I’ll go first.

When I was probably about 10 years old, my dad and I were on a lease in Llano, TX where we hunted out of tree blinds. I was hunting by myself, and the tree I was in was at a low point right off of a road. This low point served as game trail running perpendicular to the road, with the road increasing in elevation both directions from the tree stand.

The morning was pretty slow compared to what I was used to seeing in the hill country, with numerous does and small bucks to keep me entertained. But this time there was nothin. So me being a very bored 10 year old boy with no iPhone games to play, I decided to re-enact what I thought it would be like to bag a massive buck. For the full effect, this had to take place once I got down from the stand.

Once I got down from the stand, I pretended to see a big buck towards the feeder on one end of the road. I pointed my rifle and pretended to shoot, fake recoil and all. With this hypothetical buck now successfully harvested, I threw my hands in the air, rifle in hand, like I had just landed a 6 pound bass. As I made a 180° turn to extend my celebration, there’s an actual real-life buck staring at me, probably confused as hell, about 75 yards away on the opposite end of the road from where my imaginary buck was.. My stunned-self freezes, and begins to slowly bring up my binocs to get a look at the buck. Which of course, after seeing my whole rendition of ‘young boy bags big buck’, he takes off.

Out of defeat and disappointment, I drop my binocs, shrug my shoulders and turn 90° to my right. There stands another buck, probably bigger than the first one and probably more confused than the first one, staring at me. He bolted before I could react, and I knew I really screwed up. I will never forget that hunt, I definitely learned my lesson in patience, and I can’t wait to tell it to my kid one day when they’re getting antsy in the blind.

Can anybody top that?

Pretty much the same without the re-enactment part since I was about 30 at the time. Got out of a stand and walked around only to have my biggest buck at the time standing directly below the stand. I was standing in the wide open with no tree around.. Would have been a free hand shot and didn't take it.

Maybe not too this but I have one that I will never forget. When I was stationed at Fort Knox, KY I was doing a lot of public hunting. So I went out to this public land which took me a few hours to drive in the morning of. I walked back as far as I could not knowing this place because knowing public land, you want to get away from the other hunters. Well I had my climber on my back and found the perfect tree. Climbed up this perfect tree and was over looking two crossing trails and had a thicket to my left. On my walk in, the further I got back there the more deer I jumped so I knew I was in good territory. While up in the tree I seen nothing for a few hours. NOTHING. When I decided to change locations for an afternoon hunt, working my way down I head movement in this thicket 10 yards to my left. I caught something white moving and realized I had a MONSTER public land KY albino whitetail bedded down in this thicket. He knew I was there when I walked in I am guessing and didn’t move. I had to change positions to get to my bow and my bow pulled back. Also had to get it pulled back up with the rope. I started shaking so bad that my climbing stand was hitting the tree and it had this tink sound like a little kid just pulled back on a door stopper and let go. I was shaking like a wet puppy and this dude looked at me like what in the world are you doing. He stood up and walked off as all I could do was watch. No way I was taking a shot shaking like that even if I had my bow in hand. I learned a very valuable lesson that day. Stop looking out to in. I cared so much about what was out in front of me coming in that I never checked what was right where I was.

Deployed to Afghanistan short after that as a Light Infantyman and learned due to IED’s we check our 5’s and 25’s. Meaning check 5 meters out to 25 meters before you dismount or move your element. I treat deer hunting that way everytime now when the sun comes up or if I just happen to wake up from a quick nap in the stand.

