The only misfire I've ever had was most likely the Biggest buck I've ever seen.
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Killed or missed the biggest buck ever seen?
- Thread starter fairchaser
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Shed Hunter
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The biggest deer I've seen I didn't take a shot at. The largest I've shot at I got but also missed on of similar size with a bow the same year.
Carlos
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Where's your muzzleloader?I know it's an old thread but this one is gonna sting for a while….missed my target buck this Monday afternoon with my bow at 46 yards…150"+double droptine…
Hopefully you'll get another chance at him.
It's kind of happened in years or phases of my hunting career.
2004 Ky opener I was a senior in high school. Sitting in a ladder stand and I heard just a twig snap behind me to my right. I look over and there stands a massive buck. To this day I still think that deer saw me and was trying to sneak past me because when the twig snapped he stopped and cut his eyes at, I know that sounds crazy but I swear that happened. I got spun around and somehow muffed the shot at 40 yards. He takes off and crosses the field on up running full sprint and I pop another at him. He runs to the other side of our property and got killed by another hunter. Scoring wasn't a big thing back then but best I can remember now he was a mid 140's 9 pt with great mass.
Opening day of rifle 2010 I sat til 11 then went back to the truck and ate something and climbed in another stand at noon. Where I was sitting I was about 100 yards from the property line and straight out front was a cut corn field across a creek that wasn't mine. I seen 2 bucks chasing a doe and one was a big one. Definitely in the 150's. I had never paid attention until then but seen 2 openings I could shoot through and then my conscience got to me and I knew I couldn't make myself do it. He chased her all over that field and then went out of sight never to be seen again.
2nd biggest buck I've ever seen in person I was able to kill on my 3rd attempt in 2020. 150" 10 pt I had 2 days worth of pics in Aug and then nothing after that. I seen him bow hunting end of Sept but was too far away. No pics or sightings from them til the Sat after Thanksgiving I had a small buck chase a doe around the bend in a ridge and I heard a snort wheeze. I seen another deer and put the binoculars up and seen it was him. I knew light was fading and if it was gonna happen it had to happen quick. I grunted and snort wheezed and it got his attention but he wasn't coming my way. He was only 75 yards just in thick stuff I couldn't shoot through. I stood up, sat down, got on my knees just trying to do anything to find a hole but couldn't. Finally he moved down a bit and I thought I had a hole and pulled the trigger. I knew it was a miss as soon as I shot but looked for a while and found nothing. I was absolutely sick over that deer. I would think about it and I'd literally get sick to my stomach and play it all back in my head on what I should have done.
Fast forward 3 weeks and I came back to town for the late mz. Sunday afternoon it's cold and drizzling rain and didn't see a thing. Packed up and made one last look in the field before climbing down and 2 silhouettes popped out. They were does and I decided to look at them through the scope just to see how good of lighting I had with it. About the time I did that a 3rd deer stepped out and it was him. I couldn't believe it. Got him stopped about 100 yards and fired. Between a flame and smoke I couldn't see a thing. Got down and there he lay 40 yards from where I had shot him. Got sick as a dog the next week and ended up in the ER but once I got over the sickness it was worth it for that deer.
2004 Ky opener I was a senior in high school. Sitting in a ladder stand and I heard just a twig snap behind me to my right. I look over and there stands a massive buck. To this day I still think that deer saw me and was trying to sneak past me because when the twig snapped he stopped and cut his eyes at, I know that sounds crazy but I swear that happened. I got spun around and somehow muffed the shot at 40 yards. He takes off and crosses the field on up running full sprint and I pop another at him. He runs to the other side of our property and got killed by another hunter. Scoring wasn't a big thing back then but best I can remember now he was a mid 140's 9 pt with great mass.
Opening day of rifle 2010 I sat til 11 then went back to the truck and ate something and climbed in another stand at noon. Where I was sitting I was about 100 yards from the property line and straight out front was a cut corn field across a creek that wasn't mine. I seen 2 bucks chasing a doe and one was a big one. Definitely in the 150's. I had never paid attention until then but seen 2 openings I could shoot through and then my conscience got to me and I knew I couldn't make myself do it. He chased her all over that field and then went out of sight never to be seen again.
