What did you pass then regret.

marley

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In 2014 I drew an archery tag on the Boulder. On the 3rd day of my hunt I missed the bull that was nicknamed Iceman (scored 456” I think) at 15 yards somehow. After missing him I was dead set on finding him again with the 6 days I had left. The very next day in the exact same meadow I passed on this bull at 30 yards. I hunted hard until the end never seeing Iceman again until a woman muzzy hunter killed him two weeks later. Looking back, I was nuts to pass up this bull but I sure had a fun hunt. So what do you regret?
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I passed several color phases bear one year looking for a black in color black bear since I already had a few color phase bears (brown, buff, chocolate, ect).

Passed 8 bears that year and never seen a black one. After that it was shoot a bear if mature.

Since then it's worked out and taken several more bears with a couple jet black ones included. ??
 
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In 2011, with an Arizona archery tag, I passed this bull. Wanted a 350" or better bull and passed a couple like this. He was at 30 yards smashing a tree.
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Ate tag soup after a terrible shot was finally made on the second to last day.
 
Good topic. I don't think I've ever passed on a buck that I really regret. I've killed most of the very biggest bucks I've ever seen while hunting.

The best buck I ever passed on and didn't get later was a mid-190's buck in Colorado. Passed him a couple of times. I don't really regret it. It was still early in a hunt where the potential of doing better was good in my opinion. I guess in a way I regret passing, but I'd probably do it again if everything was the same. Regret or not.....I don't know.

I'd share a pic of that buck, but it's on old DV tape.
 
On a general season Utah tag I walked away from a 4x5 buck that I thought was 170”. Was chasing a giant non typ that ended up getting killed by another guy. 2 months later was in my taxi’s shop and saw the buck I’d passed on the wall. Laughed and said I passed that buck up. He looked at me funny and asked how big I thought it was. Answered 170”. He laughed and said 191”. Whoops.
 
Passed many good bucks looking for better throughout my life, but the one that I most remember was a 190ish narrow buck in Nevada. He was only about 25" with the 2 cheaters he had on his left side. 3rd day of a 9 day season(late). I was looking for 200+ and never found him. Missed a heavy mid-80's buck and came home with a 170 6x6 old man.
 
Had a pretty good LE archery tag in Colorado a couple years back. Passed a bull that was a big 7 point on the left and had a 40 plus inch spike and 22 to 24 inch brow tine on the right the second day at 40 yards. Looking back on it he would of been a truly once in lifetime kind of bull over the cookie cutter 6 point I shot the last week of the season. That being said it’s hard to punch a tag on the second day of a month long season on freak bull for myself and many others.
 
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In 2011, with an Arizona archery tag, I passed this bull. Wanted a 350" or better bull and passed a couple like this. He was at 30 yards smashing a tree.
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Ate tag soup after a terrible shot was finally made on the second to last day.
outdoordan, I know you regret it, but I think you made the right choice. That bull is young and has what it takes to be a really great bull with a couple years on him. Some states i would say you messed up, but in Arizona you definitely made the right decision. I respect a guy more for passing a bull like this and going home empty handed than I do a guy killing this bull and never giving him the chance to be a really good bull.
 
it's not an elk, but I passed on this buck in Texas one year.... what i mean by passed him is that my arrow zipped right passed him and I had to watch him run off... That's what i get for not having a rangefinder with me. a buddy of mine later killed him with a rifle and man he was big. about 7 years old and smart. we had his sheds from the two previous years and the day i missed him was the first time anyone had ever seen him. He avoided all cameras his whole life until about 2 weeks before i saw him. I don't think i'll ever forgive myself for missing this deer. his 8 point frame was right at 160". i'm gonna stop now because i'm getting more and more mad the more I type....time to call my therapist and talk about my feelings again.

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I had max points in Wyoming a few years back. I had 8 days to hunt. The first morning I was walking slowly through the tall sage and glassing ahead. I spotted a buck laying in a small bowl about 200 yards away. He was mostly behind the brush but I had a pretty good look at his rack. Really tall with deep forks but not very wide or heavy. I studied him for about 5 minutes trying to decide what to do. I finally guessed that he was a low 170's type buck and I didn't want to end my hunt just yet. However, I thought I'd try to get a different angle for a better look. He was watching me the whole time. When I got a bit closer all of a sudden he jumped up and in one leap he was over the edge of the bowl and into a deep wash / canyon never to be seen again. That split second good look was enough to tell me that I had significantly underestimated him. I ran as fast as I could to the edge of the canyon to get a shot but he was gone. 6 days later I shot a big old heavy 160's buck. Oh well, I had fun hunting those 6 extra days.
 
Marley----was that bull harvested later on the rifle hunt? I chase around a lot on Boulder and seems like I remember a picture of him being killed.
 
Best advice I've given clients over the years....."if you see a buck or a bull" on the first day of your hunt that you'd be tickled with on the last day, you'd better think really hard about letting him walk".

It has paid off far more often than not.
 
In 2014 I drew an archery tag on the Boulder. On the 3rd day of my hunt I missed the bull that was nicknamed Iceman (scored 456” I think) at 15 yards somehow. After missing him I was dead set on finding him again with the 6 days I had left. The very next day in the exact same meadow I passed on this bull at 30 yards. I hunted hard until the end never seeing Iceman again until a woman muzzy hunter killed him two weeks later. Looking back, I was nuts to pass up this bull but I sure had a fun hunt. So what do you regret?View attachment 2812
My problem is opposite Marley's! I can only think of one regret on passing, and several regrets on pulling the trigger! That's why my trophy room is significantly smaller than Marley's ?
 
