Worst mistakes...I failed to make the shot.
Muzzleloader season 2000: Worked down a hill through some timber hoping to see a bull before he saw me. Jumped a bull right at the edge, down and to the left of starting point. He moved off into the aspens further to the left. Milled around trying to get a glimpse of him when I hear a close up bugle in the direction he went. Seconds later, a throaty bugle answers from below me and to the right, maybe 100 yds or so. I begin moving to my right through the timber. After about 80 yds maybe, I hear the bugle again, but back the way I came and now closer to me on the uphill/downhill aspect of the ridge. So I backtrack 20 yds and see elk heads beginning to filter into the timber ahead of me back at the edge where I originally jumped the bull(I was now at the lower end but kinda in the middle). Several bulls that look like 6pt or so. I stop and watch, next thing ya know they all bail out of the timber downhill and are obscured by intervening trees, brush, ect. I can hear them sidehilling in my direction though. So, by now the adrenaline is flowing madly...I move downhill and to my right a bit.
Elk hair between trees/brush below me...Just a little more...there, that big spruce tree up ahead...right below it is the opening the herd is moving through...get to that tree damn it!!!...you can shoot then...almost there, step out next to the tree, and...ah, [bleep]!!!...g*d d*mn spike bull right there and he nailed me!!... Spike makes a funky noise and launches like a rocket through the mass of elk walking across the small opening.
Ah chitt, the jig is up!! That 6 point is gonna hit high gear now...Shoot! Shoot!...dang it, his chest is behind a pile of rocks...Shoot! Shoot!...his neck is above the rocks and shootable, cool...can't miss at this range...shoot he's gonna run!!!!!!BOOOOOOM!!! And the rocks go flying.
The bull and two cows jumped/ran directly ahead and uphill about twenty-five yards and stood there looking around like "WTF was that". I had another smaller spruce between me and them, so I began to reload with shaking hands. Most of the powder got into the barrel.
Just started to ram the bullet down the barrel when they got tired of standing around and disappeared over the edge in the direction they were originally traveling. Finished reloading and couldn't find them again. Guess I got bull fever on that one.
Same trip a few days later. Stayed up too late (no, alcohol wasn't the problem...don't drink. BSing about guns and hunting half the night on the other hand) and got up late the next morning. Well after sunup when I got into the area where I might see something. Couldn't believe that a bull would be out in an opening munching grass at 8:30 in the morning. Sure as schitt, I'm walking the trail,
rifle slung over my shoulder and what do I see (way too late) as I come around a finger of trees extending into the park...6 point bull with black horns and white tips, head down munching grass like all get out. Course he saw me at about the same time. The rifle came off my shoulder and stayed there, I can tell ya that!
Muzzeloader season 2008:Got into a bunch of elk at close range in timber. Cows almost ran me over, thought I was going to have to move outta the way, but they veered around me at the last second. Bull on the other side of some blown down timber, can't see him but I know I saw horns when I first got there. Finally, 5 point bull and several cows come back down the hill and clear the tangled mess in front of me. I pull up the Knight rifle and
BOOOOOOOOM!!! ...Missed that sonofabuck at 25 freakin' yards. I cussed myself for the rest of the trip 'bout that one.
