Texas Hunting Forum
Your biggest deer hunting mistake
Posted By: Texas Dan
Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/01/17 09:08 PM
As the season draws closer, thoughts often turn to past mistakes and making sure you don't repeat them.
My biggest mistake came a few seasons ago when I let my rifle slide off the side of a very small tree and fall directly on the scope. It was only after I missed a very nice buck about three weeks later that I checked and found it barely hit paper. Being one who has always put strong faith in the overall durability of firearms and scopes, it was yet another lesson in "check to be sure."
Posted By: WileyCoyote
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/01/17 10:08 PM
TMI TMI TMI TMI TMI, cause the crows always come home to roost....and after 50 years together we've arrived at a truce of sorts...
Oh ...you said "while deer hunting"...OK I dinnit take a wish shot at the biggest WTail I ever saw while hunting on the Brisco Ranch as a guest...shouda coulda woulda If'n I'd taken Jason's Rifle Class...Oh Wait he'd still been in grade school or sumthin back then...carry on.
Ron
Posted By: Creekrunner
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/01/17 10:46 PM
Not checking the perimeter of the clearing before I moved into the open. Those bedded bucks are really hard to pick out of the background.
Posted By: Johnny Rocket
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 12:32 AM
I go to the range often just to make sure my zero is maintained, sucks to miss out on such an opportunity
Posted By: BMag
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 04:00 AM
When I was a teenager just getting into bow hunting, I didn't give my first bow kill (an 8 point) long enough to expire. He had ran about 40 yards and bedded at the bottom of a tree. I jumped him and the rest is history. They now get a minimum of an hour to expire, even if I know the shot was spot on.
Posted By: cheetah577
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 03:06 PM
When I was a teenager just getting into bow hunting, I didn't give my first bow kill (an 8 point) long enough to expire. He had ran about 40 yards and bedded at the bottom of a tree. I jumped him and the rest is history. They now get a minimum of an hour to expire, even if I know the shot was spot on.
+1. Same lesson learned. After two hours, the 'yotes will get'em.
Posted By: cameron00
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 03:13 PM
I actually think it was the right decision, but I had a shot at the biggest LF buck I've ever had in front of me a couple of years back. My buddy had already sold the place and had gotten 1 last year of hunting as condition of the sale, so there was no benefit to having him still out there spreading his genetics. At least no benefit to me or my friend that owned it. New owners were going to HF it and kill all deer to bring in freaks.
Rut was on hard, a doe came out of the brush looking like she was obviously being pushed, I readied myself for a buck and in unusual "worked out like it was supposed to" a very large bodied, wide, tall-tined 10-pt was right on her. I stopped the buck via a grunt, but he wasn't broadside, rather facing right towards me. Had my crosshairs on his throat at about 60 yards, but he wouldn't turn. Moved my scope down to his chest and told myself as soon as he turned, I'd pull the trigger.
He broke into a sprint straight towards me and about 10 yards from the blind, broke off into the brush. Never felt I had a clean shot, but man...
Again, probably the right move, but one that will haunt me. He wasn't a monster, but was probably a 145-155 inch buck that would've easily been my biggest.
Posted By: Smokey Bear
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 08:05 PM
Got in stand opening day with 20 minutes to spare only to realize my carefully worked up handloads were at home on my reloading bench. Dang it!
Posted By: ErnestTBass
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 08:20 PM
Not checking gun sights after loaning it out as a teenager. Missed a huge deer. Scope was way off. Thanks, buddy.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 09:46 PM
Not checking gun sights after loaning it out as a teenager. Missed a huge deer. Scope was way off. Thanks, buddy.
Yes, many a buck owes his life to a borrowed gun.
Posted By: dkershen
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:06 PM
Never really made a mistake while hunting that I regret. But AFTER I shot a nice eight point I drove into a sandy river bed to recover the buck and buried my suburban to the axles. It ain't cheap to call a wrecker service into BME to get towed out of a riverbed.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:13 PM
Never really made a mistake while hunting that I regret. But AFTER I shot a nice eight point I drove into a sandy river bed to recover the buck and buried my suburban to the axles. It ain't cheap to call a wrecker service into BME to get towed out of a riverbed.
Biggest mistake not related to but made during deer hunting also applies here.
Posted By: SapperTitan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:15 PM
Not hunting more when I was younger. Hunted as a kid until young teens then didn't hunt until I was like 28.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:15 PM
Telling others what you saw during a hunt is perhaps one of the most widespread deer hunting mistakes.
Posted By: SapperTitan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:20 PM
Telling others what you saw during a hunt is perhaps one of the most widespread deer hunting mistakes.
