I often let does and smaller bucks pass by my stands without taking a shot, last night I let a 115-120 class buck and several does walk by at eight yards. I have found that by letting the does pass during the early season they become accustomed to my presence, feel safe walking the trails by my stands, and then become walking decoys during the rut. Some of my stands are saved for hunting larger bucks and I don’t take the chance of disturbing the area more then needed by shooting, then trailing does and smaller bucks deer through the area. On other stands, I often let them walk because I want to save some tags for a particular hunting unit, wanting my deer hunting to extend into December and January; I really enjoy hunting with friends on these late season “social hunts” (with the temperatures below zero). Other times, they are allowed to pass unharmed because I am only able to take the next morning off from work a few times each year, and those days are saved to trail (if needed) or hunt during the rut. On occasion I let them walk because it is enough to know I could have taken the shot without them knowing, having confirmed my scouting, observations, and stand placement skills are still working. Other times, the freezer is full enough for the year and it is enough to watch the sun rise over the mountains, the river bottom awaken, the ice crystals floating in the air, and the deer pushing new trails through freshly fallen snow.
Topic: Am I wierd or just loosing it? (Read 1168 times)
