Yesterday, I passed up a shot on a beautiful 8 pointer. Got off of work at 5am and headed straight for my spot. No de-scenting or anything. I just wanted to hang my stand and be ready before light. Everything was perfect - the wind, the weather, and it was Saturday - the busiest day in the woods around here in PA. About 7:30, I hear something coming at about 80 yds. It' s a big buck and he' s coming straight for me. I didn' t know how straight until only moments later when he passed directly under my stand. He never veered off his course once. When he was at about 10 yds, I was sure he' d see me, but he didn' t. (I was up 18 feet). I mean, he passed within one foot of the tree I was in and walked straight away from me. He never turned once for a broad side - or even slightly broadside shot. I tried getting his attention with a bleat, but he didn' t even look back - just kept his head down, tail tucked, and kept going.

Now I know that people have taken deer with a straight down shot, but I read some stories about a void between the lungs where you can miss all vitals and lose the deer. I' ve learned the hard way about taking iffy shots. And besides I don' t know exactly where to aim in this situation. If I hit the spine, it would definitely take him down, but the spine is not a very wide target on a moving deer. If I miss the spine and hit one lung, I' d have a chance of recovering it, but I' m sure you' d agree there' s nothing more devastating than a double lung hit that drops a deer in less than 10 seconds.

Anyway, what I' m wondering is weather it would have been ethical to try this shot, or would I more than likely have wounded the deer and ended my season on a bad note trailing a bleeding deer into the next county?

Just wondering what other bowhunters think.....

If the bleat didn' t work I would have whistled or just said hey you,then let him have it, The arrow exiting under the deer would have left a fine trail providing your shot was on.

MQ, ethics is a personal thing. what some hunters think is ethical, others don' t.
I would have taken the shot. after he got out 10yds or so away from the tree, I' d have shot him a little forward of midway of his back. at that angle you would have had a good chance of takin out one lung and maybe even his heart. either way you should have gotten a complete passthrough, which should have left a good blood trail.

I would have taken the shot after he passed, 15yds.

Either that or jumped on him, arrow in my mouth, and rode him to my truck whereupon I would have manually double lung' d him.

Regardless, you did what you thought was best - and you might see him again later. I could live with that.

I stared at a 6pt. the first trip out this season for over a half hour wth his but straight at me. No shot for me. You answered a lot of yourown question in what will happen in that situation. Others may be more confident than I, but I would not have taken this shot. I' ve lost deer on one lung. Trust me, they can go MILES.


Whistle, scream, throw a boot at him to get him broadside or quartering, but no, don' t take the shot.

I can' t say whether or not I would have taken the shot mainly because I wasn' t in the tree with you. My confidence level varies from time to time. Sometimes I feel like I can' t miss and other times I almost wish that I didn' t see a deer because I wasn' t to sure about myself.

But you did the right thing. You had doubts and trusted your instincts. I would go hunting with you any day.


Been there done that. Works best on bucks, though. Easier to steer.

You did the right thing buddy so don' t second guess yourself. If there was a question in your mind about successfully pulling off the shot then you did the right thing by not shooting. I applaud you. Too many people make the decision to let an arrow fly on an iffy shot and then later regret it. The shot you described can be made but it is not a high percentage shot in my opinion. It' s even harder to make with the deer moving as you described. A broadside shot on a moving deer can be really difficult. On a deer moving away from you a walking shot would be way harder to make. A lot can and does go wrong when you have to come in from the top of the deer to get to the vitals. Me personally...I wouldn' t have shot either. Jim

I was presented almost this same scenario only the deer stopped facing my stand feeding less than 5 yards out , I was 23 feet up and would of had a almost straight down shot from the front now don' t get me wrong This would of been my first bowkill, but my confidence isn' t that high and after reading alot on these boards i didn' t want to taint my first with a wounded unrecovered deer story.
It being that first deer with a bow, I won' t lie i was at full draw on her. but I let off and just waited till dark set in and she wandered off, I am sure I' d make that same decision again ... it was just great to be that close. next time I might get a shot i' m comfortable with till then I hope to always make the right decision! Which in a long round-about way is what i think you did.... You made the right decision.... If in doubt ...Let em walk out....
Good choice I would make that same choice time and again!
Hats off to you

You let the buck walk because you weren' t sure you could take him in the most humane way. That is a huge karma builder in my book.

UR

My personal belief is that if you have to question whether the shot will put the deer down...you' ve answered your own question.

A few more deer might walk away that you would have taken down, but at least you know you wouldn' t get that feeling in your stomach when the arrow is released and you KNOW it' s a bad shot.

It' s a small price to pay in my book.