A time when you didn't shoot

[gspn]

Let's hear the stories about the shots you passed on. There have been many for me, but this one was a true "pass".

It was a cold winter morning with a clear blue sky. I remember that it was quite cold for my area, and even though I was moving I was still uncomfortable. I'd been stalking field edges and set-aside fields all morning, hoping to catch a deer on the move. Stalking like that I might take 10 steps per minute, or much slower if there were something I really needed to creep up on.

I'd been doing that for a few hours and as I eased up a grassy hill dotted with clumps of pines and oaks, a doe bolted from her bed. She was hauling freight to get to the ridge. She knew safety was over that hill. My gun came up fluidly, the safety off on the way, and my mind said "She's going to stop and look back before she goes over, wait for it."

She got to the top of the hill, stopped, and looked back into my scope. I had her dead to rights with a quartering away shot at no more than 60 yards. We stood in that cold air, two hearts not beating, waiting, frosty breath hanging before us, and I dropped my gun to a low ready. She blew once and bounded over the hill to live another day.

I had been hunting a lot by that point in my life, and had killed tons of deer. When I realized I knew how she'd behave before she did, I figured that was enough for me that day. I had her dead-to-rights. I'd snuck up on her, called her behavior, and had steady crosshairs on her vitals, it was enough for me that morning. I smiled as she disappeared, then got back to stalking.

 

[huntsman]

Opening day of deer(gun) season 1/2 hr in a yearling doe walks past me at about 30 yards, only deer I saw all week.

I don’t kill yearlings.

 

[WestKentucky]

I turkey hunted before I moved to Tn on my grandpas farm. It’s a small orchid ground, 30 acres or so. I also bow hunted the farm. In fall, Turkey season is either sex. Roll back to spring... I was hunting a spot I knew pretty well. I kept seeing hens and the gobblers stayed out of sight but they were close enough I could hear drumming. I had one hen that consistently would walk up to me, cluck at me like she was saying good morning and then hobble off. She had one bad foot, but it didn’t slow her down, and that spring she was momma to her clutch and what looked like another clutch or two because she had about 30 polts that were following her. It was funny to watch. That fall I had 1 bird that was an easy bow shot, and I had actually hunted her specifically to put her down. She hobbled under my deer stand, pecked around in a rotting log, clucked her normal greeting, and then hobbled off. She was never with the flock, and she was always on a very predictable pattern. I drew the bow a few times but never loosed an arrow. She hobbled around for 2 more years and was always a good momma.

 

[Axis II]

Opening day of deer(gun) season 1/2 hr in a yearling doe walks past me at about 30 yards, only deer I saw all week.

I don’t kill yearlings.

Same here! Last year I took my only week of vacation for our gun week. I spent 3 days on one farm that used to produce good deer and the only thing I seen was a yearling button buck 2 days about 4 times. On day 3 I pulled into the field and some guy was dragging him back to the truck! I always pass yearlings or doe with yearlings/fawns.

 

[Hasaf]

I was out with a friend and his son (about 16) . My friend had wandered off and his son and I were about 30 meters fro each other. A pig (a pretty big one at that) meandered close to his son. I tried to get his son's attention but the kid was too deep into his thoughts.

It would have been a safe shot, the difference between his position and the line of shot would have been about 15 degrees. I decided that it was still too close and didn't take the shot. Talking to him later, he never saw the pig or heard me trying to get his attention. We never saw another pig on that trip.

