First monster that got away

[kawboy]

What is your story of the first big buck or big bull you missed? If your like me you still re-live it on a regular basis.

When I was 14 I was hunting with my dad and a few cousins, we were in a place that was new to me. There was a lot of snow on the ground, on the north faces the snow was up to my waist. Not knowing much I didn't have any covor on my scope. We had been walking for about 25 min and ahead of me I saw a huge 5x5 muley, dark heavy antlers that went way out past his ears. He was in sneak mode trying to get away from my dad who was about 100 yards to the side of me. I stopped and raised my rifle, and just my luck snow had packed into the scope. The buck had stopped and was looking in my direction at only 50 yards, and broadside to boot. Rather than taking the time to quietly clean out my scope, I dropped my rifle down to my side and started shooting like I was john wayne or something. I think there are bullets still in orbit I missed so badly.
Now I am obsessed with having clean optics. I clean my scope every time I pause while walking, binos too.
What's your story?
Do you have any habits you do because of it?



That John Denver is full of $#!t man

 

[mntman]

I was 13 or 14 years old sitting on a stand in Northern Minnesota. We call it the swamp stand and it is between 2 birch trees, so it is kind of difficult to see out in front.
Not long after the sun came up I could hear a buck not far from me raking his antlers in the brush and thrashing around in the water. I could tell he was coming towards me and was going to basically walk right to the stand but it was right in line with the tree that was in the stand. I kept leaning from the left side to the right side trying to get a better look. I thought he was still 50-60 yards out, when I seen him spin and was gone from right in front of me. He had got to within like 20 yards of me with out me seeing him (thick $&&*) in there. Have no idea how big but he was definately one of the biggest whitetails I ever seen. All because I couldn't keep my head still, now I am extremely parnoid about movement. I can sit for hours and basically only move my eyes now.

After curing my movement problem, a few years later I had a fawn come up and sniff the end of my gun barrel while sitting cross legged in a ground stand.
Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

 

[justr_86]

My best friend and I were rifle hunting in utah. We were working our way across a finger and he had just barely killed his first buck (2 point). I was making my way over to him and about 50 yards away I saw something that looked kinda like a deer, it was very thick. I looked through my binos and saw that he was a huge buck! I dropped my binos and went to get my gun off my shoulder. I got my scope on him just in time to catch a flash of his butt going behind a big pine tree. We played cat and mouse for about 45 minutes but I never did see him again, just hear him sneaking away from me. I went and helped Daniel get his buck out. That november we saw him on the private land we were hunting above. He was right at 30 wide, heavy 4 point with 2 inlines on each side and a cheater on every tine but his inlines making him 10 on each side. Over 210 inches nontypical, 180-190 typical. Would be my guess. Writing this is making me sick to think about it!

 

[cjboz]

The last day of deer season in Ca I was 14 or so and I missed a damn good buck with a 6-7 inch dropper. I shot at him across the canyon and he took of and went into some brush. I thought I may have hit him so my grandpa and I drove around the head of the canyon real slow probably took 45 minutes to get there. I got out of the jeep and started sneaking down to the manzanita brush where I saw him go. I was easing up there and saw him laying down looking at me. I threw up my gun and shot, MISSED. He blew out headed down the canyon with me emptying my gun out. I was sick. I went over where he was laying and did not find any blood. I think he was just a smart old buck that went and laid down like the stories parents and grandparents have told. I never did see him the next year. I can still picture him running down the canyon with that dropper on his right side. he was about 25 wide heavy big 4 point frame. Damn it

 

[crimedog]

My story is very similar. Nice big buck not more then 100 yards away problem was it was not the sun that was in his eyes. It was in mine. When I raised the scope I was blinded. couldn't even see to fire off a shot.

 

[carterj16]

I was 12 living in western oregon, my dad owner 30 acres. I had to shoot a forkie deer or better, no spikes. My dad had brought home a spike elk a few days earlier. I went out deer hunting and right at dark saw a big blacktail buck at 60-70 yrds. He was looking right at me and looked the same size as the spike elk my dad had just brought home. I looked at him for 30 minutes (or 30 seconds) and could not see a fork on his antlers. Since I could not see a fork I began to close the distance on this deer to get a closer look and on my 1st step towards him he turned and was gone. As he turned sideways i saw antlers everywhere.
I ran home crying. That night I learned the hard leason on the size difference between deer and elk. The worse part about this story for me is that i did not screw up the shot or hunt, I was just young and dumb. If "spikes" were legal I would have killed a really nice buck?

 

[eelgrass]

I was hunting near Chama, NM one year and we got the snow storm that everybody dreams of that year. I was on a stand watching a migration trail for about an hour and here came a huge buck. A good 30" wide buck. I watched as he came closer and closer. He finally came as close as he was going to, about 200 yards. I had a good rest when he stopped broadside. I pulled the trigger expecting him to drop, and he just stood there. As I was working the bolt, he took off running......straight at me through the snow covered meadow! I had him in my scope as he was comming, and he stopped about 75 yards, looking right at me. A perfect 4X4 with long eyeguards. I held the cross hairs on the dark patch of hair on his brisket and slowly squeezed it off. At the shot he turned and in a second he was behind the trees and gone!

