Worst Miss

[RoosterTim]

The being fooled by birds thread got me thinking of my worst misses. I for one am man enough to admit I miss and sometimes miss badly. Here are my top two.

- I took my dog to look for a cripple when another rooster got up 15 feet from me. It should have been the easiest shot of the trip but NOOOO. Old Tim whiffed with both barrels with about 10 on lookers. I got alot of ribbing on that one.

- Worst missing. My buddy and I were walking a water way and scared up some roosters that took off and landed in an old farm stead. My buddy went to the north end of the house with the dogs and I blocked on the south. I saw a rooster start to run out of the cover and when he saw me he ducked back in. I then started working my dog to where he was and soon had him pinned under the branch of a cedar tree. It was the only place on earth that bird could have been. Dog was on point and I kicked the branch. The bird was no more than 3 feet from me and I did more than miss. I don't think the bird even knew I had a gun.

 

[NElabaholic]

Mine had to be last season; I went out with my pup, and a few guys on the forum who also had pups outta the same litter as mine. We were huntin some WIHA when 2 of the pups start acting real birdy off to my right, I get ready, a rooster flushes no more than five feet from me. I let him get out a ways, put the ole 870 on him squeezed the trigger; BOOM! Swing an a miss. I try to eject the shell since he's still in range, but wouldn't ya know it, the damned gun was jammed! I swear that rooster hovered for a good 30 seconds cackling at me. Needless to say, I heard about it lol

 

[BleuBijou]

I could write a full book of misses. I have had my fair share of OMG shots as well, but once up in S.D., it had been a dry year and the Crp was sparse to say the least. I was looking at clumps of crp( one plant) that was the tallest in the field and when I went to kick it, I stopped because I could see the Rooster setting there!! Got ready, kicked and up he went, dead away from me!!! 3 booms later and some $###@$ !!! I did not even change his flight pattern!!

 

[bobeyerite]

When you have been hunting for over 50 years. The question then becomes where do I begin. Well I have had my fair share of missed and then some. Lets just leave it go at that........Bob

 

[RoosterTim]

When you have been hunting for over 50 years. The question then becomes where do I begin. Well I have had my fair share of missed and then some. Lets just leave it go at that........Bob

Come on Bob there has to be one that stands out above the others.

 

[kansasbrittany]

I gotta say I remember more instances of pulling the trigger w/ no shell in the chamber more than I remember missing shots. A guy is going to miss from time to time, I can accept that. It's a mental error like not loading my gun that makes me mad/embarassed enough that it sticks with me.

 

[KansasGsp]

Was driving last year doing some scouting and a rooster walked across the road from one section of Walk-in to another section of Public ground. I went ahead 200 yards and let the dog out. The wind was blowing 40 from the North and we trailed that bird for 100 yards. Finally locked down on him and it got up in the wind, I shouldered the gun, pulled the trigger and nothing. The bird hung there in the wind and I had time to break open the gun and check for shells, then close the gun and still had a good shot at him and then again nothing. Ended up having a bad shell that wouldn't fire. That bird doesn't know how lucky he is!

 

[koja48]

10-years old . . . borrowed .410 . . . Dad's Springer flushed a Rooster right in front of me. Dad said he was never so proud in his life . . . I flipped-off the safety, nuzzled the stock against my cheek, swung on the bird . . . and NEVER pulled the trigger! First Rooster flush, first case of the "Pheasant Phoozles," and I've been hooked ever since. Thanks, Dad . . . you ARE missed.

 

[BritChaser]

I've got a book full of misses too. Funny, as I try to think of some, I find my memory has stored the good made shots, not the bad misses. Forgiving memory. My worst misses are on the seemingly easiest shots -- low and straight away, where the bird is flying a beeline at the level of my gun barrel. That's a tough shot for me and counts for most of my misses. Good thread.

 

[Anrab]

I had my fair number of misses and then some, many the same as you guys, not loading the gun, a few bad shells....etc.

But one of the most memorable was a late season public land rooster.
The birds are few to begin with, and those who made it to the end of Dec, are well educated. It was unseasonably warm, no snow, and the dogs were tracking a bird for close to 300 yards. We hit a patch of what was warm season grass, fairly sparse by this time of year. I see something moving, about 30 yards ahead and my older dog doing the catwalk about 20 yards back. I woha the dog thinking it was something not desirable, when I get closer I see the rooster hunkered down and sneaking away. I quicken my pace and the bird stops, I get closer and it is still there, I am thinking it is a wounded bird that could not take flight, reach down to get it. It flies right in my face, I pull back and fire two quick shots, total miss, I figured my pattern was about the size of a golf ball from where the bird was. Good thing I missed anyway, the bird would have been shredded.

 

[Shadow]

my brother came down for a 4 day quail hunt- he ran out of shells the first day- he used my gun

2nd day- we had a covey rise and settle into the big grass field- he proceeded to shoot 7 quail over my dogs points-

I said that's enough- my turn- a Setter and a Britt were locked up- I came in facing them- shot 4 times and never got a feather- brother fell to the ground laughing

it's not so bad to miss- but with a kid brother standing to see- and then falling to the ground with laughter- kind of humbling

sometimes that fast mount and fast shooting will bite you
but then again- to miss is nothing- to miss when one is right there to see it- is something

 

[jeffstally]

I am sure that no one here has the time to read about all of my misses, but I will say that the most annoying is when I forgot to load the gun when the day's only flush in range occurred.

 

[SetterNut]

Well I try to have a short memory on misses. So I don't know what my worst miss of all time is, but I had one last season that really ticked me off.

Last year during Early Prairie Chicken season, I hit all 4 PC that I shot at.
Well the last day of the season Ace and I went out one last time. We hunted all morning and did not have a chicken hold at all. They were getting up 50 yards or more before he got anywhere near them.

