So here it is at first light and I have a misty fog covering the ridgeline, where I am ground hunting. I suddenly hear deer busting down the drainage that I am hunting. I turn and get set up for a shot and quickly 2 doe are looking at me from 10 yards, where they stop accordingly. Then they turn, with no movement on my part, go back the way they came and feed 40 yards up the ridge. My scent was blowing strait at them, but they didn't seem to care.
Fast-forward 1 hour and I hear a deer coming from accross the river. Since I didn't figure I was hidden well enough, I crouched in my current position real close to one of 3 trees I was between and proceeded to wait for the deer to come up the ridge to bed. This was the plan of course. So I sat squating for 10-15 minutes staring at the trail that was 15 yards downhill. No sound, no movement. Suddenly from 6 yards, I see a slick-head move from behind the tree that I was hiding behind. 6 yards! It looks at me, then feeds. Then looks at me and feeds. Then, It goes behind the large oak tree to my left, allowing me to set up for a shot. I move slowly and draw while the deer moves into position.
Then this doe does something that just adds to my intrigue of this great animal that God created, it peaks around the tree instead of walking past it. Well, it didn't like the camoflauged lump(me) holding a copperhead skinned Ben Pearson recurve, so it jumped back around the tree, not offering me a shot and walked up the drainage the other 2 doe went up.
While I didn't shoot anything, I definitly got close, closer than most will ever get. I have only had one deer closer and the funny thing, I was hunting on the ground.
Someday I will shoot one with trad gear, but for now, it only feeds the addiction. THIS IS TOUGH, BUT VERY REWARDING!
Ben