how to cope after missing a buck of a lifetime?

[jackmaster]

Or you could thank your lucky stars that you have the good health to afford misses like that, it might have been your first but it wont be your last.. get back in the saddle and go after him... you could be freezing your a s s off in the mountains of of some third world country while some turbin flyer takes pot shots at ya!!! As long as you learned something it should have been worth it.. JACK O'CONNOR passed on the biggest buck he ever seen, when asked why, he simply stated " had I killed that buck, not only would my season would be over, but I could never find anything bigger so what would be the point" he also said it was better that that buck live and pass on his genes and die of old age!!! I guess it all comes down to how you view things

[Bullkllr]

Or you could thank your lucky stars that you have the good health to afford misses like that, it might have been your first but it wont be your last.. get back in the saddle and go after him... you could be freezing your a s s off in the mountains of of some third world country while some turbin flyer takes pot shots at ya!!! As long as you learned something it should have been worth it.. JACK O'CONNOR passed on the biggest buck he ever seen, when asked why, he simply stated " had I killed that buck, not only would my season would be over, but I could never find anything bigger so what would be the point" he also said it was better that that buck live and pass on his genes and die of old age!!! I guess it all comes down to how you view things

I like that. I'm going to use that for my excuse to only kill does spikes and small forkies.

[elk247]

That's bowhunting. The only way to get over it is to hang your tag on him, either this year or in the future. You know where he lives so get back out there and hunt him down. It's so much more special to finally harvest an animal you have a history with, be it past hunts or trail cam pics from past years. You got this buddy! Good luck. I'm right down the road from you if you need a hand or another set of eyes.

[h20hunter]

I'd say be happy you missed clean. What if you hit badly and didn't recover. A clean miss means it ain't over yet.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I'd drown a few sorrows and get right back at it!!!!!!!

[huntnnw]

This thread brought back a lot of memories of a giant I shot and never recovered . May of been the biggest buck I woulda killed. The buck I'm almost positive lived arrow was low and thru the brisket . Nothing I coulda learned from my experience everything was correct other than the shot and still don't know why it was low. I've never forgotten and sometimes it makes me sick thinking about it to this day and it's been 10 years this season. It's what makes hunting.. Hunting! It's the drive every year to find that next buck or bull of a lifetime that keeps us hunting. There will be other opportunities to come if you keep hunting hard .

[Bill W]

just a miss.  shrug it off and step up to the batting box again.  Odds are in your favor now on the next shot.

Everybody misses sometimes.  Now you got a good story to go with it.   Rifle shooting I used to miss about once every 10 years.  The misses made better stories than the hits.  Shoot, one deer I called as two missed shots at him, walked around the corner for my next attempt and saw him laying on the ground.

[Seabass]

Better to have missed clean! Doesn't help you now but someday you may hit a giant and lose him. The feeling is much worse. Last season  I made a bad "chip shot" (17 yards) on the biggest buck I have ever seen in person or drawn on. It sucks but it's part of the deal and you don't really get over it....ever.

[Old Man Yager]

Still kick myself in the arse for deer I missed years ago! And missed 1 two years ago that should be in my wall. You can laugh at yourself when you miss a small one, they are much easier to get over!!

[idahohuntr]

I shot and lost a buck.  First and only deer I've lost in my life.  I was so sick about the whole thing and still am.  I went out the very next day and killed my best archery buck ever.  Losing one still stings, but getting back out and focusing on hunting was much better than stewing and losing confidence. 

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[Wingin it]

Unfortunately, that one is going to haunt you for awhile. Probably for the rest of your life. I have one about like that from over 10 years ago and still think about it. Prepare, practice, and do your best to be ready next time.

[BUTTER]

Hunting is my life and missing is my business jk but seriously if you hunt enough it will and does happen to the best of them part of the game sorry about your luck but maybe not all but most hunters will and have missed

[Boss .300 winmag]

 Four years ago I watched the largest Muley I have ever seen ( easily 180" plus) walk away because I didn't have a clean shoot at it and he was moving fast because some other hunters pushed out from his bed. It haunts me every season, but I made the right choice not to shoot, and wound him for my own selfish personal gain. Last Thursday I scouted out the exact same spot I go every opening morning where I let him walk and see a great 4x4, hopefully he is there come Oct 17th.

You will never forget, just learn how to find other ways to cope it hit. 

[Bean Counter]

I'd say be happy you missed clean. What if you hit badly and didn't recover. A clean miss means it ain't over yet.

 

[RadSav]

Unfortunately, that one is going to haunt you for awhile. Probably for the rest of your life. I have one about like that from over 10 years ago and still think about it. Prepare, practice, and do your best to be ready next time.

I have one of those haunting misses from darn near every state.  Just crossing the state line brings back the horror and disappointment of years past.   


You know you have experienced it more than once when your wife starts laughing as soon as she sees the post headline.  Then asks, "Did you start a new thread?"  She's evil...Evil I tell you.  Pure down right terribly evil!


Make sure you have the range comp activated on your range finder.

Also, if the compensator was on and working properly there should be no reason to adjust for down hill shots other than bending at the waist.  Had you used the 30 pin you would likely still be posting this thread.  Only difference would be that you missed low.

Only way I know of to over come the pain and frustrations of a miss it to keep hunting!  The next shot is likely to be a winner.  So many of my clients and experiences with hunting partners and wife end with them wanting to run home after a miss.  I tell them the one sure way to never recover from a missed opportunity is to never get another one. 

And who knows...that next one might be bigger!  I'm living proof of that.  My biggest bull ever was taken on the next to last day of the season.  Two miserable days before I missed what would have been my biggest to date when I hit a branch I didn't see.  Fast forward three days later and I almost never remember that first bull.  And he certainly never haunts my dreams.  I now feel fortunate that I missed, because 25 years later the bull I did tag that year is still my best.