Shiawasse Fed Hunt - What would you have done?

[3006]

I pulled an either sex permit this year for the Fed hunt this week. Well Wednesday, I shot my buck. It is a nice deer that anyone would be happy with. However, I am dissapointed with myself for taking it. It is a small perfect 8pt with the spread just reaching the outside of the ears. I told myself 8pt or better before the hunt started, but I was expeting trophy size. Well, the first evening of the 5 day hunt and I fill my tag with a small rack. I know there are several big record book racks out there. I even saw one just before I shot this one. I thought that deer was a mule walking down the road before it dissapeared into the corn.

Here was my reasoning for taking the deer.

1. I was tired and cold from hunting all day wednesday. The weather forcast wasn't looking like it was going to be good as we were to have windy days. I think they had a good sqaure mile min. of corn standing which is where I saw most of the deer and figured that was where they were going to stay. Didn't appear the bucks were in rut yet. But, I found a great location and I know I would have seen more deer there the rest of the week.


All in all, I had a great hunt. The deer I shot walked right under my stand and even stopped to smell my gear bag I left on the ground. Made a good shot as less than 10 yards, the deer only ran about 75 yards. I know a lot of people would give their right arm for this deer, but now I will always be wondering what if I had passed and waited to see what the next day or two would bring.

[flyrod4steelhead]

Let me say first off conngrat's on your buck.

Well I would have probally done the same thing. In a way I think you did the right choice, but then again, you could have passed him up and waited. I have never entered the drawing for that, but I have heared alot of good things about the area. A friend of mine did that hunt 2 yrears ago, and bagged a decent 12pt. It wasn't a very big rack at all, nor did it have very much mass to it. He said that he had passed on several other shooter buck's, because he wanted to see what was out there. So I guess I "porbally" would have passed on him, and waited a few day's to see what was lurking in the area. All though shooting any buck is a trophy. I can't say that I would have passed on him because I have never shot a buck with my bow :(

As a matter of fact, me and me wife almost bought a house that butted up to the Shiawasee Game Land. We didn't because (this is during the summer) there was about 4ft of standing water in the crawl space, mildew on the window sill's, part of the house was un-even from the other half, the roof needed new shingling done to it, etc. etc. We would have been neighbor's to one of the framer's in that area, How sweet would that be, :D

[dieseldude]

i would have done the same, congrats on your buck. maybe you will get a permit and try again next year for the bruiser. just getting a deer there is more than most do.;)

[Banditto]

Me on the other hand... I passed up a lot of smaller bucks this year including 8-pts waiting for the big guy. The weather rarely phases me anymore with the gear I bring.

So I sit and wait... and wait... and wait...

[Joe Archer]

Don't worry..... Be happy :) You may have just as easilly gone home empty handed if you had passed him up. <----<<<