Biggest buck you've ever missed.

[Switchback29A1]

There was a good topic over on AT about the biggest bucks people have ever missed. So far the only one I've missed was the first one I shot at on opening day 3 years ago. Missed him low twice, judged him about 8 yards closer then he was. Lucky he was just a cow-horn, but it was a great learning experience.

[Tominator]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Oh the pain of that memory. Thanks for bringing it up.

November 17th, 2004, beautiful frosty morning. About 8:30 I saw a decent buck about 400 or 500 yards away heading away from me across a picked corn field. I grunted, nothing, I used the can call, nothing. He was almost out of sight, so I had nothing to lose. I picked up my rattle bag and clashed and grinded them hard. He heard that and started walking in my direction. About 100 yards later he stopped, made a small circle and continued back to where he came from. I smacked the rattle bag again, and again he headed my way. He got to a 45 degree angle out in the field from me, about 90 yards I guess and I thought he was going to pass me, but he turned right, and made a beeline for my tree. I drew on him when he was at 20 yards, but he kept coming. He walked directly under my tree so I let down. Then he walked, quartering away from me, at about 10 yards, I aimed, shot, and nicked him way low, almost a complete miss.

He bounded off about 20 yards, stood behind a deadfall and stomped his foot for a minute or two, then slowly walked behind me and bedded down about 50 yards away. That was about the time I realized I pretty much missed him.

About 20 minutes later, he got up, I rattled, he turned, but never got closer than 40 yards or so, and walked out of my life forever.

He was a beautifully symmetrical 10 point that would have scored in the 140's I think.

[hunterfisherman]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

When I was a teenager I missed an 8 pointer dead to rights at 50 yards with a smooth bore 12 guage shooting slugs. I remember being so scared to tell my father I missed one that I thought about just not saying anything. When he came to pick me up and I explained what happened, he put his arm around me and said welcome to the club. He then told me of several he had missed over the years and that it just ment that I had become a real hunter. I felt so much better. I didn't think he ever missed. This man brought home trophy bucks every year. Now that i'm 38 and have my own son I understand much better now. 15 seems like a long way off now but I will never forget that day and the way a miss made me feel like a real hunter.

[Smitteken]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I missed a couple small bucks when I was younger. And at that age they might as well have been the world record. It hurts to miss anytime. The biggest one was a nice 2.5 year old buck. I shaved him, and he gracefully walked away.

[tp793]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

The biggest buck i ever missed was an eight point wit a few little kickers coming off of his g2's, probably in the mid 140-150's. I was shooting a smooth bore 12 ga. with slugs. He was obviously the dominant buck in the place cause he had 6 does with him and he just strutted around like he owned the place, anyway, i was shooting uphill at him and must have missed him high and watched the white tail wave me goodbye. Haven't seen him since

[257bob]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Freshman year of college, I was rifle hunting on public land in southeast Kansas. I was setting on the edge of a field and watching. About 9:00 am I heard someone yelling in the woods to my right and when I looked down the field edge I saw a massive 12 pointer running towards me. It was not a sprint, more of a trot. I saw him and FROZE. I watched in awe as he ran right by me (a mere 25 yards) and into the woods. He disappeared. A guy that had come into the property from the other side to call Bobcats bumped the buck and was trying to get my attention. When he walked up he said, "Why didn't you shoot, that buck was huge?" All I could say is, "I don't know."

I can still see that whole chain of events in my mind as if it had happened yesterday.

I know first hand what "BUCK FEVER" is.

[Rhino]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Gee thanks for reminding me. The biggest one I ever missed was probably the massive 8 point I hit in the shoulder and only got about 2" of penetration last year in Missouri. I shot him for being a 140 class buck. That was the 2nd time I saw him during that hunt and he was 1 of 3 mature bucks I saw there that I really wanted a crack at. It was the last day of my hunt and he was slowly following a doe. When he came broadside at 30 yards I turned my arrow loose and when it hit him I just knew it was good until I saw how much of my arrow was sticking out of him as he left the area. I waited about 3 hours before trying to trail him. There was no blood at all on the trail he used getting out of there. I did find my arrow (all but the end of it anyway) while trying to track him about 100 yards from my stand and compared it to my other arrows. That told the story. Just a few hairs on the end of the broken shaft. Just not enough penetration to enter the vitals. We continued to look for a couple of hours in vain. Never found a drop of blood. Bummer.

[ksdeerhunter03]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I am sure everyone will question me, but I missed the same buck twice 4 years ago in a matter of a week, that would have been a top ten in the state buck. i have a 212 bowkill on the wall, this buck made him look like a 160, I guess he would have scored 230ish. He had a huge droptine and was solid mass. Oh well, you live and you learn!

[Strut10]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Never actually missed a big buck. But..........

