There is NO RULE. You're out there to hunt. Do what makes you feel good. I've never had remorse over a single deer I killed or ones I let walk. It's a daily thing to me. It's a particular property or state thing. For example, in Ohio I passed up several bucks that would have been dead in NY or Maryland. I had bigger ideas for Ohio. I also have some unfilled tags. But that's OK. I planned it that way, one day at a time. Do what makes you happy. Of course if you're on some managed properties you go by "The Rules" in that case. If I know someone is trying to raise some big deer but they tell me, you shoot anything you want. Well hell, you know you can't do that so you pass on deer you might shoot somewhere else. About 4 years ago I watched this rag horn buck pass me opening morning and evening. He passed me the next morning. When he showed up the third day I said, "hell boy, you're dead". He ate just fine.