The One That GOT AWAY!!!???

[MeatGETTER24]

alright guys, im sure we all have the "one that got away" buck stories, im sure this has been brought up before, but lets hear it, how big was it(or wasnt it) i personally missed my only HUGE buck back down in OR by lake wallowa, wasnt quite 30 inches but great mass and tall as the dickens(ouch it hurts thinkin bout him!!) anyways, cant wait to read your replies!!!!

[andrew_12gauge]

well in 2000 i didnt have one that got away I had 3 in one week, the first one was a small 3 point i missed on opening day at about 250 yards as he fed, then 3 days later I missed a big non typical that prolly wouldve gone about 180 with my shotgun shooting slugs at about 50 yards(I was hunting on a refuge that day so couldnt use rifle) and then on the final day of season i missed another big 4 point probably about 26 inches wide with good tine lengths he was probably about 100 yards away and stood broadside to me so i missed him 3 times, The next year i changed guns and havent missed a deer with a rifle since, and my dad has the rifle i shot that year and shoots just fine with it, I cant hit anything with it though

[Little John]

My first out of state hunt, I was bow hunting elk in Idaho. I was so jacked up to be bow hunting out of state!!! Very first afternoon me and my partner called in a 340 6X6 and I dropped the ball I shot over his back at 18 yds. Wide open shot broadside. That bull had me shaking and so flustered I completely lost it. Punched the trigger and flinched so bad I never touched him. That is the ONE I think about more then any other ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

[BLUEBULLS]

I'll make mine short. Had a definite 180" 4pt at 40yds broadside after a perfect mile long stalk. had the muzzy on the bipod, squeezed the trigger and pop. powder wouldn't ignite, happened 3 times before he was out of range. learned a good lesson!

[boneaddict]

He was 35 inches wide at the frame and then had a poin that flared on each side.  Basically a gigantic deer.  I belly crawled in the snow form 800 to 500 yards and was contemplating my next move or to shoot and some dingbat in a flourecent green hat came be-bopping up behin dme and spooked him.  He saw my belly crawl tracks in the fresh snow and wondered what was up so followed them.  I got one crack at him but it was a bad shot.  I wouldn't even take that shot now.   I found him on the winter range later and hauled Idabooner up to see him even though he had like a 102 temp and pneumonia.  Two reasons, one this buck was worth dieing to see and two I wanted someone to believe my story.  I spent the whole next spring looking for his bones, even took hornseeker up there and the posse and looked and looked but never found them.

[finnman]

Back in '94 first time ever hunting on Vulcan Mt. the wife and I hike uphill just before dawn in the snow, we get about 1/4 mile up the open face and the wind is blowing pretty good, the clouds are coming in and out like the tide, one minute you can see the Kettle river next minute you can't see 100 yards, just as the clouds start to let up I look across the slope to see a large buck, estimate 26 wide nice and heavy, stotting up the hill, he looked like a ghost! All I could make out was him, no brush, no ground, just him in all his majesty heading up the hill, I had time for 3 quick shots at about 300 yards, no dice, walked over found his tracks, followed them for 1/2 a mile up over the hill into the thick dark timber, never saw him again, I still can see him...............DANG!

[rasbo]

wow! the first liar dont stand a chance.{just kidding}The first deer that got away from me was a 3x4 muley,in northern ca.I was 12.he was comming towards me and I started shooting,then I heard a bang.And down he went.I yelled I got him to my dad.Dad said no I got him.Well come to find out I was ejecting my shells instead of shooting.that was the only one I missed and the last time I got buck fever.

[bankwalker]

mine was a 160" 5x5 mule deer right along teanum creek.

i had ran into a couple guys out of breath from a hike. they told me they jumped a BIG 5x5 and a few does just over the ridge and it headed my way. they never could catch up to it nor did the find any tracks. but you could tell in thier voices that they werent *censored*tin me.

