I had passed up some small bucks at the start of the season, but things changed fast because of the acorns. Their was a great crop and they were falling under every tree. I set up a tripod on a trail in a grove of acorn trees and it was 4:30 in the afternoon when a spike came by at 35 yards and went behind me and disapeared. A few minutes later I look down the trail and a buck is raking his antlers on a bush and then starts up the trail toward me. My right shoulder was facing him so I tryed to move the seat a little for a shot and when I swived around the cushion on the back made a little noise and he stopped at 25 yards as the spike I had seen earlier ran past me with a high 8 point and went past the wide buck that was going to give me a shot. He did not spook but walked off our of range.
What had happened was the two buck were feeding on acorns 15 yards from me and I could here them eating but could not see them.
Later on when it was getting dark a big wide buck came over to where the acorns were, but no shot. Then the fifth big wide buck came into bow range but it was too dark for the 15 yard shot. I could hear both bucks eating until real dark when I got down and left with some great memories. Success without the kill. Ken