I missed a mid 50's ten point in Kansas a couple of years ago with my bow. Felt my brace arm relax at the shot and watched the arrow slide just under the brisket

Worst one I ever had wasn't a miss, but a passed shot. I have spent most my hunting career in West Texas and am not used to shooting down on deer. In Kansas, most the sets are out of tree stands, so it took some adjusting. I had by far the biggest buck I have ever encountered in bow range coming straight at me. I would guess his score around 180". He came to about 8 yards below and circled back out toward the other deer feeding. As he was walking away, I drew back when he was at about 12 yards away and the only shot I had was straight down through his spine. I have seen the shot on TV, but didn't feel comfortable with it. I also figured he would get to the feed and turn broadside. Well, I passed on the shot and he went to the feed...and then fed for the last 15 minutes of shooting light with his butt to me

I have fired 2,000 12 gauge shells but have only killed 200 dove.

My first Pronghorn hunt, crawled on my hands and knees for about 200 yards trying to close the distance on a really nice buck that was bedded. I looked up and he was standing looking at me, guessed it to be 300 yards and let it fly.
I missed him 3 times.

I miss plenty and I can't remember them all.

Funniest was years ago at our Sisterdale lease; very rugged ranch with steep canyons that very few people know is that rough just outside of Boerne. My brother and a guy that is pretty much like another brother to both of us were with me riding around in the old Bronco. I spot a buck way out on the end of a point, get out and commence to firing. Maybe 4 shots. Never came close. But hence forward that finger ridge was officially known as "the artillery range."

There's actually a couple that stand out, separated by @ 25 years. Each time, I did the exact same thing wrong...having a good rest, I leaned into the rifle causing my barrel to rise.

When I was 9 I fired 11 shots (rifle) into a group of turkeys that just kept milling around. Not sure which shot it was, probably 9, 10, or 11, but finally killed one turkey. All shots between 50-125 yards. I was actually aiming but apparently not very well.

Another time, I had a spike and a doe on a sendero at about 280 yards and decided to shoot the spike. The doe was between us but very close to him, but he was on a little rise above and to her right. I lined him up and put the crosshairs squarely on his spine inline behind his shoulder, figuring on about a 6-8 inch drop. At the shot he trotted off about 10 feet and stood there looking around and the doe fell down, then got up and ran into the brush. Somehow I hit her in the back leg just below the ham. From where they were standing at the shot, I somehow managed to shoot about 4 feet to the left and about 3 feet low. Tracked her down 30 minutes later and dispatched her with a head shot at 60 yards that was right on. No clue what happened on the first shot. The rifle was not known to shift POI on a cold-bore shot and I don't think I mixed up the animal I was aiming at as the last thing I checked was his head. Very bad shooting on my part.

I'm in the same boat. I can't figure out what is wrong with my gun.

Missed a boar one evening, I saw the ground blow up under his feet.
I went back the next day, same boar, same miss. I know that I got cocky and pulled the shot both times.
I just needed a reality check, I got my crap together and got him the next weekend.

Mine wasn't exactly a miss, but I guess it was about the same thing. Was hunting somewhere around Bandera and was in a tall box blind. Here comes a real nice 10 point, with a wide and tall rack. Put the 270 on him and down he went like a sack of taters. So...I had some coffee and patted myself on the back. I guess I drank coffee for about 10 minutes. Climbed down out of the stand and had a look at the buck from about 100 yards, using my binocs. His back leg jerked. Then he moved a couple of legs and then he jumped up and was gone like a rocket. I suppose I nicked him right across the top of the spine and just knocked him out. Found a little blood, but that's about all.

The only good news is that I wasn't hunting with cousins and nephews. I'd have had to put up with some major league teasing from them.

I still remember as it was yesterday, it has scared me for life. About 20yrs ago we were up in Colorado around slick rock. The second day of season I got up early and went and sat on a ridge about 3 miles from camp, as daylight was breaking it starting to snow pretty heavy. I built a little gun rest out of some brush in front of me and decided to rest my eyes a bit because I planned on staying there all day and had already glassed the area and didnt see anything. A short time later something told me to wake up and open my eyes, and as I did there was a HUGE Mulie walking below me in a creek bottom. I rested the cross hairs on his shoulder without him even knowing I was there and when I squeezed off my shot he feel straight to the ground. I got up with excitement as did the HUGE mulie and he bounded off as I in a nervous (Buck Fever)state cranked out several more rounds at the Huge Mulie as he disappeared into a thicket. I know none of my added rounds impacted the Huge Mulie, but what about my first shot. I went down to where he was when I shot my first shot and to my suprise it was only 75 yards, my rifle was sighted in for 200 yards. I looked on the ground and found where the Huge Mulie slipped on ice when my first shot went over his back. I replay this in my mind all the time. I did track the Huge Mulie in the snow for better than a mile with no indications of injury and I was never able to catch up with him. This Huge Mulie was a good 30 inches wide and had the heavest horns I had ever seen, not sure on the number of points never had time to count them but he had a bunch.

