Frustrating Hunts........

Founder

Founder Since 1999
Messages
11,432
A few years back, I scouted and found a 195ish 5x5 while scouting. I had a muzzleloader tag. I spent 9 days hunting in there. It was just a small, two square mile area. On about day 3 I found him living up in a spot no larger than maybe 500 yards by 500 yards.

I seen him a total of 4 times during the hunt in that small area. Each time I was within muzzleloader range, but never could get a shot due to the brush being too thick to chance a shot, or him being deep in shadows and I couldn't pick him out using my open sight gun.

I even passed a cool, 190ish non-typical, standing in the open at 90 yards. I was so set on getting the 5x5.

How many of you have picked out one animal and then had your butt kicked trying to get him?

This photo below is by Mike Jensen. I just happened to see it on my computer and it reminded me of the hunt I just told of. This photo depicts my hunt that year. To see the trophy, but unable to take the shot............

Many more pics in our Photo Tours
5995gb02.jpg


Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
Will you LIKE MonsterMuleys.com on Facebook! I need a friend....
 
For four years running my son and I chased a huge 3X4 buck in our favorite archery hunting spot. He was at least 32" wide and heavy but had no eye guards. Every year we would get two or three stalks in on him and every year he gave us the slip.
During the second year I guided my son in on him to within 40 yards but another buck spooked and his shot was blown wide by the wind.
It seemed each time bad luck came looking. Once a badger came running in and spooked them just before a shot. Another time a two point came wandering in and bumped the deer. Then a herd of elk busted over the hill and booed them out of their beds.
The last year we saw him he had a grey face like an old dog and a limp. We never saw him after that.

It was the most frustrating FUN hunting we have ever done!
 
LAST EDITED ON Feb-10-14 AT 07:34PM (MST)[p]I have always been a "meat buck" hunter. I will hold out for a decent buck, but after a few days, if a legal buck presents a good shot I will take it. Some of my frustrations have not been the same as yours, just screw-ups or "buck fever", or taking a smaller buck and having his grand-dad step out and watch me take care of the buck that I just shot. One particular buck I regret, I had hunted for several days and encountered a forky at pretty close range. My son who was accompanying me, said, "Dad. You PROMISED Mom you would bring home the meat".As I drew bead on the little buck, a movement caught my eye, as the boy said; "Dad, the BIG one!" I was so surprised to see a dandy so close, as I looked through the scope, seemed all I could see was head and antlers! I got one shot; I think to this day, I shot under his chin. As I remember it, I spent the next ten or fifteen minutes watching that rack appear at the top of the brush sporadically, and trying for a good shot to no avail. It seemed when I was able to see the buck fully again, he was a thousand yards away. I saw the buck again several times the next few days, but was never able to close. On the fourth day, if only I'd taken time to glass...I jumped him out in the brush, drew a bead, and put him DOWN! My heart skipped a beat, I was shaking uncontrollably... I had FINALLY gotten a big buck! I threw my hat in the air,fist-pumping and dancing about! But wait, what the heck?...talk about ground shrinkage!... it was a DIFFERENT buck! To add insult, as I worked to drag out my buck, I encountered another hunter who had watched the drama...he looked at my deer, then said, "Oh, I thought you got the really nice buck that was watching you up the hill from you!" :)
(Here's the big buck I got that trip!) As I have said before, "DEER HUNTING...ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE!"
3680dad_and_micah.jpg
 
I can relate a little but mostly in relation to heavy cover. I work nonstop in Summer so I don't get to scout at all for most part. In several years where we hunt blacktails a long shot is 50 yds. So many times I have been within 50yds or less but simply do not get a shot.
Another time in Utah a friends wife shot at and missed 2 really nice bucks. I saw them well and spent the next 6 days looking hard and while ascending the mountain one day just glanced to my left and there they were 40 yds away. The first buck I saw was facing straight away and at first I may have had that shot but I wanted a better angle so moved left and right and the buck moved into thicker brush. Then I spotted the second buck and it was larger and I could see the frost on their coat.There was no way to shoot without bullet deflection. I think they had been bedded and just stood to feed. It seemed like forever but was more like 30 seconds and and that point my front swivel squeaked so slightly and they blew out. I will never forget that but know it was the right move not to risk wounding an animal but it still stings today. It was a general area and these were in top 5 bucks I had saw in there in 6 years of hunting it. oh well.
 
Talk about the story of my life! I have had 30 inch bucks less than 10 yards away, but they always see me first. My first buck I ever shot at was at 10 yards, but with buck fever I used my 40 yard pin. If I don't screw it up then someone that has no idea that a trophy buck is in the area comes walking through right where he was and I never get to see him again. Year after year this happens. Frustrated? Heck ya I am!!












