I've lived this for years on my place, and some of the past hunts still haunt my mind every deer season. I've always had to try to overcome waiting on the "perfect shot" to take while hunting these hardwoods on my place, and to force myself to know that the first good shot opportunity I have at a good buck should be taken, else you may not get another chance. Well, Friday was another one to add to those memories. I had been in the stand that morning and had seen a few does pass behind me. FF to about 10:30. I was about to start climbing down when I saw a deer run across the ridge up above me at about 130 yards or so, then another one came in chasing that one, then another one ran in just below those other two that were running around, then, I see this big dark figure stiff legging across the ridge toward the other lone deer. Immediately scoped it and saw that it was a buck. Meanwhile those other two were running crazy back and forth just above these two, up and over the ridge, then back again, over and over. I kept the scope on him as he walked thru the trees and could eventually see that he was a good buck... Then he turned and I saw the most massive left side antler I have ever seen out there. I followed him every step, trying to get an opening for a clean shot, and finally, he turned down the ridge for a split second and I could have taken a narrow shot between two trees as he passed, but I had been holding the rifle up so long that I was beginning to shake and was unsteady for the shot, so I quickly decided to pause, take a breath and try to steady myself and keep trying to get on him. When I got back on the scope, I was looking for him and I noticed those other two deer run up the hill again and over the ridge. So I kept scanning, and scanning, and couldn't see him. I thought they had likely bedded down in a thick patch of holly up there. So I kept waiting and watching. Long story longer, they weren't there anymore. Those two deer that I thought were the other two younger deer were actually the giant and his doe that decided to run up and over the ridge too. 
This lesson that I continually fail to learn, pass a test on it for a few years, then fail the exam again, are hard to take, especially when you're not sure how many hunts you may have left in you. And to the title of the thread, I have had this happen a couple of times before, when I didn't take the FIRST shot presented by a big buck, and I never saw them again the entire season. This one however, would have likely been the biggest heavy antlered buck of all I have ever had a chance at. Sorry for the long read but just had to get that out of my system. 
This lesson that I continually fail to learn, pass a test on it for a few years, then fail the exam again, are hard to take, especially when you're not sure how many hunts you may have left in you. And to the title of the thread, I have had this happen a couple of times before, when I didn't take the FIRST shot presented by a big buck, and I never saw them again the entire season. This one however, would have likely been the biggest heavy antlered buck of all I have ever had a chance at. Sorry for the long read but just had to get that out of my system. 
you'll get the first pic if I do tho!
