take into consideration the steep up hill angle. Should've put my pin under his arm pit.
2. Big Mule deer. September 1st, opening day of archery. I glassed up a bachelor group of buck feeding at first light. In this group was a gorgeous mature buck with huge G2's(see pic below). I took some pics through the spotter and waited for them to bed. Once the group bedded in the tall sage and I began the 700yd stalk. The last 100yds i was crawling on hands and knees, at 30yds from the bush I marked the bucks near, a small buck sensed something was up. He stood and stared me down, the gig was up. I was crouched on my knees and came to full draw as the rest of the bucks stood. The large buck stood at a guessed 30yds broadside, I settled the 30 pin and let it rip before they all blew out. The arrow deflected off a branch and hit the buck in the brisket, I knew right away it was not going to be lethal. Blood was very sporadic and we never crossed paths again
A few years ago I was bear hunting in Alberta with the famed Wally. We were the first groups going in after Covid, so it had been a couple of seasons. We had to practically beat bears off the stand just to sit. It was wild. I had already killed the best bear of my life. So pressures off. But a few days later one tried to get in my stand with me. I was pretty shook. To the point of pointing a rifle down the ladder and stomping and yelling at this monster. He finally peels off and goes back to eating. And I let myself calm down, I thought, and finally decided to shoot. It’s like 15 yards. That miss will haunt me forever. He needed killed and by me. This was a really great bear. And he won the day.
Keith Wood
Well-known member
Common thread seems to be that archery sucks...
I mean… you don’t see successful armies battling with bows and arrows these days.
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