Mine was on a Kansas Mule Deer hunt. I drew an early season muzzleloader mule deer permit in 2012. Once you draw the mule deer permit it is either species so I told myself I would not shoot any WT unless it was over 180...wanted to really kill a nice mule deer. I had access to over 4000 of private farmland scattered over the two zones my permit was valid in. I was 8 days into my hunt and had seen some really good mule deer with the best in 150's... just not a really big one. Seen several WT bucks with best in the 140 range. I talked with the LO about crops and he told about one quarter section of corn that was hurt by drought that year. The way he described it, he made it sound knee high. I finally drove over to check it and found it about chest high and full of sign. I sat that evening and saw several mule deer and WT both does and bucks. One decent mature mule deer with a broken beam at the G1. I had planned on leaving the next morning very early for the long drive home...14 hrs. Instead I made plans to hunt till 9 am then drive home. I packed that morning and was sitting at daylight. First buck was a 140's 9pt WT. Then several mule deer bucks from the evening before...along with broken beam buck and a new one. I decided to walk/stalk the corn and immediately started seeing bucks..MD and WT. Found 5 mule deer bucks bedded in different rows in the corn and a narrow 9pt basket WT. Ground was beaten with all the tracks. I found a couple of WT does. I hit a terrace and started along the top of it for elevation as it dropped off below it to lower ground in the standing corn. I immediately saw a WT doe stand up and watched her watch me as I eased off along the terrace. With my head down looking at tracks, the corn exploded in front of me a really big wide 5x5(I thought) ran down a corn row away from. He ran and turned to look back at me then at the WT doe standing behind and off to the side of me. I thought as he was running away..that is a 170 class 5x5. I knew I had an hour left and was seeing a lot of MD in that corn. When he turned to look at me I had binos on him and he was 6x6 typical about 21-22 IS with 2 extra NT on his left base and BT. I put the ML up on the sticks and looked him in the scope...I said you dummy shoot him. So I ranged him and in the blowing corn leaves I kept getting...69, 69, 138, 140, etc...I finally settled on 150 shot yardage since it looked more than 138-140. With all the blowing corn leaves in the scope I picked up the shooting sticks and moved over one row to change the angle. It made for a clear shot but harder quartering away shot. Still blowing corn leaves in my scope. He was standing here watching me and watching the doe during all of this. I finally settled the 150 yard cross hair no the buck and touched off the shot. He immediately bolt to my left and ran about 40 yards and stopped. I scrambled to reload the ML, all the while watching him also. I could see he was lifting his left front leg and had a slight limp. He trotted off to my left about 200 yards and I then was able to see that I had creased his leg just below the body...only a flesh wound. I watched him trot to 400 yards then off the property into a fresh planted wheat field. The does was heading to him and they met up. I could then skylight him and see just how big he was...huge was a better description than big. 5" plus brows, 10" plus G2s, 11" plus G3's and 7/5" G4s and 5/3" G5s along with 2-3" or so kickers. Long beams and good mass with the width. I watched the does and that buck trot off over onto the next property a fresh cut haygrazer field and over the horizon. There was 5 MD bucks in front of them running over that same hill a little more west of the WT. I was disgusted with my shot angle choice and just turned and walked to the truck. Loaded up and drove home...got home after midnight. That one still haunts me today since he is the first 6x6 WT I had in my crosshairs in 50+ yrs of hunting. He was easily in the 180's and probably 190+.

1982, Non-Typical buck that would have been in the 240s score at about 325 yards I passed the shot on because at the time I had never shot at that distance. The next day I shot several 1 quart oil bottles at 300 to 350 yards, 6 of them and busted 5 with one getting a graze and drained but not busted. Biggest buck I have ever seen and only saw him that one time as he was checking does in a soybean field. I has switched to a 7mm-08 from a 30-30 a couple weeks before that. Before the next season I knew the drop with that one to 400 yards very well but oh well.

I had a 28 acre place where I lived, with 102 acres leased. Just walking around looking and see a very nice 10 point eating acorns in a field that sloped down to where I was standing. I dropped to one knee, and took aim with the scope turned up to 8 power and squeezed off a shot at about 150 yards. He just stood there, looking my way and bolted when I worked the action. I caught motion about 10 feet in front of me, as a small sapling fell over, cut almost in half. I had the scope turned up so high that I didn't see the little sweet gum tree. Went and checked the area where he was for hair and blood and nothing. My next door neighbor got him about 2 weeks later and he had no sign of being hit. I guess the bullet deflected or blew up.

