Nice cool front has pushed down south to TN.  Got a chance to hunt a nice little funnel heading to a bedding area that is easy to slip in and out of for a quick before work hunt yesterday morning.  The rain quit right at day break and was a nice morning.  I have always been one to practice drawing on deer that I had no intent on shooting.  Well this morning I would get in plenty of practice.  Had three seperate mommas with twin fawns come in about 20 minutes apart from each other and had 10-12 yard shots on all three of them, got drawn let down and told her thanks for letting me enjoy that.  About 30 minutes after the last doe and fawns had left here came a bachelor group of three bucks.  2 year and a half old bucks and one 2.5 year old 8 pointer that was about 14 inches wide about a 80 inch deer.  had no intent on shooting him.  But thought I would see if I could if I wanted to.  Got stood up and positioned for a shot when he was about 10 yards out the near leg stepped fwd I drew picked a spot came to anchor and just about loosed the string.  It was a quick let down and I just about shot at the deer not even wanting to.  I have done this 100's of times and never had this happen to me.  So my warning to all if this is something that you all also practice doing make darn sure that instinct doesnt take over and you loose an arrow when everything looks right and anchor is hit.  I still feel this is good practice and helps prepare me for when I want to shoot an animal, but I will be making sure I got it a little heavier on my mind make sure not to release.  I can kinda laugh at it now looking back on it, but I am thankful that I caught the string before it had sent an arrow unintended.

i dont point a gun or bow at anything i dont intend to shoot....

I also draw and imagine that I shoot on most deer that pass my way... unless there are too many eyes.  I dont want to get caught and loose a good spot to hunt.

God Bless,
Nathan

LOL, I would not consider shooting an 8-pointer a "bad mishap".       I basically never see any 8 pointers where I have permission to hunt. But good advice there.

Born Again,  Don't worry about gettin caught by too many eyes.  LOL, you can't run a deer off that you don't have any attention of shooting.  Of course yesterday morning I am sure I had much movement with my flinch grab wooooh that was close let down and that buck never knew I was there.  Now give it about a month and when his grandpa is 30 yards away and I blink, he will probably bust out of there, LOL.

Adam..... I used to do the same thing until one day while hunting Mule Deer I managed to get within 15 yards of a nice Antelope buck that was oblivious to my presence. I drew and came a hairs breadth from automatically loosing that arrow. As you did, I let down immediately, but knowing I had almost shot an Antelope out of season left me with a real sick feeling in the pit of my stomach..... Terry

I used to do the same thing,...when I "accidentally" filled my second and LAST archery tag back in the late eighties...on day FIVE of our long season, I decided it was better to draw on small game.

Hours of preperation and practice just take over, and you do what you are there to do.

Last time out, I nearly step on a smaller 8 pointer.  It took two hops across some belly deep water, most of the stream this year is ankle deep, to a long high sandbar. It stopped just 18 yards from me and looked back and commenced doing its afternoon wake-up routine.  Normally with my yew longbow, I anchor about a quarter of a second. This time I snapped up the bow, drew dead on, and the thought of where this deer would go after I shot it and held, thinking about that deeper than expected water and then the 23" wide 12 pointer. Later I came across a 4x3 that was at first 45 yards away and then came to within 20 yards of me, I did not draw on him, fearing that I would shoot. Come some cold day in late season, I may regret that not shooting  part.

Id have shot him too!!!!

It's already been said, but never point a gun or bow at anything you don't intend on destroying/shooting.  The IBEP program treats every nocked arrow the same as a loaded gun.  Would you draw a bead on an animal with a firearm?  Some silly stuff going on here, at least it's a good lesson for everyone to consider.