Why?If you aren't hunting with people you can trust you need to find a new place to hunt.
Posted By: chalet
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:23 PM
Trusting 1 screw in a scope base after the other one broke.
Posted By: Wacm
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 10:58 PM
I just assumed my phone was on vibrate...
Set my bow stand feeder to go off at first light. Come season the deer were staged in there in the dark. I pushed them all out of there when I tried to get in the stand. Never saw the target buck that season
Posted By: Stub
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/02/17 11:25 PM
During a morning hunt about 25 years ago I got out of my tree stand (fork in the tree) to early and decided to walk towards a fairly new sendero made by the oil company for a pipe line. I was on high ground, the sendero began below at a ravine and took off west. Saw a big bodied buck coming my way from about 70 yards, I backed up and laid down with my 7 mag propped up on my coat, turned the scope down to 4X and waited. All of a sudden from about 25 yards away the buck partially crested the ravine right in front of me, all I could see was the very top of his neck right below his chin and a bunch of heavy antlers with kickers
I thought the buck had walked straight up the ravine at me, there were tall grasses in front of him blocking what I thought was the front of his body, instead of shooting what I could positively see which was just the top of his neck right below his chin, I decided to shoot a little lower through the tall grass where I just knew the bigger part of his neck was. Bam I shoot and he is gone I hear him going back down the hill. Confident of a good hit I waited about 10 seconds and walked to the top of the ravine. There he was about 40 yards away just pass the bottom of the ravine staring up at me and I am thinking he is dead and just does not know it yet
I am waiting for him to drop, had time to chamber another round and shoot again but nooh. Well he got tired of the stare down and took off never to be seen again.
Walked the area looking for blood, nope. After extensive search and mind racing at what the heck just happened I found the exact trail he took up the ravine and where he stopped when I first saw him. The buck came up the ravine sideways from my left to right, so when I saw him his body was not directly behind him, it was to the left. When he got far enough up to see the buck simply turned his head to the right to look at me so I ended up shooting the grass under neath his chin.
Two mistakes were made;
1. Shoot at what you can positively identify.
2. If it is not dead, shoot it until it is
Posted By: TexFlip
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 12:07 AM
About 10 years ago I shot a small legal 8 point opening weekend in East Texas. Tagged him and was walking back to camp to get the mule when a very nice NT walked into the pipeline easement and stared me down from 40 yards for a few moments. He was less than 80 yards from my stand and it had only been about 15 minutes since I pulled the trigger. One buck county.
Posted By: colt45-90
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 12:48 AM
Got in stand opening day with 20 minutes to spare only to realize my carefully worked up handloads were at home on my reloading bench. Dang it!
this
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 04:12 AM
Pulled my keys out of my pocket while in stand and set my alarm off. A few bucks ran by. That was actually funny.
Missed my first nice buck by climbing out of the stand. It was old Texas Hunter tower and had a hole in the floor. My wallet fell through it and everything fell out. The chair was too short for the window so I got out. I was walking around and the buck was directly below blind 10 yards out looking at me. I was in the open at 100 yards. I made it to a tree to get a rest but he was moving out and then jumped a fence. I got to brush and grunted and he popped out at 50 yards but in other side of the fence. It wasn't our property so he got a pass. Buddy now owns that property. I shot an old broken 10 a few years later just on the other side of the fence so maybe it was him.
Posted By: DEERSTRANGLER
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 02:21 PM
I’ve got two that I can’t place one higher than the other.
I woke up one morning and thought “I won’t see anything”. Went back to bed. Game cam proved me wrong with a big chocolate horned 9pt that was in the feed area for over an hour that morning in good daylight.
I let a friend of mines son in law hunt one of my blinds. He shot an immature buck that I’d passed on several times that season. We’d had the discussion on what we wanted taken. He threw that out the window. Haven’t offered a spot to anyone since.
Posted By: D Rogers
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 02:22 PM
Thinking there would only be one guinea wasp nest in my stand at a time.
Posted By: hook_n_line
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 02:43 PM
Not sitting with a hunter who I gave a picture of his target deer. Got us removed from that property.
Posted By: fouzman
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 02:56 PM
Letting less experienced hunters hunt does, alone. It's really not that hard to tell a nubbin' buck from a doe fawn, if you exercise a little patience.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 03:27 PM
I woke up one morning and thought “I won’t see anything”. Went back to bed. Game cam proved me wrong with a big chocolate horned 9pt that was in the feed area for over an hour that morning in good daylight.
It's the main reason why I seldom use a game camera. I have no regrets in what I never see.
