Buck Magnet

I would say no, but, it is tough to say that as it hasn' t happened yet.

Another thing you have to think about is how marginal are we talking about. If I had set my maximum shooting distance at 25 yards and a big buck was at exactly 28 yards, I had been practicing out to 40 yards with great consistancy and great shot placement, then yeah, I would take it.

If we are talking about a quartering towards shot, a branch in the way, 10 yards past my max shooting distance, ect... I would let the deer pass and hope he gave me the shot I wanted.

silentassassin

Ok I guess I' ll step up and take the heat here. There answer is yes with a disclaimer. I would take a shot at a big buck that I wouldn' t take at a doe. However, I will not even shoot at a doe unless the shot is perfect. For example I had a 10 yard shot at a doe opening evening that I would not shoot at because there was one little (and I mean little) twig betwenn me and her. I have no doubt I could have made the shot but it wasn' t " perfect" so I didn' t take it. I would have however taken that shot on the macdaddy and I have no doubt the shot would have been successful, but I pass on dozens of extremely makeable shots every year (shots that I see reputable guys make on video all the time) however I have this inherent fear of something going wrong. So the answer is yes and no. Yes I would take a shot at a bigbuck that I wouldn' t take at a doe and no I wouldn' t take a marginal shot. I passed on a 130 class buck opening day that I feel sure that 99% of the bowhunters I know would have released an arrow on, but put that buck up there where the doe was, that I passed on the same day, and I would spank him.

IL_BOW_MAN

Wolfen, you just pointed out what I went through last year.

Big 8 pointer comes out 20 yards away, faceing towards me. He stood there 15 minutes. Not the 15 minutes that you think and it was really 2, but 15 actual minutes as accounted for on my watch. 15 minutes is a long time to say I can make that shot, no I can' t, sure I can, no I can' t. Well I passed on the low percentage shot.

Now the bitter/sweet part. He turned went into another shooting lane. 18 yards broadside. Took the shot, got a little high and never recovered the buck. To this day I still think it was a good shot, I was a little high on the entry, but I was probably 20' in the air. Should have been a lower exit hole. 3 solid days of looking and no deer, if you don' t believe me ask my wife....she still cusses me up until now. I kicked him up out of a bed over 24 hours after the shot and he ran across the field. Not full tilt, but he wasn' t walking either. After the harsh part of winter, someone found him dead. I think he made it until the cold part of winter. After I got my hands on this deer, we measured him at 150" 8 Pointer. Beautiful!!!

I still kick myself everytime I think about it. I kick myself about the shot, don' t know what happened(why I was high), kick my self for not trying to get closer to him when we seen him bedded down that night and go for a second shot. Kick myself for just plain not recovering. But I am always glad that I did not take the bad shot, even though I might have had better results. But then again, I may not have. I now live with sitting in this stand a couple times a week and replay after replay after replay of the events. Burned into my head with no erase!!

But to answer your question, NO I will not take a marginal shot.

But every situation is different and I couldn' t tell you what I would do with a Booner in front of me. Why do I say a booner in front of me? Last year I probably watched Stan Potts on a video shoot his booner headon less than a week before I passed the head on shot on mine.

JZarr

Personally, the bigger the deer the BETTER the shot has to be. Like someone said, hitting a losing a big buck is even worse than passing up the shot. Nobody wants to waste an animal of any size, let alone one that big.

Unfortunately, I know a lot of people who do just the thing we' re talking about here.

" Man, he was so big I couldn' t pass up the shot!"

I can' t count how many times I' ve heard that, only to find the buck dead months later. In fact, our hunting " group" has gotten a lot smaller by weeding out the hunters who take these bad shots. There is no room for that kind of behavior in today' s day and age. If anything, we should all be more cautious than ever.

Rack-attack

I agree with Silent.

If I were to shoot a doe or a dink buck - the shot would have to be a dead slam dunk. I know myself - and if the shot was bad - that could equal to 3 sick days from work and precious time tracking and searching. I would put in the days of tracking for any deer - but would be pissed that I had to on a doe or small buck.

All my shooting limits are set up for good Bucks (God willing, its been a slow opening week )

They get no bigger for bigger bucks but they do (or would) get a little easier for smaller deer.

peashooter

If it was a shot I wouldn' t take on a small deer, I wouldn' t take it for a trophy either. Saying that, I do generally want slam dunk shots on anterless deer. But, I set my personal limits, and don' t exceed them, no matter what.
I' d feel (and do feel, it' s happened before) a lot better about my skills, and myself, if I let a dandy walk than if I try a dumb shot and wound him.

peashooter

davidmil

I' m not saying it' s never happened... but I try to think more in reverse. When a nice buck comes along I start talking to myself..." Don' t rush it... plenty of time... see what he does... don' t screw it up.... calm down... don' t rush it etc etc etc" . I will say I' d probably not hesitate at a decent 35 or 40 yard shot with a bruiser in front of me... where as with a doe I might think... ahhhh... if she comes closer I' ll shoot her.. if not... I won' t have to cut up deer meat today. That said... one of the nicest bucks I ever had in front of me fed calmly at a measured 35 yards broadside. I really called it a no brainer, I was a full draw and let down. He was eating acorns and not moving at all. BUT, I said he was going to keep coming in my direction down this trail and I' d have a 10 yarder. 10 seconds after I let down this little buck came flying up the hill chasing a doe... they went right under my stand, past the big boy and he did a flip flop and took off after them. Never saw him again.... ever.... 14 points..... never again... OK, next time I' m shootin... maybe.

BOWFANATIC

I' ve done it before on a 170 class buck , luckily it was a clean miss. Will I do it again? I cant honestly answer that! That question can only be answered when you encounter a true monarch , a once in a lifetime buck.

cardeer

I' m to old to start getting stupid, NO

cebpa

NO!
I know things can happen but when I release an arrow at a living animal in my mind I already know that animal is dead, if I am not that confident I don' t shoot. anything else is wrong.