Well that didn’t go how I planned it!

[cornshank]

Great story! I was out hunting bear when I spied one coming toward me through the quakies. He didn't quite get into bow range before he turned back down the hill. I walked back into the horse pasture and called a friend to tell him of this beautiful bear and to settle down a bit. When I walked back into the forest I stopped to look around just in case he was still nearby. Pretty quick he comes back up to the flat I'm on, hops up on a fallen log and starts walking down the tree directly at me. I knelt behind a little bush and now he's in range. I'm thinking when he steps off the log he'll go to one side or the other and I'll get a shot from behind my bush, but he didn't step off. He walks off the end of the log and continues walking right at me. When he got to my bush he turned right and stepped out and looked straight at me. I was at full draw and triggered the release. He flinched as the arrow passed through him, turned around and walked 30 yards before collapsing. Range of the shot was three steps. The arrow was undamaged and two days later I killed the biggest cow I've ever got with the same arrow and broadhead. That was my luckiest bow hunting season ever, I got a bear, a buck, and a cow in a 5 day period.

Tough to beat that !

 

[cornshank]

I hunted D14 for 40 years. D16 for 28 of those years also. D7.D15. D12. B2. X8.X10. X9B. X9A and may favorite X12. Like X9A second.

There are some big bucks in X 6 B, I hunted there for years.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Great story! I was out hunting bear when I spied one coming toward me through the quakies. He didn't quite get into bow range before he turned back down the hill. I walked back into the horse pasture and called a friend to tell him of this beautiful bear and to settle down a bit. When I walked back into the forest I stopped to look around just in case he was still nearby. Pretty quick he comes back up to the flat I'm on, hops up on a fallen log and starts walking down the tree directly at me. I knelt behind a little bush and now he's in range. I'm thinking when he steps off the log he'll go to one side or the other and I'll get a shot from behind my bush, but he didn't step off. He walks off the end of the log and continues walking right at me. When he got to my bush he turned right and stepped out and looked straight at me. I was at full draw and triggered the release. He flinched as the arrow passed through him, turned around and walked 30 yards before collapsing. Range of the shot was three steps. The arrow was undamaged and two days later I killed the biggest cow I've ever got with the same arrow and broadhead. That was my luckiest bow hunting season ever, I got a bear, a buck, and a cow in a 5 day period.

Wow ! That's crazy !

 

[COBrad]

Wow ! That's crazy !

I had intended that to say yours was a great story.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I'm sure we all have a bunch of these but I'll share another. Sitting over a small bowl when a big 6 point bull came walking out of the timber 300 yards away and into a small draw. A moment later he walked up out of the draw and I fired. He flew back into the draw and a few seconds came running back for the timber. He stopped for an instant and as I found him in the scope he stepped into the timber. When I got over there I found his tracks easy enough but no blood… and after an hour of searching no elk. What the heck?! My shot felt right on, so I went back to where I shot him and there lay a nice 5 point in the draw. Fine bull but I really wanted the big one!

Done that ! Bet s lot have.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Yeah , in calif, x 6 - B

That was supposed to say Nor Cal. Not not ! Lol

 

[Frenchie1]

When I was about 13 or 14, I knew 3 brothers that were older than me and accomplished (in my mind) and had agreed to take me hunting with them since I was 0 for 3 years of hunting deer or elk. After a few trips out with them, I ended up with one of the older brothers and we had another friend drop us off at the top of this mountain where the road switchbacked back down through awesome stands of old growth timber. The older brother felt good enough about me to let me hunt down on a different ridge than him stating that each time we hit the road, wait for the other one to hit the road before dropping into the next patch of timber, then once we reached the bottom, the other friend would pick us up. I remember feeling somewhat accomplished that he would trust me to go alone knowing I didn't have much experience with this type of hunting yet. We both got through the first patch without any action and moved into the next patch. Part way down, I came to a real steep edge. That morning was foggy and the ground was covered in thick moss so it was near silent except for my own clumsiness from slipping and tripping occasionally. As I stood at the top of that steep edge, probably thinking about girls or food, I studied the ground below and to the sides of me but didn't see or hear anything. I took one more step and all of a sudden there was a huge blacktail buck about 50 yds below me that seemed to have come from nowhere. He was running to my left and uphill and seemed to be going in slow motion! I was so amazed at this that I did not even attempt to raise my rifle until he was directly to my left and actually going past me uphill. Well, by the time I saw a piece of him in my scope, I jerked the trigger like I was still thinking about those girls and all that was left was the echo of the shot. I took off running that direction with all the hope in the world but to no avail. My friend, of course heard the shot and came to meet up with me. I told him the story and how I thought we should go after this buck even though I had not touched it, he was laughing his head off and told me that deer was already in the next county! I remember it like it was yesterday and still think that huge buck was smiling when he was running past me, knowing I didn't have sno-ball's chance in Hell of hitting him.

