shortest shot on a deer

[Big joe]

I had a apx 30 yard shot at a VERY nice 4 point Mule Deer buck... and get this... did'nt take it because the bugger had his whole head and neck parked right behind a couple of pine tree branches. He ran across a backroad we were driving on . He was with a smaller 2 point buck that, of course, was in plain sight the entire time it took to jump out of my truck. I was 95% sure it was him but we had seen lots of does that morning even though these two bucks were alone running across the road. GRRR! I just sat there with the cross hairs if my 270 resting on his chest, and my finger on the trigger, waiting for him to move a little so I could identify him. I'm pretty sure he was watching me because after about 20-30 seconds of agony, He just bounded off, never giving me another opportunity for a shot. I did get a couple of fleeting glimpses of him as I followed him hoping for a shot and WOW!!! He was by far the biggest Mule Buck I've ever seen while hunting!!! It happened 4 years ago and it haunts me to this day... like I said... GRRRRRR!!!