elkduds
Well-known member
Cow/calf pairs, passed on those w antlerless tags several times, and always will.
Times you were happy to not fire your weapon......
- Thread starter kansasdad
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COEngineer
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It is really easy for me to say that I would never take a 500 yd shot, but the fact that you were there and actually held back says a lot. Thanks for sharing your story and for not taking a chance at wasting a great bull.
Four years ago on opening day of archery season as was walking back to camp I spooked a bull and several cows. Two things I noticed as the bull ran through the brush was that he was huge and he had extra junk on his rack. On the morning of the last day of the season I heard a bugle. I crept in to within about 60 yards and saw that it was that bull. I’ve been elk hunting for over 40 years and this was the biggest bull I had ever seen. He had 8 on one side and 10 on the other. The herd moved off to my right so I followed along slowly closing the distance. Finally we all entered a little clearing about the same time. The cows nervously hurried off but the big guy just stood there 30 yards away. I shoot a recurve and try to keep my shots to within 25 yards but 30 wasn’t a problem on a target that big. I never even nocked an arrow. I didn’t even think about nocking an arrow.
I had all I wanted at that moment. I had successfully stalked to within 30 yards of the biggest bull elk of my life and everything was perfect, me kneeling in the wet grass watching him and him standing there alternating his attention back and forth between me and his girls. Finally, after 30 seconds or so he walk on up to where the cows had disappeared and I went home and called it a season. No regrets.
I had all I wanted at that moment. I had successfully stalked to within 30 yards of the biggest bull elk of my life and everything was perfect, me kneeling in the wet grass watching him and him standing there alternating his attention back and forth between me and his girls. Finally, after 30 seconds or so he walk on up to where the cows had disappeared and I went home and called it a season. No regrets.
ashersdad
Well-known member
I took my 2 boys bear hunting last year for a few days trying to get them both their first bears. We were a little early and didn't see any bears but had a blast.
Two weeks later I returned without the boys since they couldn't miss any more school. First morning out, I was walking down a closed off logging road and came around a corner and there's a bear at 75 yards in the road. I laid down and could see it was not a very big bear so I put my gun aside and got out the camera. I watched that bear for literally 20 minutes as it fed from one side of the road to another. After 20 minutes a little black fur ball runs out from the brush. I got some great pictures.
It wasn't until later that I realized if I had had the boys with me and watched that bear for 20 minutes without seeing a cub, I would have been tempted to have one of them shoot it. It made me literally sick to my stomach just thinking about one of my kids shooting a sow with a cub. I like to think I would have had them hold off but I'm sure glad it wasn't a decision I had to make.
Two weeks later I returned without the boys since they couldn't miss any more school. First morning out, I was walking down a closed off logging road and came around a corner and there's a bear at 75 yards in the road. I laid down and could see it was not a very big bear so I put my gun aside and got out the camera. I watched that bear for literally 20 minutes as it fed from one side of the road to another. After 20 minutes a little black fur ball runs out from the brush. I got some great pictures.
It wasn't until later that I realized if I had had the boys with me and watched that bear for 20 minutes without seeing a cub, I would have been tempted to have one of them shoot it. It made me literally sick to my stomach just thinking about one of my kids shooting a sow with a cub. I like to think I would have had them hold off but I'm sure glad it wasn't a decision I had to make.
6 years ago, on my first deer hunting trip to Kansas, I humped a climbing tree stand into a chunk of State Land on the first afternoon. I happened on to a great spot with several runways intersecting. I had only been sitting for about an hour, when the largest antlered Whitetail buck I have ever seen while hunting, came by me at 30 yards. I watched him make a scrape, and thrash the heck out of a sapling. I watched him for over 10 minutes. It was the first night of a planned 10 day hunt. I let him pass. To date, he is still the largest Whitetail buck I have ever seen while hunting. I saw him one other time during my stay in Kansas. He was about 100 yards from me. Yup, he was a monster. While I didn't attach my tag to him, that memory is priceless.
OzzyDave
Well-known member
On an archery fallow hunt a few years ago, I was having a rough time even getting close to these flighty critters. Multiple stalks were blown for one reason or another and I was getting very frustrated. Back to camp for a rest and relax. I figured I’d hit another area for the afternoon session. I heard a fallow buck croaking but it was too thick to get a view. I slow stalked towards his location, walking within 5 yards of a small group of hogs, that had no idea I was there. I managed to get within 20 yards in the thick scrub and watched this lovely chocolate coloured buck, with a great palmated antler on one side and nothing on the other. I sat for a good hour watching him and decided I wasn’t going to take this one. It was refreshing to sit and watch his antics. When I stood to leave, his eyes went as big as dinner plates and legs went everywhere.