i know the area very well and knew where a the buck would be headed if he indeed did come this way. so i told them good luck and went on my way. i drove down the road to the bottum of a deep draw and got loaded up for the hike to the bottum. i grabbed my ruger redhawk 44mag, and ruger m77 7mm wsm and went on my way. not 5 minutes into the hike to the bottum i heard a crunch, then crunch. as i turned around and looked across the draw 40yds away from me a couple does ran by then another. i knew that buck had to be right behind them so i hunkered down next to a stump and got my shooting sticks out. no sooner did i do that and that big buck came trotting down the trail fallowing the does. again not 40yds from me. in a plsit second desision i decided to put down the 7mm wsm and unholstered my 44mag and centered it in the shooting sticks. i waited for the buck to get as close as he was gonna get before the trail turned up the other side of the draw and out of site. i hit my cow call and the buck stopped perfectly broadside to me. i took a deep breath and squeezed a round off. MISS! and the buck was gone.

this buck ive have see 3 times sence he was a little 3x3 and put a nice stalk on him with my bow the year before that when he was a little 4x4. i didnt hunt that area this season so idk if he made it or not.

note to self. when put in the situation to kill a big buck with handgun or rifle, even at close range. CHOOSE RIFLE!!!!!!!!!!

[7mmfan]

I've missed opportunities on my fair share of bucks, just like everyone here, but theres only one that dwells on me. In Wyoming in 06' 5 of us went back to Sheridan and hunted with family and had a great time. The prior 3 times i'd hunted there I'd shot decent bucks in the first 2 days of a week long hunt so i decided to hold out this time. The second to last day I broke down and shot a nice 4x3 with brow tines and was happy with him. The last morning went out with my dad because he hadn't filled his tag yet and was pushing down a brushy draw for him when BEHIND me i hear a deer break out of the brush. I get out the brush just in time to see this big ol' boy bounce to the top of the ridge and stop just like they do. I'm not great at judging width and all that but i'd say that he was over 30" wide and very tall and very non-typical. Hands down the biggest buck i'd ever seen. Sucker just layed there hunkered in the brush till I got by him and then bailed out the back instead of heading down the draw to pops. he didn't that big being stupid i guess!

[BC CHASER]

I have a few,  First time I was 17 or 18 and bow hunting blacktail.  A friend and I found 2 bucks feeding in the heavy timber.  I circled around to the meadow on the out side and he began to put the sneak on them.  He jumped them right to me.  the first to come out was a 145'' 5x5 and the next was a 6x6 that was in the mid to upper 150's.  I whistled at him and he stopped.  I let the arrow go and watched it pass through him.  We let him go for an hour and the search was on.  We found the arrow covered with blood and the blood trail ran out quick.  We looked for 5 days and never found him.  We even sat out at night to listen for coyotes and nothing.  A few weeks later we saw him alive!  My arrow had passed under his spine and above his lungs.  We even saw him the following year and he was very healthy.  I missed a MASSIVE blacktail that all he had were clubs for antlers and a few stickers on them.  Shot right over his back .  And one final one to add (I hate talking about this stuff!)  At whitetail camp a few years ago I was on my way back to camp for some lunch.   I never use my sling while walking,  well I had it on my shoulder and was looking at the fresh tracks on in the snow on the road.  I heard something off to my left and looked up to see a MONSTER NT whitetail looking at me.  Before I could get my rifle off my shoulder he was gone.    I guess he was 180-200''.  He was only 150 yards from the wall tent when I jumped him.  

[GoldTip]

Definitely one of the biggest that ever got away was the first year I hunted WA. after moving here from Montana.  Wife and I went for a drive to check out Priest Lake and thought we'd make the circle and drop in above Sullivan Lake and into Matalline Falls, just see some country, ya know?  Was dropping over the top and looked down into a clear cut and saw a huge mule deer doe watching us from 200 yards.  Raining like crazy and just standing in the middle of the clear cut at 3 inthe after noon, I stopped truck and grabbed bino's and looked her over and could not believe how big she was.  Just a pig.  Kept looking at her and looking at her, wondering what made her look so wrong, something just didn't look right.  Then I noticed that she looked funny because she was a enormous HE!  Horns were so wide (and it was raining hard) I just didn't see them.  An honest 35-38" mainframe slick four by four.  Unbelievable.  My wife looked at him with my leupold bino's and her quote was, "I've never even seen one that big in your hunting magazines."  My bow was in the truck and he had us pegged, I slid under her and she took my spot in the drivers seat with my bino's and slipped out the passenger side of the truck and down the road about 400yards.  I dropped down below him and got the wind right and put a stalk on him, wife watched the whole thing, got with about 80 yards and he just slowly moved away from me, followed him in sight of my wife for close to 300 yards across the bottom of the clear cut.  he never ever winded me or looked at me or appeared nervous, he just knew when it was time to move on.  This whole thing took probably 2 hours.  Have hunted that area multiple times since and never seen a buck that even approached his size.  Unbelievable buck, what I would have given for my rifle and a open rifle season.

