Did you pass up a shot on game this past year?

[LDHunter]

I was set up on the edge of a prairie affording up to 650yd shots in the waning minutes, of the last day of hunting season here in SW Florida when a buck and doe magically appeared in the middle of the prairie running away from me.

I can only speculate how they got there with me carefully and repeatedly glassing back and forth with my 10x Nikon binoculars.

Anyway I quickly calculated them to be at approximately 275yds (orange tape reference points) and going directly away. The shot would have been very difficult even if I had been ready for it with great light conditions.....

I passed on the shot and watched what appeared to be an 8pt buck with a good but not great rack disappear into the thick stuff at the far side of the prairie with his doe in tow, without so much as a backward glance at me.

I suspect that someone or something else than myself spooked them as I had the wind and was pretty well hidden and usually where I hunt the deer feel pretty safe beyond 300-400yds and will inevitably stop to check for pursuit at that range which is often a big mistake.... [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

$bob$ [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]