I'll be the first to agree that a hunt isn't about THE KILL, time spent with mother nature, family and friends is EVERY BIT, if not more important to me. BUT, if you ever walk into the woods with the weapon of your choice, you should have ALREADY made the decision to take an ethical shot on a legal animal. If you ever wake up facing the delima of weather or not to shoot then you have already wasted even the time it took to set your alarm. This is not to say you wake up and decide not to take say a 130 or better or the first 100+lb. doe whatever parameters you have set stick to them by any means, but you should have that decision made before you even go to bed the night before.

early season i'm looking for something to put on the wall, near the end i'm looking to fill the freezer! the decision is made before i head out.

I enjoy being in the woods so much that I don't have to shoot anything or see anything to enjoy myself. Seeing some deer is a bonus. Getting to take a mature doe or a nice buck is just a grandslam.

I have had many deer in my sights some less that 5yds away only to let them walk. Let them grow and get bigger, the whole experiance of me having them that close is rewarding in knowing that I am doing my part in being stealth and also allowing them to mature.

As a relatively new hunter (2 years), I generally enter the woods with a,'if its brown its down' attitude. I want an early kill to put some meat in the freezer and to take the pressure off. However, when I sat for early archery season this year (3rd week of September) I made the decision that I would only shoot unaccompanied does and let a couple does with spotless fawns walk by. I also let a spike walk by later in muzzleloader season because I knew there were bigger bucks in the area (none of which I got a shot at) and because I already had a deer in the freezer.

Crossbow (Barnett Wildcat)

^^^ you made a good choice on passing that one.
-Jake

I don't know how good you are, but me I wouldn't think of shooting a deer out that far with a xbow. And by your answer, I think you believe the same. Just too much noise to make it that far without the deer hearing it and moving.

I shoot a xbow and only shoot out to 40 yds, personally. :happy0001:

I've been Deer Hunting for over 30 years now and have shot several nice Deer over the years,so now I pass on the smaller Bucks in hopes of them getting bigger the following year.When I go out on opening day/weekend of Rifle Deer Season I hold out for a nice Buck that is at least 7-Points or bigger,I had a Young 4-Point Buck walk around my stand last year and watched a nice 8-Point Buck make a scrape and work a licking branch about 120 yards from my stand....I would have shot him but too many tree branches were in the way for a good clear shot and I was hoping my Friend would get a shot at him since he was cruising through the woods towards his stand.About 30 minutes later I ended up having a nice 9-Point Buck cross behind my stand and I shot him,after that I'm looking for a nice large Doe to shoot with my Bonus Tag.I have shot several nice Bucks over the past few years so I'm happy with getting a nice Big Doe for the meat or sharing it with Family and Friends,I also Bow Hunt so that gives me even more time out in the woods to Deer Hunt,I finally shot me a nice young 6-Point Buck with my Bow in 2006 so now I'm trying to get a larger Buck or a nice Doe,I won't shoot Fawns or Button Bucks with a Bow or Rifle and I have shot some decent Bucks that were running with and tending Doe's and I could have shot the Doe too...but I let them go because I figured they may be carrying the Bucks gene's and will have a Fawn or 2 later in the year! :party0005:

if i have to second guess myself on wether or not its big enough, its not big enough OR if its a shooter and i cant video... im not shooting. IMO

2 1/2+ year old bucks (say 100+ inches, basically no baskets)
OR
1 1/2+ year or older Does (100+ pounds dressed weight)

They risk their health everytime they walk in front of me, just depends on the mood:)