Been there, done that, got the T shirt.......

[KP-Skagit]

Mule deer story but... If you are in the woods and there is shooting light be hunting. Few years back I was nearing the end of a day long still hunt, just hit cell phone reception, light was failing, I was about a mile from the road. Buddy I was hunting with called up asking where I was as he had been out of the woods for an hour and wanted in the truck. With the light starting to fail and the thought of at least another 20 minutes before I was out I gave up poking my way across an old blow down that ran next to a meadow. 15 steps into giving up a huge bodied deer busted out from in front of me. In the thick woods it was hard to make out what it had for horns so it proceeded to jog off perpendicular to where I was headed until it was a long ways away and heading straight away, had plenty of opportunity to take it at less than 40 yards before. At that time it came into the grass of the meadow and the antlers hanging several inches on either side of its haunches told me I had effed up. I don't doubt that if I had kept hunting till it was dark he wouldn't have heard me and I would have seen him. Moral of the story, don't quit before shooting light and I guess.... ignore your hunting buddies, or at the very least stash some beer under the truck to keep them busy when they get back early..

[Shawn Ryan]

Left the release on the ground as I was shedding layers. Never found it. 3 more days of hunting left. No spare.

At full draw on a very close cow; pin settled just behind her shoulder; couldn't see enough of her through the bow site to know if she was a full-size cow or a yearling because she emerged from the brush so close; leaned my head to the side to look outside the bow site to confirm her size--she didn't like seeing my face and was gone.

Thought for sure those weak bugles were Dave.  Nonchalantly walked up to the ridge to find that Dave was a bull.

Left my spoon at camp, so had to eat the kippered snacks with the "key."

...and so many other mistakes.

[Buck Rub Jr]

Took my buddy up for our first time archery hunting, only he had a tag. Get a cow at 25 yards and he let it fly. Having never heard an arrow hit something before we were convinced he hit a tree because of how loud it was and took off after the heard. When we cut them off we saw the cow that he had shot and put a near perfect hit on her. He got buck fever and missed at about 15 and off she went never to be seen again after hours and hours of tracking. Learned to not push it even if you’re unsure.
 Later that season another buddy and I dry fired our muzzleloaders on cows then got redemption the next morning. Learned to check our powder after damp mornings..
Following year my buddies release fell apart mid day, tried to see if he good draw using just his fingers and dry fired and broke his bow.
Year after that we got on a group of cows, got one to stop straight up hill at 45 yards. My brain and mouth decided to not work together and I told my buddy 40 yards and she got a nice hair cut. Been a rough go around so far hahaha

[dewandgin]

Too many to list but one that sticks out the most.

opening day of season my father takes and drops me off at top of some big timber I had seen some elk in the last couple of weekends of deer season. I wait until it is light enough to see and start down through the timber walking very slow and looking constantly finally see some elk about 1/2 way through the timber and I am watching them trying to find a legal bull (3 point) and all i find are cows calves and one spike. Wait for them to feed off and stand up to keep walking a hear a loud snort and turn around just in time to see a nice 5 point bull that had walked up behind me and was watching me take off like the road runner with no chance for any shot. I know it was a 5 point because 30 seconds later I hear a loud boom, boom, boom. I walk about 1/4 mile towards the sound to see a guy just standing over it and look up at me and tell me " I had to shoot him he was going to run me over" . Guy had never killed a elk or field dressed so I helped him out and started to walk out. Get down to where dad was going to pick me up and unload the gun and set it in the back of the crew cab and start heading back to camp. Less than 300 yds from picking me up there is a nice 6 point bull standing right in the middle of the road. Stop truck and try to get out and the rear cab locked because truck was still in gear. Finally get the truck unlocked and get the gun out and the bull is still standing right there. Grab the clip throw it in and try to rack a shell and realize that I grabbed my empty clip that was sitting on the dash not the loaded one on the center console. Bull decides he has seen enough and exits stage right to hear a boom,boom. Drive around corner to see a young kid standing over the elk that ran right in front of them. Help him and his dad field dress it and load it and take off for camp to get some food. Get to camp and there is a raghorn bull standing in our camp. This one ran off but I did not hear that one get shot thank god.

[spottedhand]

Woodchuck, my son and I had partner permits for the toutle unit in WA first year open for muzzy elk I think it was '97. Anyhow I shot a real nice 5x the first day (called him in to 40yds with a turkey diaphragm call) next couple of days he got close but no shot. Fourth day we decided to hunt a thick patch of chest high blueberries and 30ft noble firs. About 10 the temp dropped 20 degrees and sideways torrential rain drove us out to the truck. Heater on munching trail mix we drifted off to sleep. About noon we were awakened by the bright sun blasting our windshield. Got out to stretch and relieve ourselves. Not 30yds behind our rig about 1/3 dozen cows followed by a bugling 5x crossed the dead end road we were parked on. Needless to say, a Chinese fire drill ensued, leaving us nothing but track soup.