When did you last whiff on a deer sized critter(or bigger) and what was the situation?
2012 I think. I was muzzleloader hunting. I missed 3 ... one of them 2-3 times ... before I finally killed one. Sidelock, iron sights, patched round ball, percussion.
The first was a tough shot. Big bodied forked horn with very small rack. I'd seen the buck through the timber. It laid down behind a log with just the back of its head visible. I managed to sneak to within about 40 yards of it. The hill was curved so I couldn't see it kneeling or sitting. My only shot was an offhand shot at the back of its head.
The second was a big big 4x4. 25 yards, offhand, tried another head shot and missed. WTF was I thinking? Broadside, standing still, completely exposed. Basically a brain fart on my part.
The one I missed a couple times was one of the biggest bucks I've ever seen. I saw a similar one in the same spot about 2007, maybe bigger yet. It's real bluffy and the buck ran into a corner it couldn't climb up out of trying to get away. It was hiding behind a little bush. I tried to tuck the PRB between some branches ... guess I must have clipped one and it deflected. It stood there, let me reload and try again. I thought it was already wounded, looked hunkered up, but it must have just been standing funny. After the 2nd shot it ran back out into the road, a good graveled road, then ran up the road several hundred yards before hitting the brush. I was able to follow it and be sure there was no blood trail. I think I got one more shot at that buck on a different day.
I was heading back for one more whack at him (about a 4 hour round trip drive) and a very solid 4x4 crossed the road ahead of me so I chased it up into the brush. That shot didn't miss. "Solid 4x4" turned out to be an understatement. It was the 2nd biggest rack and by far the heaviest deer I've gotten in 40 years. The other one was bigger but ... I'm happy. And I'll have that tag again this year.
Tom
