The question came to mind after a miss Saturday night. I am hunting a really old buck. I snuck in to an area that borders the creek he beds on and hung a stand with what I thought was the right wind. His levels are up by the evidence around the stand site: the woods were tore up with rubs and new scrapes. My heart-rate hit it's maximum (I thought)on the walk in :)
At 5:45 (45 minutes before dark) a tried a soft rattle with a rattle bag. Short, sweet, to the point. "I am here. I think I may be the big dog. What do ya think?" 5 minutes later he climbed out of the ditch at 40 yards. Upwind, pissed off, perfect. Except he didn't waltz in...he started circling me, getting further away, but still interested. He acted like the old buck he is. This ain't his first rodeo. I grunted a couple of times and he walked away. Instead of blowing him out I remained patient, knowing this was chapter 1, round 1, day 1, of what I hope is an epic battle of wits. Ali-Fraser, the trilogy. The champ wins the first fight...I still got Manila in my game bag I hope to myself ;)
At last shooting light I turned to look at a young raccon that had beeen chomping acorns around me and there 'El Toro was. Almost downwind and staring a hole in me. For 5 minutes he stood stone still facing me. As my heart-rate climbed he just bore a hole in my brain. I looked away and prayed. As he turned to catch more wind at quarter away, I got drawn. He didn't have my whole wind yet. 5 more steps and I would have been SMELLED and SEEN :banghead: But he gave me a shot...quartering away 22 yards and I mmmmmissed. He never blew out: a few hops and a slow walk away and never dead down wind. So I ask again, ever had a "good" miss. I have. I am going back to kill him this weekend. The Thrilla in Manila...this time Fraser goes down in the 14th. :campfire: I love this deer!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/ICAM0001.jpg)
"At 5:45 (45 minutes before dark) a tried a soft rattle with a rattle bag. Short, sweet, to the point. "I am here. I think I may be the big dog. What do ya think?"
I don't know about all that but I'd like to know where to get a rattle bag that says that !
:D
Bigs, maybe I was using some non-verbals and the bag didn't really say all that. I meant to say that though :goldtooth:
Never had a good "miss"....I get "pi###ed" every time I miss. :mad: :saywhat:
every clean miss is good miss !
several years ago i was hunting elk in eastern oregon.i wanted to try out a new area so i drove down this long bumpy road a couple miles then hiked down this draw looking for fresh sign.i came upon a bottleneck in the draw where there was literally only forty yds between the two very steep rocky sides of the draw.there was a trail right in the middle going up to a waterhole that was up the draw at least a mile.i got the wind in my favor and found a nice downded pine tree to wait in front of.after sitting for a while i saw a muley doe and fawn coming up and passed by me without noticing me.i had my deer tag so a buck was fair game.i continued watching the trail and before long i spotted a large muley buck coming up the trail a hundred yds or so before he got to my location.i looked at him through my bino's and was stunned by his size.he was a double droptine buck,huge rack.i had seen several large bucks across the valley one day with my spotting scope and i figured this to be one of them.he fed his way up the trail and got broadside from me.i slid quietly off the edge of the downed pine and drew my bow back,he was around thirty yds from me head turned away from me.i got my spot and released my string,my arrow just touched the hair on his chest as it sailed under him.he kicked his rear leg at it as it went under him...best miss ever..way to cool,i was shaking like crazy with excitement.i love this sport.
I agree with Littlebigman, every clean miss is a good one. You already answered your question, cause you're getting to go back to hunt him. NOW if you miss him again, I might have to change my answer. Good Luck, nice buck.. R.W.
I would rather have a miss than a lost deer...but, I don't think I'd call any of my misses good ones. However, if I ever missed a smaller buck and then a bigger one came strolling by and I made that shot...I'd be glad for the first miss.
Technically, I miss the nocks on first shot arrows in my targets all the time. I call those good misses because I DETEST destoying perfectly good arrows! After a couple of robinhoods they are for the birds.
I shot at a skunk from my stand one time.
That was a good miss. :)
A few years ago hunting at ArkyBob's property in the Ozarks, I shot at a large spike deer. The arrow just missed him high (he MAY have ducked.) I get on the radio and tell Bob that I just missed a big spike (At least 11" spikes. Biggest spike I'd ever seen.)
Bob says slowly, "Bruce, do you remember the 3-point rule?"
I gasp and reply, "Oh crap!! I forgot." I was thinking, archery, anything goes. (Old rule.)
In Arkansas a legal buck must have at least 3 points on one side.
THAT WAS A GOOD MISS!!
I'd call that a "good miss". You missed clean, didn't spook him, and kept him from winding you. He'll stay around that area, til you get him that is! Good Luck, we'll be expecting hero pics soon.
I hate to miss and did it opening day last year on a monster buck I had patterned. Complete miss yes, Good miss I don't know I'm a poor looser :mad: Lol!! :D
You will get him Mike but I bet he doesn't come back to that stand again, My buck moved across the field and I was making my move slowly getting closer each time I hunted him until a poacher moved in and bumped him out for the rest of the season.
Stay with it bud :wavey:
Tracy
You will get him Mike but I bet he doesn't come back to that stand again
Stay with it bud :wavey:
Tracy [/QB][/QUOTE]
My thought exactly. He is old and smart. You can kill him, but probably not right there.
Good Luck and God Bless,
Nathan
No such thing for me as a good miss. I feel just plain darn lucky I shot that bad and didn't wound one. I hate them.
Thanks fellas!!! Tracy you make a good point. I am going to move back off that set a couple hundred yards this weekend. The block of timber he comes to is the only woods for a mile so he'll be there at some point checking scrapes again. We gotta catch up soon bud! I gotta here how your season is going...good luck everyone! :campfire:
I luv the Ali-Frazier thing...
Good stuff...good luck buddy! :pray:
years ago I shot at a big doe and shot right under her. Right after the shot a litte fawn that I had not seen came out of some brush and started nursing on the doe. That has to qualify as the only miss I can remember that I was glad to have missed.
Hey Mike, that wasn't with your Stalker was it? I just wish I could feel good enough to get to the woods to miss!!! Maybe this weekend. My best "good" miss was a big doe, 9 yards away, and I only missed her by 10 feet. Yep, might even be a great miss. Killed one of her sisters or maybe just a friend later at 12 yards.
If it is a clean miss it is a good miss.
I did the same type thing on a big buck a few weeks ago. Glad I didn't wound him but getting another shot ain't easy!