Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Got the wrong one

My brother and I went out thursday morning. Got to our spot just a little before daylight. We made our way down to a to a spot where we could look over the clearcut and waited for daylight. Sun comes up and we spend about an hour glassing the hillsides. We saw a couple of deer going into a draw but didn't get a good look at them. It was raining and cold as hell and the wind blowing at out back made it barely tolorible. After deciding that the deer that we saw were gone we made our way back to the truck. He gets in and I had to piss and while he was waiting he spots the 3 deer heading across the clearcut and one has horns for sure. he got out and I got out the spotting scope. I put it up and there was 2 bucks following a doe. the front one was really big I was spotting and my brother shoots and misses. At that point I realized that the deer in the back was also a buck so I decided to get my rifle ready. While I was messing with my rifle the deer went into some thick cover and out of site. I got back to the spotting scope and started scanning the edges of the thick stuff. A deer comes out into a slide on the east side of the brush. I couldn't get a range on him because of the rain and fog but knowing the clearcut very well I dialed in my target turrets held on the deer and squezzed the trigger. When I got back on the deer he was rolling down the hill and landed in a creek in the middle of the slide. I watched him and he picked his head up so I let him have it again. he got up and rolled down the hill end over end about 6 times and out of site. I thought it was the bigger one and as I was going over to get it I was thinking about where I was going to hang him in my trophy room. I got over there and found this guy.



We looked to make sure that my brother didn't hit the buck he shot at for about 2 hours and found nothing.

I was pretty bummed out that we didn't get the big one but I guess that is the way it goes.

I went back to the same spot the next day when the weather was cooperating and ranged the spot where I had shot him at 546 yards. My scope was dialed in for 550. It pays to know the areas you are hunting well.

And thats the story Maybe I will get him next year.

Oh well this one will be good eating. Plus stories like this is what keeps us coming back.

Nice deer and great shot none the less. It wouldn't be a challange if we were never defeted.

Wow, 546 yards? Longest shot I ever took was 375 and it was a booger Remington 700 .30-06 Bushnell 3x9 sighted to 150.

Nice looking deer though, love the color on those antlers

That is the one thing that made it not sting so bad. The shot was my longest to date and it was a clean kill so that was something to be proud of.

Good shot.

At 545 yds. I see how you might get them mixed up.

Time to eat!

JM.

Well done! That is great outing and excellent shooting.

We were talking about it later and figured that the big buck went down hill into the timber as soon as the shooting started. When my brother got back on the deer he picked up the smaller one that was still following the doe. I probably should have took a better look through the spotting scope to see how big the buck I shot was but all I saw was horns above the ears and I made some quick assumptions.

Excellent kill. Be proud and eat well.

Nice shooting, and a nice buck! Hope you didn't get too wet...

The experince alone makes for a fine hunt and trophy. Nice shot to boot.

Joseph

Good story and fine shot!