Hey jim257, Don't consider it failure.
You passed on purpose!
On the Monday opener, I had a non-shootalbe fork horn within 7 yards of me and the 2x scope on my 500 was there and ready to go.
I had to pass, not fail.
On two other occassions during the day, I jumped one buck and had another sneak in and I couldn't get shots becausle of the 2x scope and running deer. I know I could've had high probability snap shots with my rifles--but hey, we added a much more difficult factor in the equation; It's called hand gun hunting.
I'll take hunting like this each and every day over standing or sitting in a tree stand with a high mag scope and high powered rifle. Yhere are times and places for these typyes of hunts, but it's not in my staking nature.
I don't see failure in any of this. I respect the person who can sit on stand for 10+ hours and wait one out; it's not me.
Keep at it, but consider the fact that you hunt with a handgun-a true challenge. I can honestly say I'd kill a deer every time I see one when I have a good, scoped rifle. I can't say that about a handgunning!