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Message
Missed opportunity on a good buck late yesterday
Posted on 1/9/21 at 6:02 am
Posted on 1/9/21 at 6:02 am
Have a ground blind on the side of a hill overlooking a feeder about 75 yds away in a small opening in the bottom. Just after 5:30 pm as I’m beginning to think about gathering my stuff up I hear a deer running down the hillside from my right. He runs hard down the hill and stops about 40 yds from me, turns around just starts looking around. I slip my gun up and get on him and see he is a really good mature buck. I go to settle on his shoulder and notice theres a small sapling across where I like to aim on the high shoulder position. I adjust to a slightly behind the shoulder position and start applying pressure and he begins to take a step forward. I pause for a sec as he does this thinking he is fixing to open his shoulder to me for a better shot. He immediately just takes off and runs back up the hill where he came from and I’m left with nothing! All this happened in less than 10 seconds. Had a good wind and no indication he saw me getting the gun up. Pissed at myself for the pause I took but I still think it was the right thing to do given that he was starting to move as I was in my shot sequence.
I am assuming he was chasing a doe and lost his track, came down to that opening to have a look and ran back up where he came from when he didn’t find what he was looking for. That’s the only thing I can figure for how he was acting.
Headed back in there this morning hoping he’s still around looking for love.
I am assuming he was chasing a doe and lost his track, came down to that opening to have a look and ran back up where he came from when he didn’t find what he was looking for. That’s the only thing I can figure for how he was acting.
Headed back in there this morning hoping he’s still around looking for love.
5
Posted on 1/9/21 at 6:23 am to tigamike
quote:
I go to settle on his shoulder and notice theres a small sapling across where I like to aim on the high shoulder position.
:in before some coonass tells you thats why they always bring a 30/30 for a brush gun
But you did the right thing not pulling the trigger. Not getting a shot at a mature buck is one thing, but wounding one and not finding it is much worse.
This post was edited on 1/9/21 at 6:26 am
Posted on 1/9/21 at 7:07 am to Ron Cheramie
quote:
some coonass tells you
Hey, I resemble that remark...
Posted on 1/9/21 at 7:24 am to tigamike
I hate that literal “gray area” time of night. To me, it’s not worth it; you did the right thing for the animal.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 7:31 am to Ron Cheramie
quote:
But you did the right thing not pulling the trigger. Not getting a shot at a mature buck is one thing, but wounding one and not finding it is much worse.
Naw, you snooze you lose!
Posted on 1/9/21 at 7:44 am to tigamike
At least you didn’t bloody him up.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 8:12 am to tigamike
You made the right call. Please take this as constructive criticism and not that you did anything wrong - since you are hunting a certain spot (in this case a feeder) have your gun up and out the window from sunset to the end of legal shooting hours. There are several devices on the market now that can help you do this in a hands free manner. 
Posted on 1/9/21 at 8:34 am to Judge Smails
Yeah I was up until about 2 min before he came out. I have a bipod in here I was on with gun out window but had just taken it down to start gathering up to leave. It was the perfect storm!
Posted on 1/9/21 at 8:48 am to Judge Smails
quote:
have your gun up and out the window from sunset to the end of legal shooting hours.
2nd biggest buck I’ve ever harvested was because I did this. I had my gun out the window of the box with about 10 min left of shooting light. I couldn’t see well with the naked eye but my scope was still clear as day. I was hunting a high line and about 220 yards away I saw some movement. I looked through my scope and a doe was in the lane she turned her head and hopped out of the lane. I moved the gun back a little and big 8 was right behind her with his nose to the ground. He was at a trot
I yelled “Balls” and he stopped broadside and I squeezed the trigger.
I couldn’t tell what happened it was getting so late but I felt good about the shot.
20 min later I went down and found bubbling pink blood.
Buck was about 35 yard away dead.
I have no doubt in my mind that if my gun wasn’t up and ready that I wouldn’t have gotten the shot off.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 8:51 am to Thunder
quote:Taking rushed shots isn’t just unethical - it shows the signs of an inexperienced hunter.
Naw, you snooze you lose!
He did the right thing. If he would have lobbed a shot down there and missed he wouldn’t see that deer on that stand again. Or even worse he wounds it enough to bloody it up and not find it. Would be a damn shame to turn a good mature buck into buzzard and coyote food.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 8:52 am to tigamike
Id have tried him running
Posted on 1/9/21 at 9:12 am to down time
Yeah that wasnt an option in the low light conditions in the woods. In a field maybe
Posted on 1/9/21 at 3:09 pm to tigamike
quote:
I was on with gun out window but had just taken it down to start gathering up to leave.
That sucks man. I use sticks for the front and this for the rear of my gun. It’s been a game changer for me.
Floyd Shooting System
Posted on 1/9/21 at 3:23 pm to Solo Cam
quote:
Taking rushed shots isn’t just unethical - it shows the signs of an inexperienced hunter.
If you have to wait for a mature buck to stand there and pose in the perfect position, get set up with your gun well rested, you won't get to shoot many if any.
quote:
He did the right thing. If he would have lobbed a shot down there and missed he wouldn’t see that deer on that stand again. Or even worse he wounds it enough to bloody it up and not find it. Would be a damn shame to turn a good mature buck into buzzard and coyote food.
I would have taken the shot. If that deer is scenting a doe, he's not coming back. Probably lives 10 miles away. They don't give you many opportunities so when you see him you better be ready to shoot.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 4:13 pm to saintsfan1977
quote:
If you have to wait for a mature buck to stand there and pose in the perfect position, get set up with your gun well rested, you won't get to shoot many if any.
Truth. Gun up, out the window. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way..... and during the rut if you see a doe come out you’d best be looking through your scope behind her for the next 10 minutes.
Posted on 1/9/21 at 6:05 pm to DVA Tailgater
quote:
I hate that literal “gray area” time of night. To me, it’s not worth it; you did the right thing for the animal.
I left one walk this year because of this. Couldn't guarantee a clean hit. Just let her walk. I like hunting, I don't like thinking I'd wound em.enough to suffer a long arse agonizing death. Like neck shot to the esophagus and them starve to death.
Good man OP
This post was edited on 1/9/21 at 6:06 pm
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