Late season mistakes

[oldmanelrod]

Just wondering how many of you have made the following late season mistake? You are in your treestand in late December or early January and a deer comes into range. It is by itself and you have no other deer to compair it with as to size. You look it over and it looks like a good to shoot doe, head looks long, body looks mature so you pull the trigger. You come down out of your stand walk up and find that your mature doe was actually a late last year fawn or worse a this year fawn. I admit that it has happened to me and I felt bad about it. I bet that it has happened to a lot of us who will and will not admit to it.

 

[WRbowhunter]

Not sure I would call it a mistake unless it was a button buck.

 

[Jcalder]

I can't think of a single deer I've shot and regretted.


Big or small, kill em all

 

[Treestand Troubadour]

This years doe is even better, lot more tender but that's just me

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

I like the ones with spots, gives me something to aim at!

Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

 

[cozy23]

A couple years ago it was the first deer to step out in front of me that season. She stepped out at 5 yards from a thicket I could not see into. I made the decision and shot. My arrow hit her in the spine and she SCREAMED so loud! I had no idea a deer could make so much noise. I quickly put another arrow into her then I saw her momma running behind me and stomping trying to get the attention of whatever it was that had just hurt her baby. I do regret shooting that deer. I would have felt better about shooting the momma.

I shot another young doe on public land that I am proud of. This was my first public land deer (with my bow). I honed in on these deer over several hunts and finally killed one. I did think she was bigger before I shot because I had seen a momma and 2 fawns in the area several times but momma was not with them when I killed her.

For me it depends on the situation I guess. I am happy with any deer on some of the public land I hunt but on the private land I hunt I would have regrets. They are VERY tender though!

 

[hitek7]

Yes, it has happened to most of us... We no longer shoot lone does late in the season... problem solved. Lone does late in the season on our place are typically button bucks are bucks that have dropped their antlers.

 

[Snake]

I have made a couple over my hunting career but I don't consider the kills a mistake because small deer eat really good , I just look at it like that's what God wanted me to have so I just thank him as I would a large buck .

 

[csi-tech]

I have not. I have killed does but when I could kill 3 bucks that usually took care of my meat needs. Now that we are limited to two I may shoot a big doe with my crossbow this year.

 

[treefarmer]

I have done it and regret it each time. I took a button buck in archery last year that was by itself and looked like a doe. In woods hunting I don't get a good chance to see a deer standing still or to wait for another deer to compare it to.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Have never taken a button buck. Made plenty of mistakes though.

 

[jb3]

Biggest mistake I ever made, letting a solid 130"+ deer walk the last day of the season. He'd been seen on this farm quite a bit and I knew I'd get him the following bow season. I hunted to following opening day of bow. Buck walked within 20 yards, I pulled back and my flipping peep sight was twisted and I could see out of it. Deer walked away. At the time my wife and I were separated. That following week she asked that I not hunt her family's farm. Should've shot that darn buck the previous season. Someone did bust the buck on the property line later that season. Everyone said he was a flat-out-monster.