Ok here it is,

I was Muskie Fishing and at the time, the largest fish I had ever seen, just majestically appeared and slowly swam behind my lure and Nonchalantly grabbed it.  I was in such awe and the beauty and power of this aqua hunter, I forgot to set the hook and hence lost the fish.

Even after we we parted ways I just stood there with a grin on my face thankful for the experience.

Now, I have passed many deer because I would rather watch them.  My question is: how many people have just sat there with their mouths gaping wide open in amazement and beauty of a creature then by the time you even remotely thought about shooting, it was way too late?

The first time I called in an elk, 2 cows came in so fast that I just stood there not knowing that I should be shooting.  Couldn't believe that tooting on that call actually worked!

One of the big does I have  been persuing in my area came in last year and took over an hour to present a shot. She was so tense and smart that by the time she got to where I needed her to be to take a shot I had such a headache that I decided that I wouldn't/couldn't shoot. I was afraid of wounding her or educating her. She never busted me but she broke me, if you know what I mean. She's still around and has given me the slip again this year. I had a 15 yard shot at her on day one but the Fish and Game dept. didn't allow the taking of does the first two weeks of archery season due to low deer densiity numbers in other parts of the state. The game is still on and the since she threw down the gaunlet  I truly wonder if I got her and a good buck in a shooting situations I probably would opt to drop the string on her. It's become a personal thing.

The largest buck I ever shot with my bow had me awestruck from the time I saw him on a distant point to the time he emerged from behind a white oak tree at 5 yards in front of my ground blind.

I couldn't believe what had transpired, never seen a buck like that so close. He was walking at a quick pace.  With a split second to go before he was behind some brush with no shot opportunity, a voice in my head boomed" shoot now or it will be too late". My auto pilot kicked in and I got the shot off.

I was on a hunt during the rut . Lots of snow the creeks were raging and the deer weren't crossing them. I was still hunting near a thicket and a large die was being chased by a mature buck. I dropped to one knee I was wearing predator fall gray camo and was in the open near a creek edge. The doe ran straight towards me but stopped at the creek with the very large 8 point in tow. The distance from the too deer to me was no more than 10 yards ok maybe twelve. Bow up and ready for a shot when the doe turned and presented herself to the buck. I witnessed the breeding of the two wild creatures in they're natural state. They never knew I was there. I was so amazed at what I just witnessed that I never moved until the two trotted off back into the thicket. I reflection I could have taken a shot several times during this 20 minuet ritual. Even though I never took a shot this is one of the most cherished hunting memories I have. Regret for not taking a shot? No way I witnessed something that most will only see on tv if at all. Sorry for the long reply just wanted to share.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

My very first archery elk hunt I had a Bull welllll into the 300's come in with nine cows. I was mesmerized...I would like to say I passed the shot but that's not what I did...I was so much in awe I almost forgot to shoot and even when I did shoot it was a clean miss over the top so I guess I was "awed out of" a hit  

This was about 20 years ago when I was single.  I went hunting on Christmas mornig.  I was supposed to be at my parents house for the family thing around 10, but thought I could get in a quick hunt.  It was one of those mornings that the frost is so big and thick that it looks like snow on everything.  When the sun came up there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun shining off all the frost was beautiful.  After a while I can hear some deer coming.  A herd of does come in and are all around my tree stand, but no buck.  I drew on the biggest doe at 12 yards, but it was so quiet and beautiful of a morning, that I did not want to spoil it. Now if it had been a big buck things would have been different!

This year. A buck that has been outsmarting me for the second year. The Friday before gun law I was out behind the house in one of my favorite stands and there he was. I watched him come up out of the hollow and through the multiflora rose. After 10 minutes or so he was 12 steps(I paced it off after he left) away from me about as broadside as a deer can get. I had the bow in hand but never put an arrow on the string, I just watched him, he owned the woods and for that moment in time he owned me. I can't say how many points or how big the rack was just that it was big. I got home that night and told my wife I had just seen the most magnificient buck I had ever seen.

Thursday night of deer gun season at 7:30 pm(well past legal shooting time), my neighbor on the next farm down us heard 3 shots behind his barn. He ran out and found three guys kneeling besides a buck, "The" buck. My neighbor dosen't hunt deer but feeds them all year long and has many pictures of the buck all through the summer and early fall. Apparently his neighbor took advantage of my neighbors good heart.

I always have a saddness when I take a deer. In this case I'm happy that my last memory of this buck was while he was still King of my woods.

Yes I had a three legged Coyote come in to bow range did not take the shot, felt sorry for him.

Many,many times!No regrets.
Leland

Nope.

Sorry guys. I keep thinking of girl I once saw...

Not that I remember, but a couple times, once on an elk and a nice whitetail I was in shock and awe that I never really focused on a spot and missed really bad on them.


Earl

QuoteOriginally posted by onewhohasfun:
Nope.

Me neither.

similar to the OP , i was out pissin around with my flyrod , in a creek that i thought only had chubs and carp. saw a 10" stocked rainbow slam my dry and come at least a foot outta the water.

by the time i was done hootin and hollerin , i was reeling in a wet fly with no fish.


hasnt happened since.
=hov

I had a picture of a deer rubbing a willow tree in my office which I would look at and dream of having that seen play our in front of me. Well that fall while setting a ground blind the seen played out just as I imaged and I just sat there looking at a nice 10 point in total amazement. I will remember that for the rest of my life. No shots, just a big grin on my face.

Only when they were out of range. Otherwise I'm looking to kill them. I did sit with my mouth open at the biggest Buck I've ever seen but I was sitting in my truck heading out after an eve hunt in Minnesota. He was with two does in a cut corn field with snow on the ground. He dwarfed the does body size. His rack was unbelievable. A huge Non Typical. Unreal mass! To this day the biggest Buck I've ever seen.

I was pig hunting in Georgia and had a huge boar (I guessed at least 225 ) and to me that is huge, feed out of a thicket....what got me was his teeth,they seemed very large for even him....as he fed with a couple other pigs towards me they turned and literally passed by at less than 15 yards...I was watching him and as they fed away, I finally realized that I did not shoot....felt kind of foolish.....

Someone told me once that "I do not want to kill the deer but wish I were one". Might be right... Kinda... Have (them) so close sometimes and never get a shot off. Makes me wonder.....       Then again, encounters like that make me smile.

... mike ...

Don't know about "awe"  but a few years ago a hunting parner, still hunting in the thick mess of a south Texas ranch, heard the sound of pigs.  He snuck in down wind and got shooting close to a very large, black colored, momma pig and her little hoard.  The little ones were fighting and squeeling and she was laying in the shade.

He ended up backing out and leaving them alone.  

When asked about it he said. . " well, I thought about shooting,  then she got up and looked my way. .  Chuck, she was as big as the front of your F-150.  I looked around and saw absolutely no trees big enough to climb and asked myself. .  do I really want to pi$$ her off ? "  

I guess maybe that is a wow / awe, for another kinda reason.
ChuckC