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 04:14 PM
Most of these issues are with new hunters I sound like. A deer is a deer to a new hunter. I made a few mistakes but no way would I make them a big deal. Luckily I was not on a trophy lease as new hunter or I probably would have been kicked off.
Posted By: sbushee
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 07:38 PM
Mine is not hunting the big open country of northwest Texas sooner in my life
Posted By: PMK
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/03/17 08:10 PM
hard to narrow it down to just one with over 55 years of hunting ... but a couple come to mind.
squeezing the trigger to hear a "snap" from forgetting to chamber a round upon getting in the stand.
Putting my rifle over my shoulder on the sling while riding my dirt bike up a muddy forest road in CO, spotting a decent mule deer on a ridge, shouldering my rifle to realize there was about 3 inches of goo mud slung up from the rear tire caked all over the rifle and scope.
I'm sure others will come to mind ...
Posted By: BANDIT_DOC
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 02:55 AM
I shot a nice buck right on my way out of my hunting area one evening.. he'd chased a doe right past me, she presented then he followed. I grunted and he paused so I released on him. I didnt wait long enough for him to expire but got nervous because it was getting dark fast and I was excited. He dragged himself into a swampy area and I never did find him. I looked the next day until I got muscle cramps from crawling through the brush. I will say that late the night I shot him, I heard the coyotes in a frenzy somewhere down in those bottoms. I hope he died before they got to him.
Posted By: Txduckman
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 03:37 AM
I shot a nice buck right on my way out of my hunting area one evening.. he'd chased a doe right past me, she presented then he followed. I grunted and he paused so I released on him. I didnt wait long enough for him to expire but got nervous because it was getting dark fast and I was excited. He dragged himself into a swampy area and I never did find him. I looked the next day until I got muscle cramps from crawling through the brush. I will say that late the night I shot him, I heard the coyotes in a frenzy somewhere down in those bottoms. I hope he died before they got to him.
I took a buddy on his first deer hunt. Doe only for him. He shot and I thought he said he missed. He just said he didn't see her go down apparantly but figured he would have looked. It was freezing and super muddy from lots of snow. I didn't look and my mistake. We heard yotes going crazy while at camp. Next day I put him in same stand. He couldn't open the windows from his moisture the night before. He saw a ladder stand and sat in there. Was 18 degrees and he had no thermals. At 9:15 am I hear a shot. I get in the offroad rigged golf cart a guy left at camp. Ground completely frozen solid luckily. Said he shot a doe and still not located it. I see a small blood drop in the snow below the ladder stand and said that is no where near where he shot the doe. Uh oh, that was from last night. Found some more in what snow was left. 50 yards later found a leg and 20 yards past that was doe with 1 inch spikes with only a skull and spine left.
oops. Yotes left nothing. Found his doe which actually was a doe thankfully from that morning other direction pretty quick. Lesson learned and he got his first two deer but only one with meat still on it.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 11:26 AM
Another one came to mind that still bothers me more than any miss I've made.
Shot a doe that walked into an old logging road while hunting many years ago in Mississippi. When I got out of the stand, a young fawn still in spots was standing nearby and off the road where I couldn't have seen it when shooting the mother. It was still in the area the next day.
I haven't shot a doe with so much as a yearling with her since.
Posted By: pokerj2
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 01:25 PM
I let my son shoot at a 170 inch deer and he missed... Considerably bigger than any other animal ive ever seen personally on a low fence!
Posted By: Dalroo
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 01:44 PM
Not checking gun sights after loaning it out as a teenager. Missed a huge deer. Scope was way off. Thanks, buddy.
I did this exact thing. Loaned rifle to nephew and got back on time. Missed nice 10 pt buck at 75 yards. Took gun to range and found it wasn't even on paper at 100. He didn't drop, but fessed up he had "adjusted" scope.
Also did the click thing on the largest buck I've ever seen. I was late into the stand and had tried to chamber round quietly. Didn't seat and I was sick. Fortunately, 10 minutes later a 13 pt wandered in and I got that one.
Posted By: Wacm
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 01:54 PM
Yup I had that same thing happen. Lend a rifle to a 16 year old. He hunted by himself. He shot a few times and missed every time.
The rifle had a tactical scope on it. At breakfast he talked about how solid he was and kept asking if maybe to gun was off. This gun had only been sighted in once and it was years ago. I never had any problems with it.
After our talk I went back and looked at the scope. One turret was on 6moa. The other was on 11moa...
I got a little angry. I asked him why he moved them. He said he thought it was for focus....this is a kid who's hunted 5 years. You just never know.
