Am I the only one who has ever missed?

[Stormy Kromer]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

If you haven't missed or wounded anything, you haven't hunted long enough. Happens to everyone, eventually.
You mentioned that two of your shots went high, and then wounded one hitting it high as well.
Care to elaborate on your equipment, as well as the situation? Were you possibly shooting downhill?

 

[Sika98k]

Haven’t we all at some stage ? If you haven’t missed you simply haven’t done very much shooting.
Some missed shots when you do your post-mortem and try to analyse what went wrong can be difficult to figure out. Excitement, poor light, bullet strike on vegetation. As long as you haven’t wounded an animal and have learnt from your experience you’re good to go.

 

[grand veneur]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

I have to praise you in advance for your honesty. There are on the Forums too many snipers and other people who kill everything with one shot, even the biggest game with the smallest calibers.

As for me, in 50 years of frequent hunting, I have missed several times and also wounded game that were difficult to search for and unfortunately were not always found, including a buffalo in Africa. I have already reported on some of this incidents on the Forum.

Anyone who claims that everything has always gone well; does not hunting very much, has been very lucky so far or is lying. Unfortunately, the latter is often the case.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

If you haven't missed or wounded anything, you haven't hunted long enough. Happens to everyone, eventually.
You mentioned that two of your shots went high, and then wounded one hitting it high as well.
Care to elaborate on your equipment, as well as the situation? Were you possibly shooting downhill?

I was too close, about 100 yards. Zeroed for 2" high at 100 yards. But in all reality it was 100% my fault. I can see these shots clearly in my head, it was operator error, all on me. My only excuse ( and it doesn't count) is that I was exhausted and tired. No excuse.

A great friend of mine is an outfitter in Wyoming. I was visiting with him on my last hunt and I observed that most misses seem to be over the animals back. He replied 99% of the time.

I missed plain and simple when I was in Africa. I must be the only one . I'm glad the animals I missed are OK. Next month I will give you all the honest report of every shot I take.

Thanks all.

 

[375Fox]

Everybody misses at some point, but using my own rifle and my shooting sticks I’ve really impressed myself in Africa. I haven’t missed a first shot on my last 4 safaris. When I rent a rifle though I tend to have some misses including a few spectacular ones that I can only blame on myself. The worst being missing a chamois 4 times in New Zealand. I usually miss at least one roe deer on every hunt I do for them. I personally find eastern whitetail deer hunting some of the most difficult shots since most are offhand. I’ve missed my share.

 

[Sabre]

I have seen quite a few people on here talk about missing animals. So, I don't think it's as if no one ever owns up to it. Of course the vast majority of people aren't going to make that the centerpiece of their highlight reel when talking about a trip though.

 

[VINOYASADO]

I'm still seeing in my dreams two occasions!

One aoudad running in front of me, no more than 60 metres... I can't expalin how I missed

And 1 wild boar, 105 metres at night, I was lying on the ground, leaning on my backpack
in perfect position for a shoulder shot.. I don't know what happened

 

[mark-hunter]

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

I remember clean miss wild boar, twice, driven hunt, with wide angle scope. It was to close too fast, too aim properly with scope. With iron sights I would get them (I suppose)
I remember clean miss of a fallow deer at 150 meters, I still dont know how it happened.
And I remember missing water buck, but I got him cleanly with third shot. It is in my report for eland hunt in 2022, on the forum

 

[Kevin375]

Despite a lot of training, I miss from time to time. I'm just a human and not a machine.
At home, during summertime, I like to hunt foxes and I kill between 15 to 30 animals a year. However, I have never had a year without a miss or two, and sometimes more.
The last animal I missed was a kudu at less than 50 meters...I still don't know what happened but it happened.
But missing is not a problem for me. It can be a disappointment but it helps to stay humble.
I knew someone who always said he never missed an animal but he was a huge liar and I don't think he hunted a lot in his life. Even people who are better than me with a rifle miss.

But I'm more upset when I wound an animal. As a PH told me, we cannot always kill or miss, sometimes we wound too. I don't remember all animals I have hunted, but I remember all animals I have wounded and lost.

 

[HankBuck]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

@Stormy Kromer - YEP, I’ve missed AND wounded & lost animals in Africa. In fact, I missed or wounded more game in 11 days hunting in Africa then in the previous 25 years hunting Big game in the U.S. Why did I miss? — I’m fairly sure for the same reasons other African Hunter’s miss: 1). I was a little more excited on my first couple of animals then I’ve been on any recent deer, elk, or bear combined with not getting completely “steady” on the sticks was just enough to Miss a fairly routine 200 yrd shot on Impala and later shoot High & over a Buff at 50 yrds in tall grass. 2). I could Not handle the recoil - combined with excitement - of my .470 NE and “flinched” despite shooting it very well in practice…Wounded & lost 2 buff (1 @ 75 yrds tall grass, 1 @ 200 yrds {a shot My Guide insisted I take but I should’ve refused}. Hard to admit but as much as I loved my Double .470NE rifle and practiced often and shot it very well —- couldn’t do it when it counted = My Bad !
I shot my .30-06 great and clean kills on All plains game at 240 & 340 yrds off sticks, plus on a running baboon at 75 yrds. Africa was like learning how to control excitement ALL OVER AGAIN, like “buck fever” except more subtle - I didn’t feel that “excited” but it must’ve been just enough because using a Rifle in the U.S. I”ve never wounded & lost a whitetail, mule deer, antelope and I’ve taken well over 100 in the past 35 years (plus 4 Bear). The other thing I did that was stupid - I passed up 3 to 4 “easy” 30 yrd shots on decent old Buffalo because I started out only wanting a 40” …how dumb was that - considering I’d never taken any buff ever and I’m “insisting” my first one be 40”….and I had 3 allowed on my license - PH said “get a good one on the ground, these are good OLD bulls….then we can go after a 40 inch one etc””. I should’ve listened to him because on those Old bulls I felt No excitement and think the shots would’ve been easy——like shooting a target. Lesson learned, the hard way.

