Well last night was filled with excitement and a good dose of that "I'm gonna puke" feeling.

It was about 4:15 and for no reason at all here comes this beast coming up the edge of the woods in a cut corn field.  He hit my opening and for some reason I didnt even draw.  Something in my head said its too far and he is too big to "if" it.  I let him walk.  I stepped it off after dark and it was 39 yards.  This is the biggest deer I have had an encounter with to date that close.  I have seen others that are nice in the area but he is the biggest.  Someone tell me it will be alright and I did the right thing.  I cant help but think that might have been my one and only chance at this deer during bow season.

Someone other than me tell me it will be alright and with this time of the year he will be seen again.   I am second guessing making what I know was the right decision.  This deer has gotten to me for some reason.

If for some reason your intuition says something is not right, then go with it....
   When it's right, you will draw and release and think nothing about it....
   "You did good".........

If you have to think about whether ot not you can make the shot, then its best to not take it.

A lot of deer go wounded because some people only look at the prize and take shots beyond their range, ability, etc.

I think you did the right thing.

Heck, now the fun begins...why shoot him when you just met?  You get him figured out, take him on his own turf, and it'll be alright...

Go outside and shoot 1 arrow right now at 39 yards in your hunting gear. Run around the house a few times to get your heart going good, pick up the bow and shoot it the 39 yards. See how you do 1 arrow, 1 try.

That big boy doesn't know you're there right now, if you had shot and done anything but kill him, he would. At least now you might get a shot at a higher percentage chance with him.

In simple words you did good I would bet.

You did the right thing.. You know your limits and went by them.  Kudos to you..

It's "already all right!" Dustin.  You made the choice NOT to take a chance to wound a magnificent animal.  What a victory!!!

What we do when nobody is looking is what is called "ethics"... Congrats, you passed!

and it's ok to 2nd guess yourself to death now... that is the luxury of being ethical. You do the right thing at the right moment and THEN you can have no-risk fun beating yourself up over "what might have been."  

Way better then the other way around when you loose the string and gut shoot an animal and then spend years lamenting that you did it.  

Only thing is that there's no guarantee that you'll see that deer or get a better one.  There is no "later pay-off" for doing right. It comes from within.

FWIW, cudos to you and I wish more "hunters" showed that level of restraint! Congratulations!!!

You did right man, CONGRATS!  You will get another chance at that guy.

It's going to be all right. You may well not see him again, but relax, and be thankful for the experience.

I believe that a guy gets the critter he's supposed to get when he's supposed to get it.  Until that moment arrives, you can't make it happen.

Call it synchronicity, The Good Lord, The Spirit Of The Wild, Wakan Tanka,  whatever you want, but I firmly believe that a higher power guides our hunting efforts...

You think thats somthin' wait till that ole' boy walks in at 15 or 20 yds!

Your up 1 to 0 right now cuz you know about him and he dont know about you.

Be patient and hunt smart my friend, you'll get him.

Yup, you did the right thing. Now go to work on him and when everything is right, TAKE HIM!

Eric

Dustin,

I think you did the right thing, as a hunter educator I get tired of hearing "I had to shoot he was so big just could pass it up"

In your own words "This is the biggest deer I have had an encounter with to date that close."
Just think how you would feel if you took the shot,made a bad hit and could not find this animal.

Again you did the right thing, not that easy when your alone.

Sean

Dustin,

I don't believe that one is EVER wrong, when you choose to pass up a shot, becuae it doesn't feel right.

You missed an opportunity at a fine animal, but that animal is not laying somewhere, suffering, either.

My hat is off to you for "doing the right thing, even when nobody was looking!"

Now, cause you didn't spook the sneaky old bugger, you have agreat chance of getting a shot that "feels right" at him.

Best of luck, Dustin, and when the feeling is right, shoot straight, my friend.

You made the right call.  He'll be back!!!

What were you thinking, you should have let one rip.  Just kidding, you did right.  39 yards is way out of my effective shooting range.  I practive alot at 30, but very rarely at 40 and I would have had to pass.  Something very similar happened to me in IL a couple of years ago.  Saw a deer coming through the cut corn field, and my first thought was someones COW was out, the body was that big.  Passed by at about 40, but I did not shoot.

Scott

You did the right thing. The longest shot I personally will take (and I don't care how bigggg he is )  is 20 yds. Just be thankful you got to see a really good one. There are very few people in trad. that would atempt a shot at 39 yds.

congrats man  you did what many  "ethical hunters"  could not do  let t pass and wait for THE shot  that has a lot better chances

Like others have said, if you have doubts about taking the shot, it's probably best not to. Sounds like you did the right thing. I can honestly say I've never once regretted not dropping the string.

I had an encounter like that some years back.Same thing,and for a while I kicked myself over it.Even though I wasn't sure of the shot.I got over it.

It was the right move,so pat yourself on the back!

cool, now as soon as you can get in there where you CAN shoot him.

Don't stop now its just getting warmed up!!

shoot straight,