John Deer

Sunday morning was a calm but very foggy morning here in Northeast Oklahoma. I was sitting in my stand on the edge of an overgrown field at the base of a thick hillside. I have my stand positioned on the backside edge of a pond that' s just a few yards inside the treeline off of the field. At about 7:45 I decided I' d try a little rattling sequence. With the fog still thick and visibility only about 50 yards or so I thought that it made for the prime situation. About a half hour to 45 minutes after I rattled I heard what sounded like a deer moving on the other side of the pond about 40 yards or so away. I stand up and give a couple of grunts on the grunt call. After a minute or so of silence I see the deer come up over the pond dam and begin to move around to my side. He' s a monster, the buck of a lifetime!! He' s out of my range but he' s coming to me and I' ve got a scent canister setting about 15 yards in front of my stand that he' s on track to walk right in to. At this point buck fever gets me. I' m in a small tree because there aren' t any large trees to choose from in the area. I feel like the whole tree is shaking as I struggle to keep it together. The wind is fairly calm and I' m afraid that he' s gonna look up and spot the tree moving and take off. After an agonizing 3 or 4 minutes he' s within 30 yards of and coming straight into my wheele house. I can' t shoot until he moves into my shooting lane because of the thickness of the brush. He' s now coming in like he' s on a string and I' m shaking my butt off with buck fever. At 18 yards, that' s right 18 yards out and one step out of my shooting lane he stops!! He' s about 10 yards downwind of the scent bomb. He sticks his head up and starts smelling around. He' s acting nervous like he knows something' s not right. He' s froze up and not moving and I' m about to loose it. I could take the shot but there' s alot of brush between the vitals and me or I can wait. I choose to wait even though this is the buck of a lifetime and I may never get this chance again. Suddenly he turns and sleeks back up the hill about 30 yards and then stops gives a quick glance back and then disapears into the thick cover. I know he never saw me or heard me and I' m pretty sure he didn' t smell me so I can' t figure out what went wrong. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the scent (Knight and Hale doe urine not estrus) got him nervous but I don' t know. I had plenty of time to look at this bruiser and all at close range. He' s no doubt a huge mainframe 10 point and he' s got numerous other stickers and kickers coming off everywhere. He' s very heavy beamed and and wide, he' s got it all. His body is huge in comparison to other deer in the area. I' m glad I passed on the shot, I know it was the right decision, but at the same time I' m sick that he didn' t present a good shot to me. I' m hopeful that I' ll get another chance. After all, it only takes one.

wildmanhatch

Good choice. I commend you.

JeramyK

You definately made the right decision. Hopefully he' ll show up again.

peashooter

It' s hard to know how to feel after something like that isn' t it? On one hand, you' re proud for passing a questionable shot on a troophy deer. On the other hand, you would have REALLY liked to have gotten a shot. But, in the long run I think we all know we probably(most likely) made the right decision.
I passed a possibly makable shot last night because I didn' t like it. It wasn' t a huge deer like yours, but the early bow season is nearly over with in Wisconsin, and my freezer is empty. Sure would have liked to have some venison from that 2 1/2 year old buck, but he was moving just a little too fast for the amount of brush in the way.

Anyway, good job for letting him go. To many people would just fling an arrow hoping to connect. The saying I the most from other hunters: " I just had to take a shot!"

peashooter

MQHunter

No doubt a good decision to pass on the shot. Just think....if you tried to squeeze one through the brush, deflected the shot and wounded him. Believe me, you would feel much worse than not getting a shot at all. You can feel proud of what you did (or didn' t) do.

Sometimes it' s the shot that you don' t take that you can feel most proud of.

BowHuntingFool

I believe you did the right thing by waiting! I also believe in good Karma! I' ll bet you get another chance at him! Well done! Good luck!

adams

I' ll also pat you on the back. You know you made the right decision and hopefully it will pay off with a better shot opporturnity in the near future. One things for certain, If you took a marginal shot and and wounded the deer you feel worse and probably never get another crack at him. You made the right call!

Scar955

I will make it 7 for 7!!! I have read enough threads on this site alone to know how bad a person feels after taken that shot.

I have had a similar experience my first year with a bow. I could have tried to fit an arrow through, but I knew it wasn' t 100%. This is my 2nd year and still haven' t taken a shot, let alone harvested a deer. I do not regret not taking that one. I have a feeling whatever regret you may feel now will soon be replaced with the pride of knowing you did the right thing.

tnichols

John Deer

You did the right thing. Sometimes everything can be perfect and these guys just know something is' nt right, esp or something.That' s how come they get so big!!!

justhrowit

You made a good decision....but looking back at it......." WHAT A RUSH" , do you agree. Thats what makes hunting...hunting. I love that feeling. The feeling that I' m about to loose it. Nothing like it in the world.


If you could bottle up that feeling and sell it....it' d be illegal!!!!!!

Good luck at him in the future