# This one is going to haunt me!



## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

I was hunting Sunday morning in a stand I haven't hunted I moved it a month ago and decided to hunt that one. About 8:45 I hear a grunt so I returned with a grunt of my own, nothin. About 15 minutes later I see this large pearl white rack coming down the trail. He makes the bend and shows the rest of him quartered towards me at about 50 yards. He's huge! He continues down the trail closing the distance. I draw back line up on him.... He walks through my first lane broad side at this point, then the second, finally on the third shooting lane I made a very light Mehhh to stop him. That deer never hesitated mid step turned and bounded over the ridge. I was so sick to my stomach he was there 25 yards away the biggest buck I have ever had in my sights and I didn't take the shot because I wanted to get him to stop. I didn't feel I had a good shot with him walking the pace he was walking and my shooting lane. I'm kicking my self now but I'm trying to assure my self I did the right thing trying to get him to stop. All I can think about is him having to turn his head to miss trees as he bounded through the woods. One of my hunting buddies at lunch said "he didn't get that big wondering what weird noises in the woods were." 
Didn't see a single deer the rest of the day.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

It won't haunt you near as much as it would if you would have stuck him in the leg, shoulder,or gut and never found him. You did the right thing by not taking the shot. You may get a second chance yet. Good luck.


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## FISH DINNER (Jul 23, 2010)

Sounds to me like you need to work on your doe speak. Maybe you gave him the 'run like hell' meh instead of the 'hey stop and look over here' meh. I would recommend practicing all day at work to get it right. I'm only kidding, I feel your pain but you made the absolute right opinion in my book. If that buck was that jumpy how do you know that already being midstride and hearing a bow string twang wouldn't make him dart forward resulting in one absolutely terrible far back shot? Always be comfortable with the shot before you take it and you will be more successful in the woods.


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

bobk said:


> It won't haunt you near as much as it would if you would have stuck him in the leg, shoulder,or gut and never found him. You did the right thing by not taking the shot. You may get a second chance yet. Good luck.


This is absolutely correct. Congrats on your decision, even if the outcome wasn't the best.

He will be back.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

You made the right decision. If you aren't comfortable with the shot, don't take it.
He's my story
I used to whistle to stop deer for the shot. It worked every time. About 15 years ago, I grunted & rattled this really large buck in. He was close, really close like 6 yards. He was fully alert and looking everywhere. Once he finally came in he was moving to fast to feel comfortable about the shot. I don't know why but I decided to make a "kissing" noise to stop him. Well, he reacted like someone stuck a lit cigarette up his rear end. I got to admit, *it only took 10 years of night sweats, reliving it over and over in my mind but I'm glad to say I finally got over it*.


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## black swamp (May 22, 2012)

That sucks but you did the right thing an did not shoot. I walked on a big 10-12 point that was bedded down at 8 43 this mourning at 9 yards away an did not take the shot, just was not right but still happy just to see that brute maybe next time if there is a next time, anyway good call an good luck.


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## postalhunter1 (Jun 5, 2010)

You did the right thing, it's not easy and you will always wonder, but if you put a bad shot on it and never found it?? That my friend is much, much worse.....


God, Family, Work, Hunting.....


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## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

Thanks for all the reassurance! It still ran through my head all day. But like everyone said it would have been far worse if I put a bad hit on him. Thanks again


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## mrjbigfoot (Apr 19, 2005)

I've gone both ways on trying to stop them and just aiming forward when not trying to stop them & I much prefer aiming forward because of deer jumping string when I did stop them prior to releasing because I put them on alert with the stop call.. I even had one of the biggest monsters I've ever seen in my life, chasing another buck that was chasing a doe & running by my stand when I tried to stop them and all it did was spook them all further away to never come back by & I wish I wouldn't have made a sound and just waited for the next possible opportunity because they were just running all over, inside about a 200 yard circle in the bottom I was in and I might have gotten another, better chance if I just would've waited..


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

First of all, congrats on not wounding a great buck with what would have not been a for sure kill shot! As others have posted, you did it the right way. However, I've seen several posts, here, and on other forums, where the old "meh" call has sent bucks fleeing in panic! Maybe the old fraternity, swallow some air, and burp it up, call. URRRP! I don't know, but maybe something in a lower register will get them to stop rather than bounding out of sight!


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## Mad-Eye Moody (May 27, 2008)

I have never had a deer bolt when I bahhed like a lamb. It is my go to. Haven't had to shoot a moving deer in years. But I'm sure ill bump one doing it eventually.


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## postalhunter1 (Jun 5, 2010)

I agree with mad eye. I have been stopping deer on a dime for years with the old "mahhhh" sound. I don't think most hunters realize that you can control when, where, of even if deer come around. However, you can usually get them to stop exactly where you want. It worked three times this year already. Just make sure you're ready to shoot!!


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## postalhunter1 (Jun 5, 2010)

I meant you can't control when or where the deer come from. Ooops!


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Well, I'll tell you my story of how it can haunt you the other way. Several years back my buddies did a soft push during the rut of bow season through some super thick brush. An absolute tank of a buck came out with an alpha doe. That doe was easily 5.5 years old. The buck may have been that old as well. He was not the largest I had ever seen, but to this day he is the biggest whitetail buck I have ever shot at with anything. They came bounding into my area and the doe stopped straight ahead in a perfect shooting lane at 25 yards with the buck about 45 yards out. I knew once they started moving again that the buck would be focused on the doe so I could draw and he would end up exactly where the doe was standing. I did not stop the buck when he got to that point. I just released the shot when he got there. The arrow went right into his rump. He bounded off about 50 yards and looked back. I could very clearly see where the arrow had struck. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was a wound and not a clean kill. I'll NEVER shoot an arrow at a moving deer ever again.


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## shorebound (Apr 26, 2008)

Well thank you for all the input again! I have an anterless tag and permission to hunt in an urban area so once all the gun season hubbub dies down I will be out looking for a nice doe and hopefully I can practice stopping deer even if I don't shoot them I'll get some more practice in trying different things plus I'll be scouting this property for next year and it will e a bonus if I can get fill my anterless tag 


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

One time i had a big buck come hauling a fast pace past my stand and i bleated at him and he kept going. The third time i so-called bleated at almost a yell. He was 60yds. past by then but he stopped. I had my bow off the hook by then and was hugging tite because he was looking. I waited about 20 seconds and softly bleated at him and here he came. That buck came right up against the tree i was in. I had to lean out to clear my stand when i shot that buck. He took off in the same way he had been headed and dropped about 100yds. from my stand. You never know how they are going to react. I have seen them act like they never heard you and sometimes they will stop and you can get a shot. Hang in there , the next time he may stop on a dime.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Mad-Eye Moody said:


> Haven't had to shoot a moving deer in years. But I'm sure ill bump one doing it eventually.


you can bet you will now


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

That "meh" stuff just works on robo -TV deer! Whistle!


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