Right Decision...What ToDo?

So friday evening I got in the stand early, planning on a nice long sit since youth shotgun season started this past saturday.

I had passed on two does walking with two fawns at about 2:30.

I could see a buck running through the bottom of a valley my stand is located on, but he never came by.

It is about half an hour from dark when all of a sudden I notice a very nice buck coming from the valley straight at me to the top of the ridge where my stands located. He was about a 135" 8 point which would be my biggest deer.

As he came over the ridge I was at full draw, he walked straight at me, went directly under my stand which I had no shot due to saplings and leaves, and then walked directly away. I felt great frustration as he walked away but I felt I did the right thing.

In this scenario is there anything I could do? Was it the right call?

 

If you had absolutely no shot then you did the right thing. Forcing or rushing the shot often leads to the "I hit one...... now what" type of threads and non recoveries. All part of the game, but from what you described (as frustrating as it may be) good choice. Hope you get another crack at him.

 

You made the best decision. Put it this way, you put a stand in a spot that was TOO good to shoot your best buck. That's how I always look at it.

 

Once he was past, with no shot opportunity as he walked away I may have tried a grunt to see if he'd turn around for a look. Might have given you a shot, it was worth a try in that scenerio.

 

Ryan, like i said on the phone, with what you were presented, you did the right thing...

A grunt would help..rattling again probably wouldnt.

 

Orrrrr, you could have made a bad shot and not recovered your best deer.

Good decision. A lot of people wouldn't have had the discipline to do it. Well done.

 

If you didn't feel like you had a decent shot then, I wouldn't second guess yourself, I'm sure you did the right thing....

 

He didn't present an ethical shot and you didn't try to force one. Congratulations.

You made the right decision. IMO, Ttis is a major part of bowhunting....knowing when to make a shot and knowing when you gotta let them walk even though they may only be xx yards away.

For those that can't accept this reality/possibility when bowhunting(and some can't) should choose another weapon.

 

Thanks for the posts, it made me feel a lot better about my decision.

 

You will feel a lot better second guessing your hunt (and you did the right thing), than the grief of loosing a wounded animal. Nice call.