We were heading back to the truck because we were out of water, and it was getting pointless to keep after them. Well Ace went on point about 75 yards in front of me. I walked by him by about 25 -30 yards and up come two Prairie Chickens 10 yards in front of me. I had been dreaming of shooting a double on PC, so that I could call my hunting partner and rub it in. This was the easiest shots I had on them all season, right to left shots on both of them. Rushed the first shot thinking about the double and missed, then tried to follow-up and missed.

I just stood there and watched them fly over the horizon.
Moral: don't count your Chickens before they are shot

 

[kansasbrittany]

Well I try to have a short memory on misses. So I don't know what my worst miss of all time is, but I had one last season that really ticked me off.

Last year during Early Prairie Chicken season, I hit all 4 PC that I shot at.
Well the last day of the season Ace and I went out one last time. We hunted all morning and did not have a chicken hold at all. They were getting up 50 yards or more before he got anywhere near them.

We were heading back to the truck because we were out of water, and it was getting pointless to keep after them. Well Ace went on point about 75 yards in front of me. I walked by him by about 25 -30 yards and up come two Prairie Chickens 10 yards in front of me. I had been dreaming of shooting a double on PC, so that I could call my hunting partner and rub it in. This was the easiest shots I had on them all season, right to left shots on both of them. Rushed the first shot thinking about the double and missed, then tried to follow-up and missed.

I just stood there and watched them fly over the horizon.
Moral: don't count your Chickens before they are shot

Oh damn, that's a tough one to swallow. Chances to double on chickens are few and far between.

Hearing these reminds me of a particular miss that did stick in my memory. On my way to my w/e hunting spot, I just had to do a quick walk through a favorite patch. Wife and kids warm in the truck, my 4 dogs and I headed into the tall grass. 50 yards in, my ole' girl locks up tight and the others honor nicely. Figured it must be a hen as I saw hunters leaving when I pulled up. From the same clump of grass, 2 roosters busted out; one flying straight away, the other crossing R to L (strong side), w/ about a half second between the 2 flushes. I missed the first one twice, then turned and missed the 2nd. I went on to hit my next 2 shots and was back in the truck, knowing I could've had a limit in 2 passes had my head been out of my @$$ from the beginning

 

[Toad]

I'll just say 2003-2005... I hit a rut like you wouldn't believe. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for almost three years! I wasted a lot of ammo and often got frustrated with myself because I could bust clay targets but shot terribly at birds. Then, all of a sudden, it ended as mysteriously as it started. My tendency to miss suddenly turned into a tendency to hit. There is no particular reason I can think of.

But I'll never forget my first successful trip after I started hitting again. It was the third day of the hunt and my buddy finally said, "You are shooting really well, have you MISSED a bird this weekend!?" I remember saying, "NO, I haven't missed this trip,,, I have been telling you for the last three years that I CAN SHOOT!!!" He said something like, "well, it's about time..."

I'm still not a great shot, but at least I'm not embarassed to hunt with other people anymore...:cheers:

 

[Kismet]

Well, I don't like to brag, but

I've proven twice I can lodge a plastic wad in a tree limb.

Should have had them mounted.



And then there was the time YB came back to me out of the woods and started to slow for point, bird (apparently) ran and flushed straight at me, about 10 feet away. No shot, but I hit it with the barrel of the shotgun.

stupid pheasant. Startled the helloutof me.

 

[kansasbrittany]

Well, I don't like to brag, but

I've proven twice I can lodge a plastic wad in a tree limb.

Should have had them mounted.



And then there was the time YB came back to me out of the woods and started to slow for point, bird (apparently) ran and flushed straight at me, about 10 feet away. No shot, but I hit it with the barrel of the shotgun.

stupid pheasant. Startled the helloutof me.

Was it stunned enough for a bare-handed dispatch? Did ya eat 'eem? LOL...

 

[Nick]

I gotta say I remember more instances of pulling the trigger w/ no shell in the chamber more than I remember missing shots. A guy is going to miss from time to time, I can accept that. It's a mental error like not loading my gun that makes me mad/embarassed enough that it sticks with me.

Last Thanksgiving hunting w/ my dad and my 16 year old son. Let my son use my O/U that I've been shooting since high school. I was using my 1187 that I use on geese and ducks. Get out of truck. Unload dog. Start through the field and rooster gets up in front of me. Click, hadn't chambered a shell.

My most memorable is more of a pattern than a single miss. I tend to have times where I shoot really well and then miss my last shot of the trip leaving me to brood over it until the next trip. Really sucks when it is the last trip of the season!

 

[Nick]

Last Thanksgiving hunting w/ my dad and my 16 year old son. Let my son use my O/U that I've been shooting since high school. I was using my 1187 that I use on geese and ducks. Get out of truck. Unload dog. Start through the field and rooster gets up in front of me. Click, hadn't chambered a shell.

My most memorable is more of a pattern than a single miss. I tend to have times where I shoot really well and then miss my last shot of the trip leaving me to brood over it until the next trip. Really sucks when it is the last trip of the season!

Forgot to mention that my son got an O/U for Christmas last year. Now I have my gun back

 

[quail hound]

This is an easy one for me. Let's just say wild pheasant aren't easy to come by in California. The first worst miss was 4 years ago when I had my first (and only that season) shot a ringneck, emptied grandpas wing master at him and didn't pull a feather.

The second one was my springers first (but not last that season) wild rooster. He put him up no more than 15yds from me off the side of the dirt road we were walking to the real hunting spot. Again I emptied my shotgun (now my own o/u) never touching the bird. I learned a lot about trusting your dog that day and even though JP has forgiven me for that shot I still can't get over it.