My primary hunting spot is 3 hours away so during the week I hunt a few miles from my house in a small woodlot surrounded by a bean field and cow pasture. My goal for the spot was to shoot whatever got in range.
Well almost every night I've seen a doe and fawn but usually fromoutside of shootingrange. I watch the fawn playing with his mother and just doing what does and fawns do. I've never seen anymore than those two and I assume it's the same pair I see each night.
Yesterday, while I was moving a ground blind to a better ambush spot, a feeling came over me of sympathy and now I'm not sure I want to shoot either one. If there were others with them it would be different but I've enjoyed watching them every night and just not sure I want to kill 'em. Plus, if I wait a couple weeks a buck or two should start showing up.
In the past I've shot whatever and whenever without any remorse and I've stated so in past threads. I don't know if this is a sign of weakness or maturity? Anybody else see the same deer over and over and somehow lose the "want-to" to shoot 'em?
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I can say that I too see where you are coming from. Deer are incredible creatures and are very entertaining to watch and see in the wild. Very honestly if they did not taste so darn good, i would probaly not hunt them at all. I do feel bad at times after taking one down, but as long as the blow is accurate, they expire fast, and do not suffer I dont feel that bad. Once the gutting and butchering is over you can enjoy the fruits of your labor...They just dont make beef that tastes that good....
I have let alot of deer walk. They were mostly very small does. A trophy whitetail buck of the 3-5 year class has dones his duty in nature with many successful breedings with good genetics. I would much rather a hunter take him down and use the meat and have a story that makes him or her smile, than see that animal laying dead on the side of the road hit by a car...and believe me in WMU 2B outside of Pittsburgh, PA we see alot of big buck hit by cars.
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its a sign of maturity im feeling the same way. I used to go by brown and down no matter what size. now i just cant bring myself to shoot a little guy.
Happens to me all the time.... or I think of all the crap I have to do if I shoot that deer, and do I have time to deal with it right now. I guess I sit in the woods just to see what might happen. If a huge monster walks by, I don't mind forgoing any possible plans that may have been in the works. But to shoot a doe, gut it, skin it.... unless I have nothing else planned or it is real early in the evening or morning, I am more apt to let them walk. I love to hunt, but I guess it isn't to shoot anything, more to see what I may have the chance of shooting. I like venison but I don't eat it as often as I should and therefore am not as prone to get my dinner asap. But I completely agree with you if you see the same deer night after night you somehow grow attached, and also you are right, a buck will be in the area sooner or later. good luck
I have similar thoughts at times too! Not so much sadness or remorse, but more like "is the fawn old enough tosurvive if I take momma down?" I'm not one bit interested in taking a fawn down to see how good it tastes. I'm usually after a "shooter buck" ormore mature doe.
Short story: I once shot a doe during gun season who had that years twins still with her. After the doe dropped in the field, the fawns ran off. By the time I gathered my things and climbed to the bottom of my tree steps, both fawns were walking back into the field to check on mom. As I walked towards them, the fawns took off into the wood lot again and as I was sitting there cleaning out the doe, I could hear the fawns occasionally call to the mom. That was kind of weird...for a few seconds I was asking myself "what did you do?" LOL
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RE: Losing the killer instinct ...
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Sooner State Hunter
My primary hunting spot is 3 hours away so during the week I hunt a few miles from my house in a small woodlot surrounded by a bean field and cow pasture. My goal for the spot was to shoot whatever got in range.
Well almost every night I've seen a doe and fawn but usually fromoutside of shootingrange. I watch the fawn playing with his mother and just doing what does and fawns do. I've never seen anymore than those two and I assume it's the same pair I see each night.
Yesterday, while I was moving a ground blind to a better ambush spot, a feeling came over me of sympathy and now I'm not sure I want to shoot either one. If there were others with them it would be different but I've enjoyed watching them every night and just not sure I want to kill 'em. Plus, if I wait a couple weeks a buck or two should start showing up.
In the past I've shot whatever and whenever without any remorse and I've stated so in past threads. I don't know if this is a sign of weakness or maturity? Anybody else see the same deer over and over and somehow lose the "want-to" to shoot 'em?
Hey Teamy ... I have ALWAYS been like that .... I have never purposely shot a fawn ...heck for that matter I have given dozens upon dozens of medium doe passes ... I just have a hard time shooting anything but a buck ........my desire to feed on venison will help me to shoot a nice size doe ... but never a fawn .... not that there's anything wrong with it, just not my bag ....
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for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!
mo--hava a similar story. I once shot a doe in December. She was standing on top of a hill, but on the other side were her fawns that I did not see(bigger fawns because it was December, but fawns none the less)...After I shot her, her fawns ran like crazy. When I found the doe about 50 yards away, I noticed something on her chest. Her teets were leaking milk. Man I had to take a step back and really reflect on what just happened. Then I realized those "fawns" were 50-60 pounds and would be just fine surviving on their own.
I had a little less than one year fawn thats mother had been shot and it would sleep behind my hunting camp and follow me around the woods all day, and watch me hunt. I never could shoot the little guy, even though he got annoying. lol
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Losing the killer instinct ...
