HUNGAR

Had a real nice 120 8pt at 13yds for three min. and couldn't get a shot earlier in the season. I called him in with a can call and a few tending grunts while I was tipping the can, but when he came in to the right of me out of the thick stuff he stopped behind a bush and scanned the area and not seeing anything of interest slowly turned and walked away. I called again after about ten min. and had a basket seven come in and he came back only to run the smaller one off with no shot. I would love to get another crack at him this winter. So what's your close/heartbreak story?

Hiawatha

Thats too bad hungar but thats how the game goes. My biggest upset was opening day of archery elk 03. That evening i had a spiker and a nice 4 pointer coming right into my stand but hung up about 60 yards away. I pleaded with them for the next 10 minutes but they would not budge, just continued feeding. Tried to sound as slutty as possible with my cow call but no luck. Spike must have liked what he heard though cause he came back for more the next evening and i arrowed him.

RTA47

My story is to sad to talk about? You have heard the story of how the big one got away? Well thats just what happened in one of my hunts last yr. Maby you will get another crack at the one your after. As for me it`s more than that. I want revenge[:'(]

PABowhntr

Well, right after I shot a nice 6 back in October I had an even nicer 8 pointer walk down the same trail the 6 was on.

3 more minutes and a larger racked buck would have fallen to my bow. But, ya know, I don't regret taking the 6 one bit. It was exciting to see him come into my can call.

HuntingBry

Mine happened before can calls were available. I had been hunting this particular buck for 3 years and he was every bit of 170" of antler. We always saw him prior to the archery season and where we were there was no gun hunting allowed so he got big and old. Once archery season started he always vanished. I was hunting a stand on the edge of a ridge watching a well used trail along the ridge in mid-November. I saw a doe and a fawn moving through about 45-50 yards away so I stood up and got ready. They were moving with a purpose and the doe kept looking back. I started watching where she was coming from and there he was in all of his glory. He looked like he had a rocking chair on his head. Twelve points, as symmetrical as you can get, with 10 in brow tines, G2s every bit of 14 inches and the rest tapering evenly down. Truly a once in a lifetime buck not being on a game ranch. He followed that doe's trail all the way down and all I could do is watch as he moved by just out of bow range. Had I had a can call or a doe bleat who knows what would have happened. I went away to school the following year and my buddy continued to hunt that buck never seeing him again during a hunting season. His rack began to decline and eventually we never saw him again. Nobody ever reported shooting him or finding his rack or skull anywhere so we don't know what happened to him. He'll always live in my memories though.

rybohunter

I have had all too many close but no cigar encounters over the years. The ones that bother me are the ones where it was my mess up that cost me. The ones where the deer just don't go where you want is just all part of the game.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I had a heavy, white antlered 8 point coming to my call and he only needed to travel 10 more yards when he stopped, looked back over his shoulder and saw a small 6 pt, so he turned and walked directly away. I grabbed the video camera and took a couple seconds of video before he entered the corn....never saw him again.

gutshot

I would have to say that my biggest dissappointment came quite a few years ago. I was new to bowhunting and even newer to getting shots at deer with my bow. My dad,who's a devout squirrel hunter, kept telling me that when he went in this perticular holler he w ould jump deer and that he could hear the deer split up and one set would cross the holler and the other would stay on his side. So one day we decided that I would walk a ridgeline and get out in front of him and let him hunt toward me and see what would happen. Well just like clockwork when dad started down the holler I heard the deer jump up and split. Well I look up the holler about 150 yards to see a big, white racked 10 making his way to me. Well this was before I started using a treestand so I was on the ground. I watched as the big buck walked right at me on a trail. When he dropped down in a little drain about 40 yards from me I got ready for the shot. At 12 yards and broadside I drew on him and he stopped. Well to be honest I really have not idea exactly where my pin was when I released but I watched the arrow sail harmlessly over his back and he ran off. What makes it even worse is that I had practiced all summer and could easily put 3 arrows in a 3 inch group at 30 yards. To this day he's probably the biggest buck that I've drew on.

rangerstud620

Last year I had a the buck I was after for 3 years, a 160" typical 5x5, walk about 50 yds from me...well past my yardage limit so I let him walk. Unfortunately it was opening day of rifle season and he was shot 5 minutes after he walked by me. Talk about heartbreaking.

DaveH

Last year, during the rut, I rattled in a giant 8 point that had just intimidated another large 8 point. He was huge and was fooled by my calling. I drew on him at 30 yards and he stopped at 20 yards -- directly facing me. After 2 very long minutes, he turned and began walking to my right. I saw an opening -- or so I thought -- and touched off the release when he stepped into it. The branch which appeared to be below his body through my peep sight was directly in line with my arrow since it was only a few feet away from me. I missed that monster which would've resulted in a perfect season. I never saw him again.