More noise behind me, rustling and sounded like moans, I see the antler tips slowly tilting to the side , then coming errect again. Like someone nodding off to sleep. I start thinking the buck got hit by a car or wounded or something. We are experiencing some die-off due to midges biting the deer and the deer contracting something that kills them. He tries to get up and falls back to his original position.
I hear running feet in leaves to my left, I turn and see twins playing in the leaves and acorns, they are on a path to within yards of my stand, one open lane about ten yards out. They're small, but it's the last morning of my trip. Do I take one? Yes if I get an open shot. They turn and go up the ridge. The top of that ridge is a magnet, 6 deer seen on it in 15 hours. More noise behind me, his front end is exposed and he's trying to get up, I turn, what's the right thing to do, he's suffering, I have the means to end it, can I do it from here, do I have to tag him, if I don't Joe will. I don't want Joe to use his buck tag like this, his back end is almost up, I have a clear shot. I draw, the arrow leaves and goes where I look, he lurches up as the arrow leaves, I hit him back too far. He goes down and doesn't move. All I see is the fletch and my nock, and the tips of his legs.