I missed a hog at 30 yards with a scoped .243, just one of those things...

I've never missed any shot ever, regardless of game animal or circumstances.

I've missed many ducks/teal/geese. Some dove.

And a little while back I missed a nuisance squirrel with my Airgun at about 7 yd.Did end up killing it though. And it's brothers/sisters (3 total).

Worst miss? In 2011 has a spike walk out about 45 yds out. I thought to myself "this is a cake walk", aimed at the base of the head since he was so close, missed him bigger than Dallas. Whoops. Lesson: Don't get cocky. Got lucky though, he didn't take off at the shot. Put the second one right in the vitals this time and dropped him.

2010 in New Mexico: We had a cow tag left. Big group of cows across a valley. Conditions were terrible, freezing sleet and snow. Range finder frozen over. I thought they were about 300 yds out and aimed as such. I see the bullet hit the dirt below her. Ranged it later in the day (once range finder thawed out), she was more like 425. Must have been a mighty big cow. Whoops again.

Don't know if this counts but.... last year I have my 8 yr old in the blind with me. He is very excited to see me shoot a deer. A nice little 8 pops up about 50 yds. I tell him to cover his ears, zero in on a perfect broadside heart shot.....click (misfire) deer looks, goes right back to eating. I unload bad round, reload, re-aim, click (2nd misfire). Buck finally walks off (I think I heard him giggling) Son is pissed and wondering why I didn't shoot it. All I could say was "I tried".

I was in a top-drive and missed 6 consecutive shots on a doe with all of my friends right there watching.

No idea what happened. Must have been a very misleading distance or something because we got back to the range and I was dead on at 200.

Really got laughed at the entire weekend for that. Every time we'd head to the stand, someone would hand me a case of cartridges or eyeglasses, etc.

Two years ago, I missed the biggest buck I've ever seen. It was 165 yards, but I've shot deer a lot further away than that with my .270. I had about 8 minutes of light left and I rushed my shot. This is the only deer I've ever missed and it haunts me to this day.

I still can't Talk about it...6 years ago and still to soon

Several years back I was walking back to the ATV after a morning hunt. A Grey Fox stepped out in the trail about 20' (or less) in front of me and just sat down and looked at me. I stopped and watched him for a few seconds and decided he was just asking for a bullet. Raised the rifle and fired a clean miss at a distance of 20'! No idea what happened. It wasn't excitement that got me because I have killed my share of Foxes and at that point I had no desire to kill anymore but that one was just begging for it. Glad I missed now but still don't know how.

Mussleloader hunt back in 70's.. Fired few rounds .45 kentucky the night before, cleaned swabbed, but didn't dryfire before putting powder patch & ball. Its not considered loaded till put cap on... Big bodied buck easy shot, k but no kboom... Took nipe off poured fresh powder in were nipple goes, iused the wire on nipple wrench ta pac.. My brother & idid a team effort on nice 8 pointer later that day... On two different hog hunts with 30-30 using old rounds of my standing in tree hunts, few times in rain. Had miss fires, pulled lead out dumped powder out, no good.. Had ta buy some new rounds... Getting in stand before sun rise, then whin it starts breaking daylight, reach ta nock arrow, realize no arrows.. agh my favorite was son & i on an archery hunt with bro... brings back some great memmories...

I missed a 125 8-pointer (for NW Harris Co. that's pretty good) at 40 yds but nailed him at 260 yds on my follow-up shot.

I had a friend who on his first duck hunt, missed a greenhead ON THE WATER! He shot at the reflection. lol He's from Louisiana; I guess there ducks land upside-down?

one time, back in the 70's was at a bonfire party, whin Rockeal Welsh pulled up, seen my rig drew out my 4ta5 iron bang !!!! Woke up from my nap, downed a harvey wallbanger, 10 shots of hosay quarvo & a few beers rest of night was pretty fogy, do remeber something about getting catolac stuck on rail road tracks, bunch of cars & trucks coming over the over pass ta help out.. nagh, that was a different time...

About 15 years ago when I had a lease west of Graham. I hastily took a chainsaw and loppers and created a brush blind on the northwest corner of the property near the fenceline looking into the property and a rub line. Set up for a rattle session that I had visions of bringing the buck out into a shot opportunity.

Opening morning was cold for an opener so I was excited about the possibilities. Got to the blind, which was pallets stood up on end and wired together inside the whole in the brush I cleared out. Hit the horns and within 30 seconds he came trotting up out of the rubline hair and neck swollen broadside at 60 yards. Probably low 150s buck. Put the crosshairs on him and fired. He bounded off like he hadn't been touched. I just don't miss, my hunting buds can verify that.

Went to look for blood, hair, bone and nothing to be found. Went back to the blind and started to carefully look at where I rested the rifle. There it was, at broken limb the size of a pencil that blocked my barrel without me realizing because of looking through the scope. Learned a lesson on this one that I've never forgot since. Take more time to prepare and make sure your barrel clears everything.

I admire your honesty.

Despite what some claim, there are no "brush cutting" bullets.