Missed Opportunity/Missed Shot

[WapitiTalk1]

Did you miss an opportunity or shot on an elk this year? Let's talk about the various situations/outcomes from this year's hunts and perhaps, improve our success/odds if we encounter them again. If you missed an opportunity that you feel could have went your way if you would have done something different, what happened and how could you have swung the odds in your favor? If you just plain missed a shot, was it because you misjudged yardage, hit a branch, or perhaps had an equipment malfunction?

[Elkonthebrain]

I definitely had a missed opportunity this year. Missed an elk with my muzzeloader. (110-125 yards) Normally I blame everything on equipment even if it was my fault. There was no excuse for a miss here, it happened really quick but he was broadside. I think I just rushed the shot. So I guess slow down would be my fix.

[Wyo67]

Yup... Making a move on another bull, another bull bugled to us within 60 yards and he was coming. Took us by surprise, had no time to get a good setup. I had scooted down about 25 yards in front of my caller, but because we still in the process going after another bull, he was directly behind me for where this new bull was coming from. Spotted the bull coming in and had a good lane, 40 yards down hill right in front of me. I drew back when his head was behind the last bunch of cover before my lane. Of course, he stopped with his head past the cover and vitals covered by it. Held for as long as I could. Eventually, I broke down, but he did not run off. He turned 3/4 circle and I had a good shot in my lane. Drew back again, had good sight picture and let it fly.

Shot felt good, but did not see impact. Thought I heard the arrow ticking off of branches and bull runs off. Immediately thought I overshot. Started looking for my arrow, to my surprise found excellent blood trail. Waited for about an hour and took up the trail. From the blood trail, I thought for sure we'd find him piled up within a hundred yards or so. Trailed for about 250 yards and we kicked him up. Found where he had laid and two separate blood pools as if he were punched through. Found back 1/2 of my arrow there. Trailed him for rest of day with diminishing blood trail, bumped him one last time right before dark and eventually lost his trail. He appeared healthy last time he ran off. Think possibly the arrow clipped and deflected off a rib and only got one lung/came out the front.

Hunted the rest of the week with additional sign no additional sign, or indications of scavengers. Hope he recovers, but I don't think so... I passed on a couple other opportunities during the week after that and ate tag soup.

My lesson learned is to change the fletching wraps on my arrows to a brighter contrasting color from white (pink maybe?) in order to hopefully track the arrow flight and impact point.

[POk3s]

Shoot Ive got a hundred from this year. Maybe not a hundred but at least 5 where I thought I wasn't "clutch". The elk is there, the moment is there....just hunting solo is tough.

Lesson learned....when a BIG bull goes quiet he is coming, not leaving.

[Lark Bunting]

My fogging range finder fogged up from the fogging rain. It remained fogged up for three fogging days and when the first deer I have ever had within shooting distance came out, I didn't have my fogging range finder and was shooting up hill. I guessed wrong and had a clean miss but not by much. I found hair but not a spec of fogging blood.

I cursed that fogging thing for an hour.

I will have a new fogging range finder next year...that doesn't fog up internally.

[POk3s]

hahahahahaha!

I had the same problem with my fogging binoculars.

[elk.addict]

I've got a few of these every year, unfortunately. But here's one of my bigger screw ups this year.

I was hunting a drainage and wasn't seeing much elk sign, so I decided to climb the ridge and drop into the next drainage to the east. I crested the top of the ridge and started descending. Just below timberline, I entered a "dead zone". At least it looked like one: very dry, no vegetation other than pine trees and very steep. I sat down to take a break, then decided might as well do a quick cow calling sequence, just in case. I did and didn't hear anything. About 3 minutes later I stood up and walked about 10 steps down the hill, just to the crest of the little bench I was on. And next thing I know, I was face to face with a nice 6x6 (well, he was about 45 yards away or so). He was on the way up the hill coming right to me. But of course he saw me and froze. Not much I could do, I had a bow in one hand a PB&J sandwhich in the other and I was busted! We had about a 10 second stare down, then he decided to get the heck out of Dodge.

Needless to say I was reminded of that fact that many bulls come in silent. I also tried to make a mental note that elk aren't always where you expect them to be.

[Njdiverdan]

Here is my biggest missed opportunity so far this year. It was about the 3rd week of the season and the rut had just exploded in my area. I had returned to camp a bit early from my evening hunt do to a wind change and there was a bull bugling about 200 yards from camp. I still had a bit of shooting light so I grabbed my bow and headed in his direction. I was cow calling and receiving bugles in response but he was not coming in at all. I tried to get as close as I could but once I was within 100 yards or so, I ran out of light so I had to back out. Up the next morning bulls are bugling everywhere. There are 2 different bulls sounding off where I had left the bull the previous night so I quickly got my gear and headed toward them. I was planning to start calling once I closed in to under 100 yards so my plan was to move quickly from camp to the same location I was in last night. Well, as I am walking through a large opening on my way to the timber, I look up and just up an ATV trail, not 75 yards from my tent is a bull standing broadside looking at me. Of course he was gone in a flash as I was right out in the open hustling through the sage brush. Doubt I will ever get an opportunity to get a bull that close to camp ever again.

-dan

[nolanjs55@gmail.com]

well this was my first real hunt i have to say. Went down to 444 in CO last year but stumbled around like an idiot...this year i had read 4-5 books on elk, obsessed over this hunt, trained, had a new unit and was joined by my best friend since 2nd grade. He made the trip down to unit 70 from SLC. He had a OTC Bull tag, I had a female. We felt good and were pumped for our hunt. Got down to unit 70 last wed scouted till friday.... by friday we determined we were in the wrong area and moved camp to 10800ft on a mtn in 70. This mountain was riddled with ATV trails and atvs... we decided we would outwork everyone.

So fast forward to opening morning boots to the ground and we climbed the thickest gnarliest terrain. A couple rookies recalling their books and trying to find elk. BY 9am opening day we were on a game train finding fresh droppings. THEN...i got the elk scent stopped and observed my surroundings. I saw a tan horizontal line about 60 yards down hill from me in a small clearing in the thick.....i put my scope up and there it was the side of an ELK!!!1 first time i ever saw an elk in the wild while it was legal shooting. However, i could not see its neck or head....was it a cow was it a bull? it was alone so i assumed a bull. I whispered to my buddy travis and he confirmed it was a cow. So with my nerves going crazy, i was gonna shoot a cow 3 miles from camp at 9am on opening morning!!!! well it wasn't to be my scope was at 10x and i didnt realize. i couldn't relocate the cow in my scope until it was too late and she bolted. I was heart broken devastated and proud all at the same time. this should be deemed a success but couldn't help think i let it slip through my fingers.

Day 2, we climb farther and farther to the north facing slopes. we are on fresh signs again and then boom the smell hits us again. we have the wind in our face but slightly to our side blowing uphill. we are on a massive game trail, a giant convergence of trails....there is so many signs of beds down hill we start to move, neglecting to think an elk could be above us. Then boom. giant twig snaps and a massive bull jumps his bed directly about us when he gets our scent and bolts.

we left monday with the hopes to return tomorrow...this was a great trip and the best camping trip and first ever hunting trip with my best friend. For 2 rookies we got on elk twice in a heavily pressured unit. We are proud and think we did well but cant help but replay what could have been.....