RE: 1st night out finally WI. Is it ruined? What is your take?
Get back out there! You just found out you have a monster on your hands. Why wait 15 days? Did you read this somewhere? In 15 days he may be a mile away. As yourself where he came from. This may be his bedding area and you might want to change your set-up. I really don't think you hurt your chances much.
I will repeat this story as I have many times on here. 2 seasons ago I followed a major rubline all the way back to a huge blowdown. I followed it all the way back in the blowdown until I jumped thebuck. I got a good enough look at him when he got out of there to know he was a shooter. I located a faint trail from that bed. The trail headed east through the bottoms and ended up to a cut cornfield. I hung the set right then and waited 3 days for the Northwest wind I needed and smoked him 10 min before legal shooting light on the first sit in that stand. He ended up being a solid massive 8pt. that netted 139 3/8. We estimated him to be at least 5 1/2 yrs. old by looking at his teeth and body. Complete grey face, short fat nose with the sway back and pot belly. I've killed bigger deer than this but this may be the one I'm most proud of because I thought of this tactic and it produced.
My point is this. I really don't think he made you out by the way you described it. I know I wouldn't wait 15 days to hunt it again!