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Ooooops

Bowtech84

Bowtech84

Well-Known Member
With this cold front coming thru I decided to get out for my first late muzzy sit of the year. I had my tree picked out and was settled down next to it by 2. I was set up in a dry creek bank overlooking a cut cornfield. first deer sighting was around 3 followed by a nice buck entering about 330 at 100 yards. I pulled the binos up and realized it was buck that my brother and I talked about often. He seen him several times during bow season and passed on the shot. He was a good buck but had broken his tines off early in the season. We talked numerous times about how we hoped he made it thru the shotgun seasons and when he showed up on camera again last week we were excited to look for his sheds and to see what he would turn into next year. Well.......... I text my brother and said "your buddy" is in the field feeding 50 yards in front of me. We text back and forth a little about how we couldn't believe he made it thru the shotgun season and I took a couple pics thru the binos and got back to the hunt. I started focusing my attention on some does entering from the other side of the field and lost sight of the buck. Shortly after that I hear crashing in a little pocket to my right and a young 8 point is being harrassed by a buck. I pulled up the binos and seen the back buck was a good one so I cocked the muzzy rested it on my knee and waited for him to step in the opening at 100 yards. As he made the opening I squeezed the trigger and when the smoke cleared he was still standing there. I raced to reload but by the time I got it done the buck was gone. I started scanning the pocket to see if I could spot him and I found he had bedded a short distance from the shot. While i was watching him he gave me a good view of all angles of his rack and my heart sank. I realized I had just shot the buck we had hoped and hoped would make it till next year. A lot of things went thru my head while I was waiting for him to expire. After i watched him lay his head down for the last time I decided to make the dreaded call to my brother and tell him the news. I didn't dread it because I thought he would be mad, I dreaded it because I felt I had let him down, let us both down. After the short confession over the phone with a few laughs and a congrats he was on his way out to help me load him up. Ive been blessed to take some amazing critters throughout my hunting days but nothing will stick with me more than this experience and it has nothing to do with shooting the wrong buck. Congrats to those who have tagged and good luck to those still trying! Thanks to those who share!










 
Done that also. In fact done it once this year. Congrats on a nice buck. No reason to be sad on that one. You braved the cold and earned it.
 
Bout time that silver pickup sees a nice deer in it, now if just a red one would . :( Would of shot it in a heart beat for the ground I hunt. Nice buck.
 
Had a similar, well kinda, situation New Year's Eve..got invited to hunt a farm late muzzleloader. Only once before had I got invited in 10 years or so, just because landowners family hunts etc, and what do ya know, his #1 hit lister was the first deer seen on the end of the farm that I was hunting and I shot him. felt real bad, as I didn't know a deer of that caliber lived on his farm, let alone that he had Missed this same deer during shotgun season. I would of not shot him had I known, but I apologized because I could tell I had crushed his hopes for this season.
 
I like your post "OOOOOPS" cause it immediately lets me relate. Some guys try and re-word it or wouldn't admit it that they "screwed up". The fact that you were going to pass it and simply made a mistake speaks largely of your management skills & discipline to grow true old giants. PROPS TO YOU! *Most guys woulda smoked that deer the 2 previous years in some areas on a shotgun drive so don't feel too bad. I've screwed up and I'll screw up again. We do it, probably like you BUT at the end of the day, we look at it like this..... for every 1 buck we "goof up on", we let 10+ go and keep them safe. It's rare, it happens. And of course, you got a dandy there!! No biggy. More will be around. Yes, he woulda been a SLAMMER next year and hard pill to swallow killing a "survivor" so close to mammoth BUT it happens and you got a nice one and again, there will be more!!! My own personal way of paying back a "mistake" when we shoot one on accident (rare but happens) - we just go easier on that farm and take a buck or 2 less going forward & giving it a little more of a breather. ANYWAYS - no biggy, happens and you got a stud of a deer, well done! Well done on your guys understanding of age & potential and discipline - guys like you deserve to shoot OLD SLAMMERS and happy when you guys like you do.
 
Thanks fellas, I didn't want it to come off as "I can't believe I shot this buck" pitty me party. I was just being honest in the way I felt and I felt I owed it to my brother. The guy hunts as hard as anybody I know but it just never seems to come together like it does for me. Some of you will remember the post of the bow buck I killed that he hit high moments before and honestly as excited he was that this buck made it through gun season after passing him several times from 20' up, once I realized what I'd done that's the only thing I thought about. Hunting took a back seat for a moment while the buck layed there mortally wounded. Once I called him and he was more excited about it than I was the feeling started to subside. You have friends and you have brothers, I'm just blessed to have a couple good ones. He had me on the blood trail of one tonight that might be a little bigger, we will know in the morning! ;)
 
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