Kinda similar story from when I was a kid. I was probably 11 and my brother 7 years old, we were dove hunting on a couple hundred acres of private family land near the Ocala National Forest in Florida. A big ole black bear sticks his head out of the palmettos behind us, maybe a couple of yards. I was in between the bear and my brother, and the camp was behind my brother. I told my little brother to head back up the road, all the while staring at the bear with my 410 loaded with birdshot. He looked around for a bit, slowly stepped back and when he got far enough, started crashing through the palmettos away from us.
Same property, different story, my dad was OTG deer hunting and a black bear sniffed the back of his neck.
Same property, different story, my dad was OTG deer hunting and a black bear sniffed the back of his neck.
el unit
Well-known member
Cool thread!
PAelkhunter
Member
This is not a story of my personal experience, but one of my father’s that he’s told me several times. It has undoubtably left a lasting impression and I recall it every time I’m hunting and take aim on an animal.
It was the late 1950’s and my father was about 12 years old when his uncle took him and his cousin woodchuck hunting. They would take turns shooting at chucks and it was my dad’s turn. His uncle spotted a chuck across the field on the edge of a small stream. He pointed it out and said “keep watching, it pops up for a second then goes back down.” He told my dad to be ready to shoot when it comes back up. My father did as instructed and when the chuck stood up, he didn’t shoot. He said something didn’t look right. His uncle told him to shoot, but he wouldn’t. Long story short, they walked down so his uncle could prove to him that it was indeed a woodchuck. To their surprise, it was a boy wearing a brown canvas hat sitting by the stream. He was bending over picking up rocks to skip across the water. This is one time I’m sure my father was glad he didn’t fire his weapon!
I have the utmost respect for my father to make the decision he did at such a young age, new to the world of hunting. I can’t imagine how it would’ve changed his life if he’d taken the shot as instructed. I’m sure things might’ve been different with today’s optics, but mistakes can still be made.
As hunters on public land, we all need to realize that we aren’t the only type of people in the woods. In PA, we share the land with hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, aware of the hunting seasons and wear appropriate attire.
I hope you all will take this story to heart as I have and make certain what you’re aiming at is in fact the animal you think it is.
Thanks for reading and be safe!
It was the late 1950’s and my father was about 12 years old when his uncle took him and his cousin woodchuck hunting. They would take turns shooting at chucks and it was my dad’s turn. His uncle spotted a chuck across the field on the edge of a small stream. He pointed it out and said “keep watching, it pops up for a second then goes back down.” He told my dad to be ready to shoot when it comes back up. My father did as instructed and when the chuck stood up, he didn’t shoot. He said something didn’t look right. His uncle told him to shoot, but he wouldn’t. Long story short, they walked down so his uncle could prove to him that it was indeed a woodchuck. To their surprise, it was a boy wearing a brown canvas hat sitting by the stream. He was bending over picking up rocks to skip across the water. This is one time I’m sure my father was glad he didn’t fire his weapon!
I have the utmost respect for my father to make the decision he did at such a young age, new to the world of hunting. I can’t imagine how it would’ve changed his life if he’d taken the shot as instructed. I’m sure things might’ve been different with today’s optics, but mistakes can still be made.
As hunters on public land, we all need to realize that we aren’t the only type of people in the woods. In PA, we share the land with hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, aware of the hunting seasons and wear appropriate attire.
I hope you all will take this story to heart as I have and make certain what you’re aiming at is in fact the animal you think it is.
Thanks for reading and be safe!
Last fall, 2019, I got to Wyoming the day before the season and scouted countless public sections for a nice antelope buck. This would be the first hunt I ever went into looking for anything but the first adult animal I had a good shot on. There was one buck in particular that stood out and I nicknamed him curly because of how much he curled out and then back in
from the front.
The next morning I had about 2 dozen opportunities to fill my doe tags and about 8 opportunities on nice bucks all under 250 yards but never pulled the trigger because I was looking for curly. At four hours into the hunt I saw him on the private boundary line, I stalked in and had him broadside at 125 yards and pulled up my on x. I could tell he was about 20 yards over the private boundary. I sat for an hour and waited for him to cross the line but the herd worked further away as he chased off every buck around and stole their does.
I went for a hike when I thought all was lost and was about a mile and a half away when my heart sank. I heard three shots and figured curly crossed onto public and was shot. I made a b-line to go check him out in person. As I crested the ridge, I saw his horns coming up towards me. I had to loop back about a hundred yards to have a non sky lined shot. I went prime and as he created the ridge, crossed into public, and got a backdrop, I squeezed the trigger and everything paid off!