Several years ago, I had a 9-pointer quartering away at 18 yards. He was completely oblivious to me. It was the first night in my life I had ever worn a full-body harness. I needed to juke down a hair to get my upper bow limb clear of a small limb on the tree I was in. The farther down I got, the harder the harness pressured my right shoulder. I could get the bow back to within about 5 inches of full draw.....but no further. I had to stand and watch him until after dark. Saw him twice more that season and a buddy saw him once. He was running with about a 20" 10-pointer and they both got missed the first morning of rifle that year. He's never been seen since, that I've heard of. My best guess is 165-170 gross. The most unbelievable critter I've ever seen in the woods in my life.

[Switchback29A1]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Rhino...my best friends dad had an experience like that this last year. Saw him 4 days in a row and just waited him out, got a shot one day and shot him in the shoulder. Would have deffienlty gone P&Y which was huge for us, biggest deer any of us had ever seen.

[toddyboman]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I would just soon not talk about it.

But as a young kid missed a nice 10 pointer with a stupid 30-30. Will not shoot the gun anymore.

Then shot a nice 10 pointer square in the shoulder one year with my bow. Same situation as rhino and switchback.

Thanks for bringing up the memories.

[wtnhunt]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Was the 2002-2003 second archery season on a cold morning. I was sitting in my climber about 20 feet up about 35 yards from the river. I watched this high racked just barely past the earwidth mature big bodied 8 pointer with really good mass come through just out of range out at the bottom of the hill in the open, as a little spike and 6 pointer came through the woods practically under me in range. The 8 pointer got up the hill from me and worked over a scrape about 40 yards from me under an oak limb, was awesome to watch. Could see him through the trees, but had no shot. I waited a bit after last seeing them and tried a little light grunting. Shortly after my grunting the spike came back through with a fork horn buck right out on the trail in front of me. Then I looked back and saw the 8 pointer just up the hill from me and waited anticipating on him taking the same trail, deciding where I would draw. He got behind a good sized oak tree, and I drew. He stepped out and took his time coming down the trail and eventually got where I had planned to take the shot where he would be perfectly broadside to me and I squeezed the release with my pin set right where it needed to be. I heard a slap, and not sure if the string hit my parka sleeve or a limb, but my arrow went off its mark. Never saw a splash in the water behind the deer. The buck took a few quick steps forward, but did not run off hard. Unsure if at that point if I missed or not, I tried knocking another arrow and getting in position for another shot, but did not get another shot opportunity as the buck walked off back to where I had first seen him come from earlier on that morning. I got down and got to looking, never found my arrow. Not sure if it went into the water, or flew higher than I expected and hit the ground on the other side of the river. Looked for sign of a hit, no blood, no hair, and all indications of the deers body language were that I missed him clean.

[AdvantageTimberLou]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I missed a beautiful 9 pointer, would have been in the 130, possible 140's. Not sure what happened but buck fever more than likely as I was about 15 or 16 at the time. Seen him come down a ridge and he knew something wasn't right, wind was calm but big bucks just have that 6th sense that says something is not right here.

I think I looked at the wrong pin or didn't pick a spot, can't remember. Perfect miss though, he took off about 30 yards away looked back, and then trotted off. Man did that hurt, I already had envisioned him mounted on the wall at home and maybe being over confident did me in!

[Rhino]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

[ QUOTE ]

Rhino...my best friends dad had an experience like that this last year. Saw him 4 days in a row and just waited him out, got a shot one day and shot him in the shoulder. Would have deffienlty gone P&Y which was huge for us, biggest deer any of us had ever seen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Switchback that is one time when misery does not like company. Sorry to hear your friend's dad had to go through the same thing. Fortunately I have one on the wall a whole lot bigger so it was a little easier to get over.

[Guest bigbucks125]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I was 14 and I missed the first deer I ever shot at with my bow. It was an 8 point that would have gone 120-130. My dad was sitting in stand right next to me when I did it.

