Have I ever regretted killing a deer? Yes a few times. Is that negative satisfaction?
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Poll - how much satisfaction do you get from killing a deer on your hunt?
- Thread starter kyler1945
- Start date
What made you regret it?
I've killed several that were more than I bargained for finding and getting back to the truck. I've killed a few where I had to run late for work. Killed one that made me late for a party.
No ragrets!
I have less than zero use for a canned or high fence hunt. Same for spotlighting or other illegal means of taking game. Like I mentioned previously, everything up to the shot I view as the hunt. That act is separate from the act of killing or taking the shot. I have killed deer when I just barely got in woods and a shot opportunity presented itself. There wasnt really a hunt in those cases. The satisfaction in that case was with executing a clean shot and quick kill, a independent act from the hunt. Much better to me is having the hunt too and then completing the kill. Saturday, I spent the first half of the day scouting a new area on a big piece of public. I did not find anything that looked good enough for me to hang on yet. I did find a couple of spots that will need eyes again in a couple of week though. The afternoon was spent checking 5 different spots on a different piece public that I know well. Again none of the spots looked good enough to hunt yet but will be hot later. For the day, I did not climb a tree but saw 20ish deer, had a run in with a mama bear with 3 cubs at 35 yards, and covered 11 miles of beautiful river bottom ground. It was a good hunt because I eliminated a lot of ground for the rest of the season, learned a lot of spots that may be great in years to come and found some spots that should get really good a little later this season, saw a bunch of game and had a cool encounter with the bears even if it did get a little uncomfortable for a few seconds.
I have only had one that upon recovery I was disappointed. It wasnt the hunt or the kill that was disappointing it was my lack of recognizing the deer. The deer I killed was a 3 y/o that looked very similar rack wise to the buck I was hunting that was older. I saw the rack and failed to look at the body characteristics to correctly identify the young buck from the older buck I was hunting. I was happy with the kill just not with the hunt because I did not master all of the aspects I intended too.
Mostly a few bad shots but I guess that is a separate category.
Only one buck I regretted hanging a tag on, he just stood there at 15 yards for too long. I wouldn't call myself a trophy hunter but that was a lesson learned with one buck tag you have to commit to what you want.
A couple have been borderline of the extraction process crossing the line from type II to type III fun.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2019
- Messages
- 1,373
Last Friday the river had been high for three days, I suspected the deer might be bored stuck on one side of the river… I rappelled 90’ down a steep bank, bolted a new tree next to the river, whole process was slow and I was bummed, felt late. An hour later target buck who I’ve never seen in person in three years showed up with another six bucks in a bachelor group… some walked into the river to “check it out”. So many eyes I could not find a window to draw the bow. Buck was perfect broadside ten yards for multiple minutes.
This goes down in my good sit hall of fame, feel I put the pieces together really well, river pulled my scent and they literally stopped by to check the river. But I can confirm not getting the kill did leave a void in my soul. I leave that situation approx 65% satisfied.
This goes down in my good sit hall of fame, feel I put the pieces together really well, river pulled my scent and they literally stopped by to check the river. But I can confirm not getting the kill did leave a void in my soul. I leave that situation approx 65% satisfied.
PancreasBroke
Active Member
50% - the other half is buying and selling clothes/gear and reorganizing it all every, freakin, season…
Actually, surprisingly, a low percentage. It's more about the narrative and process than the actual harvest! All that aside, I'm not saying that if I could write the ending to a hunt that it wouldn't have a harvest lol.
I like @boyne bowhunter take on this. I want every hunt to last till the last second of legal and season time to punch every tag. Get all the juice you can out of the tag and the season!
Amazing we were typing the same thing in different threads concurrently.
ThePennsylvanian
Well-Known Member
No that's not negative satisfaction, that's what's called good old "type 2" fun. I've had me a many of type 2 fun hunts. I once killed a mouflon sheep on a close to shear hillside. 450 yards from where I shot it. Getting that thing off the mountain sucked horribly at the time. But I look back on the hunt fondly now. Same goes for another hunt when I was on Guam this past spring, shot a pig that dove into the the thickest densest vegetation I've ever come across. It was one of the worst tracks I've ever been on. But I have good memories from it, and I'll probably do it again next year.........