Shoot or No Shot 2016 - Episode 7

[WapitiTalk1]

Figured I'd get a few of these rolling.

Western Montana, 5th day of your 7 day archery elk hunt, 26 SEPT, 7:40 AM. You stopped just off the edge of this meadow, getting ready to throw a locater bugle against the far hill side and see if anybody's home when this handsome young fella steps out at 40 yards. You have a deer tag, in addition to your elk tag, but planned on waiting until later in the year to rifle hunt deer in the same general area. If Wally Whitetail lowers his head to have a snack, are you letting an arrow fly?

Shoot or No Shot?

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg and add the marked up pic with your post (if you decide to shoot).

[Tigger]

I come from whitetail country, if I am going to waste most of a day dealing with a whitetail, it will have to be monstrous. And I might, given the right circumstance, but I would pass this guy up. Now if it was a lot bigger, then I might let the arrow fly!

[Fridaythe13th]

Wait it's only a 2 1/2 buck. fun to look at but not a shooter

[Swede]

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I often pass on deer when I am elk hunting, but this is closing in on the end of the hunt, and I am in danger of going home with nothing but photos and memories. I would like something to chew on too. Since the buck is 40 yards out I will shoot a little higher than I would at 20 yards or 30 yards. In Oregon we don't get to hunt bow and rifle season. It is one or the other. If it was Montana, I would not go back for this guy. Either way, as Elvis sang, "It's Now or Never."

[lamrith]

Solo hunt I take it? 7:40am I am making some assumptions here, but you have already made at least one morning stand by that time with no response either audible or visual. I am pretty much same mindset as Swede on this. 2 days from the end, families need meat int he freezer. The one thing that might change that is if there had been bulls singing all night so I knew they were in the immediate area, if not whitey gets a dirt nap. Shot placement about the same maybe a hair (1-2") forward.

Crankout the gutless method, and you have that deer in bags 1hr from 1st cut (much less if know what are doing.) Haul back to camp put deer in cooler and back out for afternoon chasing elk. You loose a few hours, but you put meat on the table.

Now hunting with a partner can change things as now you are affecting two people's hunts not just your own..

[ishy]

Passing...how far are we from the truck?

[Lefty]

In my case it is a Idaho buck.
Im shooting exactly where Swede put the red dot!!!

[ishy]

Lefty should be easier to pass in Idaho with all our deer seasons. Not sure about your area, but up north we can chase deer from Oct 10th till almost Christmas.

[Swede]

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I was thinking about the little dot I placed on the deer when I showed where I would place an arrow. Well that is where I would like it to go. At 40 yards my accuracy is pushed to the limit. As I have stated on other threads 40 yards is my maximum shot distance. At that range I feel pretty confident. I don't get nervous which is a great plus, but I am no Chuck Adams or Randy Ulmer either. The new dot as shown is what I can hit at 40 yards 90% of the time. Even then I need to take my time, concentrate and execute to the very best of my ability.
On an elk we have a vital zone about the size of a basketball. On a deer it is significantly smaller.

[Kentrek]

Keep on chasing bulls, he's a dandy buck but Il get to hunt more by passing

[GobbleFarmer]

Even if I were a good shot at 40 yds, i'd pass, with only two days left for elk I would want to make the most of it and not waste time on a deer, plus I would likely kill his bigger brother in rifle season!

[oldnovice]

If my freezer was empty, I would take the shot. If not, maybe pass and wait for something a little better.

[JJ Overkill]

if I'm on the ground its the red dot, if I'm in my tree stand 25Ft in the air, its the yellow dot. but I'm not sure if id shoot this deer. I fill the freezer with elk and deer are made into snack meats IE summer sausage, beer sticks, polish, jerky.

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