That "are you kidding me" moment

[PASQUINELL]

I'm sure this has been a topic before but thought it might be something fun to do again.


This happened to me shortly after I had transitioned to traditional archery. I was using a Lone Wolf climber at the time and hunting public land. I found some scrapes and rubs so decided to climb up a tree and see what happens.
Well I'll be... here comes a deer and it's got horns! Ah yes... backstraps, onions and butter walking right at me.

He gets within "20" yards of me and of course stops. I think he is feeling something wrong. Now I'm with a recurve and having to pick the right time to draw. I wait, and wait and wait... finally he turns and gives me a chip shot. Off goes the cedar and right under the bucks belly area. Off he goes but only about ten yards and stops. He looks around for awhile and starts smelling the ground. YES another shot coming!!!

I reach for my quiver and realize it's on the ground still. Never tried it to my bow rope... see ya buck!

Lets hear your are you kidding story...

[Friend]

On an afternoon turkey hunt on a WMA in 1991. Setup down in a short cut-through with a large crop field to my right and an acre secluded hayfield within the woods to my left. There was a nice waterhole there and the birds roosted approximately 100 yards beyond the hayfield.

Shortly after setting up in the Double Bull, the wind blew the decoy over. I crawled out to reset the decoy. As soon as I reached the decoy, there was a gob that had just exited the large crop field staring down at me from 15 yards. He left in a hurry. Got back into the blind and was disgusted. Fifteen minutes later, the decoy blew over again. I was determined to pull that decoy for good. Crawled out to retrieve the decoy and another gob stepped out of woods, this time, directly across the cut-through…possibly 12 yards away.

I crawled back in the blind and was none too happy. Thirty minutes before sundown a gob was a gobbin in the hayfield. He immediately answered the ole trumpet and was heading directly to me. The sun was directly behind the bird and was shining directly toward the blind. As I drew, when he broke the 15 yard distance, he hi-tailed it out of there. The Double Bull’s then were built with thin material and had a white cloth interior. I had been silhouetted.

Took me some time before I started to embrace the memory of that hunt. Many of my most memorable hunts were those that unfolded far from planned.

[PASQUINELL]

Here is another:

Another time I was heading out and property owner said they had some heavy winds a week prior. He said a tree blew down by the stand I was going to but it would be good cover.

He then said " hey there is a sow with two cubs up there so be cautious"

So I arrive at the stand and find the top of tree directly in front of me and the root system to the left. The roots stood about 6 feet in the air like a giant dirt ball. All in all I would say about 40 feet long.

I climb up in the stand and feel that it isnt going to impede the deer movement on to the field so let's hunt!

I'm sitting there for about two hours with nothing but geese flying over head.

Then outa the corner of my eye I see this blackish brown blob climbing along the downed tree and heading right for me.

Crap... it's a cub and its gonna start screaming when it sees me... I'm frozen and dont want to move...

So I begin in my mind on how I'm going to handle this. I'm still not flinching a bit or looking directly at it...

So I decide it's time to move my head ever so slowly and look how big it is.

It's a freaking porcupine! I loaded my King of The Mountain wool for nothing!!!

[mangonboat]

About 30 minutes after sunrise I watched and waited on an approaching tall-racked buck on a trail parallel to the wind, picked out my opening, came to full draw as he was behind a thick scrub tree and as he stepped into the opening and I focused on the back side of his broadside shoulder, I saw the plastic cover still on the  broadhead that I had pulled out of my quiver in the dark. I swear a nearby squirrel laughed at me.

[Possum2546]

Oh maybe 8-9 years ago the rut was in full swing and my stand was in “the spot”. I had several nice bucks going past my stand like clock work.

My wife was pregnant with our youngest who was due any second so this was basically my last hunt of the season.

I get into my stand, get everything situated, pulled an arrow from the quiver with a nice razor sharp STOS almost dropping it, fumbling it and running it across my string....... yep cut my own string, had 2-3 strands hanging on for dear life but they quickly failed under the 55# limbs....

