Do overs 2021 while hunting..

[TheJason]

I have an elk screw up from 2013 that still hurts

Haha I could fill a Rolodex.

 

[Hammsolo]

I have one from 2018. mtmuley

Oh shiz, if we go back in time they pile up…. Deer, elk, turkeys… I even have a couple crazy Yote hunting stories that went weird.

My most painful was the classic sitting in the freaking cold and deep snow back in the day, and I decided to say screw it… I stood up, took a step, and two big mature bulls were yards away from walking out in front of me… Needless to say they blew out in an explosion of snow.

 

[BuzzH]

One whitetail buck will haunt me forever. Been over 20 years ago and bucks like that are just rare in the place I hunt them in Montana. I would give a lot of money for that f-up back...

 

[Gerald Martin]

My biggest regret is that I am not Oak’s hunting buddy.

 

[Dsnow9]

I hope you stuck around the rest of the day. He was still there. Probably the biggest lesson I've learned in years of deer hunting, and I'm just giving it away. It's relevant to the do-over topic.

I made a mad dash nearly 2 miles when I glassed up this buck right before dark. I was rushing, shooting light was disappearing quickly, and when I got within range I couldn't find him. All the does and smaller bucks were around, some of them were tipped off that something wasn't right and getting nervous, and I COULD NOT FIND HIM. It got too dark to see and I walked out. The next morning I was sitting in the same spot glassing and there he was with the does. I watched him bed, made the 2 mile hike again, and killed him in his bed.

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We glassed this buck up one afternoon in some thick stuff and watched him feed out into the open, well outside my rifle range. Watched him until dark and came back the next morning to be glassing at daylight. He was the first deer I glassed up, but he was already in the thick stuff and soon bedded down out of sight in a place where he was not stalkable.

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We watched the spot he was bedded, an an hour or two after sunrise saw two hunters walking right into the thick stuff towards where he was at. We saw him spook and bolt down into a big brush and aspen filled draw below us and disappear. I never saw him come out, so we just sat and glassed all day to no avail. After the sun had dipped below the western horizon he suddenly appeared in the draw with two does right below us. I killed him with just a few minutes of light left, over 24 hours after we first saw him.

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I missed this buck in the early afternoon, relocated him bedded in thick stuff only about 400 yards away from the original spot right before dark.

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Came back the next day and found him bedded within 50 yards of where he was when I missed him the previous day. Didn't miss.

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Watched this buck make absolute fools of 3-4 hunters as they chased him around in a thick patch where he felt comfortable. He never left, just circled around them. Came back the next morning and killed him out in the sagebrush next to his security spot.

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Not the same deer, but another second chance. Missed this buck 5 times:

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Killed this one 20 minutes later:

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The point is, do overs do happen, and don't give up on a big mule deer.

So true and a great reminder. I have seen them lay flat on the ground and hide under a small clump of sagebrush for hours. They don’t get that big by being stupid!

 

[The Hedgehog]

Terry - I stuck around 2.5 more days. A little snow would have been nice , and maybe less cover. Bet you thoroughly enjoyed throwing the salt on that wound.

 

[Hammsolo]

The talk is shifting to what was the actual lesson learned.

I learned a few lessons.

1. Hunt elk where you find them.

2. Don’t leave elk to find elk.

3. Be patient, and let the animal make the mistake. It took a week for my brother to get a shot. He could have shot other bulls when most people were seeing no elk. His do over would be missing Horse, a big 7. At least it was a clean miss.

 

[Oak]

I wasn’t going for salt, but I can imagine the wound is still fresh.

 

[Dave N]

Had an elk hunt back in 2012 at my buddy's invite, and I had just torn my ACL. Wish I would/could have pushed myself a little harder to cover more ground. Saw 2 elk but couldn't tell if they were bulls or not.

You guys out west that have, see, miss, and kill big Mule deer have my attention. I would love to have one of those for my collection someday! My elk chasing days are probably past me (only been twice, but was worn out each time) and moose has been out of reach since I first dreamed of hunting them. There's something about a tall, wide Mulie that gets me all warm and fuzzy as a Whitetail hunter. Seeing the pics that Oak posted makes my accomplishments look puny.

 

[rwc101]

Most of it.

Help me, cow elk. You're my only hope.

 

[EYJONAS!]

1. Solo hunting the unlimited units.

2. I don't have regrets on the choices I made to move camp for a different view which resulted in a significant injury and ultimately ended my adventure and pretty much ended my season as far as hunting anything with challenging terrain. I wonder what would've happened if I would've stayed instead.

 

[The Hedgehog]

How about last night’s campsite selection. I would have done that choice over.

The large camp of regulars pulled out Thursday and their spot was ideal for where I was hunting. While looking around in the dark last night for dead pine needles to start a fire, I nearly tripped over this horrifying contraption. I almost drove to town and got a hotel just so I could shower after seeing it. Had to take pics today before I left.

 

[TheJason]

How about last night’s campsite selection. I would have done that choice over.

The large camp of regulars pulled out Thursday and their spot was ideal for where I was hunting. While looking around in the dark last night for dead pine needles to start a fire, I nearly tripped over this horrifying contraption. I almost drove to town and got a hotel just so I could shower after seeing it. Had to take pics today before I left.

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Burn it.

 

[Dsnow9]

Burn it.

But put it in a plastic bag first right?!?!?!

 

[The Hedgehog]

I actually thought it might be Ontario hunters long lost relatives from Colorado..

 

[Huntkook]

Didn't move my stand. Two days later this buck walked 7 yards from that tree. I was in my stand 60 yards away and watched him walk by. Moved my stand that night. He got hit on the road 3 days later.

 

[MTGomer]

That’s some modern convenience there. Consider yourself lucky.

 

[SaskHunter]

I don't have regrets on the choices I made to move camp for a different view which resulted in a significant injury and ultimately ended my adventure and pretty much ended my season as far as hunting anything with challenging terrain.

Just find someone with a strong back!

 

[choc dogs]

Black powder deer hunt. Filled my tag, still had open bear, wolf, mnt lion, tags. Buddy hadn't tagged out, I carried a muzzleloader instead of changing to modern centerfire after I tagged my deer. I hunt bears half assedly every spring, always said I'd kill one, if it was big enough, cool color, easy to get out. While hanging out with buddy, carrying muzzleloader, saw a NICE cinnamon bear I could have driven a sxs to within 100 yards. At about 150 yards, further than I'm willing to shoot open sights, with willows and berry bushes behind him to chase him into if it wasn't perfectly done. I had a 338 win mag back at camp that would have been a much better choice for me. Oh well, saved some taxidermy money, and I can buy fuel for my elk hunt in december.

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

- Not carrying my Binos w/ me in a final stalk. Got busted because his head raised up and I couldn’t tell with the sage
- Shot I took on a muley and wasn’t able
to recover it. 45yds is within my effective range but I didn’t settle in on the shot in hindsight
- Elk I walked into on opening day of CO rifle; scope was too high power and my rifle was on my bag and not on my shoulder. A few seconds would have gotten me a bull at 60yds
- My buddies bagged it on day 2.5 of 5 and I went along with it. I should have finished it out but it was good to go home too. Weather wasn’t favorable
- MT elk - cutting the cape too short and not going back up the mountain to pick the animal clean of meat. I was terrified of grizzlies and had done 3 trips; I also wanted to get the cape home (12hrs)

That all being said - I’ve had 3 good breaks this season that went my way and got me an antelope, elk, and bear. Also, my relationship w/ my wife is much better than this time the last two seasons (I’ve come home sooner from trips than planned and spaced things out).