Ditto. I've said it before.....that I think this would be one of the things I hope I never experience (regret for killing one).

I have ONE regret RE: taking deer (or not). I had a spindly, sickly looking (I could see most of his ribs) 6 pointer in my woods in '07. He came by me one evening and I drew down on him. I stayed at full draw for a while....as he was only 6-7 yds. I let down.

I regret that to this day.

I had the feeling of regret happen to me once when I walked up to a buck that I had just shot. He wasn't as big as I had figured him to be. He still grossed 124+, but it wasn't what I was after. It took me all of 2 seconds to start feeling disgust at my attitude toward that buck. He was a dandy by most standards and I was the one that pulled the trigger. In the few seconds that it took for that buck to walk up and for me to shoot it, he still gave me the same amount of excitement that any of the bucks I've killed have given me. For me to feel regret at this one made me feel as though I was disrespecting him. From that moment on, I decided that no matter what deer shot, I would be happy with it. Since then, I've had no problems with any feelings of regret.

Two different regrets as far as deer I've killed.

First one was my second year bowhunting. I had already killed several deer with my bow and all were good clean kills with easy blood trails. As a matter of fact, this bowhunting was so easy, I was considering the recurve.lol

I took a marginal shot (slightly quartering towards) on a pretty nice buck. Afterall he was almost broadside and he was only about 10-12 yards out. Slam Dunk, right?

Well, I killed the deer but it took me 2 days to find him over a 1/4 of a mile away. Obviously, what meat the coyoyes didn't already devour was ruined. Do I have regrets? Absolutely, but I learned a valuable lesson on shot selection. Today, maybeI am too conservative on shot selection, but (knock on wood), I haven't lost or "late recovered" anymore deer.

Quite frankly, I find it amazing that someone would not have regrets when they kill but don't recover a deer in time for the meat to be consumed.

Second one was last year, and up to a point mirrors Greg's description.
The exception is that I still have regrets in taking this animal.

Why? Call it selfish or arrogant or whatever, but it is because he was not up to my standards as to what I was looking for. I had not seen this deer until the day I shot him and asI sized him up in the 2-3 seconds I had to make up my mind, I judged him to be bigger than he is. I regret not letting him grow another year and trying my chance at him this year.

I made such a post on this deer last year and was chastised for doing so. It was all about the "respect for the animal" thing. I don't quite connect my regret in the actions of "myself" as being disrepecftul for the deer.

To say that I am happy and have no regrets does not allow me to grow as a hunter and to hold myself accountable for the standard I have set for myself. Nothin to do with disrepect for that deer. He was still good eating. But I could have shot a spike or a doe to eat. Yep REGRET is the right word and I think the APPROPRIATE word. At least for me.

I regret the buck i shot this year, I was mis-lead by him though, there was a big buck in the area thats one side looked identical to the lesser buck in the area, well when the lesser buck came out I only saw the one side, so I drew and flung one, about 2 minutes later on the same trail the lesser buck had some out of,There stood the big buck I was after, I was instantly Dissapointed but I realized something I'm the only one who hunts here and he dosent leave here, HE'LL BE BIGGER NEXT YEAR With that said I DO regret shooting my buck from this past year but theres nothing I can do about it now. (except enjoy the backstraps)

Ryan.

I don't regret any Whitetail I've ever shot......... not yet anyways.........

Rob