Missed a nice buck today

CLarson757

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2019
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Long story short, bumped a nice muley buck that was chasing a doe today. My shot missed high (I checked for any blood sign for an hour with no sign). Should I go back there again soon or let it cool off? Does the rut make priorities shift a little?

The doe spotted me at 100-120 yards. Buck was completely clueless. He was broadside but I was standing in the middle of a field. My adrenaline was going and I took aim at my first potential deer kill. Saw the shot hit a downed tree in the back. Buck ducked and off they both ran into the bush.

would you guys leave it alone for a while or go right back?
 
If I were you, I would not go back. Don't be to put out though, I go check it out for you. Just to be sure how many points.
 
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Man I hate to miss...wont be the last if you stick with this buck hunting thing....good job getting out...id go back..agressive buck hunter..are those deer in the 16 actual mule deer?
 
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Man I hate to miss...wont be the last if you stick with this buck hunting thing....good job getting out...id go back..agressive buck hunter..are those deer in the 16 actual mule deer?

it was the most exciting moment. For the rest of the day Ive been so furious with myself that I missed. Happy to see that I’ve found some public bucks. Now to bring one home. TOMORROW
 
I missed 3 shots in 2 minutes time one year on a buck chasing a doe. That buck didn’t give a Sh!t. Only thing he was worried about was the aroma of the beautiful little lady that was in front of him. I stayed with them till they bedded down and got another chance at him.
(5 hours later) Made that shot count.
 
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Happens to the best of us. There's the whole glass half full/half empty way of telling an optimist from a pessimist. But for us hunters, do you remember more the shots you've made, or the ones you've missed?
 
If you are in D-16 I would tell you to go right back. They are stupid right now. I watched a spike follow a doe yesterday. I walked with in 50' of the spike yesterday and he never acknowledged I was there because he was too busy smelling a doe's butt and never acknowledged I was present. The bucks are from what I am watching every day are stupid at this moment in time. I don't even pull a tag anymore up here on Mesa Grande because I feel sorry for them. They are like teenagers with a first time hormone problem. Maybe in a couple of years when I get low on game meat I'll kill one but at this point it's just comical how they behave....
 
Long story short, bumped a nice muley buck that was chasing a doe today. My shot missed high (I checked for any blood sign for an hour with no sign). Should I go back there again soon or let it cool off? Does the rut make priorities shift a little?

The doe spotted me at 100-120 yards. Buck was completely clueless. He was broadside but I was standing in the middle of a field. My adrenaline was going and I took aim at my first potential deer kill. Saw the shot hit a downed tree in the back. Buck ducked and off they both ran into the bush.

would you guys leave it alone for a while or go right back?
You will get passed this. The shakes are real, but 1 day you will finish keep after it.
 
At least you didn’t wound him, crazy stuff can happen then. I found that out on my elk hunt, I’ll be posting that story pretty soon.
 
If you are in D-16 I would tell you to go right back. They are stupid right now. I watched a spike follow a doe yesterday. I walked with in 50' of the spike yesterday and he never acknowledged I was there because he was too busy smelling a doe's butt and never acknowledged I was present. The bucks are from what I am watching every day are stupid at this moment in time. I don't even pull a tag anymore up here on Mesa Grande because I feel sorry for them. They are like teenagers with a first time hormone problem. Maybe in a couple of years when I get low on game meat I'll kill one but at this point it's just comical how they behave....
Its definitely not like that all over the zone.... the more south you head the harder it gets to get close to them. Rut or not
 
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Its definitely not like that all over the zone.... the more south you head the harder it gets to get close to them. Rut or not
I have to agree. The bucks on public are being worked over. My opinion, they need to reduce the tag #’s and give these deer a break from the amount of hunters out there.
 

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