 

[BourbonTrail]

I missed my first deer with a rifle last season. I was using my dad’s rifle (mistake), and I was shooting at a doe heavily quartering on at about 75 yds, uphill. Even though I was braced up against a tree and had my crosshairs on target, I just missed. I have no idea where the bullet went, but after the shot, the doe stared in my direction and then just calmly walked away foraging as she went. No blood, nothing. My father later told me that he or my brother-in-law dropped the rifle earlier that week . Moral of the story, always check zero with an unfamiliar rifle (or don’t second guess bringing your own).

Oh, and I have missed with a bow several times because I struggle with determining range (when I can’t use a rangefinder due to the circumstances) and arrow flight path. I have missed at 5 yards because the arrow broke 1/2 way to the deer. I’m working on it.

Edit: I had just shot a buck a week before the doe with my own rifle, off hand - no issues, nearly the same shot.

 

[62flint]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

If you hunt long enough you will miss.
My worst ones are the short range easy I got this , oh crap there he goes shots.
Over confidence, buck fever and not preparing to take the easy ones will get you.

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

Sometimes I’m just glad I ever hit!

 

[Philip Glass]

I'm heading to Safari #2 next month.

Reflecting back on Safari # 1 a couple years ago. I missed two animals plain and clear. Right over the top of them. I killed 7 more. dead on the ground. Then I drew blood on an animal I never really wanted to shoot, I hit it high, drew blood and got charged the trophy fee. I knew the rules. I think this animal is still out there, probably book size by now....

Anyway. I am an ordinary hunter and as good as shot as any American going to Africa thinks he is.

I'm not bragging that I missed two shots cleanly or that I lost one animal. I'm only telling hunters here it may be common for a realistic hunter.

I may be the first on this forum to tell everyone. I had 7 one shot kills, two clean misses and one that drew blood and likely got away.

Has anyone else here ever missed ?

It happens to all but the liars. I've often thought that flying over salt water can dull a hunters skills. Being in a different environment, having a group hunting with you for the first time, etc can all play a part.
I've had some fantastic and near perfect safaris and then there are those not so perfect ones. We have to learn to not dwell on the misses. I always say Stephen Curry does not see misses. He just keeps shooting and you know the rest!

 

[dogcat1]

Yep. Several. Mostly chip shots that I should not miss.
150 yds downhill on a bush pig - clean miss to the side
175 yds on big sable, broadside - under the belly
100 yds at dusk on waterbuck, could see head and front only. Missed.
Quail, doves, pheasants, ducks - too many to count. More misses than hits....

Yet, my most impressive hit was a steenbok running/jucking/zigging at 50 yds, shot in the neck with my .280 Rem! Go figure.....

 

[BryceM]

Missing completely isn't so bad........

I've done it. Most recently a couple of trips ago. We'd been chasing a waterbuck bull for a while. He finally appeared and I didn't have a very good rest. It was a now-or-never sort of thing. Well, at least in my head it was. In retrospect it would have been better to keep stalking and get to a better situation. Lesson learned, I hope. In the end we caught back up with him and he's on my wall now.

 

[migrabill]

I have missed on some white tailed deer here in the US, mainly archery shots. I have only been to Africa once and I did not miss on any animals. One should have been a miss. My first morning of my first African hunt ever. My PH and I spot stalked a big zebra stallion to 155 yards. He threw up the sticks. This would be my first time ever shooting off sticks at an actual animal (I had practiced with maybe 10 shots off sticks prior to going). I am not sure how it happened - I have played it over in my head about 100 times - but as soon as I pulled the trigger I knew it was WAY left. I began to say "MISS" out loud immediately but I heard a thud. Shooting a 308 suppressed, I could hear the thud every time I hit an animal. I looked at my PH puzzled and said how terrible of a shot that was. We approached on foot and found him less than 50 yards from where I hit him. I was aiming at those sergeant chevron stripes on the shoulder and barely clipped his neck. It was over 2 feet left but I got lucky. My PH showed me where I hit. I was 2 inches away from missing the animal entirely. Not a proud moment. But for the rest of my 9 animals, I had no misses.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I’ve missed and made bad shots

 

[Raven]

A real hunter will not hide his mistakes. Everyone has bad shots, it's just part of the process. The great hunters of the past were not ashamed of their mistakes and honestly talked about them in their books. Even Hemingway, who was very fond of exaggerating, did not pose as a sniper.

But sometimes on the forums, some mysterious people try to convince us that they never miss or fail. It's funny at first, but then it gets annoying.