2nd biggest buck I've ever seen in person I was able to kill on my 3rd attempt in 2020. 150" 10 pt I had 2 days worth of pics in Aug and then nothing after that. I seen him bow hunting end of Sept but was too far away. No pics or sightings from them til the Sat after Thanksgiving I had a small buck chase a doe around the bend in a ridge and I heard a snort wheeze. I seen another deer and put the binoculars up and seen it was him. I knew light was fading and if it was gonna happen it had to happen quick. I grunted and snort wheezed and it got his attention but he wasn't coming my way. He was only 75 yards just in thick stuff I couldn't shoot through. I stood up, sat down, got on my knees just trying to do anything to find a hole but couldn't. Finally he moved down a bit and I thought I had a hole and pulled the trigger. I knew it was a miss as soon as I shot but looked for a while and found nothing. I was absolutely sick over that deer. I would think about it and I'd literally get sick to my stomach and play it all back in my head on what I should have done.
Fast forward 3 weeks and I came back to town for the late mz. Sunday afternoon it's cold and drizzling rain and didn't see a thing. Packed up and made one last look in the field before climbing down and 2 silhouettes popped out. They were does and I decided to look at them through the scope just to see how good of lighting I had with it. About the time I did that a 3rd deer stepped out and it was him. I couldn't believe it. Got him stopped about 100 yards and fired. Between a flame and smoke I couldn't see a thing. Got down and there he lay 40 yards from where I had shot him. Got sick as a dog the next week and ended up in the ER but once I got over the sickness it was worth it for that deer.
bjohnson
Well-Known Member
Still remember it like it happened yesterday. Dec 1st 2020 right around 9:00 I had a spike run past me with a giant in tow. The buck stopped at 15 yards, I draw down on him and realized I forgot to turn my scope back down from checking out some does on the far hillside. I knew I didn't have time to turn it down before he ran back to his does. I thought I had brown in the scope right behind the shoulder when I squeezed the trigger. He tore off running and disappeared. I got down and checked for blood and hair...nothing. Got my stuff and pulled the card out of the camera and headed back toward the truck. I got to the last ridge before I dropped off to the truck and him and 2 does ran across the ridge in front of me, it was clear I had missed. I hunted around that area the next 3 days and never saw him again. I had one picture of him on the trail camera...mid 160's 10 point with a kicker off his g2. Still get sick thinking about it.
tree_ghost
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Not my property. Buck is nomadic but he never smelled me or saw me…
tree_ghost
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Man I haven't hunted one with a gun in 14 or 15 seasons now. Just my personal preference to chase them with a bow.
Carlos
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That's awesome, definitely more of a challenge, and the cold weather adds even more.
41Magnum
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Killed the biggest I have ever encountered last year on my grandfathers farm. 161" 11 pointer.
He had passed away the month before so it was bitter sweet. I used to always take my deer by his house to show him.
He had passed away the month before so it was bitter sweet. I used to always take my deer by his house to show him.
Having grown up hunting in Southern Ohio, I've been blessed to have had eyes on several great big deer throughout the years. Of course seeing one and getting a shot are not synonymous.
Biggest I think I encountered was while going to help my brother drag out a buck he'd shot. It would have been a long but possible shot for my bow, but I didn't have it. All we could do is stand in awe as the giant cruised just below the skyline of the ridge above the dead buck, which itself was a brute. If he wasn't over 200" typical he was crawling all over it.
Biggest I think I encountered was while going to help my brother drag out a buck he'd shot. It would have been a long but possible shot for my bow, but I didn't have it. All we could do is stand in awe as the giant cruised just below the skyline of the ridge above the dead buck, which itself was a brute. If he wasn't over 200" typical he was crawling all over it.
Well..biggest i ever saw was in Illinois. I was bow hunting. Didn't get a shot. He was following a small buck, i didn't see the big one. I was just toying with the small one, because I was bored. Calling him in. I ended up spooking the big one. I don't know how big he was, but he was BIG.
In Tennessee, I've killed the two biggest bucks I've ever seen:
First one was about 5 years ago. I had gotten a couple of trail camera pucs year before. Never saw him, never got any more pics and I just forgot about him. Well, i found a new spot on my lease... perfect. Several hollowsand ridges converge. I hunted one morning and saw 5 bucks cruising. Went back the next morning and my buddy shot a nice 10 point about 7:30. I told him I'd hunt about 30 minutes more, then I'd come help him. Best decision ever. About 10 minutes later, a buck is chasing a doe below me in a thicket. I can't tell what he is. In a minute, the doe comes right up by my tree. Then i hear this buck snort wheeze at her, but i still can't see him. All of a sudden, he steps out and immediately i knew it was the biggest buck I've ever seen in the woods. I told myself, " stay calm and you will kill your biggest buck". He moved to about 30 yards and I killed him with muzzleloader. I didn't realize till later in the day that he was the buck I'd gotten pics of the previous year.
