I suck!

[kona]

We'll I finally had a 25 yd shot at a very large Cow Elk! My buddy and I built a very nice blind and we finally have a nice cow and calf walk up on us. I pull back on my arrow take a deep breath. Double check my pins and release! Then, I notice my arrow only flies 1.5 feet before it enters the branch of a very large Cedar tree branch! So, I had to share my embarrassment! Maybe today will be better!! My buddy claims it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. He couldn't stop laughing!

[RonMexico]

That sucks! Good luck today.
What GMU are you hunting and what have you been seeing up your way?

[Irving]

I heard a lot of stories like this on my first hunting trip. St least you had a shot at all. I never got one. Also good to hear I'm not the only one who built a blind. Better luck next year.
I left my bag in the bed of a pickup during an all night rain storm. Not the best feeling when you realize at 4am that all your stuff is soaked. Good thing it was the last day.

[sniper7]

It's okay, my buddy has 2 confirmed tree kills with a muzzleloader while taking shots at bull elk. I told him if he gets another he is going to have to pack it out and eat it.

[Irving]

Oh yeah, I forgot my license at home 2.5 hours away. Good thing I pulled out what I brought to make sure. Turns out I brought my fishing license. I put my elk tag away some where and have no idea where it is. I drove to the Woodland Park Walmart and had them reprint my elk tag. For only 50% of what I already paid for the tag! Good grief.

One guy in our party hunted all morning on the first day without a primer in his muzzleloader.

[Robb]

Meh, no big deal, you got to take a shot. Hopefully you'll get another chance.
Good Luck!

[Firehaus]

At least you got a shot! More than I experienced last week.


Sent from my iPhone

[Hummer]

It's okay, my buddy has 2 confirmed tree kills with a muzzleloader while taking shots at bull elk. I told him if he gets another he is going to have to pack it out and eat it.

[LOL][LOL]

[Irving]

When I came back from hunting, I was meaning to start a hunting fails thread. Everyone has stories about great things they've done hunting. I'd like to hear ways people have screwed up, as I feel like we can learn from other's mistakes. Not seeing a tree right in front of you seems to be popular. Let's keep it going.

[HoneyBadger]

My best friend missed a nice bull elk from 30yds with his muzzle loader on saturday... He figures he had it zeroed at 100yds and his shot went just over its back, but the elk just looked at him and ran away. [LOL]

[davsel]

Years ago, my dad, my uncle, and I showed up to our TX deer lease the afternoon before we expected to start hunting. The owner came out and told us we should go out that evening. We grabbed our gear and he dropped us off at our blinds. I saw very little activity, and my dad and uncle said the same, but my dad wanted to go back to the same blind the next day. Again, my uncle and I only saw does, and my dad said the same. By day three, my dad shot a small six pointer and told us the truth.

The first night out, he saw the biggest buck of his life, but did not have any bullets. Every morning and evening after, he waited to see it again, but it never came back. He continually passed on smaller bucks and finally felt bad because my uncle and I weren't seeing anything. My uncle and I took turns in the blind the next day, and each got decent bucks.

For Christmas that year, I got my dad a new magazine for his 788. I painted it florescent orange and attached a lanyard for him to hang it around his neck. He was only mildly amused.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BULLETS IN YOUR GUN WHEN YOU GO HUNTING

[davsel]

A few years ago, I was elk hunting with an over-the-counter tag on the back side of Pike's Peak with a buddy of mine. We jeeped in as far as we dared and camped around 10K feet. We hadn't seen anything for the first two days and decided to hunt down lower the next day. We got up well before sunlight and headed down the mountain on foot. About a quarter mile down hill, by buddy realizes he forgot to load his M1903. He headed back up to camp and I continued on. It took him almost two hours to make it up and back down.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BULLETS IN YOUR GUN WHEN YOU GO HUNTING

[HoneyBadger]

Davsel, those are great stories! [LOL]

[sniper7]

Another guy in our group missed a bull elk at 15 yards with a muzzleloader. I was about 300 yards down the mountain sitting on a wallow, the guy that shot 2 trees was about 150 yards up from me and the shooter and another guy calling was up high. Those guys were sitting in the trees on the edge of an avalanche chute. The tree shooter fell asleep only to wake up to the muzzleloader shot. I thought it was him because I was sitting there looking up the mountain at 2 nice bulls about 30 and 50 yards in the open in front of him...nope he was asleep against the tree.
BAM I heard the shot, the two bulls down lower just turned and went back in the timber, then I saw the cows up higher and realized it was the other guy that shot. He was shooting off of shooting sticks, in the open at 15 yards. We had an hour of light left, searched up and down and all over for blood. Nada. Slept there as we were waaaayyy back in to this deep bowl. Got up, searched for blood and the bull for 6 hours, never found a thing. I honestly don't know how he missed unless he never loaded a bullet in the gun or maybe it was a round ball that rolled out or something....or he could have been shaking like crazy, but since he had shooting sticks I just don't know.
i still rib the guy that was asleep, especially since he later got one of his trees while we were going back in to pack the rest of my bull out.

[brutal]

A friend of mine who shall remain nameless has admitted to taking an Elk that appeared in a vision after waking from a short Rip Van Winkle.

At least he got it.

[Irving]

I definitely slept for a few minutes at least each day.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

Ohh if trees could talk. They'd say, WTF?? Ouch!! What just hit me?? Been there, done that. Left plenty of broad-heads in trees after the shot. [gohome]

And I'm heading back up tomorrow to see what I can find. If I hit a tree... Oh well. I was shooting at a potential meal. [Coffee]

[sealer]

A "Hunting Fails" thread would be funny and informative. I know I have a couple...or more!

I have a buddy who has three CONFIRMED archery tree branch kills and I have a frustratingly funny face-to-face encounter with a P&Y buck at 12 yds. Something about releases is all I'll say [ROFL2]