Alright so heres a little spin off of my post in the video and photo thread. I wanna hear about everyones "one that got away" story. Dont matter when it was lets hear your story and post a pic if you can, trail cam pic or whatever you have. I have been lucky enough to have a couple real good encounters on film the last two years so im going to use those. Here's a couple screen shots of the ones that have gotten away. First 2 bucks are from 2012 season then the last is from 2013 season. First is a buck that we called the G3 buck due to having a kicker off of his G3. He ended up breaking it off by the time we where actually able to get him in bow range but he was still a really good buck. After seeing him 3 other times we had him in bow range for 3 hours bumping a doe around and then finally presented us with a shot. I was behind the camera and my girlfriend at the time was the hunter, she ended up hitting him high above the spine and it was a non lethal shot. We did end up getting a trail cam pic a week later to let us know he was healthy still. And here is the shot Here is a buck we called Twin Towers due to his nice brow tines he had. We had hundreds of pictures of this deer during the summer and I confirmed him to be 2 1/2 year old. My goal was to only take 3 1/2 old only so he got a free pass. Had a great encounter with him one morning pushing 5 does around then started to veture off so I gave him a few grunts and he ended up coming right under the tree. After figuring out all the deer leave during the winter and slim chances they come back the next year I still ask myself if it was a mistake to pass this buck up. Then there was this buck from the 2013 season. We named him slick because he was just a really clean 9pt. We ended up seeing this deer 5 or 6 diffrent times and 3 of them him being in bow range. The pictures are from the first encounter we had with him. Seen him on the other side of the field out crusing and with having the decoy set up below us we gave him a few grunts then he was on a string to the tree from about 500yards away. Again I was behind the camera and my hunting partner Austin was the hunter. The deer ended up coming into 25yards and Austin came to full draw, but when he came to full draw he bumped his elbow on the tree and thats all it wrote for that encounter. The other two times he was in bow range we just couldnt get a clear shot off at him.
Sorry no pics but I shot an absolute giant at 11 yards. I thought was a great shot, blood trail was great but to no avail. Still depressed over that one, but next year he`ll be even bigeer. Cant wait!
Yeah its always a bummer when it happens but it will probably happen to everyone at least once sooner or later. Any idea where you hit him?
Hmm I wish I had a pic. It was November 2012 and I was watching a wide long tined spindley 8 run these two does around this swamp in Mount pleasant. I was calling to him trying to break him off the does(yea right) and he kept running them back and forth. I then grunted a spike in on a string as he was watching the whole thing go down. Well as it started getting dark, here came the does. They came down the trail under my stand and kept looking back. I knew he was on his way.....but he was taking his time. As it was getting to dark he came charging and and ran off that spike. I drew on him as he walked back toward the does and couldn't find vitals...just body mass. I searched desperately for a leg to follow up but couldn't make an ethical shot. So I drew down. Two weeks later another hunter on the property killed him with his rifle. Not a crazy nice buck but a shooter for sure.
It my short, three year long hunting career I've had one chance to take a buck and that was this past season. He's not the biggest buck by any means but he would've made me more than happy as my first! I missed him on Dec. 14 at 36 yards. I knew he was going to be in there that night after I checked the cam on the way to the stand. I have gotten 500+ pics of him, here are a few. Him and his buddy he's always with are still alive, and I can't wait to get a crack at them next year.
I had this buck closing the distance about to present me with a perfect 25 yard broadside shot, about 10 yards before my shooting lane he turned and started quartering away headed towards some brush. I had one opportunity at 32 yards before he was into brush, I hit him high and back and was unable to recover him. Fortunately my neighbor was lucky enough to take him a week later chasing does showing no ill effects of the wound.
Had a 150 incher at 15 yards at full draw this past season and could never get an open shoot, Stopped him with a mouth grunt in a spot a thought would allow me an open shot and just to many limbs. Had to let him go
Missed this buck at 32 yards in 2012 on the same property that I shot my 164 on this past year. The neighbor ended up getting him later in the 2012 season. He said he net scored at 172". He came in fast behind me and I only had about a 15 second window to shoot. I had my rangefinder stolen out of my truck earlier in the year at a 3D shoot so I guessed him at around 23 or 24 yards and let the arrow fly. He dipped to run at the shot and I caught just a bit of hair off his back (which I still have). I never knew what happened to him until a week after I killed my big buck last year. The neighbor is a good guy and i am happy for him. At the end of the day I was just blessed to have a shot at him. I guess the good lord knew I wasn't ready for a deer like that so he humbled me and he made me wait another year. Gotta love bowhunting!
Jv- I've been in that situation before its a rough one to swallow but it's better knowing u made a smart choice. Arien- I had that happen to me this year with are #1 buck but I was in a different tree and he was in front of the stand a hour before dark. Just passin- that would be bigger then my first buck, hopefully u will get him this year when he's bigger. Pure bowhunting- it's crazy how deer can take a shot and be fine a week later. Pabone- it's the worst when there in range and u know you can make the shot but there is just no clear shot. I seen your post in another thread and u have some dandy bucks. Wirut- wow that thing is a giant I would be sick, but awesome u where able to redeem yourself with another great deer. I would be thrilled with a 160s buck
I have 3 that haunt me in my hunting dreams: About 7 years ago I missed a perfect symmetrical fatty 8 point hog at 5 yards. He walked right under my stand and I tried to shoot down on him (shot under). Had I waited until he passed and then made a soft grunt with my mouth he probably would have turned giving me a perfect shot. Saw the biggest buck (at the time) 3 years ago, a giant 8 or 9 pointer with white antlers. I saw him from afar and he ended up bedding down about 75 yards away. Thinking back I should have tried to stalk him because he was facing the opposite direction. Anyway, he ended up getting back up after about 30 minutes and walking towards me until completely changing direction at 30 yards behind thick cover (for no reason - he did not smell nor was he alerted). I never got a shot. This past season I saw the biggest deer I have ever seen while hunting, a 10 pointer. At 20 yards I got a shot and I had accidentally put a broadhead on a practice arrow that was splintered. When I show my arrow exploded, no hit, no blood. I was sick to my stomach. I'm not even going to type any more....