 

[FrogFire7]

The last one was about a buddy well I own this one. I love coyote hunting I work a shift where I get off at 2:30 pm so I usually get a stand or two in every night on the way home from work once the snows on good. Ive been hunting where I live and surrounding areas for about 25 years so I know all the ranchers and have several places to hunt. One day I get a call and the rancher says he has coyotes coming in after his barn cats and wanted to know if I could come knock some down. I told him Id be there the next afternoon. Ive hunted his ranch a lot I know where the coyotes travel and have a place in mind to go do a set. Im walking in and I see three coyotes out in this field thru the fence row. I immediately drop down out of sight. Im thinking in my head if I can crawl up to the fence row itll be a pot shot. So I crawl about twenty yards and the coyotes are still in the cut wheat field they are mousing. I put my bipod down and kind of ease it thru the brush I get in the scope and I cant quite see the third coyote so as I am pushing my gun forward WHAM BAM WTH sweet baby Jesus WTH happened???? I kind of get my sense back a little bit and have to check I didnt **** my pants I feel like Ive seen the whitest light ever. Well when you lay the barrel of your AR15 against a hot electric fence wire it does bad things to whomever is holding the rifle when they are nice and grounded proned out in the snow....

I ALWAYS look for electric fence wires now...

Hahaha!!! Reminds me...

Probably the second or third year I hunted, so I was 13-14.

Hunted in a big group of family back in those days in PA. This was right before antler restrictions, when people just wanted deer shot. Now everyone sits alone in a tree all season... But I digress.

We were in a big group, pushing out a bison pasture. Mostly goldenrod, but pasture was split by electric fence. I got to the fence and was very carefully (and extremely mindful of the fence) easing down to crawl under when WHAM!!!! I had literally no idea what happened to me. It didn't even register that I'd had the snot shocked out of me for a minute.

Turns out, I was very careful of my BODY touching the fence, but not as mindful of the barrel of my .243. lesson learned.

And I STILL hate electricity

 

[Frenchie1]

Hahaha!!! Reminds me...

Probably the second or third year I hunted, so I was 13-14.

Hunted in a big group of family back in those days in PA. This was right before antler restrictions, when people just wanted deer shot. Now everyone sits alone in a tree all season... But I digress.

We were in a big group, pushing out a bison pasture. Mostly goldenrod, but pasture was split by electric fence. I got to the fence and was very carefully (and extremely mindful of the fence) easing down to crawl under when WHAM!!!! I had literally no idea what happened to me. It didn't even register that I'd had the snot shocked out of me for a minute.

Turns out, I was very careful of my BODY touching the fence, but not as mindful of the barrel of my .243. lesson learned.

And I STILL hate electricity

When I was about 13 or 14, I knew 3 brothers that were older than me and accomplished (in my mind) and had agreed to take me hunting with them since I was 0 for 3 years of hunting deer or elk. After a few trips out with them, I ended up with one of the older brothers and we had another friend drop us off at the top of this mountain where the road switchbacked back down through awesome stands of old growth timber. The older brother felt good enough about me to let me hunt down on a different ridge than him stating that each time we hit the road, wait for the other one to hit the road before dropping into the next patch of timber, then once we reached the bottom, the other friend would pick us up. I remember feeling somewhat accomplished that he would trust me to go alone knowing I didn't have much experience with this type of hunting yet. We both got through the first patch without any action and moved into the next patch. Part way down, I came to a real steep edge. That morning was foggy and the ground was covered in thick moss so it was near silent except for my own clumsiness from slipping and tripping occasionally. As I stood at the top of that steep edge, probably thinking about girls or food, I studied the ground below and to the sides of me but didn't see or hear anything. I took one more step and all of a sudden there was a huge blacktail buck about 50 yds below me that seemed to have come from nowhere. He was running to my left and uphill and seemed to be going in slow motion! I was so amazed at this that I did not even attempt to raise my rifle until he was directly to my left and actually going past me uphill. Well, by the time I saw a piece of him in my scope, I jerked the trigger like I was still thinking about those girls and all that was left was the echo of the shot. I took off running that direction with all the hope in the world but to no avail. My friend, of course heard the shot and came to meet up with me. I told him the story and how I thought we should go after this buck even though I had not touched it, he was laughing his head off and told me that deer was already in the next county! I remember it like it was yesterday and still think that huge buck was smiling when he was running past me, knowing I didn't have sno-ball's chance in Hell of hitting him.