After cursing and crying for about a half hour I put a piece of paper on a stump and fired from about 25 yards. I missed it 12" to the left! To this day I have never figured out how my scope got knocked off that far.

Eel

 

[sageadvice]

I was just a kid, was still packing my Grandfathers 30-30 long tom. The old buck, far as i know, died of old age. I only saw him a half a dozen times thru the years. He lived on a high peak-ridge in the little hunted, except for me, roadless brush infested canyon country up and behind my Grandparent's ranch house.

I never did see that big Blacktail before he had spotted me. A couple times, i had taken great pains to slowly peek over into a part his domain, only to see him staring straight in my direction. Me being amazed at his sixth sense, he'd instantly bolt off into close cover at full speed. I figure that i took many of his offspring thru the years as they became mature bucks in their own right but i never got that sneaky ol bruiser and i tip my hat to him to this day!!

Joey

 

[ADDICT]

I'm fortunate enought to say that I got a second chance at a buck that haunted me. This deer lived with a bachelor herd in central Utah in a public OTC, and heavily hunted area. They lived in goat country and I found them every fall in the same slide. I missed this buck with my muzzleloader at 150 yds in 2004 and was sick as I watched him bounce up the canyon and over the ridge. I had him broadside and just plain missed. I noticed the redish horns and cheaters and couldn't live with myself. It's not a big-framed deer but has a lot of character.

In 2005 I never actually saw him but was entertained by a wide 4x4 in the same basin.

In 2006 I was able to sneak in on him and kill him at 115 yds in his bed. Again, no frame but the buck owned my for three seasons and to back-pack in, OTC, muzzleloader etc. I couldn't be happier. Probably my best trophy to date. The history makes it that much sweeter!

 

[NVPete]

I'll wager everyone who hunts has a particular instance of "the one that got away" that still haunts his conscience. I have several, but here's the one that haunts me most. Ruby Mountains, sometime in the '70's. We were breaking camp, some had filled their tag, I was one of the unfortunate ones who hadn't. Took my 14 yr. old son out for a morning last drive, just hoping to see a buck. Pulled up to the last ridge, could even see all activity involved in breaking camp. Told my son, looks like hunts over. Coming down the ridge we were parked on, I was amazed to see a group of 14 does walking right toward us; didn't even get too concerned, until my son said he thought that the last deer was a buck...that piqued my interest a little, put the binoculars on the group...Oh, yeah! a buck of at least 28" size; what the He** was I doing admiring his rack?! About that time, my son had the gumption to take a shot, but missed! I grabbed my rifle, but couldn't get a clear shot; I did have him on the skyline for a moment; but in credibly, he had paused on a two track, and as I put the scope on him, I saw a Jeep coming down behind him, right in line of fire! Flustered, my son and I jumped in our rig, told hime at least let's go look at thi dandy buck the other hunters were about to harvest! I couldn't believe that the guys in the Jeep hadn't even seen 14 deer moving in the open! We moved past the other hunters; were able to close on a patch of unburned brush. I even thought we had closed on the deer without being detected. We sat on a slope for the next 45 minutes, as I counted out each deer as it passed in front of my scope, got pretty nervous as the count reached thirteen. Sat and glassed the cover for an additional hour or more. My son and I the decided we'd try and flush out the big guy, so we spent the rest of the day on that hillside, where I'm pretty sure we flushed out members of that group of does multiple times the rest of the day.We had to make it back to camp, with late afternoon shadows falling, disappointed that the nice buck had given us the slip. With a bare minimum of light left, we reached the spot where we had seen the deer that morning...there was a hunter on his ATV with spotting scope...he told us a really nice buck had just come out of a patch of brush; we asked him where, and he pointed to the now far away clump of brush that we had been so close to! One thing I definitely learned, is to SHOOT, and hopefully admire the deer on the ground, not with binocs as he is coming toward you!THe other is that "it ain't over 'til it's over! And glass and be patient...that big buck won the waiting game that day!

 

[tinehunter]

One year, when I was young, I was sitting on a rock ledge over lookin a great little valley in Unity Oregon. I was with a friend of mine that was hunting over the hill from me. As I sat there on that rock ledge being very quiet and not moving I herd a noise behind me, as I slowly turned to see what it was I saw this hugh dark horned 4x4 that was 20 yards from me. I thought if I pull up really fast I can get a shot off. I turned and all I could see in my scope was hair so I pulled the trigger. The buck turned and ran through a little valley behind me. My friend who herd the shooting came back and said " I think I know where your buck is. So we walked through some pine trees and through the little valley. On the other side of the valley a kid had been shooting at the same buck and he had him down putting his tag on him. I said "Great shot" as I stared at those big beautiful brown antlers. What I felt was @#$!%^&*&&^$# as we walked back to the truck.
Thanks for the storries, brings back good memories !!!!!
Tinehunter

 

[REDDOG]

I've never missed...you guys suck

 

[tinehunter]

Thats because you never got out of your easy chair REDDOG LOL
Tinehunter

 