Not having another string with me or even set up I packed up and went home for the season....

Guess who’s extra careful with broadheads now LOL

[RJonesRCRV]

It happens.  Im sure this will get pulled, but I'm not ashamed:  I did the same with a powder horn.  Managed to get the climbing stand down, get the powder horn, reload, walk to the top of the ridge, and get a second shot.  Still missed though.

[smoke]

I was on a moose hunt in Canada some years ago.  Had a really nice bull coming in - he was about to clear some brush and give me a 20 yards broadside shot when he stopped and stared straight ahead . . . when I guide was walking briskly toward me.  Even though the bull was wide-open to his view, he didn't see it.   Of course the bull turned tail and that was that!  Had guides do something like that to me 3 times over the years!

[Bowguy67]

I was Bowhunting one permit bow season w my brother. Had already taken a couple bucks. I went w no real desire to kill one unless it was real nice.
A nice morning passes and a decent rack buck starts heading toward me. I’m sitting and decide he’s passing too far. If he comes closer perhaps. He comes closer. But he’s on my right side, I’d have to get up n twist. He comes to my left. Still I let him go unless perhaps he extends his front leg. He does. I get up to shoot. It’s too easy to pass this opportunity. I’m thinking this buck is really unlucky. I draw, start to get ready to shoot, I hear a bang and wood flies all over. My arrow drops to the ground. The bow exploded at full draw. Guess that buck wasn’t so unlucky. In fact idk if he could have had any luckier

[Yellah nocks]

Brandy new climber some years back. It had a climber bar you sat on. I was a compound shooter at the time also. Settled in and five minutes later a legal doe trots down my trail and stops directly under my stand. She BEDS DOWN! So now I stand up and quietly try 1000 positions to shoot but no matter what the bar is in the way. I even tried standing on the seat. She is asleep against the base of the tree still! I finally gave up and sat down just fumigating. All of a sudden a gust comes and it is a doozy, about 50mph. A ttree falls 40 yards to my right. I steady myself and look down. The ground was bare. She had spooked. Sold that stand within a week.

[Wudstix]

Got drawn for Crane Army Ammunition Activity and they recommended that you walk in find a spot and stay put because the deer moved all day.  So found a clump of trees in middle of field that had several trails running past it.  Got settled in a group of four trees growing about two feet apart.  Sat from first light till noon.  Saw nothing.  Then another cluster of trees about 50 yards away looked inviting, as I slowly still hunted across the tall brown grass, about halfway between the tree clusters.  A huge non-typical beast trotted up and stood within chip shot distance upwind of were I had been since first light!!!  It’s hard to duck walk in tall grass as fast as a buck can trot!!!

[wingnut]

I'd been elk hunting in Idaho for 3 weeks and returned the week before our deer opener here in Texas.  I was shooting great and had killed an elk on the hunt so my confidence was very high.  First morning at my buddies place in East Texas a doe comes in and stand broadside eating at 10 yds.  I draw my selfbow and burn a hole behind the shoulder.  I release and right over her back.  But the bow is so quiet she hardly raised her head.  Got another arrow nocked, drew and let  it go.  Over the back again and in fact cut a feather off of the first arrow.  Had 5 shots that weekend and never touched an hair.

Fast forward.  After spending the evenings all week shooting from a stand in the front yard, I had it.  Draw and focus on the hairline under the deer, bang 10 ring over and over.  I've got it now.  Saturday morning, bucks  are moving around a bunch but not  near my stand.  I finally decide to get down and go over the hill to where I seen a great 9 pt the week before.  I sneak in quiet and hunker in a down tree.  I grunt a couple of times and look up.  Here he comes on a string from 300 yards.  Half way he stops and freshens a scrape.  When he's done I grunt again, here he comes.  At 15 yards he passes behind a big ash tree and I draw.  He steps out, I draw and focus on the hairline and release.  yep right under as I was back on the dang ground.