That spurred more memories from the past... Fast forward to when I was 21 or so, I parked along the highway in the dark so I could sneak up a logging road a couple of miles to some 1 year old clear cuts. Got out, loaded my gun, threw on a pack and started to go around the gate and got my feet caught up in a pile of blackberry vines and I jammed the end of my 25-06 bbl straight down into the rocks/old concrete! The bbl was the only thing that kept me from face planting and as hard as I jammed it down, it was a miracle that it didn't bend it or at least screw up the crown.

 

[Muddyboots]

I was thinking about all the success we see on here and how little people mention their mistakes. So I wanted to add this thread for some stories about how stuff doesn't always go just right.

I was bow hunting with a friend that was a state champion field archer and he was a buck hunter through and through. He would chastise us when we killed a doe cause "was not sporting enough" for him. We split up one morning to hunt this ridge and valley and met up for lunch back at trucks. As I was approaching the trucks, I could hear both hilarious laughter and growling response. I walk around the trucks and here lays a big old doe. Killed right through the ear holes perfecting like the joke hat with an arrow for Halloween! WowI said! Then it started up fast. The "buck hunter" killed her! Of course I pressed for the "story" and the other 2 friends decided to help tell the story. Seems the buck hunter was at full draw on nice buck and he moved a touch, no problem! Followed buck, stopped, perfect broadside shot! HOWEVER, he failed to notice s small thin sapling between him and buck. Broadhead hit sapling deflected just enough to hit doe facing the buck right through the earholes! OMG! The more we congratulated him on such a fine shot, the madder he got. Which made us laugh even harder! We kept telling him he finally came over to the "dark" side and how much we appreciated his desire to be like us. I only wished I could have been able to get my hands on that doe skull! Euro mount Xmas present!

 

[WYO300RUM]

A buddy off mine did a Euro of a javalina with a broadhead stuck in top of the skull. Shot straight done on him.

Back in 1980 something, I was rifle deer hunting near Escalante Ut. One morning I was walking up this old grown over road. Trees kinda thick on my left and downhill on my right. Well I stopped to take a whizz and was facing the downhill. I finished and turned around. There was young forkhorn buck standing on the other side of the road staring at me. Scared/shocked me ! I thought where the hel did he come from? There was no deer anywhere near me before I turned for nature's call. The trees weren't thick. He was about 8 yds from me. Facing me. I reached in my coat pocket to get camera ( I always had one) he started turn to leave and I whistled. He stood there . I actually got the rifle off my shoulder and up. I couldn't believe he didn't take off. I got his whole chest in my scope and I remember saying I'm sorry before shooting him. I was Probably the first human he'd ever seen. I was only about 300 yds from my truck.

 

[COBrad]

When I was in high school I had this great blind set up in the ground level branches of a big spruce tree along side a well used trail. I checked my watch and at 11:30 got up to go pee. I walked out maybe 30 yards in front of the blind and after I finished my business turned around to see a nice 4 point buck standing right in front of my blind looking at me. We stood looking at each other for a moment before he just slowly walked off. My bow was lying in the blind.

 

[WYO300RUM]

When I was in high school I had this great blind set up in the ground level branches of a big spruce tree along side a well used trail. I checked my watch and at 11:30 got up to go pee. I walked out maybe 30 yards in front of the blind and after I finished my business turned around to see a nice 4 point buck standing right in front of my blind looking at me. We stood looking at each other for a moment before he just slowly walked off. My bow was lying in the blind.

Lol ! I had same thing happen in 5BN Az. Left tent. Got about 100 yds . Had to crp. Went under a big pine with limbs down to the ground. Looked around . Dropped drawers . Two 5x5 bulls dropped off rim 10 yrds from tree. I didn't know to grab bow or pants. My buddy a little farther was getting in tree stand when they walked by . Got to look back and laugh .

 

[COBrad]

I shot my biggest bull ever in my underwear. Had hunted a big 6x7 all season with only a quick offhand shot I missed. Last day of the hunt I was up early but just too tired to hike up the mountain behind the house in the dark one more time. Went and looked out across the horse pasture at dawn and nothing. Went and made coffee and walked across the living room for another look and the field was full of elk! Quickly grabbed my rifle and stepped out in a jacket and my underwear and leaned over the railing to shoot this nice 6x6. As I flicked off the safety the 6x7 stepped into the scope! As soon as he cleared the 6 I squeezed the trigger. He ran maybe 30 yards and went down at the edge of the quakies. I have this photo of myself holding up this great bull in the forest, but what you can't see is my buddy sitting on the bucket of the backhoe with the house and horses in the background