[strutnrut1984]

oh boy ive had many over the years. probobly the one that hurt the most. i was hunting in ashtabula county ohio with my bow. on the edge of an alder swamp and a crab apple thicket i had about 15 min of decent lite left. when a giant 7x6 came up behind me to my scrape dripper.i waited til he went behind a crabapple tree and drew back. 20 yd quarting away. i hit the trigger on my release. heard a loud crack and saw him lurch forward. i was like yes as i saw him take off. i went to lower my bow down and saw my bottom limb was shattered. it had struck the rail on my summit viper. i went over to where the buck had been there was my arrow and a pile of belly hair.no blood looked for 2 hrs nothing found. i learned later on he was taken opening day of gun season. by an amish hunter. 7x6 23in spread 10 in brows scored in the 170s. oh well the season wasnt a total loss. i scored opening day of gun that year on a real nice 4x4

[Elkstuffer]

A shorter list would be the ones that didn't get away. LOL

[BuckHunter23]

In 2007, I was hunting for the first time on an exempt license (hadn't taken Hunter Ed yet).  My good buddy jjdavis2222 invited me to go along with his group up to Teanaway.  The group was comprised of several friends and a couple of their dads, all good people and encouraging towards me for my first hunt. 

I was somewhat familiar with the area, as we had camped and hiked around the area over the years.  Since I was new to hunting and hunting on an exempt license, I had to stay close to jj per the regs.  I was a bit uneasy about the hike in the dark, and having to sit and wait while things started to move around.  Needless to say, it was quite an experience and not as bad as I had expected. 

We got to my spot around 4-5 AM, pitch black and freezing ass cold.  I was starting to rethink the whole hunting thing.  As the light started to come up and you could start to make out the trees and stumps and everything else, I hear what sounds like a freight train coming down the hill behind me.  Now, to explain further, I was sitting in a small little bunker of sorts that another buddy, Right Place Right Time, had made several years before.  They told me I should sit down in the back left corner, which would give me a great view of both the draw to my left and the draw to my right.  As I hear this thing coming down the hill, suddenly I hear a loud breaking of a stick right behind me.  I was extremely nervous to say the least.  I happened so fast that I hadn't even turned around at this point.  I could hear him breathing behind me, so I knew he was really close.  I didn't want to spook him more than I had to, but I had to see what he was.  As a slowly turned to look over my left shoulder, all I could see was the silhouette of a big, tall rack and a huge deer.  He was less than 10 feet behind me.   

By this time we had made eye contact, which I found out later is not such a great idea.  I knew I had to move quick at this point or there would be no chance at all.  Like any stare down, we both were trying to figure out what the other would do.  I had already taken the rifle off safety and was slowly starting to bring it up.  My thought was I could get in a good enough position with the gun that I could quickly turn and put the gun right on him.  No sooner than I got to where I felt comfortable to make my move, he made his first and started on a dead sprint behind me to my right.  I quickly turned the opposite direction and brought my gun up, only to see his ass end bounce over the ridge line.  I hurried to get to my feet and moved quickly over to the ridge line.  All I saw on the other side was think trees and no sign of the deer anywhere. 

All of this happened within the first 5 minutes of daylight, on my first day ever hunting.  Even though I didn't get to take a shot, it was an experience I will never forget.  i ended up seeing a couple more small bucks that day, but was not able to tag out that year.  Same luck this last year up in Winthrop.  hopefully with patience and more experience, and taking the time to really get to know the areas I am hunting, I should be on here posting my success story in October!!  Man I wish we didn't have to wait that long.

