Did I call this one right?

[Gwynnin]

Second guessing myself here. Saw my first deer this season tonight - heard it coming towards me just at last shooting light. Found it in the binoculars, confirmed it was coming towards my stand. My plan was to let it walk by me and draw once it was past - I shoot a 52# osage longbow, so coming to draw and then sitting there forever like a compound shooter wasn't an option. About 20-30 yards out it stopped and waited for a bit, then took off in a big circle around my position (it was too dark to see him past 30-40 yards, but I could see him just fine with the binoculars - had I been toting my rifle this story would be ending differently). It was out of sight behind some leafy branches that blocked line of sight while sitting, so I figure it must have winded me. My question is, when I thought it had figured me out should I have come to full draw, stood up and shot? He would have been facing towards me, but I was ~12' up. Decided to keep to my original plan of letting him pass me, but now I'm wondering. Of course, had I tried to force the shot opportunity in and blown it or had him take off I'd be kicking myself even more. So did I call it right? Should I have come to draw when he went out of sight behind the branches and waited? Drawn, stood and shot?
I'm fairly new to this, so thanks for the advice in advance.

[CoachBGriff]

I'm no expert, but I've killed a few critters with a stick-bow.  (I've also gotten drawn on a bunch of turkeys with no connections.)

I've not had any problems getting drawn on animals while they are in my shooting lane.

The biggest key for me is I make sure I have plenty of cover around my stand or ground-blind.

[JamesV]

You should never take a frontal shot at a deer, that is my opinion. If the deer was alerted he could easily duck the arrow. Letting him pass then taking your shot was the right thing to do. Also deer can see really good in the dark and he would have mostly likely spotted any movement, even 12 feet up. You made the right decision by not shooting.

James

[Whip]

You did it exactly right. Sometimes we win the encounters, but more often the deer does. Today was his day, and once he became alert the game was pretty much over. Trying to force a shot once they are alerted rarely works out well, and a frontal shoot even less so.  Far better to do exactly as you did and hope that the next time your paths cross it will be your day.
Good job!

What Whip said ^^^^^^!

Bisch

[sheepdogreno]

you did fine...if you couldnt see him at 30-40 yds due to failing light then it was probably too dark for an ethical shot anyway. you get em sooner or later!

[Terry Lightle]

You did the right thing

[Bow man]

You did the right thing let him pass and wait for another day to fill that tag.

[Charlie Lamb]

No shot opportunity there.

[Possum Head]

Yep you did it right. Bowhunters are the worst at wondering if they did the right thing, me included. The unknown is just one element that makes bowhunting the greatest thing on earth!

[ChuckC]

twenty to thirty yards is a long shot even under great circumstances for most folk, not to mention in the near dark. If you felt uncomfortable with the shot op, then you did well by not shooting.  You can get them closer.

ChuckC

[Bobaru]

What Whip Said.  You did the right thing.

That said, I see you twice referenced coming to a full draw, standing, and shooting.  

I don't know how others do it.  As for myself, if I'm in a treestand, I try to get a shot sitting.  But, depending on direction, it maybe better to stand when I first see the deer.

I can't picture drawing, then standing up while at full draw, then shooting.  Others could weigh in on this.  

I'm product of the '60's.  So, you may want to discount how I hunt.  But, I learned to snap shoot.  It took a long time to "un-snap shoot."  Still, I never draw until I have the shot.  And, I only anchor long enough to be aligned on target.  My arrow is on its way in a very short amount of time from that when I am not drawn at all.  Simply, I couldn't imagine sitting at full draw for any amount of time.  In fact, if I think that will happen, that I will have to wait for a shot I thought was there after I had drawn, I lower down and wait for my shot, then draw again.

Whatever method you use, and I'm sure there are other ways of looking at this, you should practice all of it in simulations before the season.  So, if you feel you can come to full draw, then stand up, then aim, then shoot, you will have done this countless times before the season to get this method to work for you.  

Good luck in you hunting.  And, remember that hawks, depending on hunting to eat, make about 20 attempts for one success.  But, they probably can't count.  So, they don't get discouraged like us "smart" humans.

[Mr. fingers]

Yes you were in the right.
Even though it did not pan out. I had the same thing happen to me two weeks ago I had a nice ten Pointer walk almost straight at me to the left of my stand when he came out of the Ravine I wanted to see what direction he would take before I stood well, he came to my left so I thought I'll take him sitting well if we're the center of a clock facing the twelve he approached me from the eleven. Almost straight on and I could see his eyes perfectly. I'm almost,20 feet up but was pinned down as far as making a move I was hopping he would vere behind a balsam to my left so I could make my move but he came right under my stand so like you I decided I'd let walk past then Stand and hope,for,a,quartering away shot. Well he stopped suddenly and looked,right up at me! Rubber necked a few times stomped both front feet the quickly rubbernecked again trying to get me to move. He then turned his head directly away from me and he was quartering away perfectly. I made my move to draw. And boom like he was shot,from a cannon gone.i play it over and over in my head second guessing it. Here the isulated to injury I had a fork buck come to my right 45 min later and do the same thing.
Well a gunn hunter shot the ten pointer on opening day of the gun season.
And yes that really stings   :(

[kennyb]

Try not to second guess...I agree with Whip. You did the right thing! Keep after him!

Kenny    

[mangonboat]

You did the right thing. Even if you could get into a shooting position without being "caught",and even if it was bright daylight,  from 30 yards and an elevated stand, the window for a good frontal shot with a bow is beyond tiny...it's non-existent unless the deer raises his head, lifts his chin then holds still after you release. For a newer hunter, passing up, or better yet easing up from full draw, on a deer who doesn't give you a high-confidence  shot is perhaps the best way to gain confidence in your shooting decisions and put "buck fever" behind you.