You are having a mental debate with yourself. This buck came into my soy bean food plot tonight. Then went over and worked a mock scrape - you draw them up like this: So I've got bigger bucks on 2 of my properties, I've never killed a buck with a bow in the 4 years I've bow hunted. I've passed on similar sized 8 pointers in the past. This buck never presented a shot I would have taken, he was at 37 yards tonight and I am not comfortable shooting a buck or any animal for that matter outside of 35 yards. I am pretty comfortable with my decision to pass, but I was having a huge mental debate with myself - if this thing walks to the east in my shooting lane at 20-25 yards what the heck are you going to do?? He never did and so I didn't have to worry about it. Not the buck I am after, to shoot mature deer you gotta let the young pups walk or so I've been educated...
Don't worry yourself with what others say and do, be your own judge and do what makes you happy. If managing for older bucks is your goal then I'd agree.
Thank you. My debate had zilch to do what anyone else would think. I was more curious if anyone else ever goes through these same mental debates and how do they come to a decision? Again, I haven't killed a bow buck ever - I also have only seen about 3 100 to 120" bucks ever within bow range. Other than my trail cameras I don't know that I have justification to be so picky. That is kind of what I was getting at, sorry I wasn't so clear. Worrying about what buck someone else shoots or what someone else might think is the least of my worries - my hunts, my succeses, my failures! I will live with all of them the same.
Coveymaster is right, do what YOU want and makes YOU happy. If that buck will make you happy, shoot it. There is also something to be said for popping that cherry and getting your first bow buck on the ground.
Okay again I reiterate that was not the point of this thread, sorry I ever posted it. I've got gun bucks on the wall, I have a plan going into a hunt - I've had this buck on camera so I knew he was on the property. But to see him in person I was just kind of considering him. It doesn't matter because I didn't have a shot anyway. But we have established on this site many times over to take a buck that makes you happy, don't worry about what other bucks people take... On and on and on. I agree with all that. In fact, at no point did I ask what would you guys do. I was showing off a good buck and as the title says, "That moment when" I see a buck and I'm not sure if I should take him or not. And NOT because I give a damn what anyone else thinks but because I have bigger bucks on my properties. It was a tough call, that is all. End of thread. Lol
if you have to debate weather or not you can make the shot, don't take it. You made a good decision. Kudos to you sir.
Well with all due respect, you did ask. If the actual intent was to ask if anyone else goes through a similar thought process, then for me...yes. I think it's safe to say we are all tempted to go against an initial intent when we are hunting a few specific deer and a lessor buck walks in. I've passed up both young bucks and some nice 130" eight pointers this year as well as last year because I was hunting one specific deer. I've passed up the same 130+" 8 point twice this year, once last evening. He was old enough, just not the goal I set for myself. This was the thought I was relaying in my first post...I don't worry about anything but my goals and self set rules and once set...I rarely find reason to depart from them. The few times I have gone against my self set goals, I regretted it.
Okay. This is more what I was getting at, that is much more insightful for me. Thank you for your responses.
For me there isn't really any heard management going on any of the places I can hunt, other than a 4 on one side public land rule. But I also know that every year I have seen what I deem a shooter, so I can pass smaller bucks. Public land I don't think I would be so picky, but I hardly hunt it anymore. I passed small ones and I've shoot small ones, it just depends on the time of year and what's in the freezer. I've shot a smaller one and then regretted it afterwards when I already had two deer in the freezer. It's all about what you think is out there, I know there are huge deer where I hunt, I just don't know that I'll ever see them on stand Patience eventually pays off, it's just a matter of how long you want to wait and what your expectations are.
