Well, I haven't been able to get out hunting much so far, so I didn't "earn a buck" by shooting a doe yet.  I went out saturday afternoon on public land and had a doe and a pretty nice(by new jersey standards) 8 pointer come straight at me about 20 minutes before last shooting light.  The wind was right, but they came from the wrong direction and crossed my trail.  About fifteen yards from me the gets a whiff and gives a hop off of the trail into some cover.  The buck keeps going about 5 more steps, stops, smells the ground and hops back.  He smell the air and turns broadside.  I'm looking through a 1 foot x 1 foot hole in some brush that is surrounding a y- shaped tree with a beautiful shooting lane.  The buck tempts me by turning away, but being a good boy I let him pass and hope the doe presents a shot.  Didn't happen and they wander off, not spooked too bad.  After I leave, I'm thinking this was a pretty good day.  Beautiful weather, lots of squirrels playing, got close to a couple of deer.  This morning I find out that the 'earn a buck' portion of the season has ended and I could have shot the buck.  I'm ready for my lobotomy now.

You did good.   We all do things like that....  Forget something... or don't know a rule till after you have an opportunity....  Etc .  

It was a great day.... you got to see some neat stuff.
ChuckC

Well, at least you walked away with a memory that you'll never forget.  

Patrick, you had action Bud, you saw deer! That's why you keep 3 copies of the game laws at all times; one in the truck, one on the coffee table and the most important one is in the crapper. Study it, Learn it, LOL! You'll get another chance think positive.

You did good. Better to err this way than to think earn a buck portion was over and it not be over.

bhfp

I'm stupid.

I have been in the stupid category now and then. many more times than I wish.

Patrick,   What kind of doctor are you training to become???

Bill

Ouch.

That reminds me of me! Good luck

Eric

It`s always the details.

Like leaving the pick-up without making sure the
5-speed manual is in gear OR the parking brake is engaged, and returning to find it has rolled about twenty five feet, and turned nice paint to not so nice paint.    

Lucky buck.

You`re right though, it was a pretty good day.

Dude That's nothing, I'm a solo hunter and didn't realize I had misread the spike fork harvest laws for Moose.......I've let literally dozens of legal Moose go over the years!

Hey Pat,, Don't be so hard on yourself bud, Im still going through bows, and the season started in "BOTH" states that I hunt !! But Ain't It Fun !! Come On "NOVEMBER" !!!!!!!

yep! on a regular basis, at least that's what my wife tells me...

Welcome to the club. My first season I had a large doe dead on at 12 yards and was shooting my Dan Quillian longbow. I had never shot the new broadhead tipped arrows, only others set up exactly the same. I forgot to fit the nocks to the string and shot right over the top of her.
Cussed up a storm, and then been grinning about it ever since. Never make that mistake again.

Earn a buck sucks.

I Might Add ----Really Really Sucks!!!!

Yep I am a member of the club too. I was so rattled when I was shooting at my first deer, a doe, I missed once under and once over.

Ya done good.  Reminds me of the old definition of ethics.  You know, the one about "ethics are what you when nobody is looking."

Some guys would have shot that buck even if the earn a buck law was in effect.

But yea, not knowing the regs is kinda stupid.  

I like the earn a buck season, but I know when it ends. Don't worry Pat, I've done plenty of other dumb things.