I was up in a two man ladder stand that was set up on an old gas pipeline ROW. Rifle across my lap and binocs in use. Out stepped an absolute monster buck about 150 yards to my left. Tall wide rack. I was so focused on the deer, I forgot to put down the binocs and pick up the rifle, and by the time I came to my senses, the buck had disappeared in the undergrowth. A short time later I heard a shot. I did NOT go look to see who had shot what. I still think about it when the season comes around. Never made that mistake again…so far…

Early in my hunting career, I drove out to a popular WMA for a solo muzzleloader hunt. Was running a little late, so rushed through prep and loading of my muzzleloader. Was a Cabela’s sidelock that used #11 percussion caps, loose powder, and a patched round ball. Got my stand put up in a good spot just before daylight, and 15 minutes later a wide, tall, 6 point came trotting by 15 yards in front of me. I pulled up on him and eared the hammer back. There was not even a blade of grass between me and his vitals. Squeezed the trigger and a little puff of smoke emerged from the barrel. The round ball basically rolled out of the gun. Deer stood there for a few seconds and trotted on his way. If I had taken the time to snap a cap before loading (like I did every time but that one), I would have had the biggest buck to date on the ground. Taught me to follow my established procedure regardless of time constraints.

I was sitting on a friend's property against a tree deer hunting and finally gave up and went to the truck to get my .22 to squirrel hunt. I was seeing tons of squirrels as I sat and couldn't stand it anymore. Got my .22 and went back to sit in the same spot and as I got to the tree about 15 yards from it was, to this day, the biggest buck I've seen while hunting.

"flicked" the safety off on my Remington 700, The loud "click" scared the buck off . now the safety is moved forward slowly.

Oh man....

Chip shot for the 7mm-08 BUT you did the responsible thing by not shooting (not yet being familiar with the rifle). So....my hat is off to you.

Mine was just about getting caught by the land owner. Snuck into an oat field off IH 35 in San Antonio when i was about 15. Had one of the best Buck Deer I have ever seen coming in close enough for a shot. The farmer that actually owned the land comes driving up at the end of the field. I hauled a**. Don't get wound around the axle. Just kidding or was I?

The farmer that had that place leased for soy beans did a lot of damage to his combine when the big non typical was eating in that field while he was harvesting beans, got to looking at it and hit the one stump in that field with the head of his combine. There was a typical 12pt with him that green scored in the high 160s that another hunter did kill that was also with the big nontypical that day he damaged the combine.

Pretty sure that buck was killed by a poacher that killed deer around his house and place year round to feed the family. He told me my Dad the spring after that he killed the biggest bulk body wise he had ever seen and it was so large he had to get the tractor to get it back to the house. That from a man that played college football and got a degree in ag and was a farmer. I have seen him pickup and carry 200lbs before, 2 100lb sacks of cow feed. After that no one ever saw that buck again.

One other hunter I know had the buck a lot closer than I did in the woods near where I saw him and emptied tis 30-30 but was so over taken with buck fever he never even fired just racked all his live rounds on the ground. yup he was one of those once in a lifetime encounter bucks.

Not checking my scope's zero after letting my rifle slide off a tree in the morning darkness.

Three cases of being a knuckle head.

1. I was in the 8th grade and my best friends dad managed a lot of land and took us hunting.
Were driving along and his dad says one of you get out here and sit above the draw below and the other one I'll drop off at the end and he can walk the ridge down to the other hunter.
Well I got to sit above the draw, had my safety off sitting there patiently, got impatient put the safety on and started picking out targets practicing breathing slowly.

Low and behold a real nice buck comes walking out in front of me no more than 40 yards away, heart is beating heavy, put the cross hairs on the shoulder, breathing slowly and lightly squeezing the trigger, then squeezing the trigger harder and harder and it is not firing, now in full panic mode I realize I did not take the safety off, the buck sees me and starts trotting of into the heavy cover, I jump up and try chasing it. Told them them what happened that laughed and did not believe how big the buck was that I told them about

2. Friend took me hunting north of the Aspermont airport, put me in a ground box blind with open slots to shoot through, it is freezing azz cold about 4" of snow on the ground and I am looking over a small draw that feeds into a bigger one.
I get tired of watching nothing, get out of the blind and two seconds later a huge buck jumps up from the little draw in front of me and is gone that quick.

