I have started coyote hunting after about 3 years of watching and reading as much as could get my hands on. In my first attempt with a homemade E-caller, after about 4 hours of working hard to see nothing, my partner and I were walking in when we suddenly walked up on a very large coyote standing on the logging road. He had no clue of our presence and allowed me to kneel for the shot. I was so excited it was like getting a shot at my first buck. I could feel the shake starting to rise in me so I took a deep breath, calmed myself and felt like I was keeping the cross hairs inside the chest of the dog as it faced me from about 70 yards. I squeezed the trigger and watched through the scope as dirt flew just over the shoulder behind the coyote followed by his quick exit to the right. I was so disappointed and could not get over my failure. I went the next day to test my rifles zero. After about 10 shots with nothing close to a group. I finally noticed the eye relief of the scope seemed awkward and eventually noticed the front rings had slipped completely off the gun. Repaired and resighted, I have renewed confidence and a good excuse. What are your favorite excuses for missing what should have been an easy shot?

I've got all sorts, but no clear favorite yet.

Sun was in my eyes.

S--t was in my head.

hey that really happened to me...last shot I had at a coyote was one crossing a food plot while I was sitting in a ground blind....just as I got on him he came directly in front of the setting sun and the flare like to blinded me. darn good excuse.

Wasn't holding my mouth right.

Not an excuse but my first shot is usually a "warning shot" and very seldom get a second shot.

You guys keep practicing and you won't have to make excuses.

I have a crystal clear image of Uncle Ralph backed up to an oak tree, bibbed overalls buched-up between his knees, and the 12 gauge model 37 nearly ten-feet away, resting on a shrub - as "the herd" came flitting by. Being completely engaged, he simply watched, and kept squeezin' - but it wasn't the trigger!
I was only 'bout twelve or so, and was simply laughin' to hard to aim. Not a shot was fired.

Very bad hangover gave me a very bad hold over.

I just have this shooting thing mastered in theory only.

I was hunting with my now gone best friend. He was in pretty rough shape. Only had one lung and a bad heart at that time. I had to carry his rifle. It was a twenty degree, crisp, clear morning. We had gotten about a half mile from the truck. A doe walked across the corner of a field. Gave Bob the rifle. He took aim. The rifle fired and the deer loped away. Bob looked up and grinned. In his hoarse whispery voice he said, "Darn cold air is so thin, the bullet just rose up over that deer!"
We worked our way back to the truck. It was our last hunt together.
Bfly

I didn't shoot. It wasn't me.

After you just went over and grabbed his barrel and it was still warm..

I forgot to take the safety off.

I did it this year while deer hunting. It's not like I don't know how to do it after fourty plus years of hunting. When it happened I literally laughed out loud at myself.

fish head

A tectonic shift.

Left handed safety on a Model 1100 screwed me up on a fast rising chukar. I'm left handed...

Pulled the trigger on an empty chamber carrying safe. Fortunately the kudu was dumber than me and stood there while I chambered a round.

Just plain missed a few times. Still can't figure those out. Will have to go back and see if Mercury was retrograde those times.

Scope was off...

I've made a few warning shots over the years, figure it's more sporting to give them a heads up to what's going on.

Here on the prairie wind is a built-in excuse -- even on the odd day when it isn't blowing.

To much group tightner the night before.

Fair Winds And following Seas.

Not enough "aiming juice" in the system.

That was a "looking" deer not a shooting deer.

Some of them breed better if they have been shot at, just encouraging them to go reproduce.

Worst was when I looked in the scope and saw automobile traffic.

BMT

I hate when that happens.

This one always makes me chuckle " the deer moved just as I was pulling the trigger or releasing the string"

Gravity wave disrupted the bullet's flight:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_wave

Bruce

Sun was reflectin' off my cataracts.

Major L. Boddicker has a 3 part series in The Varmint Hunter magazine (#70, 71, and 72) on excuses. It is a riot to read. Like - the ammo is too slow the varmint moved before the bullet got there or the ammo is too fast the bullet evaporated before it got there. The scope was off because I had to use the rifle to beat that coyote off my leg.

I didn't see that tree between me and the deer.

I've never missed

I've hunted with you. Is that your story and are you sticking with it?

I didn't get my footwork going in time.

As a kid, my uncle used to tell me....I think it's a loose screw behind the butt.

It's a german scope


and I can't speak german.

Yea, something like that. Funny how you tend to forget those moments and remember the great shots.

If I ever miss, I'll think of something!

My favorite excuse for missing is one my BIL used some years back. "I didn't miss. I used a FMJ bullet on accident and it must have zipped right through."

This all reminds me of that great cajun comedian Justin Wilson's story about the duck hunting miracle. When he shot a bunch of ducks on the water and they all got up and flew away. He told his friends he sure was glad be brought them, because they got to witness a miracle. When they asked him what miracle, he replied, "da miracle of all them there dead ducks getting up and flying away"