[jd332001]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-10 AT 12:33PM (MST)[p]i was archery hunting for elk in an over the counter area here in colo. i had just got off the radio telling my buddy that i had busted some cows and spikes while walking a game trail. i was walking a ridge and letting out a couple cow calls to see if i could get a reply when about 200 yards down the ridge i got a bugle. i scrambled down the hillside to get in position to intercept where the bull was coming. i set up along side of some oakbrush on a game trail he was headed down. when i saw the bull i knew he was a great bull (350 class). he got to 80 yards of me (i ranged him) when my radio started going crazy. the guy on the other end started asking his buddy if the security guys check their vehicles for beer. rock jam (concert) was going on that weekend and the bull heard the noise and halted in his tracks. to make it worse my radios are only 5 mile radios and the concert was about 12-15 miles away. they never work that well when im 1 mile away. the elk and i then had about a five minute standoff. i finally tried to sneak around the bush and get closer but as soon as i moved he was gone. i had been at full draw and i could only watch the bull trott away with his nose up in the air. i now turn my radio completly off unless i gotta talk to someone else.

 

[tyef350]

I have never killed a bull elk at age 26 last year had my real chance. I had a big herd bull running right at me about 200 yards coming right at me in a little clearing, and i just froze up big time and watched him i didnt even pull my rifle off my shoulder was over a 300" bull in a general utah unit and a just froze up. After he turned into the trees i was sick i could not believe what i just did hope this year i get another chance i will NOT!!!!! do that again sucks bad still makes me sick.

 

[TagLine]

I actually have more than one, But this is the one that is remembered most often and still laughed about on our hunting trips while swapping stories around the campfire,
I drew an archery elk tag many years ago in a unit that I had not ever hunted, My buddies all drew our regular unit so I had no one to go with me except for my 5 yr old son at the time, We did our routine scouting and legwork on weekends well before the hunt and found a secluded spring off in a small canyon, a couple of days into the hunt my son was getting a little slower than usual and was tired out, So we decided to go and sit this spring we found for the evening hunt, Now it was a archery hunt so the rut was on and the bulls were bugling pretty hard morning and late evening, the plan was to sit and bugle occasionally along with cow calls, My son only being 5 yrs old could bugle with his own voice very well so I let him do the bugling and I would throw in a few cow calls here and there, Well after about an hour or so and no responses from the calls my son is really stating to get antsy and he is trowing rocks, digging holes in the ground with sticks and is completely bored to death, Let's go dad there's no elk here he said, I told him its still early and to be patient, Stop making so much noise and moving around so much and all was good for about 10 minutes when he said the same thing again,This time I told him he needed to be quiet and sit still we were gonna sit there for a while longer, I decided to do a couple bugles myself and then did a few cowcalls again with no responses, Well you guessed it he said the same thing again for the third time and he didn't want to sit there anymore when about that time I heard running fotsteps up on the hill, all of a sudden 17 cow elk come into sight about 100 yrds awayrunning right at us, I told my son to be still and don't move, Then the herd Bull came into sight about 75 yrds from us and he stopped and bugled, the cows are now at the spring in front of us getting ready to water about 20 yrds away, The bull starts walking towards us and when my son finally saw him he got excited and jumped up and says dad he's right there, I got to tell ya the world stopped for about a whole minute as I grabbed him to pull him back down in the stand, The cows now scattered in about evrey direction possible and the bull which was now 35 yrds broadside hooked a couple of them and out fo sight they went, 7x7 360 class bull and never got to let an arrow fly, Well lessons learned are great, I enjoyed that hunt tremendously but sure would have liked to let the air out of that bull, he would've looked good hanging on my wall, My son still gives me hell about making him sit there for so long but he laughs pretty hard about the incident when its talked about in camp.
Arrrrrrgggg, memories and Kids are great aren't they?

Tagline

 

[muleyman]

When I was 13, I stopped to take a dump. I set my rifle up against the tree about 4 feet from me...

The next thing I knew a very large 6 point bull walked on a trail in front of me about 25yrds. It never stopped or smelled me! If I only had that gun within reach! I never did see that bull again...only in my dreams

muleyman

BTY a few yrs later I had my pants around my ankles ready to "pinch of loaf" when I looked up and a 8X9 muley raised its head up from feeding with my horses!!! I killed that buck an hour later with my bow at 8yrds. #4 Oregon P&Y buck!

 

[hhunter23]

tag, thats a great one! i have a little boy of my one, he isnt quite old enough to go hunting with me yet but i sure look forward to the day when he gets to go!

mine happened in 2005 i believe i was archery hunting deer in northern utah, i was walking to my tree stand that me and a couple buddies set up. we had seen some really nice deer in this area, one of which was what we thought to be a 28" 4x4 just a beautiful typical buck. as i was walking to the stand i jumped this big buck and he ran to what i thought was about 30 yards so i settled on him and let'er fly, i could only watch as the arrow went under his belly and he turned and ran. like its been said before, i still feel that same feeling talking about it. that sick to your stomach, heart sunk feeling that just flat out sucks.











"Shoot Strait"