Ever miss the shot of the lifetime.

[findlyflats]

I did.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw4uMqgvvdI

[tinhorse]

I did the same, but on a decent 4 point. Lined him up not noticing a small aspen tree 4' high and very spindly between him and I. Took my rest and fired....nothing. Shot was about 150 yards. The does take off into the trees and the buck follows. Luckily I had my buck call on hand and blew it like crazy, one of the does came back out to investigate and low and behold the buck followed her. One more shot, this time at a slightly different angle and not 175 yards and he went down. As I walked up to him I noticed the little aspen and what looked like the tip of one of the branches freshly broken off or more likely shot off.... It all ended well though.

[Spy]

I messed up the shot of a life time on the biggest Black Tail buck I have ever laid my eyes on, a real tank ! I will never forget it and it will haunt me forever.
I was hunting with a buddy 4 years ago he had his rifle and I had my bow. After an unsuccessful morning we were driving out, and I said there is a spot that I have always seen allot of sign in but have not hunted it for about a year. I parked the truck, & we walked in to these old over grown trails. I told my buddy to take the high rd and I will take the low. As I entered the old, over grown Rd I knocked an arrow and got ready, there were rubs everywhere and plenty sign.

I had not walked in 30 yards when the biggest bodied brute of a buck jumps down right in front of me, with his nose to the ground, less then 10 yards away.He was a heavy 5 point over 200 pound monster Black tail. He stood broad side to me, I could not believe my luck :shock:
I started to draw on him, my eyes fixed on him, while he stood there with his nose too the ground, I still could not believe my luck! My eyes were glued to the buck when I started drawing back I was not paying attention when I lifted my bow I saw the arrow had come off the rest and was now on my forearm??? I flicked the arrow off my forearm and back to the rest, it hit the riser making a audible "clink"! F...&^%$#^K

The buck spooked and jumped back 10 feet and stood still broad side again watching me. I drew back again and that was all the movement the buck needed to book it out of there! I was left standing there in disbelief, I could not believe that I had just ****ed that up! The next day I changed my arrow rest to a whisker biscuit, so that would never happen again.
I built a blind on the path way and spent countless days sitting and waiting for another shot at the buck hoping he would return and give me another opportunity, but he never did. I still think about that day and all the things I did wrong!

[Rattler]

Missed a booner Typical Muley some 25 years ago and it still haunts me!! Scouted this buck the day before and he was just awesome! I figured he was between 195 and 200". Long story short I missed him at a long distance on opening day. Sure wish I had a range finder...doh.

[IslandBC]

Atleast your fallow up shot was good. I took a off hand shot at 80 yards across a tiny valley at a 4x3 island BT. He jumped and ran straight down hill so I gave myself a mental high five. Waited 20 and walked to where I shot. No blood... so I fallowed in the direction I saw him go... head down looking for blood I hear a "crack" look up and 10 yards in front of me there he is!! Standing..... well fumbalina couldnt chamber and draw fast enough... watched him hop away. Even let out a pathetic "meh" nope.. lol! Was happy to see I didnt completely botch the shot and wound him but was pissed I made a crappy shot and didnt kill him. I rushed it. Blamed the scope.
I always shoot off a rest at the range and am pretty accurate. Went to the range and did a couple dry fires and noticed I pull the rifle down when pulling the trigger when off hand. Live fire proved correct. Scope was good ha. Lesson learned. Find a rest

[Rob]

Missed a very nice WT buck 3 years ago. Hunting just inside the timber edge, I looked over my left shoulder as I thought I sensed something. He was just ducking under a fir bow walking in my direction and when he brought his head up he saw me and paused. we stared at each other for what felt like forever and then i made my move and turned and brought the rifle up and as I did my movement was enough for him so he decided to bolt back into the timber, Did get a shot off and I found hair but never any blood, about 45 mins later my buddy and I saw him bolting across an opening, all this took place at no more than 20yds... :(

[WKCotts]

