I've missed several big bucks! Missed one on two consecutive days. He had my number. Then, killed a bigger buck the next week! It happens! It is a story you'll tell for many years! And, you'll laugh harder each year!!!!!

Thanks for the comments, I was taken aback by the whole need respect, responsibility, attitude comments as well. This was one of those teachable moments in life and I think the lesson took.

Well if it was easy, we wouldn't love hunting the way that we do. Several years ago my wife hunted hard for a mature 10pt....in an old box blind with no windows, missing roof. On her mishap day it was in the low twenties with gusting winds...after freezing in the blind for two days the "crooked ten" shows up. She has him in the crosshairs, pulls the trigger...nothing. She double checks there's a round chambered, safety off...squeeze, nothing. She loads another round and tries again...nothing. She shaking with rage as the buck walked off....we never saw that buck again, figured the neighbors got him that season. So what was the issue? She used a rifle from a friend of ours...an older bolt action rifle....she didn't pull the bolt back far enough to set the firing pin.

Try this one on for size. When I was younger my dad had two British .303s, a Smidt Rubin straight pull rifle rechambered in .308, a 6.5 Carcano and a 30-30 Winchester. Went out to the ranch and I had taken one of the .303s with me. It was one my dad had a scope mounted on and had taken numerous deer and Javelinas.

Well, I reach the blind and climb in and get ready. I pull the zip-lock bag of ammo out and start to load in the .303 magazine.
Hmmmm........Rounds looks kind of shor..dang it. .308 rounds.

I walked half a mile back to the truck and look thru it for at least one .303 round.
Nope........not one found.......
I grab the Schmidt Rubin out of the back seat from its scabbard and put the .303 back. My dad had gone off with the 30-30.
I make it back to the blind climb in and wait.

About 3 hours later I see the most massive buck I have ever seen. Guessing 150-160 score at a range of about 300 yards. I knew the Swiss rifle was not that accurate past 150 yards from testing.

I sunk low and sulked while I watched him eat to his hearts content the corn I had laid out.



From then on for a few years, I started keeping a small bag that some chewing gum came packaged in tied to the trigger guard. It was a cloth bag from Some "Gold Mine" chewing gum. 4-5 rounds of 30 caliber ammunition fit in it.

Now all my rifles have those elastic rifle shell holders on the stock with 9 rounds. It will not happen again.