The other biggest buck (,they are about evenin age and size) was last year. Sitting in a ladder stand over a weed field. Looked up and there he was. Shot him. He ran about 100 yards and down. Huge body and nice ten point rack.
In Tennessee, I've killed the two biggest bucks I've ever seen:
First one was about 5 years ago. I had gotten a couple of trail camera pucs year before. Never saw him, never got any more pics and I just forgot about him. Well, i found a new spot on my lease... perfect. Several hollowsand ridges converge. I hunted one morning and saw 5 bucks cruising. Went back the next morning and my buddy shot a nice 10 point about 7:30. I told him I'd hunt about 30 minutes more, then I'd come help him. Best decision ever. About 10 minutes later, a buck is chasing a doe below me in a thicket. I can't tell what he is. In a minute, the doe comes right up by my tree. Then i hear this buck snort wheeze at her, but i still can't see him. All of a sudden, he steps out and immediately i knew it was the biggest buck I've ever seen in the woods. I told myself, " stay calm and you will kill your biggest buck". He moved to about 30 yards and I killed him with muzzleloader. I didn't realize till later in the day that he was the buck I'd gotten pics of the previous year.
The other biggest buck (,they are about evenin age and size) was last year. Sitting in a ladder stand over a weed field. Looked up and there he was. Shot him. He ran about 100 yards and down. Huge body and nice ten point rack.
Team Browning
Well-Known Member
I saw the biggest deer of my life last Wednesday about 150 yards from my driveway in a large neighborhood in the suburbs of Chattanooga. It was about 7:45a and he ran in front of me. Got off the street and turned to look back at me.
Up until last week the largest deer that I ever saw with my own eyes was a 135" 10 point. This deer dwarfed that deer. Last week's deer was a 160"+ beast with great mass all the way out. He was heavy. 180+ lbs. I stopped, watched him for a moment and then I thanked God for letting me see him and I drove to work
Up until last week the largest deer that I ever saw with my own eyes was a 135" 10 point. This deer dwarfed that deer. Last week's deer was a 160"+ beast with great mass all the way out. He was heavy. 180+ lbs. I stopped, watched him for a moment and then I thanked God for letting me see him and I drove to work
I've missed a couple of big bucks that I'd guess were in the 140 range, and missed my chances at killing them also. One that I still remember every season tho is a 10 pt with dark antlers that I'd say would have been about a 125-130" rack. I had taken a 140 class 10 pt the prior season and was feeling good about the season. Sitting in the stand I see him, 60 yards down off the ridge at the creek getting a drink. His rack was wide and I was looking at him straight on and just couldn't see his antlers. I was thinking to myself, that's a big deer. Got to be a buck bc I see the thick brown hair on top of his head. Then he raised his head and that "brush" that I saw around him came up with his head! That's when it went downhill. I got my rifle up and was aiming at his chest, but he was facing me, and I was just waiting on him to turn, when all of a sudden a 3/4" tree limb fell from the tree I was in and landed on my head and rifle! I managed to not jump out of the tree, stayed calm and slowly tilted my head and rifle to let it fall off and on down to the ground. When I look back he was not to be seen! I scanned the creek bottom and found antlers moving about 40 yards on down before where he was at initially. I get on him, see one little opening in the mtn laurel and his shoulder is in it. I squeeze the trigger, squeeze, squeeze harder, what the heck?! I realize that I've not taken the safety off!! 
I flip the safety off, look back and he's moving on down the creek, just getting a glimpse of movement here and there, and no shot. No shot until about 3 minutes later that is, when I hear someone else shoot on my property! I come down ASAP and head toward that direction and can't find any sign of deer or poacher. I head back out and go out to the local checking station at the time and ask if anyone had just checked out a 10 pt, and indeed they had. It was the buck I had just had the encounter with! That's about the craziest story I've ever had happen to me with a big buck. 
I flip the safety off, look back and he's moving on down the creek, just getting a glimpse of movement here and there, and no shot. No shot until about 3 minutes later that is, when I hear someone else shoot on my property! I come down ASAP and head toward that direction and can't find any sign of deer or poacher. I head back out and go out to the local checking station at the time and ask if anyone had just checked out a 10 pt, and indeed they had. It was the buck I had just had the encounter with! That's about the craziest story I've ever had happen to me with a big buck.
