Do you wait to shoot?

[savagekindaguy]

I shot a doe the other day at 203 yards. She come out the woods and stood still. I took aim, made sure I had a good shot. Slow steady squeeze and down she went. I did not waste no time setting up the shot and taking it. I watched a youtube video of hunters and they watched the deer for a while before they took the shot. Atleast it seems like they took a while. I never sat and watched the deer before I took a shot and I wondered if anyone else has? Maby ill see more deer come in the field following that first deer I seen.. Is there any benifit to waiting to take the shot? I feel like that deer ive been waiting hours for just showed up and isnt gonna stay long so I dont feel I have time to wait and watch.. what are your thoughts?

I am a meat hunter so I shoot a good doe or buck...whichever one I get in my sights first. I don't hunt for trophies but the second deer I ever shot was a 168 6/8 buck from an IL farm in 1985. Very good meat and second place in a "Deer classic" competition in Davenport IA. 234lb dressed. So I do trophy hunt...by accident.

 

[Robert.Connell]

Thanks for the replys. I figure because I only hunt for meat Ill take the quickest most humane shot I get. I wont wait to see what happens because I rather just have the meat. I thought it was odd to wait for ever to take the shot but they had more deer in the field then I ever seen hunting. I figured they was on to something but seems its just for show.
Thanks yall

 

[jonthomps]

As others have said, this question may need to be addressed on a case by case basis. Sometimes bigger bucks wait back, sometimes you need to take the shot asap. I don't feel as though there is a right or wrong choice here - you did what you did and that's that. I waited and didn't a get a shot off, I've waited and got the perfect shot. Just depends on the situation.

 

[savagekindaguy]

As others have said, this question may need to be addressed on a case by case basis. Sometimes bigger bucks wait back, sometimes you need to take the shot asap. I don't feel as though there is a right or wrong choice here - you did what you did and that's that. I waited and didn't a get a shot off, I've waited and got the perfect shot. Just depends on the situation.

It seems to boil down to one thing...if you get the deer or whatever, you waited until the exact right time to pull the trigger to get that animal. If you did not get the animal, the time was not right. lightbulb

 

[7dawg9]

If it's a morning hunt, not during the rut, I'll usually shoot does when i see them, the bucks are usually back on the bed.

For an evening hunt, I've watched does in a field for 1 1/2 hours. Down here most of our bucks show in the last 30 minutes of shooting light.

 

[JungleBoogey]

When culling cottontail deer at distances, I sometimes wait to shoot in order to get positive identification of the sex of a yearling. In the wooded areas where I hunt, a clear view does not always come quickly. Of course, I've blown a few good opprtunities but because mistakes here in Germany can be costly, I have no regrets. Better to be sure than sorry

 

[rsbenden]

I shoot ASAP,here in Pa yur not the only one watching that deer. I had a real nice 7pt shot out of my scope doing just that. I farted round n passed on several tight shots prolly 200+yds away finally it presented a good shot,Iwas on it safety off n BANG! It dropped right there..... never again.I had a 7mm mag good round but will blow up on brush,I have since got a .308 wich is a great brushgun n never looked back.

 

[KoolBreeze]

It all depends on your goal of the hunt. If I'm meat hunting, I'll usually take the first legal deer that I see, especially if it's in the morning. That way I usually have enough time to tend to that one and return to a stand for a evening hunt if I want to.

Later in the season, when the freezer is full, I get more selective and will sometimes have deer all around me and will shoot nothing. This past season while on a stand, a small 6 point buck came within 50 yards on me, grazed for a bit and then bedded down right in the front of me. After a while, he got up, grazed some more and then bedded back down. He probably spent a total of 3 hours within 75 yards of me in full view the entire time. During that time other does came into the same general area and at one point I counted 7 deer in view at once. That was the best hunt I had all year and I didn't fire a shot. For me a successful hunt doesn't always mean taking game. I enjoy being out there more than anything else.

 

[Waynzee]

Agree with rsbenden! If you hunt the woods of PA. especially on state game lands it better be as soon as you can get a good shot off. Even then some S.O.B. might come along and put another shot in your deer a say he put the last shot in it and its his deer now.

 

[shaughn]

I tend to meat hunt, so the size of the animal and the tag numbers on hand come into play.

I have a stretch of land with bush on both sides and several heavily used trails running across the opening, from my hunting shack to the far tree line is 800 yards by 200 yards wide and is ranged down to the last inch, with unobtrusive numbered panels here and there for quick verification.

I don't hunt horns, they are just a bonus, if there is a large doe out in the field and the 30 point buck is near, if the doe is bigger I will shoot the doe...have infact let more than a few B&C bucks live another day, because they were on the small side compared to the doe.

If it doesn't meet my criteria, I don't engage.