Posted By: Grosvenor
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 05:25 PM
Last January I hunted West Texas mulies for the first time. Within a few hours of arriving the first afternoon, I had an amazing encounter with a monster mulie but opted not to shoot. I was in it for the hunt and we were just getting started, so I don't regret passing and I wouldn't call it a mistake. Not to mention the fact that I didn't know what I was doing.
Four days later, however, when I miraculously encountered the same animal inside 50 yards while glassing a canyon only to realize that I left my rifle in the truck which was parked 50 yards the other direction...now that was a mistake. I think about it every day.
Posted By: shightower
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/04/17 06:05 PM
My biggest mistake deer hunting occurred sitting in my blind looking over my feeder. The rut had just began. I spotted ( 500-1000 yards) what I thought was a huge mature buck chasing a doe. I got out of my blind and put the stock on this deer. I got a running shot at the buck (150-200 yards) and knocked him down. I went up expecting a huge deer. It ended up being a 9 point buck, 3.5 years old.
My mistake was getting out of the blind. I should have studied the deer and he would have been a no shoot.
This occurred in a one buck county, and the lease rule was a mature 8 or better. This deer wasn't mature, but he was a cull buck that needed to be taken.
a few years ago I was sitting in my tree stand when I could hear an absolute big buck brawl not far from me. It was getting late so I decided to try to put a stock on these bucks, hoping that they would be so interested in each other they wouldn't notice me closing the distance. At about 40 yards I spotted the two buck, both really nice, and either of them would be a trophy. My only problem was the brush between the deer and myself was so thick that I would have to get down and crawl a little ways to get into a posisition to shoot. After crawling all the way into posisition I ended up making a noise that got the attention of the deer, they both began looking into my direction so I leaned to my right to try to use the shrub to my side as cover. As soon as I did I felt a rock punching into my thigh where my iphone was. It was pressing down on the home button. Anyone with an iPhone knows that if you hold down the home button Siri will activate and prompt you to ask a question. That damn heifer sounded off with a "IM SORRY I DIDNT GET THAT" at what seemed like the sound decibels that an airplane engine couldn't duplicate. Both bucks instantly took off, never to be seen again.
Posted By: Simple Searcher
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 12:50 AM
a few years ago I was sitting in my tree stand when I could hear an absolute big buck brawl not far from me. It was getting late so I decided to try to put a stock on these bucks, hoping that they would be so interested in each other they wouldn't notice me closing the distance. At about 40 yards I spotted the two buck, both really nice, and either of them would be a trophy. My only problem was the brush between the deer and myself was so thick that I would have to get down and crawl a little ways to get into a posisition to shoot. After crawling all the way into posisition I ended up making a noise that got the attention of the deer, they both began looking into my direction so I leaned to my right to try to use the shrub to my side as cover. As soon as I did I felt a rock punching into my thigh where my iphone was. It was pressing down on the home button. Anyone with an iPhone knows that if you hold down the home button Siri will activate and prompt you to ask a question. That damn heifer sounded off with a "IM SORRY I DIDNT GET THAT" at what seemed like the sound decibels that an airplane engine couldn't duplicate. Both bucks instantly took off, never to be seen again.
Okay, that is funny
I thought for sure you were belly crawling up to a snake.
I was covered in mud and leaves and had a temper tantrum like a 2 year old. Threw my phone then spent close to an hour trying to find it in the dark, it's funny now looking back
Posted By: Dalroo
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 01:52 AM
I was covered in mud and leaves and had a temper tantrum like a 2 year old. Threw my phone then spent close to an hour trying to find it in the dark, it's funny now looking back
Ha!
Posted By: kmon11
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 03:53 AM
1982 all the fields that could be planted around where I hunted in those days were in soybeans so the growing deer herd as well fed. Had a new rifle the Remington 788 in 7mm-08 with handloads worked up for it that shot little groups and still does. there was one huge non-typical deer around the area that everyone was trying to kill. I had him one afternoon the week after Christmas at 350 yards but had never shot at anything that far in my life and passed on the shot for that reason. The next day found me shooting at 350 yards, busted 5 of 6 mt dew bottles and missed the one by less than 2 inches.
it was still the right call but in that big soybean field I should have checked that before hunting there. The buck consecutively was at least a 230s NT. Wish I had taken the shot but not knowing I could make the shot for sure I didn't try it.
Had buck that was my target buck at the lease I still hunt on that would be at one feeder all through the Summer but disappear before bow season. Then for 3 years he was there on Christmas morning. Was going to drive to Mississippi that year for Christmas after leaving work Christmas Eve. Had that feeing in the gut that deer would be their again Christmas morning. Talked to the one other person on the lease at the time and he said he would go hunt him if I felt that strong about it. So I drove home, he did not hunt and that buck was there from 8:00 to 8:20 that morning with lots of good pictures of him. ( he really hates those pictures) Said buck was found that spring dead in the creek on the next place Smooth slick 10 point 22 inch inside spread that scored 167.