But as for the biggest buck I've ever seen on the hunt, here's my post from November of 2017.
Using the oddest, most unlikely combination in a ML, pyrodex and a 260 gr lead conical, I was able to miraculously take this buck. My best buck to date, 9pt, rough scored at 147".
, I was trying to stay warm, but still keep my head on a swivel to watch all around me, ESPECIALLY back behind me, where the wind was carrying my scent diagonally up the draw. I even closed my eyes to try to warm up my eyeballs! 
Well I made one more right turn to scan up the ridge behind me and saw a big buck, with long tines moving across behind me and was already almost directly behind me in my wind! I turned back straight ahead, stood, hoping the tree would hide my movement, then turned to my left 180 degrees in my stand and laid the ML against the tree slowly, planning to wait for him to move into view. No buck. I eased on around a little more and he was standing at attention, ears perked, head tilted my way, no doubt in my mind he had picked up my scent! As quickly as I could, put the cross hairs on his chest and squeezed the trigger, felt good...but he ran, and ran...and ran, all the way up the steep ridge nearly to the top, then slowed to a walk. I thought to myself, you've missed one of the biggest bucks of your life just now. But, as I watched him, his tail was twitching rapidly from side to side, then his walk began to turn downward, then it became an unsteady run, a death run if you will. I knew he was hit, but not sure to what extent, so I reloaded and came down, then went to where I had shot him at. Found some white hair :shock: but no blood, at first. Then as I cut back and forth over his escape line, I found a spattering of blood, then some more, and then it was a decent blood trail after that, and it lead me straight to him DRT. After a good 200 yd run that is! I hit him good, right behind the shoulder, lungs and liver were destroyed. Still can't fathom how these magnificent animals can go like they do after being mortally wounded. Anyway, he's the best buck of my hunting career, a 9 pt, which rough scored at 147". I thank the Lord for blessing me with the ability to still get out and hunt in His creation, and for blessing me with another safe and successful hunt. Thank you Lord!
Using the oddest, most unlikely combination in a ML, pyrodex and a 260 gr lead conical, I was able to miraculously take this buck.
My best buck to date, 9pt, rough scored at 147".
, I was trying to stay warm, but still keep my head on a swivel to watch all around me, ESPECIALLY back behind me, where the wind was carrying my scent diagonally up the draw. I even closed my eyes to try to warm up my eyeballs! Well I made one more right turn to scan up the ridge behind me and saw a big buck, with long tines moving across behind me and was already almost directly behind me in my wind! I turned back straight ahead, stood, hoping the tree would hide my movement, then turned to my left 180 degrees in my stand and laid the ML against the tree slowly, planning to wait for him to move into view. No buck. I eased on around a little more and he was standing at attention, ears perked, head tilted my way, no doubt in my mind he had picked up my scent! As quickly as I could, put the cross hairs on his chest and squeezed the trigger, felt good...but he ran, and ran...and ran, all the way up the steep ridge nearly to the top, then slowed to a walk. I thought to myself, you've missed one of the biggest bucks of your life just now. But, as I watched him, his tail was twitching rapidly from side to side, then his walk began to turn downward, then it became an unsteady run, a death run if you will. I knew he was hit, but not sure to what extent, so I reloaded and came down, then went to where I had shot him at. Found some white hair :shock: but no blood, at first. Then as I cut back and forth over his escape line, I found a spattering of blood, then some more, and then it was a decent blood trail after that, and it lead me straight to him DRT. After a good 200 yd run that is! I hit him good, right behind the shoulder, lungs and liver were destroyed. Still can't fathom how these magnificent animals can go like they do after being mortally wounded. Anyway, he's the best buck of my hunting career, a 9 pt, which rough scored at 147". I thank the Lord for blessing me with the ability to still get out and hunt in His creation, and for blessing me with another safe and successful hunt. Thank you Lord!
The one that took my fire.
I was hunting on a friends farm in KY.
The stand my son and I were in was in the center of a long narrow field in a group of trees.
When we went to hunt it my buddy told me, "If you shoot a deer and it crosses that creek to your right don't even go get it, just come get me. That guy over there is an arsehole."
10-4 no prob.
As we were sitting there I saw "something" out of the corner of my eye in the woods to the right of the creek.
I sat and stared in that direction for literally 45 minutes. Man had already given up and said there ain't nothing over there.
I knew I saw something but wasn't sure what it was.
FINALLY I caught movement. Then I saw the tips of some antlers.
