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Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
#6966829
11/20/17 06:39 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,454
DQ Kid
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,454 |
Had a nice 10 pt. move through yesterday morning and by the time I determined he was likely a shooter he had pretty much cleared through to not be seen again. I would guess him at 120-130" and probably 4.0yo+. Hunting less than 100 acres in Young county has me thinking I probably should have pulled the trigger. Problem I had was that he was on the move and only presented his rack initially from a profile view at about 200 yards. By the time he momentarily stopped broadside and I got a full look at his rack, he was only there for a very short time longer. Did I seem to make the right choice, what say the forum??
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966835
11/20/17 06:42 PM
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Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 179
D'hanis
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 179 |
You made the right call if you weren't sure. I've been on the opposite end where I couldn't tell for sure and thought a deer was better than it was only do be be disappointed when I walked up on him, and that's a terrible feeling. Rather let a good one walk than shoot a deer I shouldn't have
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966847
11/20/17 06:49 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 256
D6Ranch
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 256 |
It's like I tell the guys I hunt with or guide. Our life doesn't depend on shooting that animal, shoot when you are comfortable and sure it's what you want.
I've been a lot happier about the deer I take after becoming more selective and patient. Sure I still second guess myself, we all do, but in the end it pays off.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966879
11/20/17 07:14 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 43,845
Stub
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 43,845 |
You did the right thing, if you’re not sure then don’t. As mentioned above, I was also on the wrong end of a split decision. I thought I shot a big wide mature 8 until I walked up and saw his small body. No more than 3 1/2 it was wide 18” inside. Beat myself up for a month on that one
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966899
11/20/17 07:29 PM
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,024
Western
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 29,024 |
It is the choice you made, erring on the side of caution, I don't see a right or wrong..
DQ, I now hunt on my small 15 acres, so I absolutely know what it's like wanting to "manage", but with little to no control. Seldom does a buck I pass make it another year or 2 around here. Once I was able to reconcile, I just try to take the best one I can, sometimes going without for the year. It is what it is and actually has become comfortable for what it is.
Even when we had 400 ish acres, management was a problem depending on neighboring lands.
If at first you dont succeed, then skydiving is not for you..
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln Dennis
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966904
11/20/17 07:32 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,972
Stompy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 7,972 |
I don't pull the trigger unless something WOW'S me. Pretty much just a horn hunter, I will take out the occasional management buck but even that's rare. I let my guys take them out.
Last edited by Stompy; 11/20/17 07:35 PM.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966905
11/20/17 07:33 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,071
sprigsss
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,071 |
Much rather pass on a big one than pull the trigger and he turns out to be smaller or younger.
He is still out there. Once they are dead they are dead.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966958
11/20/17 08:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091
Nogalus Prairie
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27,091 |
You just have to go with your gut and not look back. I passed up really nice bucks both last year and this year (for different reasons). I have learned to remember to trust my own judgment at the time when I start second-guessing those decisions.
I learned long ago you can't reason someone out of something they don't reason themselves into.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966962
11/20/17 08:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609
SapperTitan
Taking Requests
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Taking Requests
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609 |
We had 3 bucks killed in the area I guide in on Ft Hood and then we stored them in the cooler at the Sportsmans center. There were about 12 deer in that freezer and none of them were as big as the 4 yr old 8 I passed on. We are down to 2 bucks left in my area so I'm second guessing letting him walk even though I know it was the right thing to do.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6966963
11/20/17 08:14 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 216
bcranch
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 216 |
Absolutely the right thing. I have lost more sleep over my rushed shots than the shots I passed.
Brave Rifles!
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967010
11/20/17 08:37 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,435
TFF Caribou
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,435 |
Yes. I've done that. Had what would have been my best deer ever cruising through last year. I started second guessing trying to age him or compare him to deer I've seen posted here. I was thinking, if I post a picture of this deer, will people give me a hard time. That deer gave me the good feeling in my stomach, and I spent too long thinking. After that experience my outlook became, if I like him, I'll shoot him.
