Things don't always go as planned during deer hunting season, especially if you've spent enough seasons out there in the woods. Even with months of pre-season scouting and training, an arsenal of deer-calling techniques, the perfectly placed tree stand, and the patience that comes with hours spent in the woods, there's no guarantee that everything will come together when you get your once-in-a-lifetime shot opportunity.
This harsh reality rings even truer in bowhunting situations, which require you to get even closer to an animal to get a good shot. That's what makes archery hunting as challenging as it is rewarding, a lesson one bowhunter learned in spades (though he didn't get his reward).
Michael Waddell is a professional bowhunter and the founder of Bone Collector, a TV show and marketing company directed at hunters. He also runs Bone Collector's YouTube page, and back in 2021, he uploaded a video that is, frankly, hard to believe.
Waddell is posted up in a treestand in snowy Kansas when a Boone & Crockett buck crosses into his shooting lane. He gets a good shot off—and then a hunter's worst nightmare comes true, proving bucks can bust even the best and most proven hunters on the planet.
This was one of the most heartbreaking hunting videos we have ever seen and Waddell seems to agree. You can hear the pain and disbelief in his voice as he realizes what just happened. It's not every day any buck walks into your shooting lane, let alone a world-class animal like this one.
Many people in the comments section speculated that the arrow was too light or there was a mechanical broadhead problem.
However, Waddell was quick to respond to many of these comments. He said the arrow was heavier than many people thought and that he did not believe this weird incident was the result of an equipment failure.
Without someone taking the animal and getting a closer look at that cut and impact point, we'll likely never know for sure. Maybe Michael is right. Maybe this stand is cursed.