[croix]

My first year rifle hunting whitetail in the NE corner of Wa. I had worked my way down an old skid road and hit an opening just as day broke. I saw two large bodied deer heading into the timber on the other side of the clearing. The next morning, I had a better idea of where I was going and headed to that clearing before sun up. Sure enough, as I sat up on a little knob to the left of the road where I could see the whole clearing, as the sun came up I noticed a deer sneaking into the clearing just the other side of the road and he stopped behind a small fir tree at about 40 yds. I thought that he had a strange looking rack through the tree because it looked kinda lopsided. Turns out that was only half of his rack and the other half was on the other side of the tree. I couldn't get a good point count but knew there were enough on one side to make me think that was his entire rack and he was obviously wide. I was waiting patiently for him to come out from behind the tree and offer me a shot when a second buck (small 3 pt) walked right out on the road between me and the big guy. He would have been an easy shot at 30 yds, but how could I take him when I had this monster right there at 40 yds. Ultimately, the smaller guy sensed something he didn't like. He stamped his foot once and I got nervous because I knew the jig was up. I briefly considered taking the smaller guy (that whole bird in the hand thing) but before I could bring the scope over to him he snorted and they both ran straight away from me at full speed. I never did get a good point count on that first guy but I'll never forget watching him run into the trees on the other side of the clearing at about 125 yds and his rack being widest part on him. I've hunted that area six times since then and never even seen a deer in that clearing much less a buck - but I keep checking it every year.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Well now that I removed my story about the elk that got away I guess I need a story about a deer that got away.

Ah yes here we go. Many years ago my dad and two brothers and I head over to Cle elum to go deer hunting. I believe it was the second weekend and we drove up to CleElum ridge and found a good looking spot where we could lookout over this selectively logged area. We could watch out to about 3-400 yards. Real steep hill directly below us. My little brother was about 10 at the time and he had his pellet gun along and was shooting at everything.

We spread out along this hill top to glass this nice area and we are there for only about 5 minutes and Ross shoots his pellet gun down in the brush at the bottom of the hill. Then.....Boom......Boom....Dad yells out "Jason there it is, it's huge it's going up the hill." I hear Jason with a frantic voice say where I don't see it. I am freaking out because I don't know where it is either. So I take off an go running up the ridge right behind my brother and there standing only 80 yards or so down the hill is the biggest bodied and antlered buck I have ever seen. We were above the deer and he never saw us so he didn't really know where to run to escape. The panic had already set in hard. I threw up my rifle and I was doing circles all the way around the buck. As I came across his body I fired, he flinched and started trotting up the hill but slowly because he still didn't know where the shots were coming from. I shoot again and miss.....My brother is in sheer panic because he has still not seen the buck. He was looking out past the deer when it was right below us. It trots up the hill about 200 yards and then Jason finally sees it and the bar start roaring and I am firing leading him and holding over. Meanwhile dad has jumped into the Blazer and goes roaring up the road and my little brother Ross looks out the window and says " dad there he is" dad slams on the breaks jumps out and throw two more rounds of hot lead his way.  Nada. Nope. Zilch. Zippo..........We ended up firing 14 rounds at that giant buck and never even grazed him. Buck fever had struck and it spread through us all. All dad had to do was take his time get down, take a rest and dump the sucker but he was so afraid of us seeing it first that he just threw up and took two snap shots at it. And the sound in his voice when he said "there it is It's huge". It was a huge buck. Probably conservatively 24" spread perfectly symmetrical 4x4 with deep evenly matched forks all around and heavy like bananas. Body wise it literally looked like a Elk standing there and it's tracks even looked like a small elk tracks. That was the most dejected sorry truck load of hunters you could have ever ridden with. The ride all the way back to Puyallup was very quiet. That was a one day hunt and it was the worst I have ever felt about the one that got away.

[TeacherMan]

I was 14, I was using my dads 30/30 lever action, I was walking down a trail behind 49 degree N resort and a monster whitetail buck crossed the road in front of me, I hurried up to the location and I couldn't believe it he was only 25 yards off of the road in the brush I pushed the safety off and squeezed the trigger, nothing, I kept squeezing and nothing would happen I felt helpless. Buck fever at its finest, I forgot to pull the hammer back. I was use to hunting with a bolt action rifle.  Never even fired the gun.

[archery288]

My first out of state hunt, I was bow hunting elk in Idaho. I was so jacked up to be bow hunting out of state!!! Very first afternoon me and my partner called in a 340 6X6 and I dropped the ball I shot over his back at 18 yds. Wide open shot broadside. That bull had me shaking and so flustered I completely lost it. Punched the trigger and flinched so bad I never touched him. That is the ONE I think about more then any other ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

I remember that story like it was yesterday...    "Hold your 30 pin on the target at 18 yards and see how high it is..." 

