Hoytail Hunter

Mine was a huge I mean HUGEbodied,very easy booner on a private piece I hunt. I watched intently from the ground as he was walking from my right to left towards my shooting lane. When he stepped behind a thicket of small trees/saplings I drew back. He took about 4 more steps and decided for some reason not to come out from behind that thicket. The wind was absolutely in my favor but it was like he knew something was not right. He then turned and came straight towards me. At 20-25yds he stopped and looked directly at me though I was behind a thicket of small trees myself. He stood there for a full 4-5 seconds as I contemplated trying to hit that tennis ball sized target at the base of his neck. I was shaking so bad I decided to just hope for him to turn. And turn he did, but with a ffffff, followed by a waving white flag. I let down and finished freaking out as it was the biggest rush I'd ever gotten in my 4yr bowhunting career.

Everyone I talked to said they'd've let that arrow fly. I don't argue with them, it's their legal choice. I more than likely will never see that deer again but at least I didn't contribute to its demise.

So, what did you give a free pass to?

SouthernMDArchers

I have let everything walk by. Doe, small bucks and even a couple 110-120 bucks. I will have to make a decision tonight/tomm. about evaluating to shoot or not shoot. My goal again this year was a upper 120 to lower 130 buck at a minimum. I just bought a home and my honey-do list is about 20 pages long, thus cutting my hunting time way down.

Second reason is the land I hunt on now is being sold to a conservancy and they are not going to allow hunting next year. So the let them go let them grow theory does not apply IMHO.

Third reason is gun season starts in 2 weeks. Anything and everything will hide out after the second day of gun season.

And finally, my freezer is getting low))))) I see a doe or a smaller buck going down soon)))

Dave

wahoohunter

Any buck <2.5yrs old is going to get a free pass on our property. As far as does go, we usually try to harvest does from a wide variety of age groups in order to keep the social hierarchy in order

louddrummer69

I've let at least 15 bucks walk and about 10 does walk since last Friday. I let the bucks walk because I get zero satisfaction shooting a buck that isn't mature nor has the headware 140'+. I let the does walk because I haven't really had a chance at a doe that wasn't so close to the rut. I figure I'll let them doe get comfortable in the area so close to the rut that maybe they'll come back with a buck on her tail.

Germ

It's the one I did not let walk

130woodman

I let a few 1.5 year olds walk this year. I also let a couple of 2.5 8's walk. The 2nd 3.5 year old I saw got the shaft. The first 3.5 I saw I got busted by,He caught me off guard. The way things went this year I couldn't be happier but I was going to try and hold off for a 4.5 or better but time constraints limited my hunting season.

Dopler

I've let 7 bucks walk in shooting rangethis year so far, the best one was atall tined8 that has lots of upside in his futurethatwould score 125-130ish; however, this has been the worst big buck movementaction (so far)I've personallyseen happen in years. I letbucks walk becasue it's a personal chanlenge to me to harvest a big buck. I don't get excited anymore when I see a 135 inch ten point and it's that feeling when you seea monster buck at close rangethatonly a bow hunterunderstandsthat keeps me going to the woodseach week, it's an addiction worse than any drug could ever be I imagine?I have not shot a buck now in three years which is my longest drought in 25 years of bowhuntingbut it does not bother meas I'll take a couple of doesin late season for winter meat if the rightsituation does not present itself. I truly believe that it's muchharder to harvest adoe than it is a 1.5year old buck.

I still think the rut was/is a week late this year and I'm thinking this weekend might be some pretty good action if the weather cooperates. Enough of the rain, warm weather and wind already, how about a frosty morning with no wind? The kind of morning that you can hear that buck coming from a 150 yards away.

Bill Winke in Iowalets 150-160 bucks walk all the time, he even wrote about pasing on a 170" buckseveralyears back that he knew was only a 3.5 year old. Theyended up shooting that same buck at 4.5 years old and it grossed 230" just one year later.When a guy can lay off a 170" buck, I take my hat off to him, I certainly couldn't.Mr. Winke argulably has one of the best hunting spots in the worldon the sweet setup theycall "the Ranch" which Ibelieveis about 4,000 stricktly managed acres in one magnificentchunk. I visited the ranch about 5 years ago, if I could hunt free range whitetails anywhere in the world, that would be the place.

USAF_hunter

I let several deer walk. In my opinion you made a very mature and educated decision. I would hold my head high. Your decision was the difference between and awesome encounter or a season kicking yourself for wounding a great animal.

Dr Andy

I did kill a BB, but since then I let a 1.5yo 8 point walk and a couple of spikes. I'm looking for any doe and a respectable buck, at least 2.5yo in the 1-teens or better.

5575gb

Probably let 12-15 135-150 bucks walk so far, just passed up this guy at 16 yds the other day but I know there are better ones out there. Rut is poppin right now!