It's always the Little things that get ya!!

[BEN]

This afternoon was a beautifull day to be in a tree stand --- except for 1 little problem!

First the set-up: Tonight was overcast with a front coming in around dark. NO wind--at all. One of those days when any little sound carries a mile. Just for info---my hearing is really shot. The worst of everyone in my dept. when we have our yearly hearing exam at work. I mostly rely on eyesight when hunting. So....when I say I heard 4 deer at 100 yds-----that's something!!

So, I'm sitting in my climbing stand about 30 ft. up a tree, in an area I;ve never hunted before. I chose the upper corner of a woodlot with power-line clearcuts on 3 sides, a beaver pond below me and a deep ravine runing the fourth side. lots of oaks and beech trees in teh area.
Around 6 or so I hear them----a 100 yds away and coming--4 does: 1 like a small cow - nice and plump.  They go down into some heavy stuff and I lose track of them, but can hear them milling around. Suddenly, they pop out only 30 yds below me---wind is PERFECT. they are angling to my right----PERFECT! Then all of a sudden, the lead doe does about a 180 and swings back toward my left--- NOT so perfect as I'm a lefty and already committing to the right-angle shot.

 Oh well---I can already taste the tenderloins that I was going to fry up before going to work tonight.....so I ever so carefully move my lead foot to re-position and  !!!CRUNCH!!!  :eek:  Some dry leaves had fallen and collected on my stand platform and of course I stepped on them    

The lead doe stopped , looked up and the group ran off. But then, they stop and the lead doe starts looking for me.....they start coming back. the big doe keeps changing angles and looking...looking...looking! After runnig 70 yds away, they come back to within 30 yds again...but still looking!! I'm starting to find myself laughting at the  amount of time this nosy old doe was taking to find me---but finally PPFFFEWWWWWWWW!!!! The gig was up. She finally either got the angle she needed or enough of a whiff that she decided to get out of there and blow like a freight train while doing it!!

They walked off towards where they came from and I was left eyeballing the lower corner to plot out a better ambush for next time!!!

Next time--she's gonna end up in my skillet!!    

ben

[centaur]

Good luck next time. What is 'no wind'? I sat 4 hours looking into a 30 mph north wind this afternoon. The stove in our mudroom is feeling really good right now!

[Hot Hap]

Good luck! Hap

[BEN]

"No wind"-----great condition where you can sit for hours comfortably without the extra freezing bite and without the incessant swaying of the tree that can cause some nerves to twitch and arrows to go astray!  

[wapitimike1]

I kinda like a little bit of a breeze. I had a stand a week ago cost me a goodie. Needless to say that stands gone. It is the little things that bugger ya up some times.

[BEN]

I'm with you there----a light breeze might have kept those leaves from piling up where they did--maybe; then maybe I would have done something else stupid too!  

[RightTrailWrongTime]

sounds like my hunt last night, just lowered my bow facing the tree getting ready to come down and I hear footsteps, crap! pull the bow back up quick and a shooter buck is standing there at 10 yards nocked an arrow and tried to turn around, haha he looks up as I put tension on the string and laughs at me while he trots away- I know better and always tell other guys, go early stay late! it was a long walk back in the dark cussing myself!