I let him walk

[Foxer]

What would you gentlemen do?

Who cares? - you lived up to your ethics and walked away from a shot you didn't like the look of for whatever reason.

That's a hunter.

Really doesn't matter what others would or would not have done.

 

[crazy_davey]

Who cares? - you lived up to your ethics and walked away from a shot you didn't like the look of for whatever reason.

That's a hunter.

Really doesn't matter what others would or would not have done.

Well said! I wish that people could understand that ethics are a personal thing and not rules that are written in stone.

 

[BIGREDD]

Good on You... Letting any animal walk for any reason speaks loudly to your Moral Compass and Growth as a Hunter.
I have no issues with "Road Hunting" that is just a term people use to criticize other hunters.
What if you had parked the car and prepared for a 4km hike over the hill, but after only a few steps up pops a Booner? You gonna pass on that shot... is that road hunting... did not think so. But if you chose to pass on the shot because it was not personally fulfilling then good on you!

P.S. I woulda shot it!

 

[Foxer]

What if you had parked the car and prepared for a 4km hike over the hill, but after only a few steps up pops a Booner? You gonna pass on that shot... is that road hunting... did not think so.

Well - i guess you could always drop and give it 20 push ups first if you feel that physical exertion is necessary before shooting I'm sure the bear would appreciate your efforts.

 

[hannibal]

This has turned into a good thread, that's the reason I posted my story. I don't really care what you guys would do in my situation, for me at that moment, early in the year, on my way to where I normally hunt it was just too dang easy, and a great moment. I just wanted to get a good debate going because it seems to me we all know and follow the rules, it's purely about ethics or personal choice and the exchange and debate of said ethics and choice. Yup if that bear had been a couple hundred yards up a clear cut and I had to sneak into a good shooting position I would have dropped him then wondered how the heck to get him back to the car, and how do you fit a black bear into a Kia Sportage? Hopefully I can find him again, because for me I love the meat, almost any meat, and I really love the chase, stalk up on a deer to find out it's a non-shooter, no problem pull out the camera then carry on, put the 2 together and it's what I do for hunting. We're all on the same team and it's good to know the vast majority of us can work and play well together.

 

[DVXDUDE]

depends, I'd shoot if it was the the last day of the season or if I never seen anything prior to seeing the bear. I still wouldnt be happy to shoot it, it would be pretty much just to fill my tag. But if I was in your shoes, I would of let it pass too.

 

[dw]

You will be kicking yourself when you do shoot one and it's a ##### of a drag uphill back to the vehicle......you will be muttering under your breath "should have shot this beast closer to the truck"

 

[Skip]

I've passed up a number of bears the last few years.."let them walk" as Hannibal says. For me, spring bear hunting has become an excuse to get out for a drive and a walk in the woods. Last year my situation was much like Hannibal's...just too easy. Both the bear and I were having a good day up to that point, and I saw no purpose in ruining it for either of us. This year, after talking during the winter about getting a sausage bear come spring, I was talked into a stalk and will be picking up my sausage in a week or so. I guess I'm softening up in my senior years, as I'm no where near as motivated to make the kill as I used to be. I think increasing age brings many of us to a clearer recognition of our own mortality, and a greater reverance for the life of all creatures (excepting of course things like mosquitoes, rats, and wasps).
For me at least, killing an animal has taken on a different kind of significance than when I was younger, and I notice that some of my similarly aged hunting friends and family have expressed the same thoughts. In some ways this makes little sense at all, as I'm still a meat eater, and I know very well where the burgers, steaks and sausages come from. I'm not claiming there's any logic to it really, just explaining that my feelings about making the kill are much different than they were when I was younger...and that's why some of the game gets to walk.

Part is the "live and let live" thingy that you get going when you get older, and the other part is remembering how much work the second part of the hunt is - getting it home...

 

[atr]

Now go shoot one and post the pics . I wasn't hackin' on ya hannibal . You did the right thing and in fact the post by icedog pretty well describes me . My point was that doing the right thing can vary from person to person from one circumstance to the next and that's all . The older i get , the more shots i pass on but i always buy my tags , grab the guns and head to the bush . Now i get a much bigger kick out of being there when my son and his friends pull the trigger .