I passed up an 8 yard shot on a target buck early in the season last year because he was three minutes past legal shooting time. I could still see okay and it was a slam-dunk shot from a ground blind but I figured he won. I played cat and mouse with that deer for the rest of the season. A buddy came out and ran a video camera one evening when I was confident I was going to see him again. He came out into the field on cue, but stayed a little over forty yards away and the wind was howling. My cameraman was begging me to shoot him and I never drew the bow. It was just too windy to take that shot. This year, I have yet to see or get pictures of that old buck. Even if he is a no-show this year, I will know that I did what was right in my mind. But, I am probably overly conservative when it comes to taking the shot. To each his own. In my opinion, your shooting hours are probably too conservative.
Anyone who says they wouldn't shoot is full of stuff. Because you don't break the law right? Cell phone, or text while driving? Go even 1mph over the speed limit? Cheat just a little on your taxes? Cross outside the crosswalk? Please, save your breath, you would shoot.
I get flack from people for being a stickler on shooting times. Would anyone even know if it were a few minutes early? No especially not with a bow...but I look every hunt what times shooting light starts and ends and go by it.
Tony, I'd shoot...no question about it. I've read on here before where someone didn't shoot when it was a minute off from legal shooting time. That's a little too extreme for me.
In the past here in Ohio it's been half hour before and after sunrise/sunset. That would change in gun season though where it would drop to sunset. I have to admit if I was out there with my bow in gun season I would stay in until the normal half hour past sundown. Thankfully, This year they extended the gun season hours until half hour after sunset. Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
shot when the sights dont really work really well been their, done that will never do that again, it was a gut shot meat sucked, and ran really far to the nearest water source. Now I wait till the deer leave and exit my stand. infact that situation happened to me today. was not a buck but still
It's easy to sit here and say you would pass up the buck of a lifetime because it goes against a law, but actually doing so is different. I am shooting without a doubt.
Honestly I don't look at the shooting time charts to know when legal times start or end. I just go by when its light enough or when its too dark. I'm pretty sure I'm very close to the times. New York laws suck Tony. Them shooting time laws are absurd. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
It all depends how dark it is. I usually hunt in the woods so its much darker in there than it is in a field. More than likely I would give it a shot tho.
I guess I never pay much attention to the time until I can't see my pin (I shoot one pin). Then I usually punch my phone and its within a couple of minutes of legal shooting light ending here in MN - 1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 after sunset. So if I could see and felt good about the shot, I would take it. I don't cheat on my taxes but I have gone over the speed limit before in my car. It's a grey area. Saying you're the same for cheating on your taxes as you are for going 5 mph over the limit is BS. So shooting a buck of a lifetime a minute or two past shooting time when you can clearly see the pin and target is a lot different that shooting him at midnight with a spotlight IMHO. BTW, I hunt deep woods and ground blinds on field edges typically. In both scenarios it can get darker slightly earlier so I invested in a pin light to help illuminate it better for that last 15-20 minutes. In the blind I'll turn it on a little earlier. I know I can't make a record book entry that way but I'd rather just have the buck. : )