 

[buck460XVR]

If we hunt long enough and have a fair amount of success, there's a point in most of our hunting careers, when letting something walk/fly, becomes more satisfying than taking it. Could be that young buck with a lot of future potential or maybe that Jake Turkey, even tho it's the last hour of the last day of season. Some days I wish there was "catch and release" for game animals. Some form of bullet/shot/arrow that would only immobilize a game animal long enough to take pictures and get measurements, and then help them get up and go so someone else can enjoy them. For me it's gotten so the hunt is my primary focus. While getting something for the back of the jeep is nice, so is going out again tomorrow. So is the satisfaction of knowing "I coulda, but didn't". Over the years, especially while bow hunting, I have let more deer walk than shot, even tho it meant I might hafta eat my tag. Kinda why I have gone to handguns only for gun hunting deer. Let a bitch 'yote go this year during Turkey season last week that came into my calls and decoys. She was definitely nursing or getting ready to nurse. She was that close and stood there for that long, I could tell. While it mighta made a good size difference in the local predator population, I just couldn't do it.

 

[redneck2]

Few years ago it was last day of turkey season. Huge turkey stayed around the corner of a field. Several thirty pound birds were taken off that farm and he was at least as big.

I had shot at him once. I hit a sapling right as I swung the gun up

So, I see him in the corner of the field. I walk maybe 1/2 a mile or more to circle around. Do a belly crawl thru fifty yards of weeds and poison ivy. I canl see him stick his head over the weeds from time to time

I stand up beside a tree. He sticks his head up. He looked so good there with the hens that I flicked the safety back on and left the way I came in

 

[eastbank]

I passed a very large buck, maybe a 12-14 points with a 22-24" spread in late muzzle loading season(flint lock) at about 60 yards. he was with 3 does and one or two were in late season heat and he was very interested in them. I had him dead to rights standing broadside at about 60 yards from a good rest, with my RMC .50 that will hold 3" groups at 75 yards.

 

[Duster340]

I've probably passed on more shots than I've taken over the years. Not always a specific reason, sometimes it's just "not right". I'd say the most common scenario would be seeing game the 1st day of the season. The prospect of missing the opportunity to spend more time in the woods made me decide to pass on some shots. I've occasionally gotten skunked by doing so, but rarely regretted the decision to be in the wild.

 

[Art Eatman]

I'd sneaky-snaked around one misty morning and killed a pretty nice buck. Hauled him to camp, had a bite of lunch and the mist quit. I figured I'd go back out and check out a tree stand that I hadn't used before. All was well until a heavier mist began. So, I started down from the stand.

All spraddled out about halfway down I saw as pretty a little fat eight-point buck as ever you'd hope to see about fifty yards off. I just hung there, waiting for him to wander on through the brush.

Wet leaves and grass meant easy sneaking. I followed along his tracks for a hundred yards or so until I saw the back half sticking out from the brush. He was looking out from above a twenty-foot drop-off toward a several-acre meadow.

From about ten feet, I hit him in the rump with a marble-sized rock.

RODEO TIME!

He came by me about five feet off, back-tracking. Nose stuck out, ears back, clawing for traction. My roars of laughter undoubtedly did bad things to his psyche.

If ever a deer in Texas had PTSD, he was it.

 

[Duster340]

Opening day of deer(gun) season 1/2 hr in a yearling doe walks past me at about 30 yards, only deer I saw all week.

I don’t kill yearlings.

I also typically passed on the young ones. Until this past season up in Door County. Due to the over abundance of does the DNR issued a bunch of doe takes, 5 per hunter in addition to a buck tag. I called thinking it was a mistake, but they said to harvest as many does as possible. I did take one small doe that would normally get a pass. She was delicious

 

[Johnm1]

First year hunting Desert mule deer on a mix of BLM land and some private property. After the morning hunt on opening day 10 years ago I Got a tip from the local rancher that 3 nice bucks were staying in a flat spot between two mountains. Headed out after lunch and sat on the ground behind some prickly pear cactus for 7 or so hours. There was a cattle path in that flat that led to water. All day the cattle would stop at the same spot and stare at something I couldn’t see. All about 70 yards from where I was sitting. Snake, coyote, deer? I couldn’t tell. In the minute when the sun set, the deer stands up from that spot heading to my left. I fumbled getting my scope set higher so I could verify antlers. By the time I verified it was a nice buck he was at 180 yards and moving. Had him in the cross hairs but I’m not comfortable shooting a moving target and it was opening day. So I passed.

