Seconds after commotion began in the brush, a yearling erupted into view from beneath a pine tree to my left. Brash little guy (or girl, though looking back, I'd bet it was a he. I was too caught up in the moment to check, though). He seemed deperate to find the source of the grunt. He began to head out of range, so out of curiosity, I grunted once more.
BAM! Off he went for the pine. But rather than disappearing forever, he did a double take before heading back in his original direction. Taking his place beneath the pine was a rather large doe. As fine a representative of her kind as could be imagined, she moved neither hide nor hair under her shelter. Instead, she fixed her gaze upon her yearling. Afraid for it, but not willing to reveal her position. Or so I'd like to believe.
Anyway, after a while, curiosity rose up once more. Afterall, mama wasn't moving, and junior was out of my range. Not to mention, the direct approach had already worked wonders.
As soon as the grunt left my lips, the yearling headed straight for mama. But he stopped. 10 paces away, slightly quartering away. Chest perfectly framed by to trees. After being so fickle, could the gods really show me such mercy.
By now, the words "pick a spot" were racing through my mind a mile a minute. Better them than my heart, I figured. Anyway, I eyed mama one last time. Perfect; she was paying attention to junior. My confidence as high as it would get, I drew and burned a hole through that deer. Holding for a second, then another, then...that dull thump of the longbow...