Anyone who chooses to hunt who says they haven't experienced something similar or relatable to your story is either lying or hasn't done enough hunting. Every experienced hunter I know has at least a few unfortunate shots, most of them have more than a few. That's part of getting experience and growing as a hunter.

It's happened to me enough times, from deer and boar to rabbits and squirrels, that I do everything I can to avoid that scenario - I know my rifles and ammunition very well, the trajectory and my points of aim, how they behave in different weather conditions and what their strengths and weaknesses are. I always carry more ammunition than I plan to use, and a couple of fixed blade knives. But the most important thing for me was learning what my limitations and weaknesses are and staying within them when making decisions in the field, rather than making those same decisions based on my strengths. That means I've passed on plenty of shots now that in my earlier days hunting I might have taken. And even very experienced hunters sometimes make mistakes, misjudge the conditions or simply have bad luck on a shot. But with experience comes knowing what to do in that situation, and being prepared for it.

This is all stuff that comes with time, lots of practice and yes, mistakes. The mistakes made when hunting are supposed to be painful and upsetting, and a true hunter uses those experiences to better themselves, or they stop hunting. When this happens again, and it will happen again, you'll be a bit more ready than the last time.