I missed what we figure was a 215-225" Mulie back in 2009. Heading up on a late season goat hunt in 2' of snow. He was gone before anyone could react. Still think about him often :(

[takla1]

Shot a large bodied 6x6 bull elk thru the neck at 15 yrds on the prophet river back in the early 90's that I didn't get to harvest..my mistake was taking a neck shot when I should have put one behind the shoulder.The yr before our hunting party took 3 - 4 pnt mulies all neck shots and that was on my mind when I pulled the trigger,havent attempted a neck shot since..

takla

[Linksman313]

Great post and thread findlay, tough shot with the wind/weather and all, not accounting for the Bull fever I'm sure was amped up by the fact your Dad was there. Great follow up shots too. I technically missed on my WT buck this year, not a trophy by any means but we were running short on meat for the season and he would have topped us off until next year. Just left the truck with pack on and rifle slung on shoulder (tube empty due to active walking trails on the way to my spot, full mag in) and I hear a quad coming. Damn i just got to hunting and chances are good any buck would hear the quad and run. Duck down behind some wet alders and let buddy pass. Just then I get this feeling of being watched, look to my right and there he is a decent 4 pt WT standing broadside sniffing the wind, (buddy on the atv unknowingly drove him right into me). I spin to my right and try to get the gun up, I have the wind and I know he hasn't seen me yet, get the scope covers off and just starting to settle on the vitals when he ducks his head to smell the ground, readjust and squeeze, "CLICK" oh yeah I forgot something. Buck hears it and bolts down the hill and gone. Woulda coulda shoulda but I had nightmares until season end about that buck, keep telling myself "safety first" and I did the right thing not loading one in the chamber while travelling busy trails (dog walking/mountain bike) up to the cutoff spot to my stand a few km's in. The next day my brother shot his first buck ever with much celebration and fridge is sufficiently full so all's well in the end. Hope to have pics of him on the cams for next year.

[snipersights]

Takla interesting you mention that one of my hunting partners only takes neck shots on deer to save more meat. Mind you he shoots them with a 338 win mag����

[Gateholio]

Oh I missed the shot of a lifetime. Shot over due to steep angle, even though I knew better.

I don't want to talk about it............................:)

[Zedbra]

I pulled a shot this year on a big black bear - I was retracing my steps back to a sit area I was at prior in the day, just wanting to look over the valley before calling it a night and as I briskly walked,not really caring about noise or scent, there he was about 225 yards in front of me. Being in the middle of an old windy logging road, I walked ahead about 30 yards to get an unimpeded shot, as there were small alders growing that I didn't want to get in the way (like the OP's video).

Just as I was taking a knee to take off my backpack as the strap throws out my LOP, the big guy decided to stand broadside and take a big wiff. Okay - this is it. Tried to slow down my heart rate, which was pounding at the thought of my first bear, and when I fired I remember seeing muzzle flash - I pulled up too quick. Yogi did a quick snap back, so I thought I may have hit him, and then ran off. I walked up cautiously but found no blood. Losing light, I followed his direction for about 75 yards but it came to a wooded ravine and I didn't feel like being ambushed by anything.

Lesson learned - follow through on every shot....then take a look.

[takla1]

Takla interesting you mention that one of my hunting partners only takes neck shots on deer to save more meat. Mind you he shoots them with a 338 win mag����

Well id say in my experience a Bull elk it a hell of a lot tougher than any deer ,the Bull elk I shot with my old german made 300 weatherby mag so its no light weight caliber.Last 4 pnt BT buck I shot hanging in my games room I shot with my 375 HH thru the neck only because it was my only shot as he was booking it out of there and it was a bang/flop like someone turned off a light switch.

takla

[Greg]