Posted By: The Duke
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 04:35 AM
Leaving the gun in the blind and walking back to the truck!! Yup had enough time to take a photo on my cell phone an send it to my wife and have her reply back before that buck turned and walked off.
Hunting spot and stalk without shooting sticks.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 02:13 PM
Wish I had taken the shot but not knowing I could make the shot for sure I didn't try it.
I don't see it as a mistake at all but an example of good sportsmanship and true character.
Any regrets are easily removed by considering how you would have felt had you wounded the deer and never found it. But of course, the same ones who would have taken the shot without regard to their capabilities would just as easily accepted wounding and never finding it. Little wonder that those who seldom have an unrecovered deer are the same ones who don't hesitate to pass when the shot isn't right.
Posted By: hook_n_line
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 03:30 PM
Just saw a mistake. Buddy went to his blind for the first time this year. "NO WASP SPRAY" scared everything for 2 counties.
Posted By: Navasot
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 03:41 PM
Moving to much
Posted By: PKnTX
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 06:12 PM
Was cold and I was tired so didn't get out of the tent or sleeping bag.
Will never know what I missed.
Posted By: mdryg1970
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 06:28 PM
Thinking I had a shell chambered for my son's first buck and the gun went click instead of bang. Still makes me nauseous. He did get one the next year the night after winning his superbowl so I guess God had a better weekend in mind for him.
Posted By: D'hanis
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/05/17 08:36 PM
I've had a few... but the worst had to have been a few years ago. It was late season and I had already killed a decent eight, so I wasn't planning on killing anything else unless is was really big. Well, one morning my buddy and I were hunting a road in the back of the property when one of the biggest deer I had ever seen out there stepped out around 300 yds, problem is, I had no idea he was actually that far (no rangefinder) so when I held where I normally would, I shot underneath him, and felt sick.
Low and behold, he came out again that evening in the exact same spot and I was shocked. This time I took a deep breath, held a little high, and squeezed the trigger. The buck dropped and my buddy and I began the high fives. Being as that it was almost dark and I saw him drop, I immediately grabbed the four wheeler to get get him. When I got there, I yet again, felt sick. Nothing left but a pool of blood. Searched for that deer for days and never found him. Needless to say, I way at least a half hour now to look for a deer regardless of how I felt about the shot. That's a mistake I will NOT make again.
Posted By: hook_n_line
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/06/17 06:06 PM
Thinking I had a shell chambered for my son's first buck and the gun went click instead of bang. Still makes me nauseous. He did get one the next year the night after winning his superbowl so I guess God had a better weekend in mind for him.
I did the same thing to my boy on his first deer. Luckily he just gave me a look of disgust and slowly chambered a round. The deer was 136 yards so he never even knew how close he came to living.
Posted By: Son of a Blitch
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/06/17 06:46 PM
A family friend saved up all year for a chance to go to a ranch that had some huge deer. He paid about $5,000 for an all day hunt, and two nights lodging. He gets there around dark on a Friday and enjoys some really good food and gets to review some pics of the bucks at the ranch. In the morning, he woke up to an amazing breakfast. He was feeling really excited and pampered. He gathers all his gear together and heads outside to meet the owners and other hunters.
At this particular ranch, the owners/guides drive the hunters around the ranch and drop them off at their stands for the entire day. If you got lucky and tagged a deer, you'd call and they'd come get you, load the deer, process it for you...the whole nine yards. If you didn't call, they would pick you up 15-30 minutes after last shooting light. They drop all the hunters with a small cooler, filled with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Our friend gets to his stand, climbs up into this cozy blind and sets his stuff up.
Just before daylight he goes to chamber a round. Wait...no round in the rifle. Checks the backpack....no rounds there. Immediately grabs his phone to call the guides back at camp....no signal. Rules were you couldn't not leave your blind until the truck came to pick you up. It was a HUGE ranch and the guy had no idea where he was in the ranch even, as he got there at night and didn't drive the property with them the day before. He had to stay there the entire day, watching B&C bucks walk within shooting range. His $5,000 earned him a chance to shoot any deer he saw. He saw 5 or 6 trophies. He said one even walked almost directly under the blind, and he contemplated if the cooler was big enough to knock him out. LOL!
In the end, he left empty coolered the next morning. The owner/guides felt horrible for him and worked out a deal for him to come back the next year (since the guy couldn't make it back that particular season) at a huge discount. He never went back. He said he was too ashamed.
