4 Shot Opportunities to Pass on Whitetails

I watched three does saunter past right at shooting light. About an hour after sunrise, as the fog burned off the swampy road, I saw one of the biggest bucks I have ever laid eyes on. Only instead of crossing the road, he was walking head-on toward my blind, nose out, antlers shining in the early morning light.

I raised my rifle, steadied my breathing, and waited. There was no way I was going to blow a shot on such a heart-stopping bruiser, and I didn’t want to ruin it with an iffy forward-facing shot. So I stared down my iron sights as he came another thirty yards straight down the logging road. My trigger finger was getting itchy, but I held steady.

Then he just stepped off the road and disappeared into the brambles and switch cane. I never fired a shot, but it took a good while for my heart rate to get back down to normal. My encounter with that buck drove home an important point. Just because there’s a deer lined up in your crosshairs doesn’t mean you should squeeze the trigger. It can be hard to remember that when you’re staring down the kind of buck dreams are made of. But sometimes the best thing you can do is let that deer walk.

You Have a Bad Angle

That buck was well within shooting range, and I had a steady rest. But none of that mattered since he only gave me a frontal shot. A lot of hunters feel confident taking a frontal shot, but I personally don’t like the risk. If I had taken that frontal shot, there’s a chance I would have killed him. But I knew there was minimal margin for error, and there were so many things that could go wrong. I could strike bone instead of vitals or end up with an injured deer and a crappy blood trail. My bullet could ruin meat. I wanted that buck enough to let him walk and hunt him another day.

Frontal, straight-away, or a steep quartering angle are all solid reasons to keep your finger off the trigger. If you don’t have a clear path to vitals, it’s best not to shoot.

You’re in a Bad Position

Last archery season, my target buck came from an unexpected direction. I heard soft footfalls to my left (my weak side), almost behind me. He stood broadside at 30 yards, nibbling acorns like he had nowhere to be.

It should have been the perfect shot, but getting into a good shooting position would have required some serious gymnastics on my part. I would have had to twist my torso into a pretzel and lean way out of the treestand to get the shot. I spent several minutes quietly hoping and praying he would come around to a spot where I could make a better shot, but it never happened. It’s tempting to make awkward shooting positions work. But if you’re twisted, off-balance, reaching, or almost hanging out of your treestand, it can make a chip shot almost impossible.

Forcing a shot from an awkward position makes it hard to control your weapon. If you’re shooting a bow, it can make it hard to get a good anchor or even break down your form. If you’re shooting a rifle, it turns a steady shot into a shaky one. The deer might be within your range, but your form might fall to pieces.

There’s Something Behind Your Deer

“Know your target and what lies beyond” is a cardinal rule of firearms safety. What if you have a solid rest and you’re staring at a broadside deer, but there’s a doe standing behind it? Or another buck is moving through the same opening? Or maybe a few cattle are happily grazing in the pasture just beyond your target? The shot is no good.

When your target buck lines up perfectly in your sights, it’s hard not to get tunnel vision. But every shot has a destination beyond your target, and you're responsible for all the damage that shot does once your finger squeezes the trigger.

If there’s another deer tangling up your shot, it may only take a few moments of patience for it to work itself out. If there’s a road, a house, livestock, or anything else you can’t afford to accidentally hit, there shouldn’t be any internal debate. Wait for a clear shot or let the deer walk. Ideally, you shouldn’t put yourself in a shooting situation where those other factors present a risk.

You Feel Rushed

The pair had appeared almost out of nowhere. I saw the doe first and then the buck hot on her tail. I got my gun up and tried to line up the crosshairs on a buck still on the move. Then that doe crossed my scent line and put on the brakes. She threw up her nose, turned her head straight toward me, and stomped the ground twice. The buck was still oblivious, but he was closing the distance between them fast. I was running out of time before she blew the whole thing.

At that moment, it was hard not to panic. I was playing against the clock in my head. That’s when a perfectly fine shot can turn into a bad one. Maybe a deer is about to catch your scent, disappear into thick brush, or it’s just continually moving.

Your heart rate spikes, breathing quickens, and brain narrows focus. When buck fever kicks in, it’s usually a good time to slow yourself down. Give yourself a second to breathe, settle your weapon, and decide whether it’s a shot you can confidently make. Sure, you might miss an opportunity, but that’s a lot easier to live with than making a bad shot because you convinced yourself you were running out of time.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes the hardest part of hunting is knowing when not to shoot. While a missed opportunity might make you replay that scene over and over, a botched shot stays with you. There’s no shame in passing on a deer when the shot isn’t optimal. It’s okay to let him walk so you can hunt him under better circumstances another day.

This article covers shooting situations to pass on, but if you need a good resource for where to shoot a deer, check out this article from Tony Peterson.