From: MAXHunter
Date: 19-Nov-09
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I can't believe what I did last night!! I have a 7 pointer on my property I have been watching all year, he is my best local animal. I get in my treestand on my property at 4:30pm and have about 30 minutes of shooting light. After I get settled in here comes my 7 point. He is coming right at me but he is on the wrong side of a creek. He gets to the creek and starts walking past me broadside at 35 yards. Normally this would be an easy shot for me but it is really overcast and I am not comfortable with the lighting so I pass up the shot. When he gets to the dirt road I decide to grunt at him. The deer stops right behind a big oak. I think I can make his outline out but I am not sure. I grunt again and here comes a buck walking out from behind the tree right down the road and crossing the creek. He gets over the creek and starts walking right to me. He stops at 20 yards.Then he turns his head and I see some height and think ok that's him. He turns broadside and I sent the lumenok like a laser beam into him. He crashes in 5 seconds about 75 yards away. I climb down, walk over to where I heard him crash and my lumenok is lit up. There is something white 5 yards away. Yeah, there he is, I finally got the deer I have been following all year! Oh, maybe not!! I shot the wrong buck! It was a 5 pointer! I am always so focused on the animal and not looking at his antlers too much that I shot the wrong deer! I was really angry, I did not want to remove a young buck from the property. What had happened was the big buck stayed still behind the oak and a different buck that had approached it from behind had walked out from behind it. I called my friends and they said it has happened to them too. So, do you risk breaking your concentration by looking at antlers more, or focus on executing the shot and understand that what happened was a once in a lifetime mistake? Anyone else ever have this happen? It happened to my buddy last year in Missouri. Personally I don't like staring at the head or eyes of a deer. I also am in a zone the whole time a deer is approaching, I don't want to think about anything but aim small miss small. When I shoot, I have such tunnel vision I don't even really see the deer's head, I am so focused on a hair or something. So, the deer is at the butcher and should make for some nice meals, but it is the first time I ever was not happy about a harvest.
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From: Slickheadhunter
Date: 19-Nov-09
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Oh please,with all due respect there max its a deer,just eat it! Besides the 7 point wil be that much bigger next year.
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From: MAXHunter
Date: 19-Nov-09
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I still have another tag, the same pointer is not safe yet! lol
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From: Andy Man
Date: 19-Nov-09
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Never had that happen; I usually watch the deer and everything he/she is doing then the instant I choose to shoot I then switch to the spot. But I shoot real quick sorta Fred Bear/Asbel style; Just be happy you got a deer and enjoy the screw up if you want to think of it that way. I would just be happy with the deer and a good shot.
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From: Slickheadhunter
Date: 19-Nov-09
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Well there you go,just make sure you post pics of the 7 pointer.
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From: One Tracker
Date: 19-Nov-09
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Normally comfortable at 35 yards--I'd love to be comfortable at 25! I bet those bucks are the same age--or the 7 would not have tolerated the 5--but it's your property and you know him! I have not seen squat since guns opened--but I am taking the day off tomorrow and it has rained the last two days on my best stand and I haven't been there for a week!!
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From: Kelly
Date: 19-Nov-09
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Might have been too dark!
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From: Rick Barbee
Date: 19-Nov-09
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The main reason I carry binoculars is for low light study of the animal I am about to shoot, provided I have that luxury, which I usually do.
I learned that lesson the hard way after shooting a few button bucks in low light, thinking they were doe, and then getting my butt chewed out for it.
Just a good pair of 8x32 will do the trick.
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From: wtpops
Date: 20-Nov-09
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I dont see a problem. The big buck has one more year to pass on his DNA and you can look foward to hunting him again next year.
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From: Gilly
Date: 20-Nov-09
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Agree with the boys, and understand the frustration. But on the flip side, this big boys will be passing on his genes to the the really big one you'll get in 4 years. Theres nothing harder on a guy than that emotional rollcoaster, " yippee I got him........" followed by the " dman.......this isnt him"
Well done with a quick kill nonetheless.
Cheers,
Harley
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From: MAXHunter
Date: 20-Nov-09
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Yeah Rick, I had the binoculars, I had already identified him at 30 yards though. Problem was when the deer came in I assumed it was him, and due to the difficulty of getting a shot at a bigger buck I was solely concerned with not getting busted. I was trying not to move, trying not to look at his head gear, trying to stay focused. I was focusing on finding a spot behind the leg and should have double checked the antlers. My dissapointment is on various levels. One I have made it very difficult for myself to harvest the 7 pointer if he saw what happened, I still have another buck tag. Two, I made a mistake, and personally I don't like making mistakes. Three, I killed a buck that probably would have been a nice buck next year. My friends have made me feel much better, they almost all to a man have made the same mistake. I hope I can learn from it.
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From: Slickheadhunter
Date: 20-Nov-09
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If you hunted for the meat alone you wouldnt feel this way,you would be grateful and take it in thanksgiving.
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From: Clint B.
Date: 20-Nov-09
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In Missouri, as of two years ago in my hunting areas, we can only shoot does or bucks with at least 4 points on one side. We now must make sure we've got the right deer in our sights.
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From: MAXHunter
Date: 24-Nov-09
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Clint, I hunt in trophy buck zones but we only need 3 points on one side. First thing I thought when I saw the deer was, uh oh, it better have a brow tine! Feeewww!!!! Photo is on the photobucket.
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From: Graysquirrel
Date: 24-Nov-09
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Wait till you concentrate so hard on the 5 very large points on one side, then shoot him (with a gun) and when you get there he has 5 very LARGE points on one side, and broken off nub on the other.
I've done that and it ain't a good feeling either.
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From: lechwe
Date: 25-Nov-09
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I had a similar thing happen just sunday. I ended up shooting a smaller buck than I was trying to get on. I had 4 different bucks chasing and gott them mixed up. Haen't done that before but I'm still happy to have him.
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From: Slickheadhunter
Date: 25-Nov-09
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If theres two bucks and there working there way to me and assuming there both legal(Antler 3in or longer)I will shoot the first one I have a clean ethical shot on,regardless of the size.
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From: Timberghost
Date: 28-Nov-09
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Congrats on your deer.
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