October 14 2010 I was perched in a tree at approximately 3pm. The night before I heard a couple bucks sparring, so at 415 I figured I'd tickle the horns a bit. Immediately I hear crunching coming up behind me. Slowly I turn and there stands a young 6pt I had passed on a few times. He gets a little nervous and walks back where he came from. I tickle the horns just to see if he comes back, but no dice so I sit down and face forward. I look up in the opposite direction the first buck came from and here comes the buck I've hunted for. Wide, not too tall but heavy 10pt that is pushing 150"+. Where I hunt that's a lifetime buck. I stand and get ready, he follows the script, comes down a run at 20yds along side me. I blat him to a stop at 18yds, he turns his head in the opposite direction.....settle my pin on him and think about the victory I've just tasted. Release the arrow and it goes right over his back! I let out an unintentional loud ugh and the buck spooks. Gone. Buck never ducked at the shot, I just blew it. Stand was 22' up on a ledge, so I was 33' or so above the deer. I dropped my bow arm and never bent at the waist. Now, when I give lessons on shooting the bow, I give extra emphasis to bending at the waist when shooting down. Neighbor killed the buck with a rifle later that year. I can close my eyes and relive the entire afternoon. I've had a few more misses, a few marginal hits I never found, but this miss is by far the most devastating so far. More will come I'm sure.
Last edited by jmillo; 08/01/14.
