Did you ever thread......

[Delight523]

..I know I did!
Today I set off to see if the Geese would give me a shot.
Only a 7 mile drive.
Just put my bag over my shoulder that I prepared the whole day before (!) and instantly remembered I had not put any caps in

So there, I said it and got it out.

So how about you, did you ever.....?
Keep it muzzleloader. No stories of too much gas and accidents in your shorts, well, unless it was while muzzleloader of course.
Did you ever royally screw up? Now's the time to spill the beans, clear the air and get it off your chest

 

[toytruck]

Sure did, forgot caps when making a range trip. Only range I can use now is in WV, about a 40 minute ride.
When I discovered it, just loaded up and went back home.

 

[Fullbore92]

Oh boy, my first year ever hunting with a muzzleloader was my greatest blunder and failure. Purchased the rifle in August of that year and took it out a few times to get familiar with it and learn more about muzzleloaders. Sighted it in at 100 yards with a 340gn bullet/sabot. Only fired maybe a dozen rounds but felt confident. (Mistake #1) For some dumb reason the week before my hunt I decided to change from 340gn to 300gn bullet/sabot. Still don’t understand why I made that decision. Never did practice or even fire that 300gn bullet before the hunt. (Mistake #2) Assumed the 300gn bullet point of impact wouldn’t change. (Mistake #3) Only practiced at 100 yards and nothing else. Again, assuming I wouldn’t be presented with a shot less than 100 yards. Day 2 of the hunt I had a small 4x4 bull stopped completely broadside at roughly 25 yards and I missed. Shot right underneath him. End of that day I set up a target at 25 yards and again missed. Found out the bullet was shooting over 6 or more inches low. Changed back to the 340gn and it was dead on. Moral of my story, keep it consistent, don’t fix what ain’t broken and practice, practice, practice.

 

[snapbang]

The only way to avoid making mistakes is to not get out of bed. But then not getting out of bed is a mistake too.

 

[jd24.5.48]

I shot a big doe one year and I was 25 feet up in my climbing stand. I waited about 30 minutes or so before climbing down to get to her. I got down and went over to where I shot her and she was DRT! The problem was that I left my fanny pack hanging 25 feet in the tree and that's exactly where my skinning knife was!

 

[Bphunter1974]

Same problem in reverse tied by backpack on gear rope forgot to pull it up. Every deer that came around the corner in the creek stopped stared stomped and blew straight out. When i finally gave up went to pull rope up realized my mistake

 

[CatamountRob]

I shot a small doe once in the neck at about 40 yard’s because I couldn’t see the deers shoulder as it was in a blowdown. It went straight down so I reloaded where I was and watched it a few minutes. It started moving and was trying to get up so I was going to shoot it again, then I decided to walk closer to shoot it. I got around to where I had a good shot and tried to shoot it in the head from about 20 feet and missed. I went to reload and realized to my horror that I didn’t have a ramrod because I’d laid it on the ground when I reloaded the first time, by this time the deer was on its feet and walking.

 

[Bowanna]

Opening morning of bow season, perfect morning, got to my climber 30 minutes before daylight, put my hoist rope around bow, took a quick inventory before I headed up the tree, then up I went! Pretty tough climb beings it was the first one of the season, got to my height, got everything situated then reached for my hoist rope and guess which dumb-ass didn't tie it to the stand! Back down the tree I go. Back down I go as quietly as I could, got my rope, tied it to the stand went to get back in the stand for the long journey back up the tree and I'll be damned if a doe isn't standing at the edge of the woods whistlin' and stompin' her foot lettin' the entire county know I was there. Well, I climbed back up and sat out the morning without seeing anything else but that's just another day of me and the woods.

 

[Utah400elk]

I drew a unit 15 tag in new mexico. I had my son with me and we were going to climb a little mesa for an evening glassing session. It was only about 500 yards from the truck but very steep. We had done a monster 12 plus mile hike that morning (opening morning) and wanted to find a spot to try for in the next morning. We got to the top of the Mesa and I kept smelling elk. My son and I walked about 50 yards to look into a side canyon where the wind was coming from. I saw movement and got down onto shooting sticks. A beautiful 340 class bull stepped out at about 150 yards. I lined it up perfectly and had a perfect trigger squeeze. That was the loudest snap I ever heard. The elk locked at us and took off. I had forgotten to put a cap in the rifle becuase it was really just a hiking/glass session. I ate tag soup but that bull still haunts me

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I drew a unit 15 tag in new mexico. I had my son with me and we were going to climb a little mesa for an evening glassing session. It was only about 500 yards from the truck but very steep. We had done a monster 12 plus mile hike that morning (opening morning) and wanted to find a spot to try for in the next morning. We got to the top of the Mesa and I kept smelling elk. My son and I walked about 50 yards to look into a side canyon where the wind was coming from. I saw movement and got down onto shooting sticks. A beautiful 340 class bull stepped out at about 150 yards. I lined it up perfectly and had a perfect trigger squeeze. That was the loudest snap I ever heard. The elk locked at us and took off. I had forgotten to put a cap in the rifle becuase it was really just a hiking/glass session. I ate tag soup but that bull still haunts me

THAT is hunting! Always be prepared, boyscout.

 

[bronko220002]

Not muzzleloader related but archery. It was the first week in November and before I climbed up in my stand for a morning hunt I hung some doe in estrus urine about 20 yards from my stand.
It was a great morning. I had bucks chasing does and grunting all around me. I didn't know which way to turn. Last count there was at least 4 hot doe and maybe 10 different buck chasing them. It was pure chaos! I never got a shot at one of those buck and they all left the area. After no action for another 2 hours I decided to head home for lunch. I lowered my bow and bag and climbed down. Leaving my bow at the base of the tree I walked over to pick up my scent wick and as I headed back to get my bow and bag a nice buck trotted right down and stopped 10 yards from me and just stared as if to say "what ya gonna do now dummy"!

 

[Bushfire]

Can't forget caps if you shoot a flint!

 

[bronko220002]

Can't forget caps if you shoot a flint!

A couple years ago i took my Lyman GPR flinter out for late season. A nice fresh 6" of snow on the ground. I eased up and popped my head over an embankment and saw 3 doe lying just on the other side of the creek about 50 yds distance.
Lying prone on my side of the embankment my elbow on the ground supporting the riflr I cocked the hammer, pulled the set trigger, lined up the sights on the biggest doe and touched off the shot. Pfffft but no boom! They looked over at me while I fumbled for my pan primer. Once I had it and started to reprime the pan they saw enough and took off. I never had any luck with that rifle and sold it.