I used to have the same problem...if its brown its down. I recently started hunting with a friend on some private land and he said that if I see a doe let it pass and there should be a buck behind it within the hour. I was sceptical at first but man was he right. As far as what I do to pass up a deer...I use it for practice. By this I mean that I practice standing up slowley and moving my self into a place where I could take a clean shot, just remember not to shoot. I also use it to study the patterns of the deer so maybe next time I can get a little closer. This has helped me pass up deer and insure a good day of hunting. Also remember if you go home empty handed, thats why its called hunting...