I don’t know where he falls into a score and honestly I could care less, it was one of the most memorable hunts I have ever done and he was awesome to me!
from the front.
The next morning I had about 2 dozen opportunities to fill my doe tags and about 8 opportunities on nice bucks all under 250 yards but never pulled the trigger because I was looking for curly. At four hours into the hunt I saw him on the private boundary line, I stalked in and had him broadside at 125 yards and pulled up my on x. I could tell he was about 20 yards over the private boundary. I sat for an hour and waited for him to cross the line but the herd worked further away as he chased off every buck around and stole their does.
I went for a hike when I thought all was lost and was about a mile and a half away when my heart sank. I heard three shots and figured curly crossed onto public and was shot. I made a b-line to go check him out in person. As I crested the ridge, I saw his horns coming up towards me. I had to loop back about a hundred yards to have a non sky lined shot. I went prime and as he created the ridge, crossed into public, and got a backdrop, I squeezed the trigger and everything paid off!
I don’t know where he falls into a score and honestly I could care less, it was one of the most memorable hunts I have ever done and he was awesome to me!
One September moose hunt, a grizzly was spotted working a blueberry patch, 120 yards out. Nice bear. In my crosshairs, a perfect shot, but I paused to watch. The bear was 100% into feeding on berries. I love watching animals and being there.
The day before, a hot day, while taking an afternoon nap, a bear came into our camp. Tore up some gear. We stopped that. My brother with his first bear.
This young bear woke us up with his chewing on the ATV's in the background.
Back to the following day, After a bit, the grizzly came my way, out of sight. I sat my rifle aside and setup my video camera for some chance footage. Spotted a brown back moving nearby. I let out a cough and instantly he stood up. The sun was at my back. Video screen washed out, I did not know if, I was on or off in the moment. The bear dropped and woofed. I dropped the camera and grabbed my rifle. Bear ran down the hill. There is a thrill in this $hit.
The day before, a hot day, while taking an afternoon nap, a bear came into our camp. Tore up some gear. We stopped that. My brother with his first bear.
This young bear woke us up with his chewing on the ATV's in the background.
Back to the following day, After a bit, the grizzly came my way, out of sight. I sat my rifle aside and setup my video camera for some chance footage. Spotted a brown back moving nearby. I let out a cough and instantly he stood up. The sun was at my back. Video screen washed out, I did not know if, I was on or off in the moment. The bear dropped and woofed. I dropped the camera and grabbed my rifle. Bear ran down the hill. There is a thrill in this $hit.
Mallardsx2
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My wife was squeezing the trigger on a good mule deer one time that was right in front of us when these guys (who were trespassing daily in their side by side) came riding their buggy across private land and came up over this little rise (which was actually below us because we were shooting downward angle, kinda hard to explain but it was a safe shot) behind the deer about 100 yards away. She said she could see them in the background of her scope...wind was blowing so hard we never saw them or heard them coming nor did we expect anyone to come from that direction because that property is off limits to hunting. It would have been a fluke chance that they got hit with a ricochet but either way it wouldn't have been good.
It was a weird situation, and I am glad she didn't shoot but know this, she had the safety off and was applying pressure when she noticed them in the background.
She was upset they spooked the deer but she was even more upset that at the situation that nearly unfolded.
Know this, I am 100% sure those guys were crapping their pants as they seen what was about to unfold. Thankfully it didn't end badly.
Never in my life have I had that close of a call while in the heat of the moment while hunting.
Always be sure what is beyond your target. Thankfully my wife lives by those words and thankfully they came up out of that rise on the private when they did because one second later and she would have fired that gun.
It was a weird situation, and I am glad she didn't shoot but know this, she had the safety off and was applying pressure when she noticed them in the background.
She was upset they spooked the deer but she was even more upset that at the situation that nearly unfolded.
Know this, I am 100% sure those guys were crapping their pants as they seen what was about to unfold. Thankfully it didn't end badly.
Never in my life have I had that close of a call while in the heat of the moment while hunting.
Always be sure what is beyond your target. Thankfully my wife lives by those words and thankfully they came up out of that rise on the private when they did because one second later and she would have fired that gun.
