Do You?

[elkoholic]

Re: Do You?

I am not sure if I derive any satisfaction from the kill itself. My ability to make the most of the opportunity that is afforded when skill and chance intersect is where the satisfaction comes in. The total experience so to speak. When I pass on a deer or any other critter the satisfaction of the hunt is still there. Of course that leaves out the game retrieval and processing part, which I also find satisfying, but the excitement is still there.

[wtnhunt]

Re: Do You?

Not sure really Chris. Have had a ton of opportunitites and it can be quite a thrill to draw on a deer or have the crosshairs on a legal deer only to let it walk.

However, I still get that adrenaline rush that is like no other just after the shot. Dont know that I would call that satisfaction really. You just dont get that same rush when you let down or pass one up.

[johnf]

Re: Do You?

Friday I was out hunting a box blind. Around 5 PM, I told myself if I saw a good doe I would take her, I wanted a buck, but would take a nice doe. Around 10 minutes later, I had the thought that I would like a good clean neck shot on a doe and if I had one, I would take it. About 5 mintues later a nice mature doe cam out from behind some bushes about 40 yards away. She was broad side to me with her head straight up. I had the cross hairs in the center of her neck about 6 inches below her head for about 30 seconds. She just sit there bgging for me to put one through her.

I never even pulled the hammer back. Don't really know why. I just didn't want to take her.

I'm gussing with the shot I had, it would have dropped her where she stood.

Last year I had the same shot on an 8pt. He would have been my first buck, but I wasn't sure about shot placement on a neck, so I didn't take the shot. I felt really bad about it last year because I din't take a deer that I thought I probibly could have.

After talking with some more experienced hunters, the shot I had on him would have takin him straight down. I've kicked myself in the rear for not.

With this doe, I went home empty handed, but felt really good. This was the first legal deer that I've ever passed up the shot on. Some of you older or more experience can correct me if you feel that I'm wrong, I think to be a successful hunter, it's more important to know when not to shoot then when to shoot. Even if it's a clean kill.

This isn't the John Kerry "Deer hunter" scene. If this had been a decent legal buck, I'd have dropped him in a second.