It took my brain a while to process what I was looking at but basically what I had seen was the movement of the buck as he turned, kinda like a dog does, as he was laying down.
He had been bedded up for almost an hour and never freakin moved.
His antlers were sticking out from behind a tree that was 18" across.
About 4" on each side.
I knew this was a massive deer but I didn't know how big.
I let man know I finally saw him and he was finally able to catch a glimpse of him.
I laid the binoculars down and got my rifle into position.
Then he stood up and took a step to the left and lip curled. There were several doe in the field past him.
Basically he was just laying there waiting for one of them to get "right".
He moved another 30 yards through the woods to my left and stopped broadside on a raised area in the woods. The raised area was supposedly an old road bed that ran through the property that was used during the civil war.
Anyway so there he is, broadside, nothing but air and opportunity between us.
75 yards, .300 win mag at the ready.
Man is whispering, OMG I know you said he was big but I didn't know he was THAT big!!
Shoot him Dad.
Shoot him.
Shoot him Dad, we can run over there and drag him back across the creek before anyone knows anything.
Shoot him Dad.
OMG shoot !!
I didn't shoot.
All this crap running through my head, what if someone is over there hunting.
What if I break the law right here in front of my son.
What if......
He lip curled again, turned to the right, dead away from us, and started paralleling the does movements out in the field and walked out of view.
Went back to the cabin and my buddy was like, what's wrong with you, you ain't got much to say.
I saw a big one.
BIG ONE!! Man said, and he proceeded to tell the tale.
Then my buddy tells me:
The property line isn't the creek, it is the roadbed.
I honestly thought I was gonna puke.
About a week later I get a text with a picture. Some farmer shot it off his tractor.
Skull capped it.
206" and some change.
I think I went one more time that year and have been a total of twice since that year.
I am pretty sure it has been 10 years ago now.
I learned alot that day about mature deer and why they can be so hard to kill.
I did the "right" thing.
I will admit, it broke me though.
Oh well.
I was hunting on a friends farm in KY.
The stand my son and I were in was in the center of a long narrow field in a group of trees.
When we went to hunt it my buddy told me, "If you shoot a deer and it crosses that creek to your right don't even go get it, just come get me. That guy over there is an arsehole."
10-4 no prob.
As we were sitting there I saw "something" out of the corner of my eye in the woods to the right of the creek.
I sat and stared in that direction for literally 45 minutes. Man had already given up and said there ain't nothing over there.
I knew I saw something but wasn't sure what it was.
FINALLY I caught movement. Then I saw the tips of some antlers.
It took my brain a while to process what I was looking at but basically what I had seen was the movement of the buck as he turned, kinda like a dog does, as he was laying down.
He had been bedded up for almost an hour and never freakin moved.
His antlers were sticking out from behind a tree that was 18" across.
About 4" on each side.
I knew this was a massive deer but I didn't know how big.
I let man know I finally saw him and he was finally able to catch a glimpse of him.
I laid the binoculars down and got my rifle into position.
Then he stood up and took a step to the left and lip curled. There were several doe in the field past him.
Basically he was just laying there waiting for one of them to get "right".
He moved another 30 yards through the woods to my left and stopped broadside on a raised area in the woods. The raised area was supposedly an old road bed that ran through the property that was used during the civil war.
Anyway so there he is, broadside, nothing but air and opportunity between us.
75 yards, .300 win mag at the ready.
Man is whispering, OMG I know you said he was big but I didn't know he was THAT big!!
Shoot him Dad.
Shoot him.
Shoot him Dad, we can run over there and drag him back across the creek before anyone knows anything.
Shoot him Dad.
OMG shoot !!
I didn't shoot.
All this crap running through my head, what if someone is over there hunting.
What if I break the law right here in front of my son.
What if......
He lip curled again, turned to the right, dead away from us, and started paralleling the does movements out in the field and walked out of view.
Went back to the cabin and my buddy was like, what's wrong with you, you ain't got much to say.
I saw a big one.
BIG ONE!! Man said, and he proceeded to tell the tale.
Then my buddy tells me:
The property line isn't the creek, it is the roadbed.
I honestly thought I was gonna puke.
About a week later I get a text with a picture. Some farmer shot it off his tractor.
Skull capped it.
206" and some change.
I think I went one more time that year and have been a total of twice since that year.
I am pretty sure it has been 10 years ago now.
I learned alot that day about mature deer and why they can be so hard to kill.
I did the "right" thing.
I will admit, it broke me though.
Oh well.
