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What would you do?

ducks&bucks

New Member
Long time reader, first time poster... Had a situation come up yesterday that I wanted your input on. I know I will get a spectrum of opinions, which is what I am wanting so have at it!

Hunted a couple of hours yesterday morning. Had a good hunt, rattled in a 125 and a forkie which made my morning. Anyway, got out of stand about 9:15 and started the walk back to my truck. Since the wind was in my face, I decided to keep my release on and an arrow knocked. You just never know. About 50 yards from exiting the timber and my truck, I jumped a bedded down yearling doe. The doe ran about 25 yards and stopped slightly quartering to me in a little bit of brush... My question is...would you shoot? Would you shoot/not shoot because of the angle/brush, because of how close we are to rut, because the shot was more a product of luck/than skill??? Lets here it....

...I ended up shooting and harvesting the doe. I am happy with the decision, just have a little bit of "did I do the right thing" in the back of my mind. Either way, the celebratory Busch Light was cold and the backstraps tender.
 
If you have lots of does around,no big deal,,but if not,,you need all the does you can have to attract bucks at this time of yr. I had a doe tag and many opportunities to shoot does all thru last Nov, but there are not that many that hang out on my land or the surrounding fields for that matter, even though this area is supposed to be overrun. I waited until Christmas to harvest doe. I need them now for buck bait.
 
You're the only one who knows if you could lace one through the brush and ethically harvest that deer. Sounds like you made the right choice. As for me, pretty sure an arrow would fly. There's quite some time before the rut is in full swing and that yearling most likely wouldn't have been a breeder til well after the rut, if at all. As for the luck/skill part, you were smart enough to keep your release on and bump her quietly. Sounds like a product of good decisions and skill to bring it home. Good choice, imo...
 
If you know you can kill it, and want to shoot it, then shoot it. I would shoot does anytime of the year, I have also shot does before that were being trailed by bucks before. Obviously not a big buck but one less doe means one less doe that buck will lock down with and not be on the move!! Good shot and congrats!!
 
To me...it is an awesome accomplishment to harvest anything while on foot. That is something to be proud of. I say well done...and as for the Busch Light, that gets a
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. Job well done.
 
I agree with what Dannyboy and Liv says. If your comfortable with the shot, let it fly. I personally don't like the quarting too shot, but thats just me. I have snuck quite a few bullets and arrows through the brush on deer. I will also kill a doe any chance I get. Love shooting those things.
 
I say great job, What you just described is the way I always enter and exit the stand when I have shooting light left. I've killed many doe that way and my biggest buck to date while hunting my way into an afternoon stand.

I would say that for saftey sake I just keep an arrow out of my quiver and in my free hand. Getting through the brush can be kind of combersome with a arrow knocked and it only takes a second to pop it on the string if you need it.
 
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