[huntnphool]

M-Rays got a ghost that visits him in his dreams at night too Did I really bring that up again

[wastickslinger]

The only one that really haunts me was two years ago. Long story short (cause I dont wan to throw up any more thinking about it, cause sometimes I do). Archery early season, missed over the back of a 180 class buck. Nuf said.

The worst part is that I have over 30 minutes ove video and hundreds of photos from presason scouting him. He will never leave my mind.

[kramman]

the biggest one ive seen get away wasnt even mine even though ive missed a few.it was my brothers in WY in 2003.i will try and keep it short:my dad and i had already tagged out on a week long hunt to n.e WY that left my brother with the only tag.well on the last morning of the hunt my bro. and i hike in and would just pop up on a hill and  glass after a couple of gullies and hills we look down into this gully and it is litterally filled with deer 70+ i honestly could not believe it.now this gully is probably a half mile wide by almost a mile long with a pond in the lower end.anyways we are spottin bucks all over the place at least 10 but one really stands out hes tall wide and a perfect 4by4 and hes sniffin buts chasing off lesser bucks just rutting like crazy.my brother gets ready and waits because this deer is surrounded bydoes its about a 300 yd shot but very doable.im watching this whole thing thruogh the binos.well the deer finally seperates itself enough and my bro. says hes going to take the shot.as im watching the buck waiting for the shot a deer stands up behind the buck and i say holdit one just popped up behind him then i get a look at the deer  that stood up and i quote my self OH MY GOD ITS A F- IN  ELK.this buck was laying in the sage and we hadnt seen it .it put all other bucks ive ever seen to shame he was huge actually beyond belief i couldnt even begin to score him with dark thick horns and a few stickers the buck we all hunt for. this buck takes a couple of steps sniffs a butt then lays back down.my bro looks through his binos to get a good look at this deer and realizes this is the one we came for.we decide the next time he stands up my brother will shot him.after about 10 long minutes he stands back up my brother takes the shot BAM! and i watch the bullet hit the dirt over the top of him because its a down hill shot itell him you shot over him then BAM! another shot by this time the deer are scattering everywhere except this buck just stands there broadside 300yds itell him you shot over him again.my bro. is panicking thinking the buck will run off so he shots again BAM same spot over the top of him this all happened in the course of seconds.well he only had 3 shells in his gun so he goes to grab more but the d-ass forgot to pack more bullets.he wears shells on his belt and he had takin them off because they bother him while he rides in the truck and he left them sitting on the backseat.after a lot of cussing and frantic searching  through his backpack we realize we are *censored* out luck.this whole time this monster of a buck just stood there watching the other deer run off.hes the only one left in this draw we stand up he looks at us back at his where his does have gone then back at us to say you F&%$#%N a holes and walks off.that was the quietest longest 2 mile walk back to the truck ive ever experienced i refer to it as the walk of shame.ive hunted for 25 years and never had seen a buck that big and i could probably live and hunt another 100 and not see a deer like that.ive been back to that draw 3 times and i keep hoping to see another deer like him but i probably never will.  oh and we always make sure we all have extra shells before we leave the truck its a running joke that my brother cant hardly stand because it reminds him of that morning.     Kram       

[BC CHASER]

 

[Roger]

Here's one from a couple of years ago in the Missouri breaks in Mt.  The rut was going and was holding out for big buck. This one morning on my hike I come up and look over into a canyon and a 4 point jumps out from below me. Quick look and he's one a saw a few days ago and pass on him the the big buck comes into view with a doe right behind him as they are ready to go over the hill out of sight. That's what they do, can't take the shot at the buck with the doe right behind him. Sitting there and within a minute they were going out the bottom of the canyon a half mile away. Watch they and see them go up the other side and and bed down about a mile away.

Got the plan together and go off after him. I'm going to go to the bottom and come up the gully just before the one they are in and will have a good shot even have cover for the final approach. As I get in the bottom I jump a couple of other does   Continue on after kicking myself and get the the spot for the shot. Guess what the doe was still there but the buck was gone.