[Mike Bolin]

September of 2012 near Silt, Colorado, my first Elk hunt. I had made a connection with a fine gentleman from Silt and he offered to take me and my buddy  Scott under his wing and try to help me get my first Elk. First morning, we left camp at daylight and climbed from around 9200' up to a waterhole at 10,800'. When we reached the waterhole the three of us stood on the dam and checked out the sign and discussed potential set ups. Playing the wind, my buddy set up south of the waterhole and I set up to the southwest, both of us in blowdowns. Dick, my friend from Silt was going to still hunt on up the mountain and check out another waterhole and for the next day and would pick us up on the way down the mountain about sundown.

Now this fat old flatlander was pretty sweaty, so I took off my shirt to remove my base layer. We had been standing on the dam not 10 minutes earlier, talking about the trail locations, where to set up, shot selection ect. I figured that the time of day it was and the fact that we had just been on the dam talking, I had a bit of time to cool out and get a drink so after stowing my sweaty base layer in a ziplock bag in my daypack, I set down in my hammock seat for a drink with my longbow laying at my feet. After a couple of pulls off  of my water bottle I stood up to put my shirt back on. As my head came thru my shirt I saw a half a dozen cows and a couple of calves standing on the dam watching me put my shirt on!

I froze, thinking that I was done, but Scott might have a shot. Well, Scott wasn't shooting because he figured I was probably mid draw on my first Elk. After standing there for what seemed like an hour, about half bent over with my arms partially thru my sleeves the Elk figured they had seen enough and trotted away. And yes, those were the only Elk I had within bow range for the entire trip!

[Pine]

Around 1980 I was working in an archery shop part time and a young man came in with his mom.
He wanted to bow hunt for deer and his mom was going to get him setup for his birthday.
He had never hunted and had no father to teach him that kind of stuff so our manager got him setup with a cheap recurve and game getter arrows with a 6 arrow quiver.
He didn’t want any camo clothing because money was tight for them and we explained that he could just use dark colors and try to stay in brush and things like that.
Got him on the range and worked with him for a couple hours to get him shooting.
He was able to keep about a 10” group at 20 yards so the manager said that would work but keep practicing.
It was about a week later, opening day of archery deer and he came in the shop around noon wanting to get some of that camo stuff.
He told us a large buck came buy but it seemed to see him and just walked off.
We sold him a decent camo coverall and off he went.
The next day he was back again and told us that big buck came back and stood broadside at about 10 yards.
He said he was so nervous that he missed it 5 times and then he calmed himself down to take the last shot he had at it.
He was so excited telling us the story and asked if we would like to see his deer, it’s on my mom’s car out in the parking lot.
That deer was enormous, with a twelve point tall tine rack that had to be over 30”spread.
He said “That camo stuff really works”

        "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!"

[PASQUINELL]

HAHAHAHAHA! Great stories!

Pine that was a good one! Can you imagine ... your first buck, all those arrows and on his Moms car! Very cool

[shankspony]

I shot a sow one day. Nice shot, clean through and watched her run up into the bush. As Im heading up to find her i pick up the arrow and inspect it casually. It looks good so shove it back in my quiver and soon find her dead in a tangle of scrub and vines. Im just starting to gut her when i hear a low growl and look up to see a massive boar not 20 meters away. Carefully I pick up my bow and nock an arrow, draw and let fly. the arrow deflects off a vine and sails over his back. The boar is clicking his tusks and moving around trying to get my scent. Without taking my eyes off him I grab another arrow and try to nock it. Just cant seem to get it on the string and hes only 15 meters away now. Finally I risk looking down and its the arrow Id shot the sow with. One side of the nock has broken off. I drop the arrow and go for another but its too late and hes got my wind an is gone.

[YosemiteSam]

Great stories here.  I'll ad a simple one from last year's turkey season:

Birds are gobbling upon arrival at 6 am.  I hurry to setup my decoys & rush off to hide behind a pile of logs, sitting on the ground.

