Should or shouldn’t I have shot????

This has been eaten at me all weekend! Saturday morning I went out to one of my bow stands, but when I arrived I seen a vechile already parked there. Granted I’m sure I would not have been in his area, because it is a big piece of woods. I justed decided to check out another stand that’s a long walk in the dark to get to and you need to walk back in the corn at least 1/8 of a mile. This is the same stand two years ago I shot an 8 point with a 19 1/2 inside spread in the morning and a friend of mine shot another 8 point that evening. There were actually 3 bucks that morning chasing a doe that had to be in heat. I never did get a shot at the bigger buck.

Anyway yesterday morning I made the long walk back to the stand at the end of the field, which has has woods skirting the end of the corn then drops off a bluff. My stand is located on the end of the funnel where it opens up to a valley that was logged two years ago. The cover in there is fantastic! …. well I climbed up in my oak tree at about 7:30 a.m. It was an utterly beautiful morning to enjoy mother nature’s beauty. I could have cared less if I seen anything that morning. But I wouldn’t have wrote this if there wasn’t another side of this story. Well around 9:00 a.m. I noticed some movement in the underbrush in front of me. I then notice horns..BIG HORNS!! This buck was ENORMOUS body wise also! He was heading right for an overgrown logging road that came down from the corn field to my tree.. No brush just wild grass. My heart acually was pounding so hard I had to tuck it back in my shirt! Then as I was starting to calm down, the buck turned right for my stand. I thought now he was gonna skirt the the edge of the logging road in front of me which would put the shot at around 15 yards. Well when he turned to me he got to the edge and decided to LAY DOWN! By this time I was standing up with bow in hand. I’m sure all of you are thinkin the BOY’S HISTORY now! Well I use to shoot alot of achery tournaments years ago and one of the targets was a bedded buck by McKenzie. When a deer is bedded down his vitals are located close to the ground and the front leg hides some of that. So here I am with a buck I watched for 5 minutes at 18 yards Oh did I tell you he is a perfect 10 pointer that I estimate at around 140 to 145! I have one buck to my credit that dressed out at #215. This buck is BIGGER body wise!

Now here comes the tricky part. What would you have done??? Where the buck laid down there was some small brush laying in front of his lower body. Oh yeah.. he was laying broadside to me also. I had a few reasons I never took the shot. (1) The buck was looking towards me the whole time. He never saw me, but I’m sure he would have once I tried to drew the bow. (2) If I did get the bow back it was very diffuclt to find a place to shoot at the deer because of all the shadows from the cover. (3) No shot at the lower vitals… I could have tried for an upper shot at the lungs since I was up in the tree about 15 feet I suppose. (4) After a couple minutes I could tell the buck was getting real jittery. He was raising his noses to smell danger. I don’t think he ever did get my scent. He may have got my scent from where I walked in though. It was only about 5 yards from where he bedded down. Well after 5 minutes that seemed like an hour the buck got back up, which I thought was my chance! No such luck! As soon as he got up her turned backwards to much to get a quartering away shot. There may have been a shot just for a second, but not long enough to get a good shot. After he turned I was hoping he would turn towards me and come closer, but everyone that has been hunting these big boys long enough knows that if a big boy senses something suspicious they go back the same way they came. Actually he headed back but veried to the cornfield where he felt much safer I sure!
Boy this topic got a little long winded, but I thought I would tell you the whole story!

Now, I’m curious what everyone would you have done if they were in my BOOTS??? I stopped and talked to Greg Andrews of Andrew’s Archery and got his feedback. I shot alot of tournaments with Greg back in the day. Greg told me I made the right choice. I needed that!

Thank you for your time. Oh yeah…as Arnold Schwartinger (sp) said in Terminator… “I’ll be back!” but only when conditions are right! This boy didn’t get that big being stupid!

Good pass Zimmy. You’ll get another crack at it. It is still very early in the season.

Where were you hunting anyway?????? …….wait a minute, that wasn’t the famous tree stand, was it?

Lenny Jamison

Good pass Zimmy. You’ll get another crack at it. It is still very early in the season.

Where were you hunting anyway?????? …….wait a minute, that wasn’t the famous tree stand, was it?

Lenny Jamison

I would have passed on this shot also and I also asked my father who was here when I read your story and he would have passed also. Sounds like your shot placement would have had to be absolutely perfect and I think any bowhunter knows there are no absolutes in hunting. The chance of a wounded deer isnt worth it in my opinion. If I ever have any question as of a shot I will pass on it. To bad he didnt give u a shot when he got up. Best of luck with getting this buck and let us know how your season goes.

I would have passed on this shot also and I also asked my father who was here when I read your story and he would have passed also. Sounds like your shot placement would have had to be absolutely perfect and I think any bowhunter knows there are no absolutes in hunting. The chance of a wounded deer isnt worth it in my opinion. If I ever have any question as of a shot I will pass on it. To bad he didnt give u a shot when he got up. Best of luck with getting this buck and let us know how your season goes.