[RPM]

it hurts to much

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I missed on the two biggest muleys I've ever seen in the same week about 8 years ago in NE Wa. Day one, hiked into a spot I had scouted prior to the opener, about 3 miles back in. As soon as I crested the ridge at first light, I busted at least 14 bedded deer on top, with a couple spikes and two's. Not long after that group trailed out of there, I crossed to the opposite hillside, that looked good along the back side, like a good place to see deer in the AM come out to feed from the treeline. I started very slowly edging along the treeline and thought I had glassed the open area above me really good -I hadn't. I hear this pounding of hooves coming right at me from very close, starting at about 30-40 yards and heading right for me. I was so stunned to see the massive Clydesdale looking buck coming at me that it took me a few seconds longer to read the rack, which was difficult anyway. Only when we was blowing by me into the trees could I finally count individual points -too many to count with mass and trash all over. To this day was also easily the biggest bodied buck I've ever seen, I later figured he was a nontypical, about 24-26" with at least 6 countable points on each side and a main beam as big as my wrist. His track leading away was enormous, straight down into the thick crap. Day three of the same hunt, about three miles from where I has seen that buck, I was hiking another ridge first thing in the AM where I had found nice rubs in Sept.. I almost immediately busted another group of deer on a little flat, 1/2 way up. Could not identify them, so I circled below them and popped up closer than I had planned and they scattered in shale, a two point ran right by me, then I hear, again, that Clydesdale thump, thump, thump going left to right at 40 yards through the trees, I get on a rock to get above the brush for a shot, the buck was headed for an opening right in front of me, he was a 5x5, at least 3-4" past his ears and also big bodied. He stopped behind a small 8' pine right before going through the opening, I stood at ready for what seemed forever, holding my crosshairs on the opening, knowing he had only one way to go at this point. after nearly 2 minutes, I saw him turn behind the tree to dart through the opening and snapped off a shot, clean miss right over his back, I tried to follow him throgh the thickest crap and kicked him out again, but never did get another shot. I was so disappointed after missing those two bucks that trip I packed up and went home early, I'll never forget it.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I missed some good ones in Montana also.

 First day hunting my uncles spot, a ridge about 4 miles long, I was headed along an old fenceline along reprod and jumped a whitetail doe. She was only 30 yards and I tried to put antlers on another deer around her, but saw nothing else. After waiting about 6-8 minutes, I started walking along the fenceline again, she started and 25 yards away the biggest 5x5 whitetail I've ever seen jumps up off the ground and follows her .

 On the 2nd to last day I harvested a decent 3 point. On the last day of the hunt, while my uncles were out spotting deer for my other cousin, I was driving the BLM road that I had hunted along 2-3 days that trip and out jumps a nice tall, walnut racked 4 point whitetail buck, about 20" wide . He stood there broadside long enough for me to get a picture and cuss myself out for not holding out longer. I will try to post a pic of him later.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Here's a fairly poor, scanned pic of the whitetail who showed up a day too late in MT.

[Pathfinder101]

WHen I was abou 15 my stepdad and I were hunting the late buck season.  We had one of those freak occurances where it gets frigid for a couple of days, then warms up just enough to snow like hell, then a chinook blew through.  Threw the bucks into some kind of super-rut.  It was crazy.  Got soaken wet in a tree-stand all morning, deer running everywhere, but nothing I could get a bead on.  My dad picks me up about 10:00am and we are heading out of the woods to dry off.  We come around this corner and here's this whitetail buck, a BIG buck RAMMING his head (no, not rubbing, ramming) against a wrist-sized tree not 50 yards from the road.  He didn't even pay any attention to us, just kept ramming.  I am trying to pull my wet clothes on and my dad jumps out of the truck, loads his 300 Wthby Mag and drops him.  He jumps up a second later and runs off.  Turns out the bullet hit him straight on, glanced off his shoulder blade and tore the meat off his left shoulder.  Lots of blood, but all capillary.  No way he was going to lay down and bleed out, so we followed him.  The snow made the tracking pretty easy, but we just couldn't catch up.  Followed him for three hours, jumped him twice, but couldn't get a shot.  Finally, we came to a frozen, brush-choked swamp.  My dad stopped and looked down into the draw and said "he's bedded in there.  I am going to get a steady rest, and you walk in there and jump him.  He'll run straight away from you and I will have a clear shot when he crests the next ridge."
THe plan worked just like he said.  I jumped the buck, he ran up the side of the hill to crest the ridge and my dad dumped him for good this time at about 300 yards.  Biggest whitetail buck I have ever actually seen killed (both antlers and body).
Now, like I said, we had been following this buck for three hours, so we were miles from the pickup and were looking at boning him out and packing him out in chunks.  My dad looks around and says to me; "We passed a creek about a half mile back.  Go back there and follow it down.  If you come to a skid trail, come back and tell me.  We may be able to get him to a road.  Leave your rifle and go fast" (you guys probably already see where this is going).