Out dall sheep hunting with my dad when I was 18 and full of piss and vinegar. The first day out we didn't see a single ram. The second morning and way further back we saw a band of nice rams way off in the distance. Then we notice another band of 20 some of rams. Then another large band of rams. I couldn't believe my eyes. Anyhoo we decided to try and work our way away the far group of rams then work our way back to the closer rams if things didn't work out. Getting to the ridge the furthest rams were on took a few hours, and by this time the two large groups of rams combined into one. We snuck into position on a ridge on the opposite side of a steep canyon that most of the rams were on. I was supper pumped, we counted 50 rams in the one band! There was a full curl ram bedded down on the opposite side of the canyon at about the same elevation of my dad and I. I looked at this ram then my dad says shoot the ram to the left of that ram. I panned to the ram on the left and it made the first ram look small probably at least 4 inches longer and thick. Greedy young me said no there has to be a bigger ram in the band so I started looking over the other rams even though they were spread out on the ridge enough I knew I couldn't shoot that far. After waiting awhile a ram walks up out of the canyon that we hadn't seen before and beds down besides the ram my dad wanted me to shoot earlier. This Ram was made the big ram look small!!! FEVER!!!! We guessed the small ram to be 33 inches the medium ram 38 and this cranker at 42! The horns dropped deeper then the other rams and came up 5 inches over full curl with flair. I got a rest then touched off a shot and the ram got up and took off for a few steps then started to settle down. I lined up again Boom. Then the ram ran away to never be seen again. I passed up over 100 legal rams after that hoping to find that Ram or one like him. Nope. Then I left the Yukon and moved to an island where a nice two point is a trophy. This is depressing.....

[338 whisper]

2015 elk hunting. After bugling in a bull to 15 yards not getting to see it. We got winded and elk took off. After sitting down wondering how I could have made such a poor decision for a place to set up I then said @##$##it lets walk back out to the truck. It had been raining for two day and were soaked. After coming out to a clear cut up above my truck the sun came out so we sat down in the sun to warm up for a bit. This is were I made my second poor decision I always check my scope after I have taken my scope caps of to make sure there is no water on the lens if there is I dry them off. But all the time on the way out all I could think about was how could I have just screwed up on that bull why did I just not cross the creek and shoot him on the slide?. As I was sitting on the clear cut I could hear this flat bed semi with an excavator on it stuck in a big mud hole about 1 km away from were I was sitting When to my left about 200 yards away 2 spike bulls 1 3x2 bull,4 cows and 2 calf elk come on the clear cut after watching them run down the clear cut because I was talking to my partner like a it was my first hunt. I then said I bet there is a bigger bull to come. After about 15 mins of watching nothing, nothing nothing. I should have been checking my scope and flipping back the lens covers but no not me. I got distracted bye the semi unloading the excavator. I turn to my partner and holy Poop there a huge bull 200 yards a way looking down hill at the same thing I was. I flip up my scope caps unfold the by pod look thought the scope to get a tine count. Nope condensation on the lens of the scope I see a very foggy clear cut with a tan thing on it after wiping the water off the best that I could I then decide to look through my binos I can only count 4 but not the brow tines then he turns his head and ya it's a 6X7 350ish bull I mean 18" splits on 5th and 6th with a 8" dagger on the left side between the 5th and 6th tine I thought it was a big 5 point until he turned his head to get the full count. This bull had my 323 bull beat all to hell. I put my gun back on him this time I can make him out but now he running away from me so I wait for him to stop. Dreamer once they run do they ever stop nope. I had one shot when he turn to go down the hill and I could not pull the trigger on him 230 yards moving down hill wet bush if I would have made a bad shot tracking would have useless so I did not pull the trigger. The other elk ran down to a lower clear cut but not this guy right into the alders gone. This still haunts me to this day I still see the big dark brown almost black with ivory white tipped tines with heavy mass and long beams. Just a bunch of bad decisions from a veteran hunter. This is my story of the missed shot. Note: To this day I have not seen this bull since that day. I hunted the area all of 2016 season and did not see any of that herd. I set up trail cameras,salt licks in the spring nothing. Next year I guess.

[hunter1947]

Yes I have missed a few times shot of a life time but that's hunting you win and you lose..