Zim,I’m not a bow hunter any longer but I would have passed on the shot also.You would have hated to simply injure that awesome buck.Maybe you can get another shot at him this year,or next when he his that much bigger.
Ryan Hale

Zim,I’m not a bow hunter any longer but I would have passed on the shot also.You would have hated to simply injure that awesome buck.Maybe you can get another shot at him this year,or next when he his that much bigger.
Ryan Hale

Great story and decision Zim ! I think you made the right decision. If you aren’t sure on the shot….. let him go. While I was reading your article, I thought wait until he stands. Well it turns out that is what he did, but offered you no shot. What about when he got up, trying a grunt call or something to make him stop when he was broad side???? Try pulling back on him when he was getting up and when he was broadside for the that quick second and your at full draw, grunt at him to make him pause and look your way. At 15 yards if you were on him, him being at alert there is no gaurantee, but if you felt good about it then???? Perhaps let it fly ??? Just a thought??? Good Luck and keep the stories coming. This cold weather towards the end of the week has me twitchin’.

Thanks Zimmy, know you have me all wound up and its only Monday Morning

Great story and decision Zim ! I think you made the right decision. If you aren’t sure on the shot….. let him go. While I was reading your article, I thought wait until he stands. Well it turns out that is what he did, but offered you no shot. What about when he got up, trying a grunt call or something to make him stop when he was broad side???? Try pulling back on him when he was getting up and when he was broadside for the that quick second and your at full draw, grunt at him to make him pause and look your way. At 15 yards if you were on him, him being at alert there is no gaurantee, but if you felt good about it then???? Perhaps let it fly ??? Just a thought??? Good Luck and keep the stories coming. This cold weather towards the end of the week has me twitchin’.

Thanks Zimmy, know you have me all wound up and its only Monday Morning

Only you can be the judge of whether or not it was a wise decision. If you’ve been doing this awhile, you know that it was a smart thing to do, hoping (like lip said), that he’d offer a shot to you when he stood up. Under the circumstances, I wouldn’t have shot either but boy it sure is a good test for judgement. You’ll get another crack at him. Only question, what about before he layed down, did he offer any shot to you, or were you thinking that he was coming closer so you might as well let him keep coming?

Only you can be the judge of whether or not it was a wise decision. If you’ve been doing this awhile, you know that it was a smart thing to do, hoping (like lip said), that he’d offer a shot to you when he stood up. Under the circumstances, I wouldn’t have shot either but boy it sure is a good test for judgement. You’ll get another crack at him. Only question, what about before he layed down, did he offer any shot to you, or were you thinking that he was coming closer so you might as well let him keep coming?

I think you did the right thing and passed up this shot. I know how frustrating it must have been for you, and I feel your pain. If fact just yesterday morning, I had a nice 10 pointer walk/stumble in front of my car. I could see the arrow sticking out of the back end of it, and while I thought about the limitless possibilities as to why this was sticking out of the hind end, but I have my doubts about those possibilities. I guess I will just have to chock it up as a deflected shot.

I think you did the right thing and passed up this shot. I know how frustrating it must have been for you, and I feel your pain. If fact just yesterday morning, I had a nice 10 pointer walk/stumble in front of my car. I could see the arrow sticking out of the back end of it, and while I thought about the limitless possibilities as to why this was sticking out of the hind end, but I have my doubts about those possibilities. I guess I will just have to chock it up as a deflected shot.

Hopefully it wasn’t my boy? My buck is living just south of the Bow and Arrow on the hill wayside. Where did you encounter this buck?

I know WAY TO MANY people that just grab their bow every Fall and head to the woods. I practice shooting during the summer when I find time. When Fall comes around I practice when the conditions are right and I don’t head to the woods till I know everything is setup right and I feel comfortable with my shooting.

I went a few years before I wounded my first deer that I didn’t find. It gives me a sick feeling when it happens. Those things will happen, but if you feel that your can be a responsible and ethical hunter it will make it easier for you to stick with a sport you love doing.

Hopefully it wasn’t my boy? My buck is living just south of the Bow and Arrow on the hill wayside. Where did you encounter this buck?

I know WAY TO MANY people that just grab their bow every Fall and head to the woods. I practice shooting during the summer when I find time. When Fall comes around I practice when the conditions are right and I don’t head to the woods till I know everything is setup right and I feel comfortable with my shooting.

I went a few years before I wounded my first deer that I didn’t find. It gives me a sick feeling when it happens. Those things will happen, but if you feel that your can be a responsible and ethical hunter it will make it easier for you to stick with a sport you love doing.

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Hopefully it wasn’t my boy? My buck is living just south of the Bow and Arrow on the hill wayside. Where did you encounter this buck?

Zimmy, I encountered this buck between OO and Prescott it was on the long straight part of 35 on the Prescott side of the big farm with all of the Semi’s and tractors . Sorry for the lousy description, but it is the best I can do. Hope it helps.

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Hopefully it wasn’t my boy? My buck is living just south of the Bow and Arrow on the hill wayside. Where did you encounter this buck?

Zimmy, I encountered this buck between OO and Prescott it was on the long straight part of 35 on the Prescott side of the big farm with all of the Semi’s and tractors . Sorry for the lousy description, but it is the best I can do. Hope it helps.

I’m no where near there, Troy. I’m hunting over by the airport by Bay City. EVERY night before dark there are either ultralights, planes or helicopters flying my hunting area. “I think I hear something walking!” Then a plane will fly over and turn around and then fly over again and again and again!!!!!! You get the idea!

I’m no where near there, Troy. I’m hunting over by the airport by Bay City. EVERY night before dark there are either ultralights, planes or helicopters flying my hunting area. “I think I hear something walking!” Then a plane will fly over and turn around and then fly over again and again and again!!!!!! You get the idea!