2022 Failure Thread

[Beignet]

We’ve seen plenty of success posted up already this season. Congrats to those who’ve already got some meat in the freezer. Really happy for you.

Thought it’d be fun to open up a thread for some failure reports. Sure, it’s never a “failure” when you’re having fun or something. But you’re probably still thinking about the one that got away.

 

[Beignet]

I’ll start: my GF drew an antelope tag in a decent unit this year. It’ll be her first big game animal if we’re successful. Opening day we’re into critters in the first hour. Seems promising. We’re glassing from a ridge watching a nice buck off in the distance and trying to formulate a plan to approach using the topography to our advantage. Suddenly another smaller buck and a doe enter the picture at about 225 yards. “We’ll take it, no problem!” I hear a dreaded gravel crunch on a nearby road just as she’s setting up for a shot off my backpack. Some guy gets out of a white F150 and starts lobbing shots off his truck door at the smaller buck that was below us. Took him seven tries before he finally connected. Poor dumb small buck was so keyed on trying to mate the doe that he ignored the shots going off until one finally hit him. The bigger buck was off at full speed though.

So we’re kinda dejected even though the first failure wasn’t really on us. We decide to try another area further away from the many BLM roads in the unit so we could do some hunting instead of just shooting (remember, this is her first real hunting experience). Toward the end of the day we finally spot a few, but they’re far off and looked to probably be on private. We decide to camp about a mile away and have another look in the AM.

Next day we’re up nice and early having casual conversation on the way back to the spot. Then my GF says “oh sh*t, they’re right there!” and we drop behind the sage. They’re about 250 yards away but an older doe was already onto us. By the time we get situated they’d vanished into the ether.

Of course, we’re going to go back and try to rectify things this weekend.

And, cause you all like photos:

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

"Gee, I wonder why we stopped seeing as many deer on the cameras.... oh..."

Not a failure on our part per se since we have more days to hunt out there, but still lol

 

[Beignet]

"Gee, I wonder why we stopped seeing as many deer on the cameras.... oh..."

Not a failure on our part per say since we have more days to hunt out there, but still lol


View attachment 244215

These teens are getting to be just as bad as the wolves.

 

[EYJONAS!]

"Gee, I wonder why we stopped seeing as many deer on the cameras.... oh..."

Not a failure on our part per se since we have more days to hunt out there, but still lol


View attachment 244215

That's a hell of a capture.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Try not going, that's a ****in guaranteed failure. You don't even need of the extra bullshit failures to help you. Cause it's guaranteed anyways.

At least when you're out, your out, even if Johnsonville takes you to your death bed.

 

[Irrelevant]

...Archery

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

That's a hell of a capture.

There are a few. She went round and round making sure she was caught on camera.

 

[EYJONAS!]

There are a few. She went round and round making sure she was caught on camera.

That's called TikToc my friend.

 

[Brandon270]

My wife and I had our second born this summer so no deer hunting for me this year.

Looked forward to at least getting a dove hunt in, shotgun broke on me about 10 minutes in on opening day.

 

[steveshuntn1]

Not sure if this counts as a hunting failure, but I had planned my daughter and I’s first elk hunt. Bought all the supplies I thought I’d need, got drawn for two tags, got three weeks away from leaving and did something stupid and broke my back….so no game meat or hunting this year. On the positive side I can focus all my attention on getting tags and escouting for 2023!!!

 

[Mallardsx2]

Wife had an airball on a good bull in Colorado this year to kick things off in the wrong direction.

I passed on a buck with my bow that I am now kinda/sorta regretting on passing. Especially since it could be the biggest buck on the property for the year based on our trail camera observations so far.

 

[Redmt]

I'm playing hunt and stalk on a nice buck all season. I'm pretty sure I have him in sight so grabbed the binoculars. Yep, that was him. He disappeared while I grabbed my rifle.