[untilthelastbeat]

The first time I ever got to go on "the big moose trip" with my dad we hunted hard for 2 weeks to not see a bull. On the last morning me and my dad hunted down into a swamp we had seen lots of sign in. We split up and said we'd meet at a certain point in a couple hours. About a half hour after we were supposed to meet my dad still isn't there and I start to hear a cow calling in the distance. My dad is never late unless he's got an animal so I start to head towards the calls and sure enough he's got a bull coming in from about 1000 yards. We watch this thing we've it's way in all the way to 200 yards just on the other side of a Creek. He's now standing still broadside at 200 and my dad won't let me shoot him until he crosses the creek. I'm antsy as all hell and we're trying to figure why he won't cross. A few min later of calling and coaxing he won't budge when all of a sudden around the corner we hear another bull crashing down river our way. I leave my dad with the still bull and go after the new one. As I creep through the trees into the opening I see the bush close up around him as he antlers the timber. He's standing on the treeline just out of site destroying trees with his big rack. I look up and through a gap in the trees I can see another giant bodied moose out in the next meadow about 400 yards away. His head is not in view but I could see a 1200 lb body with a gut sagging to the grass. I knew it was a bull but couldn't be sure so I focus on the bull right in front of me for a bit then all of a sudden look up and this massive bull out in the field is standing in plain view with his antlers stretching wayyy out above his hump. I panic and throw the gun up on a stump, settle on his chest and let one fly. Instantly remember he's 400 yards away and that bullet probly hit the dirt at 200 and every moose in the valley scatters..

[Rhyno]

I was pretty new to hunting the big stuff and had just pull my first moose draw, late season in 6-9. From day one we were seeing plenty of moose every day, all cows. On day 5 I parked the quad and walked up an new skidder road full of fresh tracks. A few hundred yards up it I throw up the binos to glass a "stump". While that stump moved and had a moose rack! In my excitement I wheeled the gun off my shoulder like it was a show down at the OK corral....which happend to get hung up on my pack.

Well the bull had enough of this and went into the bush so I dropped my pack and followed. Long story short I kept getting glimpses of him until I was straight up lost. I pulled my crap together and eventually found my way back to the quad. I was devastated and considered heading back to camp to drown my sorrows, well I felt I should at least carry on the the end of the road, as I got back to the same spot I spooked the other bull I heard a snap and looked up to see a small 3pt almost in the exact same spot behind some fallen trees, one shot in the neck and I had my first moose. Sure glad I didn't give up!

[sawmill]

Busted my scope on a trip with a buddy so rather than iron sights at 300 yards I used his rifle, a .270 with handloads, a bit faster than my factory rounds.Lined up on a monster non typical mulie we called Black Bart because of his body colour.Monster 8x9 beast . Shot right over him. He was huge, I know this because he got hit by a truck on the hiway 2 days later and I got to see him up close. I still feel like puking and it`s been over 30 years.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Thankfully, no....but I've certainly tried my best over the years. Too many spines for my liking...which is pretty close to a whiff.

SSS

[todbartell]

shot of a lifetime no, but we all can miss. If it hasn't, keep hunting

There are things we can do to reduce the chances of missing. Practice shooting from field positions is #1, and #2 is self control, shooting within your capabilities. With good practice we can all improve

[MB_Boy]

I didn't get to take the shot but missed the opportunity on the biggest whitetail I had ever rattled in or had in my sights for that matter. Was hunting with my traditional muzzleloader and had this beauty of a deer at about 20ish yards, when I went to take the shot....the cap fired and nothing else. I quickly put another cap on as he so willingly stood there for me to go through the process. On the second firing of the cap with no ignition of the powder he finally said "enough is enough with this dolt wearing orange and firing off percussion caps at me" :roll: and he bounded away.

I guess in my last the cleaning a bit of oil had got in the bottom of the barrel underneath where you screw in the nipple for the percussion cap (me being careless), it was just enough that when pouring the powder in it soaked up the oil and wouldn't ignite. Lesson learned. :oops:

[brian]

Oh I missed the shot of a lifetime. Shot over due to steep angle, even though I knew better.

