Pre-Rut challenge: Post a pic of "the one that got away"

[DeerCamp]

At the time of this hunt, I had never even seen this deer before, but was hunting very near a camera/scrape where I had seen another nice buck.

Nearing pack-up time, about 9AM, I did a grunting sequence and waited about 10 minutes before I had to leave.

You can see me walk past the camera leaving at 9:12 AM.

And then he walks past the camera from the other way, at 9:19 AM. Works the scrape.

7 minutes! Ouch.

A few weeks later, I got a December night time pic of him, and that was the last one I ever got. That was 6 years ago.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I passed this deer up the year prior to this. He only came to our property for a 2 week period each year and then was gone. Even have daylight pics of him 50 yards from one of my stands in late October. Never caught up with him and he didn't show back up last year. Assume he died. He has a drop tine and a 3rd beam

 

[BSK]

The below series of pictures is a buck we had using our place - only during the rut - from 2006 until 2009. No one ever saw this buck, and we only got a couple of pictures of him in daylight. All the rest of the pictures were at night. The below pictures, from left to right are: 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 4 1/2 and 4 1/2 in daylight. And all of these pictures were taken within 40 yards of each other. We got a picture of him at 5 1/2 in the same location, but he must have tangled with a car, because all of his tines and the ends of his beams were sheared off on a nearly straight line.

 

[74MOPAR]

Had quite a few pics of these two bucks together. I really wanted to kill the big 7. During the velvet hunt I had them both on camera 200 yards from my stand, the basket 10 came by me but the 7 didn't. Never had him on camera after October.

 

[redblood]

This website doesnt have enough space for all of the ones i let get away!

 

[volsfan1976]

I seen this one during muzzleloader season. About noon and had been a slow morning. I was gonna get down and thought I would rattle just to see. The third time I see him flying through the woods and he stopped about 30 yards in front of me but behind some big trees. I could see his nose sticking out one side and his hips on the other side. All I needed was him to take a couple steps. It seemed like forever but was probably less than 5 minutes. He never moved. I just kept waiting. Finally he turned and walked away from me staying behind the trees. I could just get glimpses. Never seen him again but got lots of pics of him in January and February. Honestly started to shoot him in the hips and take my chances but knew if I just wounded him I could never forgive my self. At least I got to see him.

 

[BSK]

I seen this one during muzzleloader season. About noon and had been a slow morning. I was gonna get down and thought I would rattle just to see. The third time I see him flying through the woods and he stopped about 30 yards in front of me but behind some big trees. I could see his nose sticking out one side and his hips on the other side. All I needed was him to take a couple steps. It seemed like forever but was probably less than 5 minutes. He never moved. I just kept waiting. Finally he turned and walked away from me staying behind the trees. I could just get glimpses. Never seen him again but got lots of pics of him in January and February. Honestly started to shoot him in the hips and take my chances but knew if I just wounded him I could never forgive my self. At least I got to see him.

Dang that's a stud!

 

[BSK]

Had already killed an old buck in MZ season, so when I saw this guy at 3 1/2 chasing a doe during gun season, I gave him a pass (and he wasn't super impressive at 3 1/2). But at 4 1/2 he exploded. We never saw him with our own eyes, although we had tons of pictures of him at 4 1/2 and 5 1/2. Pictures below are left to right, 4 1/2 and 5 1/2. He's one of the top bucks we've ever photographed on our property.

 

[Kyboy]

Halloween 2016, hunted every day for a week straight, ended up taking a nap this evening due to it being 82 degree and having to drive back college. Walked down the trail I was hunting at 3:30 in the afternoon following a doe. Would have been a 22 yard shot. Neighbor ended up killing him in his front yard during rifle season. Scored in the lower 170s. Still makes me sick to think about it.

 

[DeerCamp]

I seen this one during muzzleloader season. About noon and had been a slow morning. I was gonna get down and thought I would rattle just to see. The third time I see him flying through the woods and he stopped about 30 yards in front of me but behind some big trees. I could see his nose sticking out one side and his hips on the other side. All I needed was him to take a couple steps. It seemed like forever but was probably less than 5 minutes. He never moved. I just kept waiting. Finally he turned and walked away from me staying behind the trees. I could just get glimpses. Never seen him again but got lots of pics of him in January and February. Honestly started to shoot him in the hips and take my chances but knew if I just wounded him I could never forgive my self. At least I got to see him.

wow!

