I just passed a 100" 8 pointer at 14 yards. He was standing really pretty broadside just begging to be shot. I'm trying to hold out for a "big boy" but the process is killing me. I actually had to tell myself that he wasn't as big as he looked. He then walked away and I'm thinking he may have been bigger than I thought. The same thing happened on opening day and then I got another chance 25 days later and took it. I don't regret it either. Anyone else feel my pain? Ever feel like you pass on what would actually be considered a good buck for the area? I wonder if all these big midwest bucks I've been seeing posted have affected my decision making skills. Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
Yep, Happens every year.... Additonally I've had second thoughts after choosing to take one. Victim of ground shrinkage....
I've passed up spikes b4 but I'm only 16 17 on the 26th, so if i se 6 point or higher and their old enough for me i will take them last year i shot a 3 .5 year old 8 point scored 111 nice little first archery deer and white tail for me too. Before then i had only shot a muley and a austrian Roe Buck both with a .270
No If a buck doesn't get me excited enough to shoot it at first glance then i'm not going to change my mind later on about it
Yes, Has happened to me, I would bet that it happens to most a one point or another during there hunting career.
yeah big time!!! last season on Oct 3 I had a nice 125-130 inch buck walk by at 10 yards. He then made a scrape at 30 yards and hung around for a good ten minutes. I was in stand for less than 1 hour on my first sit of the season when he came by. I ate tag soup last season the deer diasappered after oct 15 which now makes sense since the hunt club lease I was hunting tested postive for corn toxins.
This is one of the reasons I love hunting...it's those times, those encounters. I've passed bucks I wish I'd shot, but know if I'd shot I'd regret it to a certain level. This year I actually passed a 100inch 8 in the morning and shot my solid buck (in photo and in album) that evening. I'll admit though I was kicking myself all day till I arrowed the big guy...hard in IN because we only get one buck a year, which I love but hate due to this feeling you're describing.
Nope I haven't.. IMO if I ever regret passing up a deer, then I made the wrong decision at the time and should have been shooting.
No, not really. I regret shooting a couple, but I don't regret passing any of the ones I did. Although "regret" is a strong word even on those. There have been 2 bucks I initially passed, and then shot later. One was weeks later on the last day I could hunt, the other was 10 minutes after passing him then realizing he had a drop tine. He left & then came back & I shot him.
I was out trying to get my first deer with my new bow. I had a fat doe walk in with a nice 8 point and considered taking either deer but i passed. That night I had a 10 point walk in but never into my range. I am still thinking about how I could have shot that 8 point.
I have had those thoughts before, but I am glad I had the will to let them walk. I don't hunt in any areas that produce huge deer. I have never had access to over 100 acres to hunt, therefore I feel like letting the average bucks walk will just let someone else kill them. I have gotten much better at letting them walk in the past few years. It is starting to show with the quality in the deer. I have had many more times looking back at hunts where I wished I had let a small buck walk. Sure it helped fill the freezer, but I probably would have shot another doe if I did not have the small buck in the freezer at the time. I have killed around 20 bucks in the last 15 years, and there were only about 5 of them that I don't wish I had let them walk to get bigger. Still waiting for one this year. I have not had to worry that much on passing bucks though. I have only seen 2 bucks in the last 2.5 months!!! Getting trail camera pictures, but can't seem to be in the right place when they are walking.
Glad I'm not the only one. I guess the thing that really bugs me is the fact he was a tad bigger than the buck I took a couple weeks back. That hurts. But at least I am seeing deer and having oppurtunities. That's a plus! Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
ALL THE TIME!!!!, here in the UK we have to be very selective to keep the quality coming through whilst Hunting.
all the time but thats why its hunting not killing. Plus this just happened to my wife on her first bow hunt in WI by herself. First morning she had a 140 inch 8 point come within in 15 yards and my buddy was watching the whole time with his Bino. She thought that a bigger deer would come and heck its was the first morning of a five day hunt. Three days later she shot a 5 pointer and regards not taking the big boy.. oh well there is always next year and she learn a good lessons.
As a Professional Hunter in Africa, I have this regret every day. Each time I tell my hunter " wait on this one we can do better" I have the weight of his success on my shoulders until we can find what I promised. This job is not without stress I promise you that. None of us want our hunters shooting sub standard game, or even good average game. We all want to arrive back at camp with the biggest specimen of the hunt. The PH's are competing with each other. This side benefit for the hunters which guarantees them the best trophies we can find. There have been many times on Day ten I'm kicking myself for passing on a 50" kudu when I felt we could get into the 53-55" range. On day ten a 50" kudu bull is looking spectacular, VS on day 2 looking "okay"