I have hunted this ranch/property every year since and I haven’t had a shot for the 10 years since until this year when I finally got a nice 4 x 5. The area has a very low success rate. But I go back every year. I love the landscape and the local rancher family.

 

[redneck2]

All spraddled out about halfway down I saw as pretty a little fat eight-point buck as ever you'd hope to see about fifty yards off. I just hung there, waiting for him to wander on through the brush.

We’ve gotten to the point that, if you’re not willing to spend $500 to put the head on the wall, we don’t shoot it

 

[FL-NC]

I'll pass on anything that I would be embarrassed to be seen with (puny deer, spikes, etc.) I get even more picky after I have dropped 1 or 2 during a season and have a decent amount of meat. Once we are at that point, anything but a trophy buck gets a pass.

 

[alsaqr]

Couple seasons ago i passed on a twelve point buck that scored at least 180 points. Retrieval would have required the assistance of several guys. Yeah, i could have carried him out in pieces: Horns ain't worth that much work.

 

[Glockula]

The two weeks of black powder and three first two weeks of rifle season I am pretty picky and let a lot of deer walk. We observe a 6 point or better rule at my hunt club and my smallest up there in 5 years is a 7 point.

In back powder of last year I grunted a little 3 point out of the creek bottom I was sitting in. He was snorting and puffing, and finally got within 5 yards of the stand. It's amazing how they will use cover very well to get close to you. Another story in rifle season this time. I watched 3 does hug with the fawn doe laying it's head on mommas hind quarter. They all 3 showed affection for each other. I assume they were grandma, mama and fawn. It's neat the things you see that are not associated with the kill at all.

Watching deer helps you kill bigger deer too.

 

[jmorris]

Oh I have lots and lots of those. I have shot thousands more animals with a camera that with bullets or shot. I blame it on the butcher shop and weather.

 

[T.R.]

I was hunting mule deer within the Black Hills of western South Dakota with my 30-30 Glenfield carbine. Just before I planned to head back to my Ford Explorer for lunch, a huge bighorn sheep ambled by my post. The animal had very large shoulders and a big neck, too. The horns were are least 3/4 curled; a genuine trophy. I had him in my scope at about 50 yards or so. It was an exciting moment for me. But since I lacked a special permit, I did not shoot. In South Dakota, they put you in jail for shooting a bighorn sheep without the proper license and I have no desire to see the inside of any prison!

TR

 

[DeepSouth]

When I was a teenager I saw a small spike, maybe 2” spikes, on a little buck (obviously) that also had a few (as in 3,4, maybe 5) white spots on him. Almost no one believed me. If had it do again I’d shoot that bad boy, even though we didn’t shoot spikes.

I watched him in my scope for 15-20 mins thinking “I wonder how rare this is?” I started to shoot him. I now know it’s impossible, like a black long tailed cat in AL. It doesn’t exist. Apparently I just had a 20 minute hallucination.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Some days I wish there was "catch and release" for game animals. Some form of bullet/shot/arrow that would only immobilize a game animal long enough to take pictures and get measurements, and then help them get up and go so someone else can enjoy them

In my later hunting years especially when my knees went bad and couldn't drag out a deer any more I started hunting a different way.
I've stalked several deer and pulled my gun up and just said BANG. The deer would look at me and I'd just say to it, "Your Dead" don't deny it.
Some times they would bolt away and other times they would just stand and look at me like to say "DANG IT".
In a strange way it's more satisfying to me to hunt that way than to kill them. Like we are playing tag.

 

[aarondhgraham]

My "chose not to shoot" was on my last deer hunt,,,
About 8 years ago with my nephew.

My nephew is a true deer harvester,,,
Rifle season, Primitive season, and Bow season,,,
He always manages to put three deer in the freezer every year.

I hunted when I was a teenager,,,
Five years hunting,,,
Five deer taken.

