I think I hit that point...

[SamPotter]

I've felt regret just for the simple fact that my hunt is over- even if I killed a nice buck. It's been said before, sometimes the actual kill can be a bit of a letdown...

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[Redman232]

If I killed a 180", the next day I would be disappointed I was done buck hunting for the year. I shot a 2 year old behind my house this year and had a few friends talk about the "small buck" I shot. They know I don't care, it's all about the individual hunt for me. I've passed 140" deer and kill dinkers in the same season. I don't mind eating tag soup but personally there is so much more meat on a buck than a doe, if it were the last day of the season and they were next to each other I would bust the buck.

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[Redman232]

If I killed a 180", the next day I would be disappointed I was done buck hunting for the year. I shot a 2 year old behind my house this year and had a few friends talk about the "small buck" I shot. They know I don't care, it's all about the individual hunt for me. I've passed 140" deer and kill dinkers in the same season. I don't mind eating tag soup but personally there is so much more meat on a buck than a doe, if it were the last day of the season and they were next to each other I would bust the buck.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[checkerfred]

If I killed a 180", the next day I would be disappointed I was done buck hunting for the year. I shot a 2 year old behind my house this year and had a few friends talk about the "small buck" I shot. They know I don't care, it's all about the individual hunt for me. I've passed 140" deer and kill dinkers in the same season. I don't mind eating tag soup but personally there is so much more meat on a buck than a doe, if it were the last day of the season and they were next to each other I would bust the buck.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I agree...we also have very liberal harvest laws...3 bucks one of which must have at least 4 pts on one side. A doe a day all season long on private land. So if I kill for meat it's likely a buck as people a laying the does down. At least around me on private...pretty much if it's brown it's down.

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[DEERSLAYER]

I have felt that way before mauser06. But, making a good shot makes you highly successful in my book. Nothing commands more respect from me than someone that makes a quick kill. Regardless of the size of the buck (or doe). That's more important than size and more than some people have a habit of dong. It's great if the deer you take gets to live a long life before it dies and has a big rack to put on your wall, but the most important thing is that we make the kill in a way that produces the least pain and suffering possible. By the sounds of it you did just that so don't beat yourself up.

I think sometimes we have too much of a disconnect with the lives we take. Instead we tend to get too concerned with whether or not it's a big buck and forget that these animals are capable of feeling tremendous pain and suffering. More than most of us will ever experience. These animals don't deserve to die and they certainly don't deserve that kind of pain. So to me making that shot makes you a lot more successful than the guy with a giant for the wall that he gut shot. Especially if he did so because he didn't have enough (or in some cases any) respect for life. I would still be proud of that kill and consider it a big success.

[mauser06]

Thanx guys!!!


I am fine with it...actually its an awesome story...2 years back to back. Doe shot early in the day and buck shot at nearly the same time from the same small push while I sat in the exact spot...



For the record...I DO pass bucks on our drives lol...sometimes my friends think I'm blind!!

It was an awesome day in the woods...I made 2 very nice shots and neither deer kicked or flopped. (That 225gr accubond is a hammer!). The sausage will be awesome...and the rack will look good on the wall amongst some of his ancestors...

I've always been a big woods hunter...it was like pulling teeth to get some of my buddies to goto camp for that day...but 5 of my buck now have came from camp...I've only been going up there I think 12 seasons or so...


I am to the point that the majority of the time I rather pass a buck like him...I'm sure if I get married and have kids and don't have all the time in the world I may revert a bit..but I was happy passing 2.5yos this season because I had so much time to hunt and 2.5yos are becoming about the norm lately....


Time to go chase deer for the buddies....I have a feeling that regret will come back to haunt me again today.....but...live n learn...make decisions and live with it...everything happens for a reason too...that very well may have been the last killable buck of my season ...

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[Ruger]

Here in Louisiana a hunter can kill two bucks, three does and an either sex deer a year for a total of six. I'll never approach that, though some of my buddies do. They eat a lot of deer meat and that's fine. Personally I have passed on more deer than I a will ever shoot. I don't kill more than one deer a year unless someone I know needs the meat because that's how much my family eats. Usually its a nice fat doe that eats and drags better. Those old Louisiana bucks are pretty sneaky and highly nocturnal.

But, I have often wondered what it would be like if I only had one buck tag like a lot of states do. I'd probably end up killing a doe a year waiting on a good buck. lol

BUT to get back to your topic, you should never feel disappointed about killing ANY deer. It's a gift of food for someone and a privilege that should never make someone "feel disappointed". Shoot what you want with what you want, it's much more fun that way. I never judge anyone's actions in the woods unless it's illegal. After all it's supposed to be FUN.

Oh, and tonight I'm going to run up to the camp to meet a buddy of mine. We'll have THICK ribeyes on an open flame, drink too much beer and talk about how great it is to be hunting in that hellhole we call our lease. In the morning we have a grueling walk. We are going to a ridge in the middle of a swamp. My buddy found some sign there of what we think is a 5+ year old cagey old buck that has outwitted him so far this year. No one hunts there because it's too hard to get to, but we will take our time and be in ambush for him come the break of dawn. We will leave that place mid morning with a great memory kill or no kill. After all work calls. In a few weeks we will probably laugh around the campfire and tell the tale of how he outsmarted us again. That's why we hunt.

[Zona]

A 100 inch buck in PA during gun season is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats

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[briar]

I did it 2 years ago. I think the thing is as you develop as a hunter you don't realize that you are going to feel that way until AFTER it happens, and by then you can't take back the decision. Hindsight is always 20/20........now that you know that feeling and know it will likely be that way in the future, you are aware and can make decisions accordingly.

You can't only make choices with the information you have available.....if next year you posted the same story then I wouldn't understand, but I TOTALLY understand feeling that way this year.

Nice buck, nice doe, enjoy every ounce of it!!

[Peeps22]

If you'd shoot it on the last day, then theres nothing to be discouraged about. Now you have time to do some in-season scouting!

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[Spysar]

It wasn't that long ago that antlers were junk and tossed aside.........The big rack thing is pretty new. If you lived before internet, and hunting TV shows, then you know what I mean.

[Buckfever]

I think this is good. A little bit of pain so you don't do that again.

[Buckfever]

It wasn't that long ago that antlers were junk and tossed aside.........The big rack thing is pretty new. If you lived before internet, and hunting TV shows, then you know what I mean.

My father's generation frowned on antlers, "the meat's not as good".

[Buckfever]

At the end of the day, "to thine own self be true".

You really need to flesh out why you have regret. Is that for you or is that for someone else.

[mauser06]

My feelings certainly aren't for anyone but me...


Its a VERY personal thing....

It happened....I'm beyond it..

A few guys nailed it...feeling these different feelings is like feeling the stove for the first time...given the same circumstances and time off work etc I will be sure what I am looking at before I pile it up....


Someone mentioned in season scouting...

I just put 2 solid bucks passed 2 buddies today...115-120" bucks..another good day in the woods!!


I'm also seriously mega kicking my own but...today I pushed through a piece...I kept telling my buddy "I should go hunt it..". Well...I never did....

Its kind of a stupid spot...mostly thicker than can be...no good food sources..just not a lot there....

Well...every buck in the county must have traveled it during the rut...I'm not kidding...ever 15 yards was another giant scrape..the trail in the ground looked like a cattle trail...

I'm actually probably going to move a camera to it tomorrow....there's still a lot of deer moving through.


I gotta quit falling back to my old habits and spots...some are good...but I get strung along and don't trust my knowledge and scouting...

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