Let's Lighten Things Up a Bit.....How Do You Handle it When Your Hunting Buddy Muffs a Shot?

Just out hunting, no big deal anymore. A few years ago when coyotes were bringing good $$, me made sure the " misser" walked back to the truck with quilt.
While tournament hunting, it was damn near fist_ to_ cups.
 
I take it better than the people I hunt with. I know they didn't miss on purpose and that they are doing the best they can. I usually chuckle and say something like, "Don't worry about it, everybody misses once in a while. Let's get the next one." I'm not perfect, I miss one occasionally too so I try to be understanding and helpful.
 
Doesn't matter if I am fun hunting or in a contest and someone misses we pick at them for a little bit and move on to the next stand because I know my partner feels bad enough about the miss I don't need to rub it in because KARMA is a BIT$%
 
Just to avoid any misunderstanding, my partner and I would have been disappointed if we missed and the other didn't rag on us a bit. It was always in good fun, never serious. Hunting we each held our own, competition shooting, I usually came out on top by a few points (we pushed one another in that arena), now fishing, that's another story. We used to fish about every week, one week he'd take his boat, next week mine and our MO was to drift fish using artificial bait. Donnie always outfished me....always, no matter whose boat we were in. In fact one day we had our own boats but met up and fished side by side all morning and he still caught more than I did. Then one day I realized his secret weapon. We caught some pretty nice Red Drum and Specs and I used 12-15# line. Donnie used 7# or so and, of course, always outcast me (which I hadn't noticed until that day). I changed to 9# (don't recall exact test but the numbers are representative) line and started doing better. In fact, one morning (in my boat thankfully, or I might have had to walk home 🤣 ) we were drifting some shallow water flats, real sandy bottom w/no grass so that you could see the reds and cast to them. Long story short, I had just switched line and my son had just built me an 8' rod (had been using a 6' or so before). I had teased Don on the way out that I had a secret weapon and was gonna skunk him that day and sure enough, I had limited out (3 reds) and he hadn't boated a fish. At first, when I'd catch a fish, I'd teasingly ask him if he wanted it before releasing it. Pretty soon, I could see that it was beginning to bother him a little. Then it happened, we both cast to different reds, his to the right, mine to the left. i fished the flats many years and can't tell you how many times, with different partners on a given day, that we both would snag big reds and each would go its own way......never saw this before or after, but that morning, our fish took the spoons and headed straight toward the other, then swam circles around each other. I followed my fish and soon realized he was swimming one way and my pole was pulled the opposite.
We could see our lines a ways out twisted and tried to untangle by passing rods back and forth, but didn't go enough wraps, or maybe the wrong way???? either way we were still crossed. Donnie was getting a little serious so finally I said, "I'm gonna put my rod in the holder and maybe you can land your fish." Unfortunately, his lighter test line gave up before he got his fish to the boat. He then commented that, "Even when I do get one on, you cut my line & won't let me land it" in a semi-serious tone. I felt even worse, when I picked up my rod to real in the slack line and felt a tug on the other end, hoping I had the bottom. Unfortunately my red was just resting and I landed it.
Fortunately, the tide turned and Don started hooking up and wound up catching his limit as well. Don't know who was the happiest about that. Funny how two guys fishing side by side w/same bait and one can get all the traffic.

Lost Don in May and sure do miss our friendly banter over the past 70 years. RIP, Don.
 
I tell my calling partner, "Predator hunting can cause the most spectacular misses you will ever have!"

Got that from a friend.
 
jmeddy said:
Well, since I am alone 99.999% of the time I just "sulk" or cuss myself out with a "what the h*ll were you thinkin DUMMY!
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Me too and play it over and over in my head of what I should've done different! However, next season will be different since my grandson wants to start hunting with me.
 
Well, I've been known to spin a guys dial a whole revolution high when he ain't looking a time or two. That way when he misses a cake shot, he has a good excuse why anyway, and we both get a good laugh after I tell him why. Well me more than him usually hahaha.
 
I have taken some new hunters out this year and a miss dont bother me, however when they start stringing together 3 or more in a row i will call it quits. I took a guy out a few months ago 2 stands 2 misses, then we made a stand i put 3 in front of him, put a bad hit on one and missed the other 2, i straight up told him we are done i cant do this. this happened while night hunting letting a guy use my thermal and rifle.

if it was on thier ground i would not care one bit, but taking someone out and letting them burn your ground up over and over, im not having it
 
When my buddy misses a shot? I dont say much if anything and move on because I know that pain and frustration.

Lets go call in the next one…
 
My huntin buddy and I are a lot alike. I beat myself up enough when I miss and he does the same. I handle him missing way better than I do when I miss. I just think "Yeah that feeling sucks. Glad that's not me." He must feel the same way because he rarely says anything when I miss. Doesn't happen often but it happens often enough to know what it feels like to do it. That's why I try not to do it. I've always tried not to make a habit out of doing things that feel awful.

Now if one gets away and neither of us shot at it, we give each other grief over it. I'd rather shoot and miss because then he can't say I didn't try or should have done this or that.
 
Try to just sluff it off, tell HER I have missed too.
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That's probably a really good plan, Week. :ROFLMAO:

IDK, just color me weird, but I'd have been disappointed if my partner didn't rag on me when I missed and I believe he was, too, of course, both of us seldom hunted with other partners so that makes a difference.
 
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99 % of the time I hunt alone, so when I screw up a shot it's usually what the f--k was that. Back to the truck and pull out the target.(always in the back while hunting coyotes)
 
Missed one myself saturday night... ugh. Now im re-zeroing, questioning the ammo, thinking about using different ammo, etc. Reality is I rushed the shot and probably pulled it. Or the thing was further away than i thought. WTF dude!
 
I feel that if someone hasn't missed a coyote before than they have definitely not hunted near enough lol.. I've had my fair share of misses over the last several years, every time makes me just as mad at my self if it's short shot or long distance
 
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