Man, of all the austere knowledge and talent on this site and here nobody has pointed out the obvious!
Deer are sub-terrainian. The have tunnels all through the woods...and they just really do pop up places and then disappear again...without a sound!
No, really!!! How else can you explain there are 6" of dried popcorn leaves everywhere and every chipmunk sounds like an elephant...and then out of nowhere, there stands a deer looking straight at you?
Tunnels! I'm tellin ya now, gospel! Just like in Nam... networks of tunnels everywhere and them danged ungulates just ease on up outa the ground and "appear"... and when you raise your binocs, they just ooze back on down right where the stump was!
Trust me. I'd not blow smoke on sumpin this important...
:rolleyes: