Six or seven years ago I was sitting in a field one crisp morning when the biggest buck I've ever seen in the area comes ambling along the fenceline about 130 yards away. It was the buck spotted in the area that the locals were talking about. Not huge but respectable. An easy shot sitting, my lucky day!
He stops, I shoot. He trots off a little and stops while I'm wondering how the hell I could have missed. With resolve and grateful that he stopped I shoot again. Now I'm wondering WTF and he's looking around wondering what's going on in his peaceful haunt. Third shot I saw dirt kick up about 70 yards so I silently wished him well, come back tomorrow morning.
Did some paper shooting at my cousin's place and way WAY low. Turns out the scope, a good quality one, went bad between range shooting a couple days earlier and that first shot. I always take a backup rifle with me but none of us saw that buck again. And none of us shot an equal or better buck in that area since.
Actually the second time that a gun working perfectly at the range a few days earlier failed the next shot at a deer. Then there's center punching saplings I didn't see between me and the deer. Two shots at a trotting buck under 40 yards, two center punches. The only saplings between me and the buck. Why I don't buy Lotto tickets.
