101 Ways to Mess Up the Shot

[OceanandMountains]

I often explain to new hunters that there are 101 ways to mess up your shot opportunity or things to go wrong - and one of them usually will. I experienced a new one today. Got me wondering, what’s your weirdest, most surprising, or other thing that went wrong and cost you a shot?

Mine today: My favorite stand location is far from any roads but close to a train track. It’s a dead end spur though that just services a salt mine a few miles away. In 5 years of hunting there and probably sitting over 100 hours, I’ve seen a train go down it 2 or 3 times. Today I had a buck walk in totally relaxed, upwind, and broadside. I had my bow in my hand and had already ranged him and was going to let him take 1 more step before I drew when all of a sudden a train blows it’s horn and comes blasting through and the buck ran off. It will probably be 2 more years before I see another train there. Worst possible timing!!

 

[tzone]

As far as I can tell, I'm the only one that has screwed up my shots. But let me tell you...most of them have been glorious screw ups!! lol

The 'ol Fever has set in for me a time or two, let me tell ya.

But I'll be damned if it isn't the most fun I can legally have.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

A couple of years ago I was trying to help a buddy get his first bull. We spotted a herd at dark, set up perfectly in the morning, and had them at 200 yds with the wind in our favor. He sat down and leaned over the pack to settle on a 5x5...at that instant they busted hard and we couldn’t figure out why. A few seconds later three wolves come trotting through right behind them.

 

[Bigjay73]

And neither of you had a wolf tag im willing to bet

 

[Deleted member 16014]

And neither of you had a wolf tag im willing to bet

I actually did but the quota had been full for a week or more already.

 

[Bambistew]

I had a caribou shot out from under me, or I should say the hunter killed it before I could. haha. I spotted a small group about a mile off the road, put a sneak on them, got set up for a shot and was just about to pull the trigger when I hear a shot and the bull drops. Crazy that someone was out there in the first place. It was a husband and wife, that had walked in over 2 miles to the spot they were at. I congratulated them, and went on chasing another group. I killed one about 2 miles further out, and had it packed out before those two got theirs done. haha. I wish I was still in that good of shape, that pack sucked...

 

[MNElkNut]

My brother and I and our two hunting buddies split up on an archery elk hunt. About an hour and a half later, we peak into this little meadow in the timber and see a bull feeding. My brother is in the lead and shoots, but hits an unseen twig and his arrow goes 30 feet over the bull. I step up and take my time and shoot......remember our two hunting buddies? They were at this same time looking at a bull feeding in a little meadow. One buddy was pulled back and squeezing the release when the bull lurches and takes off. Turns out, I shot the bull out from under him. He said he was less than a second from shooting. What are the odds after splitting up an hour and a half ago it all boiled down to less that a second? They were about 75 yards from us. I feel kinda bad as it would have been his first elk with a bull. Luckily he got one later in the trip.