Close but ...

[frassettor]

no cigar!

The stand I am in right now is very close to a bedding area so I really had to be careful walking in and choosing my footsteps wisely so I don't make any noise.

3:30 Pm I start my Trek to my stand. Since I was walking so slowly it took me alot longer the usual. I get settled in at 4:00 and am sweating buckets because of the 80 degree weather. The mosquitoes were getting bad so  I reached back to turn my Thermacell on. In 10 minutes I finally had some relief!

5:30 Pm I heard alot of comotion behind me to my left. I dare not move a muscle because I know they are real close. I look out the corner of my eye and    :eek:   I see a huge doe making her way from my left to the right of me until...She looks up and our eyes meet at 10 yards! She freezes and stays there staring at me for 10-15 minutes   :(   .

She knows something isnt right but I don't think she knows what is wrong. I need her to get another 10 yards in front of me then I would have a better shot angle. I hear the other deer walking around, and I was thinking to myself "great mabey this deer that is behind me will make this doe that is locked up relax a little".  NOPE! She decides she doesn't quite like the situation and she circles behind me this time to my right. I dare not move a muscle and by this time my body was screaming at me to change to a  different position. She never stomped or blew. She walked off and I heard her bound away ounce then mill around, and then bound away again, and that was it.

I lost track of the other deer until....

Near dark I start making my decent out of the woods the same way I came in...SLOW, until I get about 100 yards behind my tree stand and I met another deer at 20 yards. I never knew it was there, and it never knew I was there until I was close. I am saying "it" because when I came up on it    :eek:      :eek:   I took off so fast and even though by this time it was 15 yards in front of me. it was gone in a flash. I believe it may have left its hide back where it came from.


I got out to see the last 5 minutes of daylight, and took a deep breath and thanked god for the experience I just had!

I wanted that deer so bad to honor Dads bow, but was so grateful for the encounter I just had. It will happen eventually, and when it does it will make it all the more sweeter...until then, life really doesn't get any better  

[Smallwood]

sounds like it was a great hunt, remember that it will mean more to you when you do tag one, because it was hard earned.  

[frassettor]

Originally posted by Smallwood:
sounds like it was a great hunt, remember that it will mean more to you when you do tag one, because it was hard earned.    

What a great feeling though!

[wihill]

OUTSTANDING!!!   :D   :D   :D   Way to go Rich!

Good practice for next weekend!  

[buckeye_hunter]

I live vicariously through threads like this. I don't have a good memory of a dad to take into the woods with me. Good for you. I hope you get one for your dad and continue to have fun. There isn't a better reason to be in the woods, in my opinion.    
-Charlie