How many could not take the shot

[flywise]

Because you could not see your pins and was it the one you REALLY wanted to shoot? Did you ever get another shot, and did you change something so it did not happen again?

[AntlerCollector]

A few years back I had a 10 pt I was after walk out at 20 yards broadsided. It was at the end of the day. I was hunting from a ground blind. When I drew back I couldn't see my sights and target! It was too dark in the blind even though still legal shooting light outside. I let down, looked at the buck still standing there and drew again. Same thing! I didn't wanna risk wounding him so I didn't take the shot. Never had another chance at that wall hanger


Thanks flywise for opening that old wound again

[Fargus]

From the opposite end of the spectrum, I was invited to hunt a friends property this weekend and shot a deer I shouldn't have due to low light conditions. Can't take it back once that arra has been released. Definitely a learning experience.

[Smart]

I could not on this mgmt buck....he came it right before I was going to leave one evening and I couldn't see my pins. He was my target buck but I wasn't going to risk a bad shot. To top it off I didn't want to spook him so I had to sit in the blind for an hour after pitch dark while he ate corn. I got him the next afternoon when he came in an hour earlier.

[staplehawk]

First opening day with trying bow, I had practiced my shot religiously with a solid group at 30. First day, opening day a massive buck walked in before daylight. I saw his barrel chest and barely made out his rack against the lightness of corn on the ground. I drew back and sat there. No go. Drew 3 times and didn't fire. My heart was pounding and I can still see it to this day... no regrets.

[flywise]

I found myself in this situation several times in the last 30 years. I tried the best sights ( at the time) and even got one of those lights that shine on the pins but it seemed to distract me. Not everything time was it a great buck I really wanted to kill but I know of 2 times it was. And man it really sux to let one walk because you can't see your pins.
I guess technically if we quit at the time the regs say we should we would never have this problem because theres typically still plenty of light.

And SMART I've sat in a tree after sark several times just so a dadgum deer could finish eating. Now says I do a little squeal and they kinda wonder what the heck and wander off with out to much worry.

[flywise]

ttt one time

[PYBUCK]

I've passed several times because it was too dark to see my sights. Not ethical to me to chance wounding an animal when I can't be certain I would make a good shot.

[Mexico]

Back in 2006 I hunted both Mexico and we picked up a little place in Bandera just for the fun of it. Early one morning I was sitting in a pop up when a stud of a buck walked out...now remember I was hunting Mexico so nothing in Bandera had even caught my eye...but this was a big deer! I remember drawing on him 3 times but it was just too dang early, I couldn't see my pins at all....He walked off and neither I nor anyone else ever saw him again. This was really before trailcams had gotten popular so we never knew what he was?

[Gummi Bear]

Yeah, I've passed on more deer than I can count.

A few because of pins, and many more because I just didn't have a good shot that I felt good about taking. Brush in the way, another deer in front of or behind, etc.

For the last few years, I have not suffered from not being able to see my pins. Good sights, and a really good rheostat light have solved that dilemma. I love to hunt pigs at night more than during the day.

I'm always disappointed when I don't get to take a shot, where I hunt, the deer are so wary, you may only get 1-2 opportunities to take a shot at them all season.




I can live with disappointment much easier than I can with the knowledge that I chose to make a bad shot

[jetlag887]

I think anyone who has bowhunted very long has had this happen. It has happened to me several times over 30 years of slinging sticks.
I shoot fixed pins and have taken all the pins off except for the green one and it is zeroed at 20 yards, it's easier for me to use one fixed pin as a point of reference and use "Kentucky windage" for anything closer or further than 20 yards. I find the green pin shows up best under low light conditions.
I think it is very distracting to draw back and see a bank of 4-5 pins covering my target.

[HC Sniper]

5 years ago I had a great buck come to the feeder but it was just too dark for me to see my pins clearly. It was cloudy and misty that morning. I waited about 15 minutes watching him with my heart racing. Just about the time I thought I might be able to see well enough to shoot it started raining. He just started walking off, straight away from me. I was sick! I never saw or got a picture of that buck again until my BIL shot him at a small food plot 2 months later. Buck was a 9 point with 5 6/8 inch bases. Most massive buck I have ever seen in person!!

[MQ32Shooter]

Happened to me last Friday night. I watched 3, small 8 pt bucks under the protein feeder for 25 minutes. It was starting to get really dark when a big slick 6 came in. Been on the hit list for 2 years now. When he finally turned broadside, I came to full draw and could not see my pins through the peep. I'll be there again this coming Friday night if the wind is right for that setup.

[randal]

I've passed because it's too dark too far, just not a good shot opportunity.. Sometimes I got offer a shot on that deer the next day, next week, sometimes never again but in the end it was the right thing to do.. Sometimes you win sometimes you loose..

[panhandlehunter]

I use a sight light. Main reason is because I hunt out of pop ups, and early and late it's really hard to see your pins.