I don't want to talk about it............................:smile:

I did the exact same thing this last season on the largest Blacktail buck I have ever seen! The way I see it is it was blessing in disguise, it would have been a monstrously hellish haul out from the place I took a shot on him, later as dusk was settling I got a much more reasonably sized deer from a much more reasonably hellish haul out.

[BCHunterFSJ]

I did;TWICE!
Once on a Spanish Ibex and once on a Mouflon. Both times off shooting sticks.
I hate shooting sticks...especially on steep mountainous terrain!

[wideopenthrottle]

I was shooting at a 4x3 muley (I only saw wood at the time but that was enough) on the last day of 2point season...I came around a bit of a corner to the right and on the left side there was the buck broadside...I crouched to one knee and slowly readied for the shot....

there was a snow covered log blocking mid body and a patch of willows behind that....I picked a line through everything and let off a shot....

unfortunately the snowy log was close enough to be in the line of fire even though the line if sight was clear through the scope....I saw the snow fly up from the log and branches move in the willows......

I did actually hit the deer, low below the lungs and he was off.....tried tracking him and the blood trail for the rest of the day and into the evening but lost both blood and tracks among other tracks......

I went back to the same spot the next morning and after about an hour of searching/hunting, i heard a shot from where my buddy was down another road....luckily he was able to finish the job for me on the wounded buck but it was a great reminder about line of sight versus bullet path....he saved me having lots of nightmares over that

[71_camaro]

Missed a big whitey and huge moose.but have big mules and a stud stone sheep so I guess I'm 5050

[guest]

Just hate to admit it but ......

first time ever hunting stones, way before range finders haha, out there I'll say ..... Quite always , completely misjudged a beauty white faced FC Ram ....sure not as big as I thought.Said C Ya yo that one

Nice Billy Goat at an extreme angle almost straight up and down. After that, well, where he went we just took pictures lol. C Ya

[dragonslayer]

I also had an experience about 6 yrs ago where I was just driving quad down a side road and looked to my left, down hill was a big buck laying behind a tree that feel down, at first I though this big buck was a mulie as he had a rack on him that was unbelievable at least a 30 spread ,but mulies were closed , got off the quad and check him out with binos, low and behold its a white tail still lying behind the log , as big whitetails do , they are not likely to move once detected, put scope on him and could only see the top of the head and a little bit of shoulder. I was In my zone at 100yds no problem ya right took shoot and I was certain I had the one that I have been looking for all my life in BC. Guess what I missed, could not find any bark missing on tree stump, Absolutely was heart broken , went looking ,no blood trail , spent two days looking in the canyon that he went down and could not find blood or animal. Still bothers me today
and have not seen one since, we will keep going

[Islandeer]

So 25 years ago I killed a 150 class EK whitetail,absolute Cranker.
I had found this rutting ridge that until it was logged produced big whities each November. So 5 years after taking my big whitetail I'm up on that ridge sitting 5 yds from where I'd sat 5 yrs previous. A love struck doe wanders by,real close, like 5yds close, jeez I'm remembering past magic when he appears. 60 yds down ridge,head down like a hound on hot scent, he'd stop every few steps as if catologueing this does estrous. I'm just sitting,enjoying,not breathing,heart stopped, in awe as he gets closer. Finally he is 10 or 12 yds, time to take him I remind myself, up with my tack driving.270 A-bolt, no fancy neck shots, no sir, find shoulder back a bit and a little lower,boom!!!
I'm frozen, he stands tall raises his head, jeez, we stare for an eternal 5 or 10 seconds, his rack is colossal, dwarfing my previous buck. It was almost mystical staring into his eyes, then he was gone.
Thats my greatest miss, the kicker to this tale?
I was hunting mulies the day before and took a tumble.
Sighted in after the miss, off the paper at 30 yds!!
In away that moment turned out pretty special, it happened the way it was supposed to.