I suck!

[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!

[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.

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.

[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