You are very lucky when that arrow exploded it didnt hit you at all. If a arrow has any sort of splinter throw it away, its no good any more not even for practice.
I was sitting in one of my stands this year and hadn't seen anything all afternoon. Which was surprising seeing as it was one of my most productive spots all year. Discouraged I decided I would get down and go do some glassing at another stand location that I had to walk by on the way back to truck anyway. Reaching the crick crossing that lead into a cut corn field where the stand was I noticed deer feeding along and a small buck mixed in. It was getting dark so I grabbed my binos amd scanned the field, following the fence line I noticed what appeared to be a good buck but it was way to dark to even think about a shot let alone get a good look at him. Fast forward to the next day I decide to sit on the field edge that I had seen the buck the afternoon before even with less then perfect wind. Got out to stand around 1 pm thinking would have plenty of time to settle in and make sure I got a good look at thr unknown buck from the night before. It ended up being a almost perfect fall afternoon and as time went on I heard footsteps behind me in the crick. Turned out to be a doe so I just sat and watched finally deciding to hit the grunt tube and softly rattle. A small fork horn comes down into the crick and head right toward my stand and ends up goin withing 5 foot of my tree. Having high hopes for the remainder of the night it all suddenly went down hill. Noticed the doe kept looking off in one direction and start to get jumpy and then take off. Confused I finally hear something walking and turn to see the neighbor walking down through the brush and climbing in a stand that they had just recently put up right on property line 40 yards away. At first all I could do was laugh and shake my head. My afternoon of high hopes was effectively done with about 30-45 mins of hunting light left. Now all that wasn't really the "one that got away" I found that out about a week later. Struggling that afternoon with my decision of what stand to sit in I picked the one that wasn't completly ideal and had I went to the stand I should of I would of avoided the whole situation and had a pretty decent 9 pointer that I was chasing all year walk 15 yards from my stand about the time my night was falling apart less then 100 yards away. I checked my cam that following week I have set up there and found this pic That was the only time all year I had this buck show up during the day since the season started. And as he was walking by this cam that's 20 yards from my stand as I sat in another stand probably 80 yards away laughing at myself for not following my instincts and what played out with the neighbor. Guess it happens, wrong place wrong time but what can you do that's hunting. Here's a few more of same buck. I know he made it through both gun seasons though so maybe I'll have a shot this fall. Time will tell I guess.
No crap, I didn't know it was splintered at the time until I checked the marking on it after it exploded (I mark all hunting and practice arrows differently). What I think I did was, I put a broadhead on it to shoot at my broadhead practice target and accidentally mixed it in with hunting arrows.
JRK- Both of those I delt with this year also. We have a guy to the south of the property that has a stand on the fence row. In order for him to get to his stand he walks in the wide open field. Sat a stand all day and after the morning hunt it was shaping up to be a good afternoon hunt and wouldnt you know it here he comes strolling into his stand a hour before dark and with the wind his scent was blowing right towards me. Like you said all you can do is sit there and shake your head. Then the second part did the same thing, couldnt decide what stand to sit and ended up sitting one and only seen a doe and her fawn. Checked cams a couple days later and if i would have went to the other stand I was deciding between I would have had a chance at my #1 buck. Never seen him all season and this is the only picture I have of him during daylight once season started. heres a better pic of what he looks like
It seems to be the one's that get away that are remembered the most. I haven't been deer hunting since the 80s. A month before archery season closed in this section of Texas I purchased a 50# recurve, practiced everyday and went hog hunting thinking a deer to be out of the realm of possiblity. I had set up a blind between two tanks with 10 yard shots on each side of me where there were lotsa hog tracks (as well as deer tracks). I noticed a movement about 100 yards coming toward me, from the south. I thought to myself that it was a BIG hog, then realized it was gliding rather than scampering about. By the time it got to within 20 yards it was certainly a deer at about 18 yards the 10 points that where about 4x the width and 3x the height of its head. He was coming in straight at me. At 10 yards he looked to the left and I went to half draw. He must have seen something because he snapped his head and looked straight at me. Then he lifted his nose wAYYY up in the air, did a 180 and ran like hell. It was incredibly exciting. One question, at 5 yards, with a good compound, would a straight on shot be advisable? I have shot compounds since then, and am sure I could maintain 1" groups at that distance.
People will argue with that shot on yes or no. Me I have shot 3 deer straight on 2 with a gun 1 with a bow. Gun they dropped bow ran about 75 yards. I won't encourage the shot by no means. I would wait every second u can to see if he presents a better one. I did those shot in my younger years of hunting and if presented now can't say I would make same choice.
Ha ok you win, that's a stud. Yea it got prodressivly worse all season. He started just driving down to where he only had to walk maybe 200 yards. Which of course is about half that to my stand. Its more frustrating then anything, but there's little can do about it.
Yours was a stud to I would be grinning ear to ear with that buck. Oh yeah I know what you mean, it gets annoying but there property they can do what they want. Some people don't have the same mentality as you so it sucks when it comes to that but what can you do. One things I have going is the guy on the property line for me will only shoot deer that he is going to mount. If you look at the those trail cam pics you can notice a mark on his back. I talked to the guy one day and he said he hit one high in the back, well I got these pics after that and you can tell what looks like someone hitting him high in the back. Haven't yet confirmed it was him but that would be my guess.