Upon hearing this story, I bought a little bullet sleeve for every single rifle and shotgun I owned, and all of my buddies and in-laws got them for their Christmas present that year, along with the tale of this poor guy's unfortunate mistake. I fill up my sleeve with the 9-10 bullets that it holds before I go out for any hunt. So, even though it wasn't my mistake, I quickly learned from this guys' misfortune. For what it is worth, if you don't have a bullet sleeve for your stock, it is the best $10 you can spend, in my opinion.
Posted By: Captain Luke
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/06/17 06:58 PM
A family friend saved up all year for a chance to go to a ranch that had some huge deer. He paid about $5,000 for an all day hunt, and two nights lodging. He gets there around dark on a Friday and enjoys some really good food and gets to review some pics of the bucks at the ranch. In the morning, he woke up to an amazing breakfast. He was feeling really excited and pampered. He gathers all his gear together and heads outside to meet the owners and other hunters.
At this particular ranch, the owners/guides drive the hunters around the ranch and drop them off at their stands for the entire day. If you got lucky and tagged a deer, you'd call and they'd come get you, load the deer, process it for you...the whole nine yards. If you didn't call, they would pick you up 15-30 minutes after last shooting light. They drop all the hunters with a small cooler, filled with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Our friend gets to his stand, climbs up into this cozy blind and sets his stuff up.
Just before daylight he goes to chamber a round. Wait...no round in the rifle. Checks the backpack....no rounds there. Immediately grabs his phone to call the guides back at camp....no signal. Rules were you couldn't not leave your blind until the truck came to pick you up. It was a HUGE ranch and the guy had no idea where he was in the ranch even, as he got there at night and didn't drive the property with them the day before. He had to stay there the entire day, watching B&C bucks walk within shooting range. His $5,000 earned him a chance to shoot any deer he saw. He saw 5 or 6 trophies. He said one even walked almost directly under the blind, and he contemplated if the cooler was big enough to knock him out. LOL!
In the end, he left empty coolered the next morning. The owner/guides felt horrible for him and worked out a deal for him to come back the next year (since the guy couldn't make it back that particular season) at a huge discount. He never went back. He said he was too ashamed.
Upon hearing this story, I bought a little bullet sleeve for every single rifle and shotgun I owned, and all of my buddies and in-laws got them for their Christmas present that year, along with the tale of this poor guy's unfortunate mistake. I fill up my sleeve with the 9-10 bullets that it holds before I go out for any hunt. So, even though it wasn't my mistake, I quickly learned from this guys' misfortune. For what it is worth, if you don't have a bullet sleeve for your stock, it is the best $10 you can spend, in my opinion.
I feel sick to my stomach after reading this. I wouldn't ever get over that. Maybe drilling a hole in the wooden stock and stuffing it with a round or two for emergencies wouldn't be a bad idea if you don't mind ruining your stock.
Posted By: hook_n_line
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/06/17 07:59 PM
A family friend saved up all year for a chance to go to a ranch that had some huge deer. He paid about $5,000 for an all day hunt, and two nights lodging. He gets there around dark on a Friday and enjoys some really good food and gets to review some pics of the bucks at the ranch. In the morning, he woke up to an amazing breakfast. He was feeling really excited and pampered. He gathers all his gear together and heads outside to meet the owners and other hunters.
At this particular ranch, the owners/guides drive the hunters around the ranch and drop them off at their stands for the entire day. If you got lucky and tagged a deer, you'd call and they'd come get you, load the deer, process it for you...the whole nine yards. If you didn't call, they would pick you up 15-30 minutes after last shooting light. They drop all the hunters with a small cooler, filled with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Our friend gets to his stand, climbs up into this cozy blind and sets his stuff up.
Just before daylight he goes to chamber a round. Wait...no round in the rifle. Checks the backpack....no rounds there. Immediately grabs his phone to call the guides back at camp....no signal. Rules were you couldn't not leave your blind until the truck came to pick you up. It was a HUGE ranch and the guy had no idea where he was in the ranch even, as he got there at night and didn't drive the property with them the day before. He had to stay there the entire day, watching B&C bucks walk within shooting range. His $5,000 earned him a chance to shoot any deer he saw. He saw 5 or 6 trophies. He said one even walked almost directly under the blind, and he contemplated if the cooler was big enough to knock him out. LOL!
In the end, he left empty coolered the next morning. The owner/guides felt horrible for him and worked out a deal for him to come back the next year (since the guy couldn't make it back that particular season) at a huge discount. He never went back. He said he was too ashamed.