But military service and life got in the way of hunting,,,
Then after my service I lived in California,,,
It just didn't seem worth the trouble.

So I was in my late 50's when I decided to again give it a try.

My BIL has 160 acres that he and his relatives hunt on,,,
So the effort to actually do a hunt was minimal.

Anyways, here we are all are up in tree stands,,,
We all are wearing headsets for some nice walkie-talkies.

There were three of us in stands that day,,,
I had the middle position tree.

There I was, sitting all snug in the tree stand,,,
When I hear my nephew telling me a buck was heading my way,,,
I quickly spotted him and watched him meander into range (60-ish yards).

Neither of the others had a clear shot at him,,,
I put the cross-hairs right where they should be,,,
Then whispered to my nephew I was ready to shoot.

In that few moments I decided that the urge to kill a deer had left me,,,
I wasn't in awe of the deer's majesty or anything silly like that,,,
I simply made a choice not to shoot the danged thing.

I whispered that to my nephew and his friend,,,
We just waited another 15 minutes until he wandered into my nephews view.

Bang! One more harvested deer.

I came to the conclusion that I no longer had any interest in hunting,,,
My ability to pop varmints such as the 'dillos digging up my lawn is intact,,,
And if I ever get a clean shot at that mongrel dog who ate my neighbors cat, he is toast.

I just have no desire to actively hunt game anymore.

Aarond

.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Through a series of unfortunate events on my first Colorado elk hunt in 2014, i had one 8mm round in my K98 mauser. That was all i had on me, a day and a half hike from the truck. I had my rifle slung, fighting through alternating black timber and thick scrub oak. Eventually, I looked down and saw my bolt wide open and the lone 8mm 196 grain round was gone.
Ofcourse when i crossed into the next draw, I saw a herd of 8 elk staring at me just 100 yards away. It was late evening, so I just sat down and watched them until dark. I made it back to the truck the next day barefoot without an elk. Heartbreaking, but one of the most memorable hunts ever.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Unless I’m strictly hunting for meat I pass up dozens of critters on most hunts. The bull moose you see in my avatar was shot on day 8 and was the 15th bull I’d looked at or stalked up on. This year in Nebraska I shot one doe for meat and passed on dozens of younger and older bucks that didn’t make the cut for antlers. I went home without a buck, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

One of the things that I love about hunting Cape buffalo on wild hunting blocks is the number of stalks and passes you’ll make during a hunt. On my average hunts you’ll stalk up on 10 to 20 herds and pass on a bull for every one that you shoot. That makes for a lot of hunting experience, excitement and fun.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I'd sneaky-snaked around one misty morning and killed a pretty nice buck. Hauled him to camp, had a bite of lunch and the mist quit. I figured I'd go back out and check out a tree stand that I hadn't used before. All was well until a heavier mist began. So, I started down from the stand.

All spraddled out about halfway down I saw as pretty a little fat eight-point buck as ever you'd hope to see about fifty yards off. I just hung there, waiting for him to wander on through the brush.

Wet leaves and grass meant easy sneaking. I followed along his tracks for a hundred yards or so until I saw the back half sticking out from the brush. He was looking out from above a twenty-foot drop-off toward a several-acre meadow.

From about ten feet, I hit him in the rump with a marble-sized rock.

RODEO TIME!

He came by me about five feet off, back-tracking. Nose stuck out, ears back, clawing for traction. My roars of laughter undoubtedly did bad things to his psyche.

If ever a deer in Texas had PTSD, he was it.

I know who to blame for the jumpy disposition of South Texas whitetails!

 

[HB]

I don’t kill yearlings

You’re missing out, I make a point to shoot one with my bow each September. They are easy to butcher and ice in the heat compared to a larger deer. I also figure a yearling is half likely to die in the winter from natural causes or otherwise. Might as well be in my freezer.


OP,
I have passed shots on birds like that but never deer. On a good day of dove hunting you can be very selective with your shots and enjoy the show otherwise

HB