Take the first good shot that you get!

[PalsPal]

Had a doe and yearling come into a food plot nonchalantly. They're feeding, maybe 40 yards from me.

I'm watching the way they came from the woods, and I see another deer walking toward me. I then see nice rack, and I get ready to take the shot. He stops at the edge of the field, maybe 60 yds broadside, and brushes his rack through some overhead branches. I had a clear shot, but decided to wait for him to come into the plot.

Unbeknownst to me, the doe had exited, the field, and he took off running her direction. I could not get him to stop.

IDIOT!!!!!

 

[backyardtndeer]

It happens, maybe she will bring him back around.

 

[BSK]

I'm just the opposite. I would rather miss a chance at a good buck than to take a less than high-odds shot. I take pride in making a lot of one-shot kills. But I've only been able to achieve that by waiting for high-odds shots for my shooting ability. have some good bucks gotten away because of that? Yup. But it doesn't bother as much as if I had taken a low-odds shot and ended up wounding a fine animal.

Now I have surprised myself by taking a few shots that I probably shouldn't have. None ended poorly, but it did force me to learn to watch deer through binoculars instead of a rifle/MZ scope. Looking through the scope it's too easy to suddenly see an opportunity and touch it off.

 

[PalsPal]

I'm just the opposite. I would rather miss a chance at a good buck than to take a less than high-odds shot. I take pride in making a lot of one-shot kills. But I've only been able to achieve that by waiting for high-odds shots for my shooting ability. have some good bucks gotten away because of that? Yup. But it doesn't bother as much as if I had taken a low-odds shot and ended up wounding a fine animal.

Now I have surprised myself by taking a few shots that I probably shouldn't have. None ended poorly, but it did force me to learn to watch deer through binoculars instead of a rifle/MZ scope. Looking through the scope it's too easy to suddenly see an opportunity and touch it off.

I agree 100%, but this was a high odds shot. I got caught up watching him, and thought I'd get an easier one. I was wrong.

 

[LenS]

I'm with BSK in that I find myself waiting more and more. A few years ago I rushed a shot on a buck and ended up with a bad shot. I found him 2 hours later and finished him off, but I can't stand that his last hours on earth were unpleasant because of my mistake. I will gladly live with the regret of letting one walk while waiting for the certain shot as opposed to the regret of not making a clean, quick kill.

 

[megalomaniac]

I take the first high odds shot, but don't rush the shot.

As a consequence, only 25% of my shots are perfectly broadside.

The majority are quartering or facing me directly. And I don't hesitate waiting for them to turn broadside.

 

[TN G.O.A.T Hunter]

 

[Rakkin6]

Had a doe and yearling come into a food plot nonchalantly. They're feeding, maybe 40 yards from me.

I'm watching the way they came from the woods, and I see another deer walking toward me. I then see nice rack, and I get ready to take the shot. He stops at the edge of the field, maybe 60 yds broadside, and brushes his rack through some overhead branches. I had a clear shot, but decided to wait for him to come into the plot.

Unbeknownst to me, the doe had exited, the field, and he took off running her direction. I could not get him to stop.

IDIOT!!!!!

Willing to bet we have all done that. I know I have several times. You would think I would learn lol.

 

[Rakkin6]

I'm with BSK in that I find myself waiting more and more. A few years ago I rushed a shot on a buck and ended up with a bad shot. I found him 2 hours later and finished him off, but I can't stand that his last hours on earth were unpleasant because of my mistake. I will gladly live with the regret of letting one walk while waiting for the certain shot as opposed to the regret of not making a clean, quick kill.

I agree with you brother, I try to wait until they are broadside or as close as possible. Especially with archery equipment, I have let quite a few deer walk with archery equipment that a lot would have taken. Not saying they are wrong for taking the shot but it's not my comfort zone.