Ethics Question

[StealthHunter]

I passed up a 20 yard shot on a spike this morning because I couldn't get a clear kill shot. I could have shot it several times but I decided to hold off. What would you have done in this situation? This would have been my first buck ever.

[Shorthair]

Let him walk. You done good.

[mr4pt]

No brainer

Shoot it and probably never find it or let it walk?

You should feel just as good by letting it walk as you would have killing it because the alternative could have been gut wrenching.

[GoTres]

Let him walk. There will be other bucks, plus his horns might fork before he's done.

[flhuntress]

pat yourself on the back...nothing wrong with your ethics.

[NitroHunter]

Like everyone else I agree you done the right thing.
I would rather tell someone that I let a deer walk than tell them I made a bad shot and couldn't find it.

[noonebil]

It may have been hard to let it walk, but that beats the feeling of making a bad shot & never recovering a deer you might have maimed or killed. Good call! You've shown more deer hunting maturity than some I know that have been hunting 20 years.

[StealthHunter]

Thank you all very much for the advice. Although it would have been my first deer as well as my first buck I feel that I made the right call.

[hunt4fun1]

Yeah.....walk him.

[commanche]

dont shoot a spike thats next years 4 point.we only can shoot 6 point and above here in pa. we love it . many old timers are excited now. we are seeing 8 point buck all the time now. when they allowed you to shoot does and spike bucks we would only see a 8 point once in awhile, now its getting normal to see them. when i was 12 i saw 5 to 8 bucks a drive.dad would never let us shoot a spike . i dont allow doe killing on my land only for a kids first deer. i have 9 buck ,6 are 7& 8 points and 1 six point ,others are spikes.i also have 13 doe and some are button bucks that would be killed if they were on state land which has no deer here do to doe killing.no deer is worth wounding. from the talk here you have all kinds of deer there so i would not be in a hurry.

[mudfish2]

good call

commanche..we have so many does here..I ask guests to shoot them if it's not during the rut..then they can pass it up..I was told that your landcan only support so many deer...and if most of them are does..you won't see as many bucks...since I have started taking more does...we see more bucks..I also heard that it's alot easier to call in a big buck with the rattling if your buck to doe ratio is not all out of wack..the way my property is ..the state land is next then the wildlife refuge..when they open for hunts..sitting in the stand here is like listening to a dove shoot

[commanche]

mudfish, i remember the days we had deer like that, no more. i promised i would not stir the waters here and i should not have commented as i did but i have seen what hunting used to be here in pa. and now kids have nothing to look forward to.i hope that does not happen to you folk down south.i am saddened by what i see here in pa. now other than the antler restrictions to 3 points on 1 side.

[RedOak]

I go with a good call. And I will take ANY shot I think will get the job done. PERIOD. I don't care if it is neck, head, or ass. To me that is the shooters call based on his knowledge of his skills, range, weapon, obstructions, and on and on.

I got to go with mud too on the what it is issue. Here we have too many does and to many small bucks from too many deer. On my 5 acres I have litteraly the same amount of deer as squirells. That isnt good. I border buck only except for 2 days federal land and I have resolved to do my part by hunting does on my land this year.