So this being my first year hunting in MO, I made sure to read up on the rules, one being that any bucks taken must have a minimum of four tines on at least one side, what I failed to note was that this rule only applied to certain counties.

As a consequence I spent 45 minutes in my stand this morning watching a very full bodied buck with only two tines per side (pretty solid rack though). He sat in front of me and ate acorns at about twenty yards for 45 minutes, when I got home I figured I'd double check the tines rule and found out that in my county that buck was completely legal.  I felt like a dumbass

I always try to remind myself to completely read the rules before every season.  So much has changed in the past 30 years.

Whenever I think nothing has changed, I make myself read them anyway, and usually end up finding one or two things that have changed.

There's an old indian tale about how the great spirit taught a particular band of southeast indians to hunt and manage game.  A boy hunting helped an alligator, who in turn told him to go hunting, that he would see a doe, and not to shoot it because she would bring many more deer into the world.  And yet by being able to shoot it, and passing, he would become a better hunter.  Then he would see a young buck, but he would not shoot it because it would still father many more young bucks with its good genes.  And since he would not shoot it, he would become an even greater hunter.  Then he would see a grandfather buck who's days were already numbered, and it would willingly present a shot to the hunter.  There would be great honor in killing this buck, and would make the hunter truly great.

Long story short, the great spirit is going to deliver you a bigger buck.  

Lol. I did the same thing when I was stationed at fort leonardwood a few years back. I couldn't remember the rule for Pulaski county so I just let him pass.  There is always next year.

Or next weekend

Sometimes the great spirit lets a large racked, full bodied buck move your way to get your heart pounding, but has the wind all wrong, so the buck catches your scent just before stepping out where you can get a shot.  All the great spirit allows you to see is the buck's nose moving around sniffing the air, before the buck turns away and walks off into the opposite direction, disappearing forever.