ok where to begin on this 3 ring circus fiasco! got to my treestand at 3:30 feeling like deer might move early tonight and i wanted to be there. 4:45 i look in to the field and see a large doe feeding, i am just in the woods on a trail that leads to the field. at 5:00 i hear noise in front of me and see a deer, then i see he has horns, the spike from a night ago that was chasing does. nice horns, nice body. he is coming right on down the trail slowly eating on his way. now he commits to the trail like a puppet on a string. i am set for a 5 yard shot and he is a couple steps away, just has to clear a large tree. i lean in and ready myself, he is apssing, i draw, at the last secound he takes a hard turn around the other side of the tree and stops dead! there i am full draw buring a hole where he SHOULD have stepped and there he is at 3 yards below me, i am caught redhanded ARRRRGHHHH! i had to stay at full draw for what seemed like forever untill he turned his head and i let down. when i let down he snapped his head and looked right at me, oh now i'm busted the jig is up i think. he swings his head side to side and is burning holes IN ME, well if that ain't poetic justice eh??? we stayed like this for atleast 5 minutes. he then swapped ends and stood behinf the tree. would you believe he would swing his head out both sides of that tree and peek at me!!!! well round 2 now as he looks like he is coming around again. yup, right at me to the base of my tree looking up at point blank range, ya got to be kidding me!! stomps his feet and goes back behing the tree and starts peeking again!!! well if ya can picture 2 dumbies looked in a mexican stand off of who blinks first it would be us. i do not make eye contact at any time when i know he is staring at me as i'm sure he would run. i'm looking out of the corner of my eye. this game went on for 45 PAIN STAKING minutes!!!! no angle but straight on 5 yards max for 45 minutes. the whole time he has me pegged! 2 does blow in the field and that gets his attention as he walked of about 30 yards. with nothing to lose and him leaving i blow my grunt tube and it stops him dead. he looks back then looks at the field. i hit it again 2 soft grunts. he turns and walks right back to the same dam tree and looks around it AGAIN!!! finally he starts the walk down the trail which will bring him broad side. just as he hits broad side 7 yards he turns and starts going back around the tree. before he makes it he stops giving me a 12 yards shot quatering away slightly down him. i drew, anchor realsed and watched as my aroow hit just beneath his aram pit. he left QUICK! i was hoping maybe i had a pass through but was pretty sure i missed compleatly. got down and picked up the arrow. tuft of hair and a very little blood on the bear razor head. NONE down the shaft and rest of the arrow was clean. i believe i shaved just under his chest tight to his elbow. checked the area really well and i'm confident he is fine. will check agaim tomorrow, walked his tracks for a good ways. the little fella got and education and so did i. i was pretty frazzled as the cat and mouse went on FOREVER and to be honset i do not remember picking a spot. i was concentrating behind the shoulder but did not pick a spot when i rethink it. i really think i should have held of on the shot and trey for him again the next couple nights as he is in a core area and i know i would get another shot. soooooooo close. in all my years of hunting i have NEVER EVER went through a situation like this! i think we both learned a lesson. theres allways tommorow and i am a little wiser. really would have loved to take him with the selfbow i was carring but it was not ment to be. sorry Joe (OsageTree) but i couldn't close the deal.... YET. heres a pick of broad head and hair.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/fb.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/hair.jpg)
Isn't this what keeps you going back? Sounds like fun to me!
Dang!!!
Dang!!!
Been there, done that!
Dang!!! :campfire:
couple things it drilled home, PLAY THE WIND! i chose that stand due to the wind, had not sat there yet this year, wanted to sit in my other stand but wind did not favor it. he could not wind me as much as he circled and tried. STAY STILL is the best camo out there. i was wearing Woodchuckers special good will store camo, grey sweater and brown wool pants $5 for the set. the spike KNEW i was there yet couldn't figure it out as i tried to remain dead still. i did not make direct eye contact when i knew he was straiing at me. yeah man it was an AWESOME time i will never forget!
great encounter, that is a fun night. I missed at 5yds 3 weeks ago. All in good fun
Great story Ken! I know about them stand offs. Had me one with a doe last year that felt like it lasted forever! I hope you get another chance at him or his big brother. Good luck out there. :thumbsup:
L.W.,
AGAIN your knife was with me! its a deer magnet bro!
back after him tonight! think i will ground pound and move location.
Sounds to me that you had a great story and some hair.
Put that hair in your medicine bag Kenny!!!!! :thumbsup:
Sending smoke..... Go get him Brother!!!!! :pray:
allready did bro, little warm tonight but deer are allways in this field.
Ken, I found the papers for that knife. I'll be putting them in the mail tomorrow.
thats one lucky deer =] i would get that hair and tie up a fly and go fishing!
Sweet look broadhead Ken 8^). I've had a few close to me so far, but nothing in my shooting lanes. Had a doe within fifteen yards downwind Saturday afternoon and she didn't wind me...that was peculiar. I had crushed some mint onto my boots before I left the house, and also had some in my shirt pocket. Guess she thought it was a spearmint patch 8^). Keep us informed.