An hour later, a nice tom comes strolling in but doesn't even stop to strut near the decoys.  I can see his eyes the whole time & then he starts wandering off.  As his head is turned and I'm staring at his back about 20 yards away, I figure, "Why not?" and draw back for a shot.  Arrow lands at his feet & he just keeps walking off.  I mumble a few curses, collect my arrow and go back to my sit spot.

15 minutes go by and now 3 jakes come walking up.  None of them are stopping to strut either.  Too many sets of eyes are watching so I wait & then draw back for an easier 15 yard shot at one of the birds.  The arrow lands near his feet and they just stand there.  So I grab another arrow off my bow quiver, in plain sight of them, and lose another.  But upon release, the lower limb hits my leg, the quiver comes loose at the bottom limb and the 2 remaining arrows are now falling in my lap, making me look like a bumbling idiot.  I'm fumbling with the arrows, whispering obscenities, trying to get my quiver back together and trying not to get cut by my loose broadheads.  That last shot had flown right over the jake's back and they all walk off safe and sound.

After about an hour, I move positions and try again.  Now I'm almost laying down, back to a downed log with decoys out in front of me in easy sight of the dirt road where they all like to stroll.  The big tom comes back in...  Behind me.  It feels like he's gobbling in my ear!  I can hear him drumming, spitting and such just behind me, mere feet away.  And then he walks off without ever giving me a view.

I lick my wounds and do my best to touch up my broadheads on the truck window, grab some lunch & restrategize.  I decide to setup on some different birds at the other end of the property, right out in the open but sitting under a good-sized buckeye tree.  I finally manage to coax one in and its another big tom.  He walks up  in front of me, circles to my left, just out of range & then disappears.  I stay completely motionless for about 45 minutes.  I mean dead still.  After not hearing or seeing anything, even with some soft yelps and clucks, I finally straighten my neck a little to ease the tension and instantly hear a "Put! Put! Put!" off to my right.  Busted.  He's gone.

It's getting to late afternoon and I figure I have one more chance.  I setup on the hill between the two flocks and figure I have nothing to lose at this point.  The last bird moves in again.  Real slow.  He lingers & gobbles about 60 yards out at the bottom of the hill, refusing to come up.  Then, finally, he does.  It takes about another hour for him to get within 10 yards and he decides to stay behind a tree.  I wait.  He's gobbling, spitting, drumming, etc. but he won't show himself.  Then he comes out for a quick view but then gets behind a bush.  So I wait.  Then, he puts and quickly walks off back the way he came.  Puzzled, I wait 15 minutes and then go look around.  A snake was blocking his path to the decoys.

Now I see that the first tom from the morning had also come back in down at the bottom of the hill.  So I hurriedly gather my decoys, run to the bottom of the hill, setup and just hide in the tall grass.  Morning tom comes in at about 20 yards, I sit up, take my shot and watch the arrow land near his feet -- again!  He puts and runs off.  Then I hear a gobble to my left.  It's the afternoon tom.  I lay back down and wait.  He's coming in with a hen.  I wait for the hen to pass and then draw back on the tom.  The arrow lands...  At his feet.  I grab another arrow and aim high this time.  I'm missing low so this time, I'm aiming high.  That arrow sails off and lands exactly where I aimed -- right over his back.  Pissed at myself and my piss-poor shooting that day, I mutter some obscenities, grab my last arrow, nock it and without a thought, fling it at the tom -- more out of protest and frustration than actual aim.  I then watch my last arrow fly as perfectly as I could ever hope to see, straight into the vitals of that tom.  He runs off -- arrow hanging out the offside and piles up about 60 yards away.

So, in the end, I bagged a nice, old tom.  But I admit that it's hard to feel all that triumphant over one final parting shot after a day of constant failure.

[D. Key]

Not long after I started my Traditional journey back in the late ‘80s I was hunting in the Texas Hill Country. One afternoon I was just settling in for an evening hunt and hadn’t brought my bow up yet when a nice 6 pointer stepped out of the brush and walks right up to my Recurve hanging on the string at the bottom of my stand. He even sniffs it and gently walks away before I couldn’t get it up the tree and ready to shoot.