AZBridger
Active member
Scouting for coues deer this year, there was a real nice bear up in the top of juniper tree eating berries about 150-200 yards away. I watched it for a good half-hour or more trying to determine how big it was and thinking about whether or not i wanted to shoot it. About the same time we came to the conclusion that it was a pretty nice bear, we spotted 2 cubs that were with it. it was shaking the berried out of the tree so her cubs could eat them. Man i'm glad i didn't shoot it. 90% of people in that same scenario would have shot. Makes me wonder how often that happens
brushcreek
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When I was a kid probably around 10-12 years old the preferred method of deer hunting in our area was with beagles. One afternoon we decided to turn out the dogs and see if we could get one. This was one of the first times I remember my dad letting me hunt alone with a 20 gauge shotgun with buckshot. We had an old man in our camp who was the dog man, he'd release the dogs and then semi follow them to make sure everything was good. I can't remember the exact details now but for some reason I left my hunting spot and started walking towards the dogs which had jumped a deer (big mistake). I got about 300 yards from where I was standing and ended up in the edge of a 6 or 7 year old pine thicket, with trees about 8 feet tall. I'd been there a few minutes when I heard something making noise in the brush. It appeared it was going to walk about ten yards in front of me so I shouldered my gun. The noise got closer and closer and I started to see bushes moving. I took the gun off safety, heart pounding waiting for the shot when out steps the old man who was the dog handler. I dropped the gun as fast as I could and retreated out of there. He never saw me but it scared the daylights out of me as to how close I came to shooting him. I never mentioned anything to him or anyone else about it. Thank God my dad had told me over and over to never shoot before you are 100% sure of your target. That was 35 years ago and it still makes me a little uneasy thinking about it.
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I've had antlereless whitetail shot opportunities three different times this season in Kansas with the crossbow, but I had Mrs kansasdad's voice echoing in my head, "don't shoot Bambi's mommy!" as does and their fawns walked out in front of me. So I just enjoyed the show of nature doing its thing.
In Wyoming this September kansasson and I were trying to get a on a flock of turkey hens/poults that were seeking shelter from a circling Golden Eagle. He was going to intentionally show himself to the turkeys in the hopes that they would flee upstream along the willow choked creek to where I would lay in wait. The plan was working to perfection as I could hear the nervous young ones kee-keeing and every so often hear a hen cluck her position to her brood.
Perhaps the birds knew where I was, but in any case, they seemed to have stopped moving south. I got up and started heading their way, and then I could see them darting around in the willows. I never could find one of the big ones in a shooting lane until the "dropped wing" hen moved into the open at the stream's edge. I brought the crossbow up and slipped off the safety and then asked the question.....DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR SON IS?? The thought of a pass thru shot, or a deflection off a branch and the crossbolt heading off into the distance and not knowing that he was well clear caused me to not shoot.
Afterwards, we figured out I would have been completely safe to execute the shot, but I knew that I didn't KNOW, so decided to not fire.
In Wyoming this September kansasson and I were trying to get a on a flock of turkey hens/poults that were seeking shelter from a circling Golden Eagle. He was going to intentionally show himself to the turkeys in the hopes that they would flee upstream along the willow choked creek to where I would lay in wait. The plan was working to perfection as I could hear the nervous young ones kee-keeing and every so often hear a hen cluck her position to her brood.
Perhaps the birds knew where I was, but in any case, they seemed to have stopped moving south. I got up and started heading their way, and then I could see them darting around in the willows. I never could find one of the big ones in a shooting lane until the "dropped wing" hen moved into the open at the stream's edge. I brought the crossbow up and slipped off the safety and then asked the question.....DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR SON IS?? The thought of a pass thru shot, or a deflection off a branch and the crossbolt heading off into the distance and not knowing that he was well clear caused me to not shoot.
Afterwards, we figured out I would have been completely safe to execute the shot, but I knew that I didn't KNOW, so decided to not fire.
R
rwc101
Guest
With how hard pronghorn were hit by weather this spring I sacrificed one doe tag to the gods and decided I would only shoot a doe without fawns on the other. Had a couple chances to fill the tag on day one without being completely sure the doe was fawnless. Waited until the second when I could watch a solitary doe for hours to confirm she met the criteria. Trigger finger was itchy on day one, but I'm glad I waited.
Horse
Active member
Been happy not to shoot several times while hunting with family over the years Enjoyed watching their accomplishments and excitement during the hunt rather than me shooting. I do let them know how good of a “guide” I am.
geetar
Well-known member
Back when I still lived at home I was bow hunting whitetails on my parents property. I passed an average buck for the area and a few minutes later I had the highest buck I’ve ever seen walk through. He was on a dead rut march with a doe on his mind and wouldn’t stop for a shot but I would have never gotten to see him if I’d whacked the smaller one. The next two years I killed nice bucks so it worked out ok.
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