I had a nice enounter this past weekend. It was Sunday and I did not want to miss church so I went to the early service at 8:30 and got into my tree at 10:00. I was not there 3 minutes and 3 does the next ridge over blow and run up the hill. I could not figure how they could smell me from a couple of hundred yards away and I saw a farmer burning brush up the hill from them.
Anywho, about 10:45 I look across this creek bottom and just see white antlers moving through the brush. He never go closer than 80 yards and the area is so thick and brushy, I never got a clear shot. I stopped him in one shooting lane I had but there were limbs all around him. When he stopped I got a good look at the antlers and he was a great 8 pointer with an extreme about of mass on the main beams and tines. Not huge to some people but he was probably a 140 - 150 inch deer. It really was not a hard decision to not shoot. In my mind if it is questionable, there is no question about it. I would have felt horrible wounding it an not recovering it off of a poor shot. Plus, I found a better tree to get in this weekend.
It amazed me the people I have talked to who automatically just say that I should have shot at it. I admit, probably when I was younger, I would have tried a shot. Experience really pays off though. I went through 8 years of passing small stuff, shooting does and shot a great buck last year that grossed 149 and netted 144 and some change. If I am lucky enough to get that big one, I will have to post the pics on here.
Good luck in the last firearm weekend fellow hunters!! Get the muzzleloaders ready.......mine already is!
Below is mine from last year.
Anywho, about 10:45 I look across this creek bottom and just see white antlers moving through the brush. He never go closer than 80 yards and the area is so thick and brushy, I never got a clear shot. I stopped him in one shooting lane I had but there were limbs all around him. When he stopped I got a good look at the antlers and he was a great 8 pointer with an extreme about of mass on the main beams and tines. Not huge to some people but he was probably a 140 - 150 inch deer. It really was not a hard decision to not shoot. In my mind if it is questionable, there is no question about it. I would have felt horrible wounding it an not recovering it off of a poor shot. Plus, I found a better tree to get in this weekend.
It amazed me the people I have talked to who automatically just say that I should have shot at it. I admit, probably when I was younger, I would have tried a shot. Experience really pays off though. I went through 8 years of passing small stuff, shooting does and shot a great buck last year that grossed 149 and netted 144 and some change. If I am lucky enough to get that big one, I will have to post the pics on here.
Good luck in the last firearm weekend fellow hunters!! Get the muzzleloaders ready.......mine already is!
Below is mine from last year.
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