[BowJoe]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Up until a few years ago, I had my biggest miss on video. Another "buddy" stole the tape because it also contained his miss on a doe 15 yds away and he didn't like for people to think he could miss. Anyway, my friend who was video taping my hunt left his bow at home and we both made our way out to a spot he had just killed a doe only a day or two before. I set up in the tree with my then Grand Ol' Man Vision climber stand and he set up 20 or so yards away to my south. About an hour after sitting there, a group of seven does walked on a trail at what I mistook to be between 25 and 30 yds. I just sat and watched them go by and hoped either a buck would come down that same trail or a doe would come closer. About 15 mins later my buddy looked at me and his eyes were as big as saucers. He held up his hands to show a rack and then pointed towards the same trail the does had come down. I readied myself for a shot and had to kneel down to shoot under a limb that was close to me and I couldn't shoot over. I finally saw the buck and thought it was just a small 8 or 10 pointer. I wasn't used to seeing big bucks and couldn't really compare them to anything I had seen in person. I drew to shoot and as the buck entered the shooting lane, I grunted. The buck stopped exactly where I wanted him to and I steadied my shot for 30 yds and pushed the release trigger. The arrow flew like a dart but sailed right underneath him. He jumped a few times and stopped about 50 yds away and looked back through some brush. Knowing I just messed up in a big way, I got down and walked over to my buddy. He was hysterical and asked me if I knew what I had just missed. I thought he was joking when he told me it was a monster and had at least 10 points. He was only 20 yds away from him and kicked himself for not bringing his bow. Later that night, the knife got pushed in even deeper when we watched the video on his tv. I almost fainted when I saw the size of that buck up close and then we counted the points. He was a non typical 15 point with a drop tine on his left side. Mass like you wouldn't believe and huge bodied. This deer ended up being 37 yds away as we counted it off from where my stand was to the trail the deer was standing on. We saw that same deer for the next 4 seasons and he only got bigger. We would scout the same area year after year and when he came out, he dwarfed the other big bucks. I swear the other bucks had to go 150's and he looked like he had 13 or 14 inch tines with the same drop tine on the left side and a split brow tine. He was a monster. I don't think I ever heard of anyone shooting him because he would have been in a magazine I guarantee. I also missed a 8 point at 13 yds a few years back and my buddy shot him a few days later.

[craig mack]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

When I was 14 I missed a 10 point that would probably score in the 140's. He was 20 yards broadside and I was on the ground. I shot over his back. I missed a big non-typical at about 22 yards. I tried shooting through a little hole in the branches. Well I hit about 3 branches and no deer. After that I cut a nice shooting lane there but he never came back.

[Cutter]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

!@#$%&* Thanks for reminding me. Im OK now. Last fall a HUGE 4 point in full velvet at about 18 yrds

It was drizzling and wet feathers dont fly so well. I dont want to talk about this anymore. Where's my blanky Im not OK I want my MOMMY. Boohooooo..

[Guest MATHEWSHUNTER]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Wow, it has been a long time since I have talked about the biggest deer i have ever missed--not to mention the biggest I have ever seen. He was a tall racked 12 point that came out of a cedar thicket about 300 yards from me. he managed to get by my father, who had to have been asleep. He went into the alfalfa with about 10 does probably and was feeding. I got down after about 10 min of watching him-curous to see what the heck my father was doing. I made it to within 125 yards of him and got busted by a doe. I stopped threw the old 7 mag(I now am a true blue .308 man) on him and settled the cross hairs and fired. Nothing he stood there, so I bolted the gun and fired 2 more times, missing him every time. He stopped at the fence about 250 yard out as if he was saying goodbye. That buck broke my heart and made me very natious. I guesseed him to be in the high 180's to 190's.

[deerslayer10]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

The biggest deer I have ever missed was a huge symmetrical 10 pointer with a 4 or 5 inch drop tine..He come in chasing a doe and i finally got him to stop but then he got wind of me and run till he was about 200 yards away and i shot and blew his front leg off and never could find him but later on that year a friend of mine who was on the same lease got a shot at him and got him..it wasnt really a miss but i thought i would tell yall....

[VTbowman]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Can we lie?

If so it was a monster and.......

LOL

[mossyhorn]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

I never got the chance to shoot at a big 8 piont my first year bow hunting. If I would have got him it would have been my first deer but he was about 50 yards off and chasing does so nothing I did could bring him any closer. Someone got him the next year too.

[Guest whitetailarcher]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

A beautiful 9 point buck came trotting out of the trees on a early Nov 2004 morning. My third year hunting I was more than ready to take this pope and young buck. I was a righty set up in my uncle's left handed stand, but easily overcame that obstacle by repositioning long before the buck came. 8 yards away I drew as he was behind a branch coming into the perfect shooting lane. I never got the shot off. The extreme conditions of the SD cold morning caused my nock to come of my arrow. I was almost able to put the nock back on before he ran away. I ended up shooting a buck about 20" smaller a couple days later so I didn't have too long to mourn.

[Turkeygirl]

Re: Biggest buck you\'ve ever missed.

Well it's not exactly a miss but counts as it I'd say,lol. This past fall, was hunting in one of my stands in a hemlock tree overa deer trail going to and from a bedding area. I'm on the edge of an old logging trail that goes behind me out into a field and to my left are some hardwoods. Well it's morning and i'm sitting there. I turn to my left and see this wide racked buck, biggest one I've seen in the wild around here, coming right down the hill towards me. He wasn't massive like a Canada buck,lol, but he was theb iggest one I've seen so far. Well he walks right now, under me and stops about 5 yards from the tree, quartering away. I stand up and draw my bow, no noise, but he shoots forwards and stops at 20 yards with a small hemlock tree blocking his vitals. I couldn't get a shot off! Andy said I could have probably snuck the arrow through the few hemlock branches, but I didn't anyway. So while i didn't get a shot off, that was an experience I won't forget.