 

[DeerCamp]

I seen this one during muzzleloader season. About noon and had been a slow morning. I was gonna get down and thought I would rattle just to see. The third time I see him flying through the woods and he stopped about 30 yards in front of me but behind some big trees. I could see his nose sticking out one side and his hips on the other side. All I needed was him to take a couple steps. It seemed like forever but was probably less than 5 minutes. He never moved. I just kept waiting. Finally he turned and walked away from me staying behind the trees. I could just get glimpses. Never seen him again but got lots of pics of him in January and February. Honestly started to shoot him in the hips and take my chances but knew if I just wounded him I could never forgive my self. At least I got to see him.

Had a similar story, but more misfortune.

Was walking to the stand at first light (Deer liked to bed there). There's a big tree in the field. 4.5 year old is just standing there, no shot. I video'd him for a minute and still have that clip.

Finally steps out - gun misfires.

I go to load another shell - contact gets dislodged.

I try to look through the scope and can see three bucks, but I know there's only one. Disaster.

Never saw him again.

 

[volsfan1976]

Had a similar story, but more misfortune.

Was walking to the stand at first light (Deer liked to bed there). There's a big tree in the field. 4.5 year old is just standing there, no shot. I video'd him for a minute and still have that clip.

Finally steps out - gun misfires.

I go to load another shell - contact falls out.

I try to look through the scope and can see three shapes. Disaster.

Never saw him again.

Oh man, that sucks so bad. Everything that can go wrong will

 

[13pt]

It was September 30, 2014. I just received my new crossbow by UPS the day before, and hurriedly sighted it in that afternoon. It was my first crossbow purchase so all new to me. And before you anti-crossbow hunters jump on my case, I have a really messed up right shoulder, and if not for a crossbow I couldn't bow hunt at all. Anyway, my target buck shows up the next morning at "legal" daylight. These pictures look like it was pitch dark but it was far from it. In the two pictures you'll see the time stamp on my camera was 6:08. Sunrise was at 6:35, and it was a super clear day, so 3 minutes into legal shooting light he walks through my food plot for a clear shot. I accidentally used the wrong crosshair not being familiar with the scope yet, and well you can see what happened. I literally grazed his belly and just shaved off some hair. It was amazing this all happened in front of my camera, and that it fired off this pic just at the right time. He ran off a ways, blew once, and then trotted off across the field. I caught him on camera again two days later and then never seen him again. That one still haunts me.

 

[Pilchard]

Should have had a Zeiss. Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[13pt]

Should have had a Zeiss. Sorry, couldn't resist!

Can't argue that…lol

 

[1jamey]

I refuse to relive the trauma deer and turkey have caused me, can't afford therapy.

 

[Shed Hunter]

Trail cam pic is 3.5 and the shed is one given to me from when he was 5.5. I saw him at 4.5. 200 yards away when I was 16 years old hunting in a climber. He walked across a Kudzu patch and I knew there was no way I could hit him. He would've been close to going 160 net

 

[LenS]

I let this first one walk during muzzleloader last year. He's the biggest I ever intentionally passed. Can't tell you why I didn't shoot him other than I never picked up my gun, just my phone. Hope he made it to this year.

The second I let walk the end of December. It may be because he was emaciated from the rut, but he just looked young. I'm in Jamaica now so haven't checked recent cameras, but do know he survived the season.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I let this first one walk during muzzleloader last year. He's the biggest I ever intentionally passed. Can't tell you why I didn't shoot him other than I never picked up my gun, just my phone. Hope he made it to this year.

The second I let walk the end of December. It may be because he was emaciated from the rut, but he just looked young. I'm in Jamaica now so haven't checked recent cameras, but do know he survived the season.

He has a swollen front left ankle. Should be easy to identify and should be really nice this year. I use the same thing to identify a particular deer I've had on camera the past two years

 

[DeerCamp]

Trail cam pic is 3.5 and the shed is one given to me from when he was 5.5. I saw him at 4.5. 200 yards away when I was 16 years old hunting in a climber. He walked across a Kudzu patch and I knew there was no way I could hit him. He would've been close to going 160 net

Beautiful buck!