My first real "close encounter"

[Jimikinz]

SO I'm persisting in my (somewhat crazy?) goal of deer hunting from the ground, still hunting, here in sunny (read...loud and crunchy) San Diego.  Yesterday It all came together, and just as I have been lately feeling a bit discouraged, since I've seen a lot of deer, but nothing close to shootable, it was just what I needed.  Here is the Story...

I went to a spot that I have not been around in a while and found no sign, no tracks, nothing, so I decided to scout a new ridge that I had been looking at all fall.  
I decided to just tromp up past a road that ran along about half-way up, and start getting quiet from there on.  Well, about 20 feet into my tromping, a doe jumped up probably 50 yards out and I froze.  

I managed to stand stone-still for about 10 minutes while she stared my way.  She walked toward me and got to about 20 yards, stood broadside for few minutes staring at me, and then finally went back to feeding along.  I did not take the shot becuase I figured she would just jump the string, seeing as she was on full alert....but that took some will-power!

I spent the next half-hour or so trying to close the distance.  I was having a blast.
At about 30 yards she caught my movement again but fortuneately it was just as I passed behind a big pine, so I was covered.  I knocked an arrow and waited for another 5 minutes or so until she moved out from our mutually obscured veiw through the tree.

At this point I just continued to stand still until her face passed behind another tree, at which time I went to one knee, and brought my bow up.  I figured she would pass at about 15 yards if she continued on the trail.

She didn't, instead, she focussed right in on my now kneeling form and walked right to my left, trying to get down wind.  She got to 5 yards (I paced it off after), face-to-face and stomped, snorted, and then just stared!  This lasted for what seemed an eternity, until she finally just blew out of there. She finally smelled me?

Man what a rush!......My motivation to keep at it just went off the charts.  I can't wait for next week.

Thanks for listening.

[allan f]

good job buddy keep at it, they will make a mistake eventually.

Allan

[Jake Allen]

That was a rush reading! Cool experience,
thanks for sharing. Close encounters are one of the things I like about bow hunting and going out with a camera.

[Swamp Pygmy]

same thing happened to me the other day. A hunter pushed a doe right past me at about ten yards on the ground. I snapped a twig and she stopped broadside to look at me. I froze and beat her at the waiting game. She looked away and when I drew back I just couldn't release. Too nervous I guess. I had the entire deer in my sights rather than picking a spot. I didn't know what but I knew something was wrong, so I let down without shooting.

Been hunting hard for over a month now and thats the first deer I ever drew back on. Perfect chance and I blew it. But I wouldn't have traded it for a shotgun kill no way no how. They don't call it the hard way for nothing.

Been practicing for a year now and I can't really explain how frustrated I am that I choked at the moment of truth but how proud I am that I just let the string down and her walk away. It was so close I just wanted to shoot, but I very easily could've wounded that animal as excited as I was. Next time...

[Bonebuster]

Jimikinz, ain`t it great?

Some people will live their whole lives and never
get to experience that "rush".

Congratulations..."Happy Hunting" to quote Fred Bear.

I hope one day soon, it all comes together for you.

Thanks for listening?... how about thanks for taking me on a hunt in California.

[Hawkeye]

I've killed four deer this season (so far   ), but my favorite hunts of the year were three "close encounters" like you described.

In the course of one week, sitting on the ground and snuggled back in a field of standing corn, I was up close and personal with three deer.  

The first night, it was a NICE 8 point Illinois bruiser at 12 yards for 45 seconds.  He caught the t-i-n-i-e-s-t bit of scent and stopped one step short of a shooting lane before sauntering away, but it was a beautiful experience.

The next night it was a doe that spent 30 minutes(!!) at 5-10 yards without giving me one chance through the standing cornstalks.  I could see her eyelashes!  (Oh, were my muscles sore from holding still!)

A couple nights later it was a little baby-faced 6 pointer at THREE yards who was very curious about the strange blob in HIS cornfield for about a half minute, but there was nothing even close to a shot opportunity.

I'm glad to have meat in the freezer, but these will be the fondest memories of this year.  Glad you are winning close encounters.  I suspect a bloody arrow will be next if you keep doing the same things!!

Daryl

[Kevin Bahr]

4 deer?  Dang, Daryl, I need to come and hunt with you!  LOL!

[Hawkeye]

Told you!  

That's probably more typical of a 20-year than a single-season total for me, but they made the mistake of getting perfectly in front of my screaming broadhead, and the meat is DELICIOUS!  You kow what they say... "even a blind pig wears lipstick once in a while" (or smething like that...)

[Jimikinz]

Thanks guys.  I've got 6 or 7 more times to get out before the season closes...so who knows?

[talkingcabbage]

I've taken one doe so far this year, but my best experience is one like you've described, with a nice Iowa 10-pointer with a tall rack.  Had him at 15 yards with a perfect broadside shot and shot over his back.  I need to learn to let down like Swamp described, but it was still such an adrenaline rush.

Awesome story!

Joe

[metsastaja]

What a rush.

[paleFace]

the close calls are what keeps us coming back and for me just as memorable if not more. keep at it, sounds like you have found a good spot to concentrate your efforts the rest of the season.  good luck to you.

[AndyTheCornbread]

I had 3 close encounters two weekends back. One at 15 yards with a 4x4 that bailed as I was drawing the bow. Another smaller 4x4 that I had dead to rights at between 10 and 15 yards but the trees were thick and I was kneeling so I never could get a clear shot at his vitals so I let him walk. A monster 5x5 that was the biggest bodied deer I have ever seen but not the biggest rack. He busted me though at about 60 yards, he wasn't sure what I was but he wouldn't come any closer so I didn't get a shot. These were all blacktails. I have never killed an animal from a tree, all my kills have been made on the ground and most while I was creeping/kneeling. I think I have only ever killed one deer while I was standing up. Make sure you practice sitting and kneeling shots a lot because if you are doing it from the ground a majority of your shots will probably be from those positions.

[bowhunterfrompast]

[BowHuntingFool]

Great story!!!!! I got the rush just reading along! Sure is good fun!

[reddogge]

I've been bowhunting since 1967 and this year I first had that same rush from hunting from a ground blind.  I had 4 does pass 5 yards from me but I was waiting for the buck so I didn't shoot.  After they passed however they got a whiff and hung around for 1/2 hour eventually coming into the pines I was in again before retreating in an orderly fashion the way they came.  I guess they winded me slightly but couldn't make me but felt something was amiss.

You are right, it is a rush.