So, with my rifle safely back with my dad gutting the deer, I am running down this deer trail looking for a skid trail when I spot movement out of the corner of my eye.  I stop, and bedded not 30 yards to my left is one of the biggest bucks I had ever seen.  He was so rutted up that his eyes were almost swollen shut.  I just stood there for a minute, staring.  He moved his head around like he was having trouble seeing me through his swollen face.  Then it occurred to me that he wasn't going to move, so I turned around and started to quietly sneak back up the trail.  I guess that was enough for him (probably because at that point I finally started acting like a predator), I heard a noise, and the last time I saw him he was trotting off through the snow into the brush.  I will never forget that sight.  He didn't even have the common decency to flag me, just tucked his tail and trotted off.  His rack was almost orange-colored, thick, tall browtines and almost made a full circle, nearly touching at the top.  I won't try to score him off a 20 year old memory, but he was big. 
WHen I got back to my dad, I didn't even have to say anything.  He took one look at me and said "you saw one, didn't you?".

The memory of that big buck, face swollen shut, neck like a brahma bull, antler tips almost touching, still haunts me today.   

[Ghost1941]

I was born and raised in Michigan and white tails aren't exactly that big in our part of the country.  My first year I shot a "normal deer" for the area, a 2x3 from about 50 meters.  The next year I was 15, second year rifle hunting...  was sitting at the top of a hill looking down a road and to the left of me was a rye field 100 meters long. 

Now, everybody gets those sneaky feelings they're being watched now and then.  Well, let me tell ya... I had one of those.  So i turned around 180 degrees and there it was, the biggest damn deer I've seen in person.  He saw me and in the time it took for him to whirl around and run I had rotated all the way around and brought my hand me down .300 savage around to "introduce the two".  Long story short... he broke left, my shot missed and I caught a few more glimpses of that white flag as it bounded off into the woods towards another individuals private property.

Not even 5 minutes went by and I heard a resounding *Crack*.  Well, I got to set my eyes on it again later that day.  In the back of the neighbors truck!  6x7 with a base as big as a damn golf ball.... a deer of a lifetime for a mitten guy.  And... that's the one that got away. 

[M_ray]

M-Rays got a ghost that visits him in his dreams at night too Did I really bring that up again

Thank you for that I wont sleep a wink again tonite!!! 

[BC CHASER]

M-Rays got a ghost that visits him in his dreams at night too Did I really bring that up again

Thank you for that I wont sleep a wink again tonite!!! 

Lets hear it!

[bow-n-head]

I shutter to think of all the big ones that I couldn't put on the ground   One huge 5 point typical comes to mind all to often. After seeing him before season he turned out to be all I would hunt. When I finally saw him in season dissapear in a draw I snuck in with the wind in my face. He pulled a stunt I wasn't expecting and lay wind blind on a hillside, and saw me before I saw him. I got one shot off as he dissapeared up the bottom. I tracked him about a half a mile and jumped him in a small patch of brush at about 300 yards. I saw the bullet hit just behind him, and once again he dissapeared over the hill. I ran over to the edge where he vanished expecting to see him running across the alphalpha field 100 yards below me. After a few seconds he broke out of the brush right below me running strait away. I centered my crosshairs right behind his head knowing I would hit his spine somewhere between his head and tail and pulled the trigger. I think I was already smiling knowing I had him. When my gun went CLICK I almost cried. to this day I don't know why my gun only had 2 rounds in it, it holds 3. Haven't let that happen again. He was 27-28 inch wide whitetail with 14 Inch G-2's I would have guessed him between 185 and 190. The biggest typical I ever missed. I'll tell you about the nontypical another time