Yea on what they saying above - practice - after shooting and never missing for close to 2 decades - I got into a case of the trigger jerks that was maddening - one of the things i found out - and it took another painful Miss to figure it out - I missed a 10 about 5 years ago - good deer - I pulled on that trigger probably 4 diff times to try to kill that 10 and I ended up jerking. I would hav to come up for air during the trigger pull- Common sense told me that’s not normal - it felt like I had to pull the trigger 2 inches (I am exaggerating but something was not right). And this has been happening. Took it to gunsmith - he checked it - said u hav an 8 pound trigger pull - not good - a jerk waiting to happen - he fixed it - prob 2 pounds now - sweetest trigger i ever owned and I don’t jerk no more
And practice shooting - once august gets here - I get out multiple times to shoot my rifle before November

Missing a big deer is probably the equivalent of braking up w a girl u really like 🤣🤣

Good luck

Missing sucks, wounding a good deer and not finding it suck’s worse to me.

It happens to the best of us. Only thing that makes it palatable. Missed a giant 9-point with a 8" handlebar end of November at 241 yards. Rare deer to be missing on. Still sick! Give me a shout and we'll sob over the phone together.

That is a good way of explaining it. I think it has to do with the feeling of you know you squandered an opportunity at what you’d been dreaming of, and you can’t change it. I know what you’re talking about.

I was hunting a swamp bottom edge several years ago and got this buck on camera. The area would flood and recede some as rain allowed. I had to walk in with waders to access the area I wanted. Hunting a lock on one cold morning on the next to last day of season I heard something behind me. It was this dude raking his rack up in a small sapling about 20 yards behind me. I was scared he was about to bolt so slowly turned to shoot him left handed. Big mistake as he saw the movement and was gone. I remember the empty feeling as I heard him crashing and splashing away in the distance.

[img] https://imgur.com/a/1ryYNzj[/img]

If someone can post the link to appear I’d appreciate it. I can’t ever remember how to make it work

It sucks to miss one, but I’d rather miss one than wound it and not be able to find it.

Might want to call in a dog just to make sure.....

I’m not sure I’ve missed a big one but I have passed a couple of shots that I wish I would have taken.oh wait I did one time it sux believe I went back for two days looking for hair or blood.

The two loudest noises you’ll ever hear, a click when you expected a boom and a boom when you expected a click.

I'm still sick about one 20 years ago...he was a giant, I didn't even pull the trigger but just played that situation wrong and got face to face with him around 20 yards

Missed a good one TWICE last year at 100 yards. Scope rings were not holding due to excessive recoil. Didn’t know there was a problem until the miss. Every triggerpull the scope would slip backwards a little making round impact LOW. First shot I aimed behind shoulder halfway up and saw bullet impact just under him. Aimedtopmof back for second and hit about the same spot and he took off.

Went to range next day. Every shot was dropping zero by 10-12” at 100 yards. (Leupold Rings). Killed 2 since then with that gun so fixed now but still gives me heartburn 🤬.

2016. Biggest buck of my hunting life. Missed him due to deflection shooting through a bunch of hardwood saplings as he came out of thick pines to check out some does, thought the saplings were close enough to him to not matter using the 385g slug. Two followups, same thing plus he was on the move. Three days later shot him at 12 yards about 75 yards from where I missed, he was chasing a doe. Don't give up, he'll likely still be in the area with baby batter running the brain, ergo he'll likely give you another chance.

When you're bucked off , get back on.

I missed a 200+ inch non typical in 1986 er so. Three times as he ran at 150 yards, bouncing up and down running.

I laid in bed and cried for three days.....LOL

I missed two days ago. A beautiful buck with lots of character type antlers. Missing sucks. This one was a bit of mystery as buck reacted as though hit but no blood or hair. Grid searched large area and nothing. The shot was only 45 yards but decent bit of vines and branches between. Regardless, it amounts to a fail and there’s no way around that or feeling associated with it. In my case I think it’s a clean miss and that’s best I can hope for.

I didn't take a shot, but I had a biggon get away from me on public land yesterday. It's all I can think about.

You joke, but I thought about it.

Cell camera caught him running by and no wounds were visible. No hair, blood.

I still question if he could have been hit.

Few years had not seen a racked buck the whole season. Last 2 hours last day of season small 8 point steps out. Click. That sucked thinking about until the next season.

I never get mad when I miss. I got the best parts out of every animal I ever missed and he and I may get to play the game again one day!

I’ve missed so many I’m just used to it!