I went out on my last possible deer-outing yesterday afternoon. (I have not gotten one all season).
So, at the last daylight, I am walking along this woods-line, bordering a field. All of a sudden a deer spooks in the woods, towards me. It runs, crashes through the woods and stops about 50 yards from me. It was hiding behind a tree, so I had to sneak around a little to get a look.
Finally I had it in my crosshairs, perfectly centered behind the shoulder, perfect broadside, 50 yard shot.


I had an anterless-only tag.


I wasn't sure if I could see antlers or not....I simply could not make it out, all I saw was an outline. (This was a Swarovski Habicht 30mm scope, btw....at about 5:10 pm in Eastern WA, with cloudcover)


So, I didn't take the shot. Sigh...til next year, I suppose. A couple of people initially said I should have shot regardless.
I know I did the right thing.

Almost shooting that moose cow a couple of weeks back (In my excitement, I thought it was "My elk cow", kinda made me skittish about being jumpy with the gun. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Matt- you did the right thing. I wouldn't worry bout that. (for all you know it coulda been a cool guy in a suit looking for truffles <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

Charecter is what you do and what you have when no one is looking.

Hahahaha...truffles...Andrew, you know how to rise a laugh outta me!

I take it you managed to hit that big fat slow curve ball I put over the plate, bout waist high?

Well, it hit me square in the noggin and knocked me over.

Nothing wrong with taking the high moral ground. Just think, it's easier to sleep thinking you missed the chance to fill a doe tag than it would be Knowing that someones father or brother or? wouldn't return cause of you!
I know you know it was an animal but better safe than sorry!
Good job and thanks for the post
Paul

You made a good morale decision. Let me ask you this? how are you hunting ? Are you walking and stalking or are you stand hunting. I am not trying to sound like a know it all, but the location you descibed with woods next to a field where the deer was, sounded like a perfect setup. You should of been in a stand, high enough up to limit your scent, depending upon the terrain and the wind conditions, but not so high that you are not able to hunt both the woods and the field. The advantages of stand hunting is, scent and movement control over ground hunting. If your not stand hunting give it a try, it may increase your results. Don't give up just change your tactics. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks! Actually, I was walking & stalking. It was the first time I'd been in that area, so maybe I'll give that stand idea a try next year. Should be perfect, as you say. I ought to look into those little portable stands you attach to the tree.

A good quality climbing stand, Summit, API,Ol'Man, will be one of the best hunting investments, you could ever make. Get a comfortable climbing stand that fits you, the more comfortable the longer you can stay in the stand and increase your chances of success. It will allow you to bow, muzzleload, and gun hunt anywhere you want. It'll put you in the drivers seat as to where the deer travel, eat and rest. Stand hunting will allow you to control scent and movement, two major things that blow chances to take a deer more then anything else.

Anytime a shot is NOT taken, it's a good decision. I have a couple I'd like back....

Do you have go0d binoculars? If not, get a pair. Glassing thru a scope is not only a no-no, but not really that effective.

No.....I should work on that. I do not believe it would have helped in that situation, though...I wasn't trying to glass him, I was trying to aim for a shot. B'sides, I only had about 1-1/2 seconds, then he wandered off into the thick stuff.

It sure was exciting to at least put the glass on him/her wasn't it!?

that is what hunting is about, haveing fun and the thrill of the chase. Yes the kill is good too, but not to kill is just as good.

I too have made the choice not to shoot, some times I wish I would have shot, but mostly I am glad I didn't. Some mistakes would have been dandies! Better safe than sorry. Especially with fire arms.

Did you make it up to the Blues after all?

Naw....t'was a special tag for Deer Area 1020, north-east of Dayton.

A friend once said
"It's better to not shoot than to take a shot that you regret"

True words, but he surprised me--I had no idea he was so deep.

--Mike

A friend once said
"It's better to not shoot than to take a shot that you regret"

True words, but he surprised me--I had no idea he was so deep.
Take satisfaction in doing the right thing! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />


--Mike

Matt, you did the right AND smart thing, that is what makes an ethical hunter!

As hard as it is to "Swallow sometimes" You certainly did the right thing.To many mis-calls out there from people that shouldn't be hunting as you must know from all the accidents in North Idah0 this year.There's always another year.Been there more than once.

Good luck........Jayco

Thanks folks.

Absolutely the right thing to do. The potential "missed opportunity" will never haunt you as much as a wrongly taken animal will.

When I was young, in my teens, I was on a deer hunt on the North Rim. Last day of the hunt and only a few minutes of shooting light left, and I'm overlooking an opening next to a draw, when a very large wall hanger 4 point and two does pop into it. As I prepare to fire on the buck, he steps behind a tree. After 20 or so seconds, he stepped out from the other side. I fired. I was "sure" of my shot and target.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I walked the 30 yards to find not only no large buck on the ground, but two does. The buck was crashing back down the canyon, no blood trail found

If I had another 100 years to figure out how that happened, I could provide no explanation. But, I was sure ill over it for a long time, and that shot stays with me every time I enter the woods to pursue game. It has made me an extremely careful hunter about shot selection. I've passed many a shot up because of it, and look fondly upon the ones I did pass up that I wasn't 100% sure on.

Two years later, I passed on a nice bull elk because I could not see those antlers that were moving behind the cedar, positively attached to the top of his head when he was behind that big cedar. As I waited to confirm positively, he moved away before I could fire. He was a nice 5x5 type bull. I have never once regretted not taking the shot when it was there. Not once. I went home with an unfilled tag, but a great memory, and a little bit of self respect regained.

I do not ever again want to feel the way I did on that day on the North Rim. The fun in hunting goes away quickly when you screw up that bad, and sticks with you for a long time.

I dropped a cowhorn last year that cost me 125$. Club rules, and I swear I didn't see the horns until I walked up on him.