Upon hearing this story, I bought a little bullet sleeve for every single rifle and shotgun I owned, and all of my buddies and in-laws got them for their Christmas present that year, along with the tale of this poor guy's unfortunate mistake. I fill up my sleeve with the 9-10 bullets that it holds before I go out for any hunt. So, even though it wasn't my mistake, I quickly learned from this guys' misfortune. For what it is worth, if you don't have a bullet sleeve for your stock, it is the best $10 you can spend, in my opinion.
I feel sick to my stomach after reading this. I wouldn't ever get over that. Maybe drilling a hole in the wooden stock and stuffing it with a round or two for emergencies wouldn't be a bad idea if you don't mind ruining your stock.
Reminds me of when I hurt my ribs cocking my crossbow. I went to the stand without my pully string for my 160# draw crossbow. Deer were everywhere so I finally bit the bullet and gave it my all. I cocked that sucker but at the expense of 2 weeks with hurt ribs. I couldn't even sneeze and laughing about it hurt for a while. I got a deer but crap i had to get my son and buddy to load it.
Posted By: Ramsey
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 04:13 AM
During my first year deer hunting I did not have a round chambered when one of the biggest bucks I have ever seen came out at 40 yards.
Posted By: EddieWalker
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 02:51 PM
There are so many to chose from, but the one that might haunt me the most was an archery hunt in California in the Hayward Hills above Pleasonton on some private land a buddy owned. It was in August, and really hot during the day. All the deer where mostly nocturnal and only moving around at first and last light, then it quickly warmed up once the sun came up. I had parked on top of the ridge and was hunting along a trail that led to a pond that the deer used a lot. I didn't see any bucks that morning, and waited until the sun was too hot to sit there any longer. It got hot really fast!!!
My mistake was leaving my bow and hunting gear next to the road and hiking up that really steep hill back to my truck. As I got to the top of the ridge, just past a large oak tree, I looked down, behind the tree, and 2 really nice bucks where eating in the shadow of that tree, maybe 20 yards away. I froze, watched them eat, and after awhile, decided to go back for my bow. I got about three steps when they saw me, and took off!!!!
Posted By: cos
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 05:42 PM
On a quite mourning just at first shooting light while trying to reach my hunting spot in Colorado I noticed a large Mule Deer dogging a doe about 50 yards from me. My brain went dead and I tried to shoot without chambering a round. You could of heard the click for a mile. Needless to say the buck left their like a rocket and I have had bad dreams ever since about that mistake.
Posted By: bigjoe8565
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 06:19 PM
Let the window slam on my blind. First year on the lease and my blind wasn't finished, so I used para cord wrapped around a screw to keep my windows up. Biggest buck I've seen on my lease walks out and I'm about to kill a stud buck. I pull the window up, wrap it around the screw and bam. The para cord slips off the screw, window slams shut and the buck ran off never to be seen again.
Posted By: Wilhunt
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 06:36 PM
There have been a number of situations but I guess the one most frustrating was when I failed to get a buck that appeared to have 12 to 15 points. It was the first day of deer season and I had arrived at the stand before daylight. Using binoculars I could see nothing for a while. Then after straining my eyes I thought I could see movement near the feeder. Finally I could barely see the buck, picked up the rifle and looking thru the scope I just could not see him well enough. I switched the rifle to my left as it is the stronger eye. just as I did this looking thru the scope I see him jump out of the pen. Caught him on a camera once after that but was never able to get a shot.
Posted By: Stratgolfer
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/08/17 10:57 PM
I watched a buck for so long last year telling myself I wasn't going to shoot it. After about 30 minutes I changed my mind and didn't go through my pre-shot routine. I failed to account for the downhill angle and spined him. Shot was high. I had to go up and finish him off, in front of my son. I used it as a learning lesson but I felt bad of course. Oh and when I use my Dad's Mini-30 I've failed to remember to let the bolt slam like an AR. Click is a terrible sound for sure.
Posted By: 357MAX
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/11/17 02:25 PM
Biggest mistake ever was when my father and I were walking back to camp from a morning hunt. I was using a single shot .357 max that used to be a pistol, but had been converted to a rifle. When we were about 40 yards from camp I cracked it open, took the round out, and placed it in my ammo sleeve. As soon as I snapped the rifle shut we both hear and see hogs scatter. They were bedded down about 8 yards off the trail and we spooked them. They all ran about 10 feet or so and stopped. I was looking at a decent sized sow within spitting distance and no round chambered... My dad shouldered his rifle and dropped on, and they all took off. Shoulda, coulda, woulda never taken that round out until we were at the house. Never again has this or will this happen.