[goingoldskool]

I was hunting one evening just as the rut was kicking in and when it was dark enough to where I could not make out individual tree limbs, I lowered my bow. I figured that if I could not see the limbs, I couldn't make out the minimum points that Missouri has. Just as I was getting ready to get down, a doe ran out across the pasture behind me followed by a buck that was definitely legal!  I could see he was a real good one from 300 yards.  I sat there and watched him for a few minutes through binos wondering if I should pull my bow back up......  thinking that there was no reason to as they were a good 1/4 mile from me. Then, all of a sudden he bumped her and she ran straight to me!!! And he was right behind her!  They milled around right under my tree for over 5 minutes,even taking a drink from the creek that was 3 yards from my tree!  All I was hoping was that they wouldn't step on my bow as it was laying on the ground...  i told myself that while he was standing in the creek drinking that it was probably too brushy for a shot.  Some cows came running toward them and they spooked. So I got out of there without ME spooking them.  I went back the next evening and the shot to the creek was as clear as clear can be..... i never saw that buck again!!   Doh!

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Few years back I was elk hunting with my buddy in Montana.  I was walking over the hill behind camp one afternoon to set up on a meadow a mile or so back in. Early afternoon, warm, and several hours till dark.  I was doping along, being relatively quiet but not sneaking.  As I worked down a little gravel hill I knocked a couple softball sized rocks loose that rolled down and made some noise.  A bull bugled a couple hundred yards away in some dark timber and I figured he heard me and bugled from his bed.  The hillside was wide open and probably 50 yards by 50 yards with no cover except for a dead pine as big around as my leg, and the bottom of the hill was about 25 yards below and brushy.  I picked up a dead stick and raked the dead tree breaking some limbs off, and the bull screamed right back.  2 in the afternoon, pretty cool!  So I raked my tree again and he started to rake a tree too. We went back and forth a couple minutes, then he screamed and I heard brush breaking. About then......too late... it dawned on me that he was coming!  I tried to hide behind my little dead tree as it was too late to make a move.  Ended up he was a dandy 6x6 290-300 inches.  He stood around a while, spending several minutes at the bottom of the hill at 25-30 yards looking around kind of head on to me, then turned and left without giving me a shot.  I was kicking myself for not creeping down into the brush when I was playing with him...but it never occurred to me that he would come in.  How dumb can a guy be?   

R

[PASQUINELL]

One more...

So when I shoot a deer my hunting partner who happens to be my best friend guts it. When he shoots one, I gut it out. It was a fall hunt with crunchy leaves and cold evenings. Getting within an hour or two of dark my phone vibrates and I see a text saying he had one on the ground.

I decided I would go then instead of waiting and arrived to see a nice little buck on the ground. I high five him and start the process. But wait... Im wearing my brand new 1000.00 King of the Mountain wool and don't want to get blood on it. He is walking to his stand to get his gear and I decide to strip down to my tighty whities and LaCrosse rubber boots. Weird I know but I didn't want blood on them.

I drag the deer so the head is uphill and flat on his back with all fours in the air. I hear my buddy come back but Im already up to my elbows inside the cavity trying to cut. So here I am with my legs holding the deers back legs and blood up to my elbows trying to cut.

All the sudden my buddy who is standing by the deers head reaches over and grabs the elastic of my tighties and yanks them prit near up to my ears. Well this action splits the twins and gives me a thong that Victoria Secret would be jealous of.

 I whip the knife out and try to stick him but he is running away with my King of the Mountain... so here I am with bloody hands and arms, my underwear where it shouldn't be and limited options! I was hoping there were no other hunters in the area.

He was laughing so hard I thought he was going to have heart failure! At first I was ticked but quickly started laughing myself. It came to a happy ending with him dragging his own deer with NO help from me!