Marley-

I assume this was the bull you named “Iceman” and missed during the archery hunt? What a monster!
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The lucky muzzleloader hunter is my neighbor’s sister in-law.

Hawkeye
 
I had no idea you were the one that missed him marley. I'll bet that was quite intense hunting a bull of that caliber. That bull is euro mounted in the Loa grocery store. Pretty impressive bull. I think I would have shot that second bull as well, he's no slouch. However it would be hard to not keep grinding it out in hopes of the Iceman. And that's how you kill a giant. In 13' my buddy had a TC Iceman. I told him it was my favorite bull. And hoped I could draw a tag and hunt him the following year.
 
I have only ever passed on 2 animals that I later regretted(although later was nearly immediate on both).
I had a easy to draw tag in New Mexico with local friends to help out on the hunt. We had a bit of private access, and I was young, 15 if I remember right. We saw a buck moving through some washes to keep hidden but didn't get a great look. I was able to sneak up to within 200 yards and he was broadside but looking directly away with brush behind him. In my 3-9 power scope I looked and figured he was a 22" 3 point type buck. So I put my gun down. He then ran off and I got a better look at what I was missing. Turned out he was more like a 25" wide 180" 4 point with deep forks. Don't know how I missed that but crappy glass definitely didn't help. Never saw him again after that. Tag soup.
Next I was elk hunting opening day on a general tag. At this point I had killed a few raghorns but nothing 5 points or better. The area I hunt, most mature bulls end up right at 300" and if you find one better, you better shoot it. My family has killed a ton of elk in this area over the years and up to that point, only 2 broke 300"(315 and 322). During archery we saw multiple mature bulls in an area and were able to harvest one(315 bull) and saw one more of the same caliber or better. Didn't get the greatest look but he had great top end. Opening rifle comes around and I can hear multiple bulls bugling, 1 was just grunting and sounded big, old and mean. Another was a mature bugle that was definitely rutting that morning, and a few other wimpy bugles. The grunting bull was directly down wind so I decided I would try timber hunting towards the other mature bull which the wind was right for. I keep getting closer to the bugle until I figure its about 150 yards out, and he never makes another sound. Going slowly through the timber I end up spotting a cow to my right at the exact time she sees me, only 15 yards away. I stood still as she stared and me trying to figure out what I was. After what seemed like forever, probably 1-2 minutes, she starts looking around and decides to slow trot off. I pull my scope up on her as 2 others join, a cow and calf, then a bull joins all trotting away. To me he looked like a wide rag horn, his antlers pointing directly at me with head up, and he's about 80 yards running. I decide to pass but keep my scope on him. Last second as he turns into the timber, he turned his head and all I see is a royal, and a 5th point with no idea of size. I smacked myself for passing but knew they weren't very scared. I snuck up as slow and quiet as possible. I get to where they disappear and I hear elk running from my left going right. I pull my scope on the one opening, about 6 feet wide, and wait. First, cow, second and third, cow/calf. I knew he was next and seconds later I catch antler running through the timber towards the opening. Scope still up, as soon as I saw fur I fired(any elk tag so I knew if I accidentally shot a cow, I was ok), and he dropped not 75 yards away. Figuring I shot a 200-250" bull if I was lucky, I walked up and was very surprised. It was the bull we saw during archery with great tops, but very weak brows and third. 315" in the end and he looks amazing mounted on the wall. Just over 50" beams.
 
When I was a young "Buck" I didn't pass on much, that's why they called me "Meat in the Pot". As I've gotten older I've gotten better, but I do love Backstraps & Gravy!
 
Nope. First Idaho super tag I had. First hunt of the year. Didn't want it to be over that quick, especially with all the November rut hunts yet to come.
Out of curiosity, what do you think he would score?
 
Nope. First Idaho super tag I had. First hunt of the year. Didn't want it to be over that quick, especially with all the November rut hunts yet to come.
Out of curiosity, what do you think he would score?
That makes sense why you passed him. I bet he’s 30-32 wide and would score between 198-204. Unsure if he has any extras other than that big cheater.
 
Regret is a horrible emotion.... and I have several I live with all the time BUT hunting related regret isn't even on the top 10.

Don't ask!

Zeke
Well luckily this is a hunting site and the OP stated hunting regrets. So why not tell us your hunting regrets and save your top 10 life regrets for your shrink?
 
My regrets are that I never pass anything up, and always shoot dinks because I get too excited over a 140-150 inch buck. I always tell myself that I am going to hold out, but then I see a little 4 point opening morning and....Boom! Hunt over.
 
Had an incident with a rather famous local whitetail buck years back. I was busy as heck on the road when muzzleloader season snuck up on me so last minute I rush to buy a tag. Well like an idiot I just loaded my favorite muzzleloader up and went hunting , didn’t check a thing. About 730 that first morning I run into the buck the locals call Bullwinkle. He’s a main frame 5x5 whitetail that’s old , heavy , and about 26 in wide. He spooks , 100 yds running straight away so I know I’ve made that shot before so I let it fly. Knocked him right off his feet , bang , flop , stone dead. Or so I thought ! Well I didn’t reload , celebrated with myself for a few seconds and he gets up and takes off ! All I can do is stand there like an idiot ! Well later that day another guy ended up killing him. My bullet was lodged in the base of his brow tine I blew off. Knocked him out cold I guess. Big Regret to this day.
 

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