I went out on opening day yesterday, & sat in my ground blind for about 2 hours. I didn’t see a thing. Then as I was walking out of the woods near dark & looked to my left & Saw a 10-12 pt. buck eating about 20 yards away. I immediately froze, but he saw me & was staring me down. After a while of him staring me down he turned the other way, I got my bow ready & took a shot but as soon as I took a shot he took off through the trees & into the bean field. I crawled over to the bean area & he was probably around 45 yards away still looking in my direction he took a couple steps back towards me then a couple more then took off jumping through the beans. I probably should not have taken the shot but because it was too dark & I couldn’t really see my pin, but it’s been a long year & was itching to. Is there any chance that he will be back in this area tonight?

Long season already? No you should have not taken the shot and no he wont be back.

yeah you probably should have just waited for another day. Now he is probably pretty educated and wont be back around that spot.

I am with these guys. You defenitely should not have taken the shot and I doubt if he is going to be coming back around.

Yeah, you probably shouldnt have taken the shot. Even worse than a miss, you could have wounded the deer. Most likely he wont be back in the area until the rut possibly

I agree, you should have laid low until that deer moved and never shot. You are going to encounter so many situations where you'll see deer right at dark. I usually take a check in my stand by pulling back my bow looking through my peep and visualizing a shot. Last night was my first night out and I had a deer walk right underneath me at dark. I didnt even bother moving because even though I could have spit on this deer there is no way I would have been able to make a ethical shot. Im not sure how dark it was when you shot but just keep that in mind for next time so you don't spook him and that way you have a chance catching him coming through during lighter hours.

-Sparrow

Probably should've waited to get him another day...

Nope you educated him well, he probally wont be back...Big bucks dont get big for being stupid. And as far as the shot goes, i would not have taken it,especially if you couldnt see your pin.[:'(] You could of very easily wounded him.

Well, My uncle just called me & he farms the bean field near the pond where I missed the buck, & he said he just saw him this morning by the lake again, so much for those responses huh.

Might have been a different buck, but he said that he has seen pretty much the same size one a couple times a week near the pond around the same time of the day, hopefully it's the same one.