________________________________________
I'm not one for telling my grandson how big of turd I had to pinch off from having to eat so much meat. I want to give him the trophies that hang from my wall and tell him the unforgettable experience that came with each and every one.
 
I hunted a private ranch for Blacktails years ago. Before the season started, the land owner told me about a monster buck that lived in one corner of the ranch.

Opening day I was in the spot. I passed up a good 4X4 that morning but didn't see the big boy. The next day I came over a rise and there he was! A huge bodied 3X4 with super dark antlers, long eye guards, and massive. Probably 22" wide. He was standing right out in the open......20 yards on the wrong side of the fence. It was sooooo tempting, but I held off.

I hunted that buck, and only that buck, for the rest of the season.

Finally on the last day, my friend who filled his tag earlier, said he would drop me off on top, drive down to the bottom and make some firewood. I would take my time and hunt down to him, then we would call it quits for the season.

So, I take all afternoon sneaking down the draw only to see some does and 2 smaller bucks. When I finally got down there at dark, my partner said he was cutting firewood, happened to look up and the monster buck was standing up on the knoll watching him! The buck finally just slowly wandered over the top and gone.

Thus ended another saga, in a long line of chasing that elusive monster blacktail.

Eel
 
My most frustrating hunt was back when I was 19. I was determined to harvest a good buck that year. We went into some areas where my dad use to hunt as a kid, but I had never been to. On the night of opening day, after my dad had harvested a meat buck, our phones showed we each had several messages once we hit the main road. A death of a friend put a damper to the day. With more important things there was no hunting that week.

With two days left in the season, only planning to hunt one, I went out to give it one more try. Not long after I had split up from my dad and younger brother shots were fired. As I got back into sight with them they each signaled that the buck was big. This got me excited, but I figured they were probably exaggerating as well. The buck was not hit and had gone up a draw. The plan was made and I quickly made my way up one side and they would come up from the bottom once I was in place. I was already huffing and puffing when I saw the back end of the biggest bodied deer I've seen.

Logic told me that this was the buck but due to a big tree I could only see from his front shoulder to his rump. Being cautious I wasn't going to shoot unless I saw it had antlers. The next part is kind of a blur but I remember trying to get into better position when I finally saw the buck heading up towards the opposite ridge. It was a nice heavy four point that was pushing 30". I brought my rifle up, still huffing and puffing, and as luck would have it I fogged up my scope. Just as he was reaching the top I was beginning to be able to make him out in my scope. Knowing this may be my last chance I took a desperation shot, a miss. We weren't able to get back on him before the night ended.

Even though we did not plan hunting that Sunday, we convinced my dad with a buck like that we had to go back in. To sum up that day I shot/wounded a 160 class buck. We tracked it for a long time, finding a drop of blood here and a chunk of bone there. We finally reached where it had bedded and bled out a little bit, but then the trail was lost. We searched and searched and searched, but it was as if it had simply vanished. That buck haunts me to this day.

As frustrating as that hunt was, in many ways, I learned a lot. I've been to that spot a bunch over the years. It seems like something always goes wrong when I go in there, which has been quite frustrating, yet the area continues to lure me in.
 
I found this buck just before the season opened in 2012. I had my hopes set on him because he was a neat buck for 1 and 2 It would have been the first big buck I have actually shot having found him pre-season. After 3 trips back into the basin I ended up getting trigger happy on a running buck which ended my quest that year.

2336img_3266.jpg



Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high, keep your eyes fixed to where the trail meets the sky...
 
There was a big ol dark bladed forkedhorn Blacktail buck that lived a couple canyons back behind my Grandparent Ranch. Though he lived right up in my stomping grounds, i never could put a arrow or bullet into him. By the time i got to my mid teens and was able to have my own modern rifle, he must have passed on.

Countless times that buck gave me the slip. One time that stands out was when i crawled the last few yards over a ridge on a sneak to get closer to where i hoped he'd be right before dark 30. He was there, feeding and traveling, about 150 yards away, moving toward late evening water during remaining daylight which he hardly ever did.

I felt that i was finally going to get this super wise and double oversize, for the area, granddaddy monarch buck. As my cross hairs started to settle, he looked up, pegged me though i was prone and not moving, wheeled and ran for the serious cover that was not far away, all in a couple seconds if that. Again, i walked back to the Ranch House talking to myself...second guessing myself... just wondering how this buck of all the others was constantly able to give me the slip.

That Bucks genes were in that part of the Ranch for many years after but as far as i know, there never was a bigger buck or one near so cagey.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom