BIG  hit the nail on the head- Bow and Gun are two very different things
Back in the 'one and done' days many of us 'old timers' started bow hunting with stuff like the Red Wing or a Bear  recurve at about 45 lbs and wood shafts. Back then bow seasons were generally  'new' and a pastime to get ready for gun season- clearly that old pastime has become a tech savvy passion for many -with many tags in many states it has had the opportunity to grow..
 Many of us learned the hard way that a proper decent shot with gun and bow were two very different things.

I can't say you should have released the arrow I wasn't looking through your peep. Sounds like you made the right choice to me. To many guys would take even more impossible shots and send them, I have found several dead ( waisted ) deer because of bad judgment calls. Take care E

There is always something  giving the Antis fodder- Did ya see the yearling on the news with the arrow through the mouth-bad shot- or a miss with the little one behind- at any rate somebody was outa their comfort zone and it made us all look lousy.
 Anybody can miss and wounding unfortunately comes with the game sometimes- but always stack the odds in your favor with practice and common sense.
 I give Eman credit for a common sense decision in the face of what seems to have been a very nice buck.

 I give Eman credit for a common sense decision also...not a expert here by any means  but he did the right thing I think.  Maybe I'm to picky at times & never take the shot but I usually feel better at the end of the day with my decision.  I took a shot at a button buck last Friday night which I hurried the shot and missed but looking back at it I'm glad I did. I didn't put tags on anything this season but that's OK ,I had a great season.

thanks for the credit guys. I don't rifle hunt at all just archery. I will be out during the opening day with my bow hunting the little patches of woods that the rifle hunters can't hunt..

Good Idea Ed, I would try to stay all day! Most gun hunters are only going to sit so low before they get antsy and start the push. And that my friend will pay off for you just have patience and be ready. More than likely the deer will coming in HOT, and have the grunt in hand. Good Luck Dave

Have had small places to hunt that I don't even go to till 8 or 9 AM for that very reason. They may not be where the Deer are early but when the early guys get antsy and take a hike the DO push deer.
 Has such a spot last season and didn't get out day one till 11 AM- figured to stay there the rest of the day while others went out for lunch or took hikes on adjoing properties. 
   10 minutes into the woods 5 came trotting in.

i think you did the right thing Ed. here is a link someone posted once before
http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/articles/deer/deergeometry/

Hey Ed= just so ya don't feel lonely--
     Not much happenin here where I am in Ct right now but  2 days ago I bumped a Bigun.
  Got him in the scope twice- both times  questionable shots .
 Could I have shot him either time  - yes ,   would I have made a poor hit- very  likely ,  could I have tracked him down and finished the job -perhaps
     Did I shoot-- NO
 When your outa your comfort zone and it just don't seem right the only responsible  option  is-- NO.

I guess it all depends on what feels worse, knowing you took a pass on a big one, or knowing he's out there some where dead and rotting.
I've never had the misfortune of a non-recovery, but there's only been one time I second guessed taking a pass and that feeling only lasted a few hours. My first year of hunting on my own(rifle) I had a huge buck cross behind me and had an excellent 40 yd broadside shot. Gun raised, already thinking of the trip to the taxidermist with my first buck, I saw the yellow of a school bus passing trough the trees behind him(as he was between me and the highway). That was that, I just couldn't bring myself to shoot. I waited for him to move along the trail and give me a good shot but he never did. At the end of the day, I told my dad what happened. I thought he'd be disappointed, but he wasn't. I think he was more proud of me passing on a dangerous shot than if I would have downed that monster. He even went as far as to repeat the story to all his friends after we got home. Ever since then, I too take pride in passing an iffy/unsafe shot. I believe it's one of the main characteristics of a true hunter/sportsman.  
 
On the flip side, I have a super lucky buddy who seems to rattle/grunt in a nice buck every couple years. He shoots all of them. He's recovered about half. Don't get me wrong he's a good dude, and would never intentionally take a bad shot or wound a deer. However, buck fever does strange things to one's judgement. It can make a bad shot look good  and post-shot wait time seem like days. He has gotten much better and the his last three bucks have been recovered(not the case for the first three). Hopefully, he's gotten over the effects of buck fever. 
 
For what it's worth, I'm proud of you for taking a pass. He'll be bigger next year anyway.