Just my luck

[VEARL]

Yesterday was the last day of Muzzle Loading Season. So I'm up and leaving the addition that I live in at 4:45 AM. Approx; 1/4 mile from my house I see 4 does and 1 big buck ( 10 or 12 point) standing about 30 ft off of the road. So I say that is a good sign, their up and feeding.
I get to the public hunting area. I'm on stand by 6:30 AM. At approx: 8:30 am, I have one mature doe and 3 slightly smaller deer walk up on my right approx: 25 yds away. I start to turn right in my ground blind and they scatter into underbrush. A few moments pass and one of the smaller deer comes back out and starts to walk across the food plot approx: 45 yds away. I bring up my rifle and squeeze the trigger. CLICK..NOTHING HAPPENS !!! I look down at the rifle and somewhere the percussion cap fell off. I fumble around in coat pocket and get a new cap. Now at this time the doe is approx: 70 to 75 yds away standing still. I bring up the rifle and sight in, fire and MISS!!!
Return to the stand for the evening hunt and nothing happens. I return to the truck early ( approx: 30 minute of hunting time remains) As I was driving out I saw a large doe standing off the road approx: 45 to 50 yds. I just sat there a few minutes looking at her, since I had already pulled the load from my gun. She slowley walked away after a few minutes had passed.
As I neared home I saw the same does and the buck approx" 75 yds North of where I had saw them that morning as I was leaving to hunt.
At least I can still hunt with my GPR again during regular gun season. It will be either sex. Going back and trying it again.
The reason that I didn't take a shot at the buck or does is that we live in the city limits and no hunting with guns is allowed. ( even though it is rural area).

 

[Stumpkiller]

Bummer! Keep on 'em.

I call this part of hunting "paying your dues".

 

[paulvallandigham]

Its called " Hunting", not 'Gettin'" for a reason. If it were easy everyone would be doing it. :hmm:

What a wonderful story you have for a day outdoors. :shocked2: I can think of days I have spent deer hunting, when I saw absolutely NO DEER, but still had a good time watching and listening to other critters. :surrender: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[VEARL]

Beats doing chores around the house any day.
Been on several hunting trips and score was
Deer 1 ....Hunter 0.
Just keep on going back until you find a dumb deer to match your own IQ. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

I suspect the clearest thing in all this is that you're honest. Lotta guys tend to fergit to post hunts like yours, much less admit the embarrassing details. :rotf:

All of us have been in your shoes, and any that claim otherwise are probably keyboard ballisticians, too.

Me? Naw.... I've always managed to notice the missing cap before needing to shoot. Of course, there was the time just last year that I needed a followup shot on a deer, but discovered I didn't have any patches in my bag. :shocked2:

And admitting I wounded a deer and needed a followup? :redface:

You'll get there, but you gotta work on that honesty thing. Who talks about a few potholes in the road when bragging about a road trip? :thumbsup:

 

[hoochiepapa]

You said it before I could, BB. It takes a big man to admit missing. I had a guy once that told me in 30 years of hunting, he had never made a bad shot. :bull: He also is the one that begged me to bring him in an elk steak for our bbq.

 

[BrownBear]

He also is the one that begged me to bring him in an elk steak for our bbq.

:rotf:

We've got a Great Hunter around here who brags on Safeway steaks.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

What a wonderful story you have for a day outdoors. :shocked2: I can think of days I have spent deer hunting, when I saw absolutely NO DEER, but still had a good time watching and listening to other critters. :surrender: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Spot on Paul. I can remember, back in the 1960's, when the measure of a sucessful season was just seeing a single deer. For someone to actually kill a deer with a muzzleloader was a news event for which folks would drive long distances just to see the fallen beast. After all those "old muzzleloaders just couldn't kill a deer!" :rotf: was the popular perception...

Snow

 

[VEARL]

Thanks for everyone's responses.
This adds salt to the wound. You know those 5 deer that I saw leaving and returning home?
Well....there were in the vacant 1 acre lot next to mine just now. Came in to get my camera, got to the back door and I saw the last one go into the wood line heading SE.
Gotta love 'em.