3. In Jacksboro sitting on a 2 x 6 in the fork of a tree over looking a pipeline clearing with a small wet weather creek that is about 50 yards in front that runs left to right.
Around 9:00 I get out of the tree walk towards the edge of the creek when I see the back half of a big body deer walking down the bank on the other side coming towards me.

I back up about 20 yards lay in the tall grass sniper position have my 7Mag ready to rock when suddenly its head pops up over the tall grass and is just staring my way. All I can see is its head and a lot of antlers, so I decide to take a shot at where I think the base of its neck is. Bam the deer is gone before the smoke settles, I knew I hit him I think
Walk to the top of the creek bank and there it is standing on the other side staring up at me. I am standing there in awe of this big buck with lots of tines just standing there.
I also believed I hit him hard and he just not know he is dead yet and was about to drop in his tracks.
Well when he ran off I realized I did not hit him, all I shot was grass and air, his neck and body was not where I thought it was.

My first deer I shot at was a really nice 8 point. I was shooting an M1 carbine that had been handed down through the years my dad and brother both started hunting with it. Keep shots close and it did well and was small frame and light recoil.

We practiced several times before the season at the range. It was weird, 2 times we went to the range and the scope was of 10-12 inches. We assumed we hit it or something re zeroed it and it would shoot a good group and say ok good to go. Fast forward to the first buck, i shot deer fell ran and we never found him. Dad shot the gun the next day and it was off again. We found out the side mount scope base had come loose. Never hunted with that gun again. The deer lived and was seen by other hunters on the lease, I aimed center of the shoulder and it hit the very edge of the brisket.

I saw a real nice buck one afternoon getting to the blind. We usually throw some corn by hand in other clearings besides the feeder before we climb into the stand. i was taking the wife to the blind that day so i was carrying more stuff than usual. when i got to teh blind i set a bunch of it down....including the rifle.... so i could go throw corn real quick and climb in. about half way down the first sendero a doe came running past hard.....and right behind her a real nice buck...stopped in the middle and looked at me at about 40yds and then kept on going. we didn't see him that afternoon. I didn't get a real long look at him but he was mature and heavy antlered. if i had the rifle with me i think i probably would have tried him off hand. He looked plenty good. then again...i suppose i can be happy the wife didn't try him off hand and shoot me. I do my best to have the rifle with me all the time now.

Not having a cartridge racked in my Mini-14/

Not proud of it but about 20 years ago I had a nice shooter buck broadside at 120 yards. Realized I was too hung over to hold the rifle steady. Crawled back to camp and called it a day. We still have a good time at camp but that scene has not repeated itself since.

Several years ago I missed an opportunity at a 170 ish deer hunting on my place. My girlfriend, now wife was involved, I will leave it at that. I never took her to the stand again.

I passed on a 500 yard shot on this deer last year because it was the first morning of my hunt. Hunted hard for the next 5 days and never saw him again. I still lose sleep over this deer. Landowner got him 3 weeks later. Ended up scoring 212”.


I still got a nice deer that scored 180” but he ain’t 212!

Don't know how big they were but there were a few. Years ago when I was in the Navy I was stationed in Newport RI and had a fellow shipmate that I hunted with in the Lewiston Maine area. The year involved he got discharged and I had no ride so I was going to hitchhike there leaving the ship around 4ish and thinking I would get there around 10ish. It was about a 230 mile distance and I had done it before with no problems as you just put your dress blues on and stuck out your thumb and off you went back then. Well for some reason the rides did not happen and I didn't get to his house to around 3. He got me up about around four thirty and off we went for a cold hunt as the temperature was below freezing. Our style of hunting back then was to go to our spots and sit down using a tree as a backstop. I was all excited as he put me on a spot that he said some big ones had been passing by and it was an easy shot. Well guess who fell asleep---me. I woke up about an hour after daylight freezing to death and wet as heck because it snowed while I was sleeping. Got up and brushed off the snow and looked into the pasture and tracks were all over the place. Stayed for another hour but never saw anything and finally went to the truck to get warm. Got me a doe the next day but always wondered what I missed while I was sleeping.

I slept in a lot of times.

STx, great story but what would you of done different?

The girlfriend/wife thing was regrettable?