Four minutes after "dark", what would you do?

[12thman]

Friday night I was counting down the minutes of legal shooting light watching a group of doe at the feeder. Sunset was 6:52 so at 7:22 I thought I was out of time. Four minutes later, at 7:26 a big buck blew into the feeder. I could see he was well outisde of the ears, a huge body, and likely one of the two bucks I had been looking for. I still had light on my pins and could easily take the shot at less than 15 yards. What would you do?...




Fifteen minutes later I watched him walk off in the dark and waited another fifteen before hading to the camp. Maybe next week he will show up ten minutes earlier.

[VorTexan]

Watch? I quit wearing one years ago and my cell is in my pocket.


You did the right thing knowing.

[freak-nasty]

UH shoot maybe???

[Skinny]

I would not take the shot myself. It is one thing to see the deer with my naked eye, and another to be able to see him through my peep well enough to take a shot.

Just me though...

[Extremebowman]

If I knew it was past legal shooting time, there's no question for me.

Good call by you! If you shot him at 7:26 your conscience would always attach an asterisk to that Deer.

[TX kyleboy]

Rules are rules. Bad deal if you knowingly break them. Not that I don't. It is hard to drive 65 when everyone else is running 70 - 75+

[kfd82]

If I knew what time it was I'd have done the same thing.

If I was just sitting in the stand and saw him, not thinking about or counting down the minutes, I'd have probably shot. I think the intent is to eliminate hunting at night, if I can still clearly see the target animal and my pins...it aint night. (I dont have a light on my pins and to be honest, my pins kinda suck in low light situations)

I rarely check the official sundown time, I just sit in my stand until it gets dark then go back to camp. Maybe I need to start checking the official times.

[rtp]

Interesting situation. I can say I have never counted down official sunset and 30 minutes later. If I knew it was past time then no I would not take the shot. I think you did the right thing. I have always let my equipment tell me if it was too late to shoot. I guess maybe I should be paying closer attention. Good call on your part.

[WyoHunter]

Interesting situation. I can say I have never counted down official sunset and 30 minutes later. If I knew it was past time then no I would not take the shot. I think you did the right thing. I have always let my equipment tell me if it was too late to shoot.

Me too!

[bsills]

I have also never timed the sun set with the 30 minute rule, or sunrise. It is light enough to shoot I take the shot.

[Longhorn95]

I'd do the same thing you did since you knew it was legally "dark".

I've never timed it myself, but have passed before on a deer before just as the sun was setting because I did not want to potentially go tracking in the dark.

[denimdeerslayer]

Dead deer.

[CastAndBlast]

Interesting situation. I can say I have never counted down official sunset and 30 minutes later. If I knew it was past time then no I would not take the shot. I think you did the right thing. I have always let my equipment tell me if it was too late to shoot. I guess maybe I should be paying closer attention. Good call on your part.

X2

[flufster]

never kept track of the time....if i could have been condfident on the shot and could see my pins well, i would have taken a shot at a deer i was targeting....a random doe or something, i try not to track in the dark

[Cotton]

If you shoot a deer outside of legal shooting times then you poached that animal and you are a poacher. Simple as that, don't sugar coat it.

You did the right thing!