Was out hunting public land yesterday morning and around 9:00am I hear a deer behind me and i see a nice 120 class buck walking through open woods slowly feeding on acorns. I'm hunting an edge where thick cover meets these open woods. I think the deer is heading for thisreal thick stuff by some houses so I grunted once. I know he heard me so I wait about 5 minutes and then give him a softer grunt. Then I wait. Sure enough 3 minutes later he swings right around and starts heading to me. I have two trails on each side of my stand 15 yards out so i am psyched. Unfortunately the deer comes right under my tree where there isn't even a trail. He walks straight away from me into thick stuff and I passed on the shot. He was looking around and came back out at 40 yards perfectly broadside but passed on that too. Then he started heading back and was going to pass me on the lefttrail at 15 yards but held up and got me wind. My friends say I should have taken the straight down shot but I always heard that was the shotto avoid. Am i wrong?

That's not a shot I like.  Normally that will be a spine shot, or a one lunger.  They can travel a long way with one lung.

Nope.  You did right IMO.

Better to wonder about taking the shot, than where a wounded deer ended up if it was a poor shot.

Definitely an ugly shot-I would have passed too. Let me guess...........your friends are cccCompounders?

You made the best choices, though they did not fill your tag. Look forward to your next encounter with this buck. Good luck!

If you need to question whether to take a shot, you probably shouldn't. Hopefully you'll see him again and have a better opportunity.

Jeff that is a tuff shot. But I think anyone who shoots as good as you do would have made it.  
Get-em next time.

First instinct prevails. No need to second guess yourself. A wounded deer not found is no fun. Better to let him pass and get him next time.

If that arrow doesn't make it through the bottom of the chest you almost have a zero chance at any blood trail at all. Low percentage shot and you did good by passing it up    

You know there's going to be some guys coming on here saying they made the shot and recovered the deer but still a very very tuff shot and a lot can go wrong the best you can get is one lung and maybe the heart but they can run for a long ways before expiring.

Tracy

I think you made the right call and way to go on making it!!!!! Sometime making the right call is a lot tougher then taking the shot.

I agree with your first instinct.

I didn't read you post....just the title...and if you had to post here and ask....then you already had your answer IMO.    

He's going thru thick stuff to heavy to shoot? You're in good company to pass on that shot!

Hind sight is perfect vision. You went with your gut feeling, and have no guilt to live with from taking a shot you were not comeforatable with.
Good call.
Pete

no sir i would not take that shot. Good call  

You had no shot.     That's called being ethical.  

I have taken straight down shots and the results have been mixed. I usually pass on them. In fact, from a tree stand I like them out in the 20 yard range.,,,they are less startled by the shot and tend to look at the source of the shot rather than duck.

Terry took the words right from my fingers...  Except I read your post.  Never take a shot you are uncomfortable with, and the size of the prey doesn't make the shot any more "comfortable."

I wouldn't take a straight down or straight away shot and I wouldn't take a shot outside my effective range.  If it didn't feel right then it wasn't.  Always follow your gut.  Good job letting him walk.