Ground blind fail.
My wife went out for the first time this year, so I took her to a spot a little different and got her set up. I moved down the hill for a location but happened upon a dynamite trail with thick goldenrod to the south side. So, I cut two shooting lanes, and a whole in the center and made a home.
Saw three. The last, 8 point, game me a shot (I think). I saw the antler tips coming along the top of the goldenrod, and came to full draw. He came to a stop at the shooting lane, and I released. Super!! (not really). Just as nice as you please, he ducked that arrow and then went about his day!!
I believe this ground blind had two problems. 1) the worst, my shooting lane was perpendicular to the trail. If it were at an angle, I would have had a quarter away shot and he wouldn't have been alert (2) when I cut the goldenrod, I should have cut higher, and I should have replaced the removed material with brush that was lower.
Anyway, there's still plenty of goldenrod to build a successful blind. Twenty minute idea to completion almost netted a nice buck.