Nice encounter to start the season.

Opening morning indiana bow season I was sitting in a brand new stand on a new property. I've never hunted it before but the sign was there. I was pumped to get in a tree. I got into the stand and it wasn't long before i had the first deer right underneath my stand crunching on acorns. After about an hour of hand feeding acorns down to the yearling I heard another deer moving my direction out of the CRP field. First deer I saw was about a 2 1/2 yr old 8 pointer. Right behind him was approximately a 140" deer. It was a real tall 10 pointer with palmation on the mainbeams. Talk about a holy crap moment. Was not expecting that an hour into season. He made his way to about 35 yds and stopped broadside to eat the acorns. I had told my self before I went out there that it had to be a big mature deer in order for me to take it. I knew there were about 3 170" deer on our other property. I studied him long and hard and decided to pass on him. I judged him to be a about 3 1/2 maybe 4 1/2 at the most. One more year and he is gonna be a monster but wow what a way to start the season!

Sounds like a great morning indeed... He would have been tough to pass...

What a way to begin a season.

passed on a nice one like that one year,,lived out the whole season regreting it..never saw a decent buck the rest of the season until the 3rd day after season closed and i got to see a big ole' 12 poiith 3 does still with him..my wife was with me and the deer was about 50 yards away(all 4 of them) and she was brave enough to ask me ,,could you take that big one from here

Now thats a good way to start a season. Props to you for being able to hold off on such a nice deer.

Sounds like a good spot

Wow, I'll say thats a start! He'd be hanging in my garage for sure, you must have some really nice bucks to pass that up. Hope you see one of those 170's!

I can understand the struggle with tagging out early but man o' man I would have been lobbing some arrows.

I sometimes tell myself that I am going to let the Doe's feed awhile to see if any Buck's follow. But the more I watch those Doe's the more my mouth waters. And there is nothing better in the world to eat on a cold day than a big ole pot of sloppy doe's.

I hope you get a crack at a big one!

I don't think I would have been able to resist either. Fair play to you from fellow Hoosier.

Nice way to begin the seas.

It kind of paid off passing on this buck. I then got the chance at a 150 or 160" deer at about 20 yds. I would have had an awesome buck on the wall but my Rage broadheads didn't open and I never found him. I saw my arrow sticking out of him and knew the placement was good. Unfortunately the landowner on one of the neighboring properties denied me access to look for him. Talk about a sour season.

hoosierhunter34 wrote:

It kind of paid off passing on this buck. I then got the chance at a 150 or 160" deer at about 20 yds. I would have had an awesome buck on the wall but my Rage broadheads didn't open and I never found him. I saw my arrow sticking out of him and knew the placement was good. Unfortunately the landowner on one of the neighboring properties denied me access to look for him. Talk about a sour season.

I don't think that paid off on passing on the 140, if you still did not get the 150-160. That stinks you cant go look for him.

Too bad about the Rage and the neighbor........ but you cant shoot really big bucks by taking smaller bucks!!!

way to let him walk


and welcome back....where in IN??

yeah that sucks but I give you a lot of credit for holding out. Knowing there are some 170s running around I would have a hard time pulling the trigger this early in the season as well. I cant believe he would not let you go over to atleast look for him. It takes some nerve.

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Too bad about the Rage and the neighbor........ but you cant shoot really big bucks by taking smaller bucks!!! way to let him walk and welcome back....where in IN??

I hunt Lake, Newton, and Pulaski counties in Indiana. I shot the buck in Pulaski county north of Winamac, IN.

This is definitely going to be a redemption season for me. At least I hope because i don't know if i can take another like that.

That really sucks. Hope your season gets better. I lost my first deer this year also. It was a doe but it still makes you sick. Great control on not taking the 140.