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Will I Ever Get Another Chance Like This?

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Jaeger

40 Cal.
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Messages
977
Reaction score
1,084
Location
Michigan
Well, a year has passed since deer season 2013, and I guess my pain has abated enough for me to tell the tale of my missed opportunity of a lifetime. It was the second day of firearm deer season in Michigan last year, and I was sitting in a blind made of deadwood and old branches, etc. on public land. It is a place I've hunted many times before. I had just finished pouring myself a cup of coffee from my thermos, and my flintlock was propped up across from where I was sitting...about two feet from my hands. It was about 7:30 am, and about an hour after daybreak. I saw movement off to my left, and a couple things became apparent. A deer had stepped out from behind some trees, and the deer had antlers! He was also walking straight toward me, and looking in my direction. I froze. He was upwind from me, so I was okay there. He got closer and closer to my blind, and his magnificent rack was more and more obvious. I estimate an 8 or 10 pointer. He walked right up to my blind, and at that point was probably not more than 2 or 3 yards from me. I knew I had to wait until he walked past the blind and got further away from me before I made a move. Then....my lapse in judgment: He was so close, he was actually out of my sight because he was behind the brush and logs that made up the wall of the blind. I slowly leaned forward and reached out my arms to grab hold of my flintlock.He bolted immediately and bounded off. I figure he saw a tiny movement between the logs and it spooked him. I uttered a few bad words. My buddy and I later decided he had been trailing a doe that had walked the exact same route the day before when my buddy was sitting in this blind. Sooooo...what did I learn from this sorry experience? How about: patience, patience, patience! Keep your rifle in your lap, or right in your hands! If you spot any deer, cock the flintlock and get ready! If it's not a target, immediately return it to half-cock. The problem is, I haven't seen that many antlered deer in my years of hunting on public land, and I'm afraid I blew a very nice opportunity. Aaaarrggggh..
 
That's why they call it hunting. Just count your blessings that you were able to see a nice buck on your outing! The only way to find out if you will get another chance at one like that is to keep spending time in the woods. Put the time in and you will get another chance, perhaps next time the outcome will be a different story. Good luck!!
 
You should have offered him a cup of coffee, then whacked him with a tomahawk when his guard was relaxed.
 
I'm sure that was frustrating, but as my wife is always telling me, it's only life or death for the deer. Better luck next time!
 
Apply what was learned and you may have better luck next time...or perhaps something new will be learned! The lessons never end and that's the fun of it. In those cases, I just smile and congratulate Mr Buck or Mrs Doe on successfully outsmarting me. :bow:

I always keep bow or muzzleloader in hand or at a minimum in my lap. Exactly when to move is always tricky. A few years ago I had been hunting 5 days and had not even seen a deer yet. I had moved to a new location and was setup on the ground along the edge of a remote alfalfa field. With only about a 1/2 hour of light left a doe pops out about 20 yards away kind of behind me and to my right...not good for a right-hander. She is looking right at me. I held perfectly still. There were some other does in the field about 150 yards away and she finally headed over toward them. Out pops a buck from the same place. He would look at me, then at the doe walking away across the field. Me...the doe...me...the doe. I just held perfectly still. Finally he came out to walk after the doe and I had to wait until he completely walked past me...very close...and get to where I could shoot with minimal movement, which was at about 40 yards vs 15 or 20. I can remember the urge to move and shoot as quickly as I could, but held tight. Worked out great for me...not so much for him.

Believe me, there were plenty of times before this time that I moved too fast...lesson learned and applied. You'll get another chance.:thumbsup:


 
That's what keeps us coming back. Keep at it, you are paying your dues. Coffee at 7:30am, C'mon the hunt just got started. :wink:
 
Well, like I say in these situations....you got all the best parts of the experience and none of the work that comes with a kill. I'd still call that a successful hunt.
 
Nice Deer there Spikebuck.

whoo I thought for a minute there that the big buck stole his cup of coffe.
 
I was sitting in my tree stand about 20ft in the air. They say deer don't look up they are wrong.
Two doe's looked straight at me I had my BP rifle in my hands pointing straight up.
It must have taken me 5 minutes to slowly bring the muzzle down take aim and fire at the largest of the two squeeze the trigger and try to look through a screen of white smoke.
I got down looked at all of the blood my father and I tracked the doe to within 10ft of the road where she dropped dead after going through all of the thick brush.
You just can't figure out what a deer will do.

Better luck next time.
 
Seeing a great buck is awesome isn't it? I only hunt public land but I am thinking you have more trouble with public land than I do. I have had my share of disappointing hunts. Let me say this. You will get another chance at a good buck if you keep trying. If you focus on "never" getting another chance that line of thinking is not good when you do get the chance. When this happens to me I am bummed but I think of it as a learning experience. After all you can't shoot a big one if you shoot a little one, and there is always a bigger one out there. Focus on being ready next time, and good luck. Here are some pictures of the deer that I shot after thinking I would never see another one. Ron

01220003_zps5da1a65c.jpg


Mybuck55.jpg


Bigbuck4.jpg


2009buck08-A.jpg
 
Idaho Ron,

Those are some magnificent deer. I'd like to get just one that big before I die....

thanks for sharing the pictures... :bow:
 
When I see bucks like that and then see our "German Shepherds with long legs" whitetails, I just want to cry! Everything ain't bigger in Texas!! :thumbsup: :haha:
 
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