The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference. -George Washington
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967051
11/20/17 09:02 PM
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 18,671
Roll-Tide
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 18,671 |
Only on the last day of the season, when Im doing the walk of shame to my truck. Realizing I didn't get a buck but passed on several.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967052
11/20/17 09:02 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,533
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,533 |
Had a 9pt we watched for a few years finally became a 10 pt. Would have been a mid 140's buck at 4.5. We decided to give him one more year and I ended up shooting a cull buck while he was standing next to the 10. From that point we got 1 night time picture of that 10 and never saw him again. I regret either not shooting him or not waiting to shoot the cull when he wasn't there.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: TFF Caribou]
#6967058
11/20/17 09:06 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,267
Sirrah243
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,267 |
Yes. I've done that. Had what would have been my best deer ever cruising through last year. I started second guessing trying to age him or compare him to deer I've seen posted here. I was thinking, if I post a picture of this deer, will people give me a hard time. That deer gave me the good feeling in my stomach, and I spent too long thinking. After that experience my outlook became, if I like him, I'll shoot him. I couldn't agree more. I spent a season passing on bucks only to regret my decisions because I didn't get the opportunity to a take good buck that season or the next two seasons. "I was thinking, if I post a picture of this deer, will people give me a hard time." I've seen a lot of ^^^This ^^^ go on and it's ridiculous. It's not as bad anymore as it once was but it still happens on occasion. A trophy is subjective. My
Last edited by Sirrah243; 11/20/17 09:44 PM.
�A hunt based only on the trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.� -Fred Bear
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967245
11/20/17 11:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,251
Texas Dan
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,251 |
Not sure who coined the deer hunting term but "ground shrinkage" is one of my favorites.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967257
11/20/17 11:57 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,032
tlk
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,032 |
the older you get the more you realize that patience is golden = life has a funny way of always working out for the best if you just let it- I raised my kids telling them that you are a product of your decisions - you made the right call
You can't fix stupid
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967293
11/21/17 12:17 AM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,602
Sneaky
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,602 |
I’ve been there. I’ve kicked myself over it, too, but it’s a lot better than making a poor shot or taking the wrong deer.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967393
11/21/17 01:12 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 11,658
GusWayne
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 11,658 |
I think you did
I was hunting in OK opening morning this past Saturday.
I passed on a solid mid 130's mature 9.
Since, I've saw nothing but spikes and scrubs
With a 16 days season I've questioned that myself.
I am going again Friday but won't pass him again, LOL
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: Sneaky]
#6967541
11/21/17 03:15 AM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,806
Deerhunter61
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 7,806 |
I’ve been there. it’s a lot better than making a poor shot or taking the wrong deer. agree!
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967856
11/21/17 02:58 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,111
Red Cloud
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,111 |
Happens to me often. You made the right call.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6967936
11/21/17 03:56 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,213
tShawnB
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,213 |
I only get shooters remorse when I kill an animal that doesn't meet my expectations or I misjudged. That's happened twice in my deer hunting life. I never have remorse for letting an animal walk.
How come everybody I meet is a deer hunting expert?
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: tShawnB]
#6968284
11/21/17 08:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,650
Pitchfork Predator
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 19,650 |
the older you get the more you realize that patience is golden = life has a funny way of always working out for the best if you just let it- I raised my kids telling them that you are a product of your decisions - you made the right call I only get shooters remorse when I kill an animal that doesn't meet my expectations or I misjudged. That's happened twice in my deer hunting life. I never have remorse for letting an animal walk. This speaks for me
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6970268
11/23/17 01:40 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,454
DQ Kid
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,454 |
Thanks guys for kind words and encouragement. Looking back I know the choice was a solid one. By coincidence last Sunday was the two year anniversary of my Dad's passing. Hopefully he can encourage a big rutting buck my way.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6970292
11/23/17 02:12 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,856
REALKILLER
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,856 |
Haha! Old hunters always have the wise one on one good shoulder and the not perfect but it felt fun and good on the other. I made my girlfriend did the same a while back. She was cussing me on the inside with some leakage coming out of her breathe. I explained he needed another year. Took her hunting again and saw a way better buck to hunt. She forgot all about the one I made her pass. It was 4 also. I grunted it back to us. Just was'nt what she thought it was,and I knew this. She has'nt been around the privlaged 4 yr. old free range deer in east Tx. She worked on a 8 thousand HF in south Tx. and saw big bucks all the time. East Tx 4 yr. old free range bucks aint a dime a dozen. The rewards can be worth a years worth of patience.
Recently got a gym membership, strange folks! I like to show up the roid zombies with my full motion curls with the 55lb. bells. Not their cheater short stroked light weights. It's holarious.
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Re: Ever Get a Case of Shooter's Remorse
[Re: DQ Kid]
#6970362
11/23/17 03:42 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 651
huntincoach
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 651 |
I agree on all of the ground shrinkage shooter's remorse posts. I would rather take a pass than regret taking a lesser than (what I thought I was seeing) deer. I went that route as a younger hunter. I killed my biggest buck last yr (160+) and watched it for 45 minutes before pulling the trigger.
Either way you choose, it's your bullet and your opportunity so it's your call and be ok with it. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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