 

[Caseknife]

I’ll start: my GF drew an antelope tag in a decent unit this year. It’ll be her first big game animal if we’re successful. Opening day we’re into critters in the first hour. Seems promising. We’re glassing from a ridge watching a nice buck off in the distance and trying to formulate a plan to approach using the topography to our advantage. Suddenly another smaller buck and a doe enter the picture at about 225 yards. “We’ll take it, no problem!” I hear a dreaded gravel crunch on a nearby road just as she’s setting up for a shot off my backpack. Some guy gets out of a white F150 and starts lobbing shots off his truck door at the smaller buck that was below us. Took him seven tries before he finally connected. Poor dumb small buck was so keyed on trying to mate the doe that he ignored the shots going off until one finally hit him. The bigger buck was off at full speed though.

So we’re kinda dejected even though the first failure wasn’t really on us. We decide to try another area further away from the many BLM roads in the unit so we could do some hunting instead of just shooting (remember, this is her first real hunting experience). Toward the end of the day we finally spot a few, but they’re far off and looked to probably be on private. We decide to camp about a mile away and have another look in the AM.

Next day we’re up nice and early having casual conversation on the way back to the spot. Then my GF says “oh sh*t, they’re right there!” and we drop behind the sage. They’re about 250 yards away but an older doe was already onto us. By the time we get situated they’d vanished into the ether.

Of course, we’re going to go back and try to rectify things this weekend.

And, cause you all like photos:
View attachment 244187

Beautiful terrain for stalking, not pancake flat, she will get one this weekend.

 

[MNElkNut]

86 yards. Biggest bull I have ever seen while hunting and I have seen a few. 86 yards. Broadside, standing still. But his cows. Oh his cows. They were on a path to our wind. They won. 86 yards is too far. But how fun to see a bull of that caliber in the wild! Overall, it was a win!

 

[OntarioHunter]

I’ll start: my GF drew an antelope tag in a decent unit this year. It’ll be her first big game animal if we’re successful. Opening day we’re into critters in the first hour. Seems promising. We’re glassing from a ridge watching a nice buck off in the distance and trying to formulate a plan to approach using the topography to our advantage. Suddenly another smaller buck and a doe enter the picture at about 225 yards. “We’ll take it, no problem!” I hear a dreaded gravel crunch on a nearby road just as she’s setting up for a shot off my backpack. Some guy gets out of a white F150 and starts lobbing shots off his truck door at the smaller buck that was below us. Took him seven tries before he finally connected. Poor dumb small buck was so keyed on trying to mate the doe that he ignored the shots going off until one finally hit him. The bigger buck was off at full speed though.

So we’re kinda dejected even though the first failure wasn’t really on us. We decide to try another area further away from the many BLM roads in the unit so we could do some hunting instead of just shooting (remember, this is her first real hunting experience). Toward the end of the day we finally spot a few, but they’re far off and looked to probably be on private. We decide to camp about a mile away and have another look in the AM.

Next day we’re up nice and early having casual conversation on the way back to the spot. Then my GF says “oh sh*t, they’re right there!” and we drop behind the sage. They’re about 250 yards away but an older doe was already onto us. By the time we get situated they’d vanished into the ether.

Of course, we’re going to go back and try to rectify things this weekend.

And, cause you all like photos:
View attachment 244187

Your girlfriend looks like she could land a job in a carnival.

 

[Beignet]

Your girlfriend looks like she could land a job in a carnival.

You mean that silky smooth beard? She’s been working on it for a while.

That’s actually me there.

Wasn’t aware that carnivals now had booths to display the freakishly good looking. But, I could always use the extra income.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I nearly had a disaster to report. Fifty-six yard shot after an hour long stalk in thick stuff and bullet hit something before it got to the bull. I thought I had a clear window. Somehow took out the front leg on OFF SIDE ... when I couldn't even see his legs. Required two more days of tracking in miserable conditions before we got him on my last morning in Africa. In fifty-eight years of hunting I only lost one other animal, but it was very lightly wounded and killed by two other hunters a few days later. Not quite the 50" kudu we expected but a very pretty one.

 

[marshman]

Damn, this thread title jolted me a bit this morning. The title is all about my last two years big game hunting. The details are nothing but boring.
Leaving for a 1,400 mile adventure to the other side of the continental divide in a week.
I sure hope I do not have anything to post on this thread!

 

[TOGIE]

i have three elk tags and two deer tags in units with lots and lots of deer and lots of elk.

i promise, i will find a way to fail.