Do you make that decision before you enter the woods or do you decide later? Unless I meet up with a big old bruiser, I seem to always make the decision after I see that deer. My decision is usually based on how I feel at that moment. Do I want to kill that animal or let it walk? Of course there have been years when I let a doe or young buck walk only to have the season end without filling my tag. That's OK because I never regret the reason for letting that deer live.

For those that say: "If it's brown, it's down", then your mind is already made up. If you are more selective, what makes you decide to take the shot or not and when do you make that decision?