Posted By: thisguy_80
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/11/17 07:19 PM
Telling others what you saw during a hunt is perhaps one of the most widespread deer hunting mistakes.
ditto
Posted By: fouzman
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/11/17 07:20 PM
Telling others what you saw during a hunt is perhaps one of the most widespread deer hunting mistakes.
ditto
You guys must be on leases with some real winners.
Posted By: Texas Dan
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/11/17 09:36 PM
I switched the rifle to my left as it is the stronger eye. just as I did this looking thru the scope I see him jump out of the pen. Caught him on a camera once after that but was never able to get a shot.
It wasn't until I was well into my adult years that I realized the key in shooting from your opposite shoulder is to use your non-dominant eye to aim through the scope or sights. I was amazed at the ease in which it can be done once you realize this simple fact. Not sure how many deer I may have passed up knowing there was no way I could twist in the stand without being busted.
Posted By: slotfish70
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/12/17 01:38 AM
Several years ago I went to hunt at my dads in Missouri. I bow hunted seven days before the rifle season and then rifle hunted for four days. I was able to get a couple of does opening day of rifle season but never saw a buck I wanted to take. On Wednesday morning, the fifth day of rifle season, I woke up and was absolutely exhausted. I decided to sleep in.
Well I was laying there telling myself to get up and get to the stand. I laid there and laid there. I finally got up. By this time sun was already starting to come up. I got dressed and was fixing to leave the house but I could smell coffee brewing from the kitchen. I went and had a cup of coffee with my dad because it was very cold outside. I drank the coffee, grabbed my rifle and out the door I went.
As I was walking to the gate that I walk through to got up the hill to my stand I looked out across my dads pasture and walking down the fence was a doe and five steps behind her was a buck. My jaw would have hit the ground if it could have. This was a buck of a lifetime. I took off running parallel to the fence to get ahead of the buck to possibly get a shot. I was far enough away that he never saw me but he made it to the neighbors fence and jumped it and I never saw him again. After seeing this deer and running the distance I ran. I couldn't of gotten a shot off anyway.
Now here is the sad part. The stand I was going to hunt that morning was on that fence two hundred yards from where I first saw him. He would have walked right under it following that doe. If I would have got my butt out of bed I could have possibly harvested this buck.
Now here is another sad part (at least for me). That afternoon the neighbor shot that deer. It was a perfect typical 12. Heavy main beams, long g2s and g3s and it Scored 182. I've learned not to sleep in anymore. Lol
Posted By: soonerdg
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/13/17 04:38 PM
My biggest deer hunting mistake is all the years I wasted not deer hunting.
Posted By: TBirdFF4
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/13/17 05:23 PM
A few years back, we were on a lease out in west Texas. I had taken up bow hunting a year prior. I was determined to kill a mule deer buck with that bow while stalking. Sure enough, I spotted this 4x3 with a jacked up rack. He was an old deer, and was in the middle of the wheat field heading towards the fence line. I started slinking through the trees to head him off. After 45 min or so, I made it to the spot he was going to cross, and was about 15-20 yds from him. I decided to go ahead and draw, so when he walked through the opening, I'd just let it fly. I didn't chack my surroundings, and as soon as i hit full draw and saw his head appear, a doe behind me stomped, and took off, taking him with her. I went back out that evening and dropped him from 150yds with my rifle.
Another was watching the biggest typical 8pt WT i've ever seen on opening day last season. I was after a big 11 we had been seeing, and didn't want to end my season so quick. Well, after having him pass at 15yds, seeing his true size, i decided to get an angle on him and shoot. He never gave me a shot, walking directly away from me for 200yds. That 11 never showed his face the entire season. Needless to say, that 8 is now on my hit list this year and will not get a second thought.
Posted By: Leveled
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/20/17 09:23 PM
First time deer hunting - I was on the Caddo South Public hunting land. A huge buck came right at me and stood twenty yards away. I was blocking the path he used to go into a creek. Problem is I did not have a round chambered in my .308. As I tried to work the bolt he gave out a grunt and was gone. Lesson learned always have one chambered and ready.
Posted By: Trophytaker3
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/21/17 12:16 AM
My biggest hunting mistake. Well, It's not really a mistake, but when i see a deer, especially a big buck, I get the shakes really really bad......
One year i had to wait about 5 minutes for the shaking to subside to climb out of the stand...
Posted By: REALKILLER
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/21/17 12:56 AM
300 mag.
Posted By: Creekrunner
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/21/17 12:59 AM
'Hate that round.
Posted By: Trophytaker3
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/21/17 02:15 AM
Biggest mistake: Hunting without a license...
no, just kidding. [b][/b]never ever do that!
Posted By: gary75758
Re: Your biggest deer hunting mistake - 10/21/17 01:02 PM
Not going hunting