Talk about a heart pumping turn of events! Let me kinda start at the get go. After two days of rain and wind opening day in the Catskill Mountains was grand. A Stalkers Heaven with steady wind in my face and wet leaves throughout the heavy cover I dig so much.
It took me about three hours to cover maybe 150 yards. The tree rats were so close to me I heard one breathe. Sounds like a cat purring. Then I see a deers eye at about 15-20 yards inside the brush. Used my binos to check out if there was more than one or maybe a buck bedded in there. Saw the "eye" again and a short tail flicker... Then nothing. I mean not a thing. Wind was right. No noise on my part to scare the deer off. Did it walk away?
I closed the distance to where I first saw this deer to about 7 yards. Kept looking as far as I could see with both the naked eye and my Zeiss glasses. I relaxed a bit thinking it was over when suddenly... Her head popped up right in front of me! She lay bedded facing me behind the roots of a blow down. Watching her being confused and preparing to jump was a trip! She let me raise my bow and put tension on the string although no shot was possible at this time.
She won the stand-off and took off like a bat outa #*@% with another one in tow. Simple terrain structure, a little shallow spot hid her from me. Guess next time I'll move slower and keep focus real close around me. Must of done something right. Made my day! Just no cutlets yet......
... mike ...
Good job on getting close.
And then a brush with a grouse...sounds like a great time to me Mikey.
From the sounds of it you had an exciting time with a minimum clean up! :bigsmyl:
Close enough to smell em
Wonderful and exciting memories. Some of the almosts in my hunting lifetime stand out as far or even further than the kills. God Bless you and have a wonderful day. Steve
Good job. This experience may have placed its indellible mark of which you have now increased your hunting mojo.
Well Done Waysiah!!!!!!!!!!
If it was meant to be,she would have stood up and given herself to you.
The Great One is pleased with your patience,your time will come!!!!!
I was thinking the same thing Chuck... And who could forget Monday afternoon with Jamie and TWO encounters with the same grouse... That in itself must have meant something. I mean in a spiritual way. This grouse, twice, landed on the ground right in front of me, then walked away slow... Missed a 10 yard shot with my "best" arrow. :dunno: Until Next Time.
... mike ...
:wavey: :campfire: :coffee: Waiting for more stories,I'm sure there will be more...
Sounds like you did everything right, but trust your vision. Great job.
I had a few almosts before closing the deal. Just think of it as good practice. If you are getting within shooting distance you are doing everything right.
It won't be long,your getting close good luck!
COOL!
way to go bro!!!!! your time will come, and mine i hope!
Way to go buddy, very cool!
Mike, That is awesome. what do you mean almost? you beat a deer at their own game and were able to close within yards.
Although you didn't have to drag anything but your butt out of the woods sounds like a huge success.
Congrats Mikey, you will get one before long!
WHAT ALMOST COUNTS FOR IS, THAT DEER WILL NEVER DIE, IT WILL ALWAYS LIVE IN YOUR MEMORY.
Mikey, if I could get ya to sit even a ladder stand we could get ya deer!! Keep plugging away, it will happen buddy! Shawn
That's got to be a rush, the first year I hunted trad I almost had a shot at a bedded buck. If we get a hard rain there is some standing corn by my house that I would like to stalk(no pun intended)
Gonna give it another try soon... Pray for rain at night time... :dunno:
... mike ...
First let me say great 'LIL" story. :clapper:
Me thinks you are too close to the ground to see. Trying to lQQk up at something that was lying down. :biglaugh:
Stuff like that is half the fun of getting out there Mike...sounds like a good hunt to me.Keep after 'em!
Had an encounter right outside my house at first light. Got out of bed, looked out the front door and bingo! Right There They Were..... So I quickly put on my arm guard, shooting glove and Day One hat then slipped out the back door..... No I didn't get a shot but I am glad you weren't there to see me acting like a cat on a 20yd stalk in my PJ bottoms and slippers. :eek:
* That's what I get for sleeping late! :banghead: *
... mike ...
Glad you said you had the pj's on :scared:
Mikey, you are the man. I am in awe of your ability to get that close to a deer while stalking. Who knows I might have to slip into some PJs and give it a try sometime.
Congrats my little friend.
Keep at it, It will happen..
You should have offered it a samich :readit:
Great story! Like they have said your time will come. Good luck!
... :D ...
:thumbsup: :archer:
Next Weekend Can't Come Soon Enough!
silent as a Nija in his silk jammies i bet!!!
'Does Almost count for Something"? You bet it does. Great job.
That's what it's all all about!
Little Woodie sez if you took 2 hrs and 45 minutes, you "Wood" have been in the area she wanted to bed before she arrived there...then you could have ambushed her. Make him another bologna samich...
As long as your having fun Mikey, keep at it. I hope your neighbors didn't see you sneaking out that morning in your pink slippers and thong.... :archer2: :deadhorse:
Its always fun
i get the creepy picture in my head of the Buger KING commerical with the "King" in his jammies sneaking around the woods with that distrubing smile on his face, thank God we all know the King is much taller then Mikey! but i bet the little guy had the smae distrubing grin!
Getting THAT close counts for everything.
A skill few posess.
Becoming an expert shot is far easier, because you can control what happens.
Be brave, and keep on mcgroundstalking!!!!
Woodie and the Bologna smaich...... :biglaugh:
Almost always counts in my book. That's been my whole year. Still hunting is tough business getting close but so worth it when it happens. :notworthy:
Gotta tell ya... This stalking and still hunting is the cats meow... Just being close to a mature buck, close enough to hear him breathe and grunt is trophy enough for me!
This morning was very quiet and still. Slight wind in my face but the leaves were dry and crunchy. Slow two step and stop. Wait five minutes. Repeat. Got into the cover and on a deer trail. Now... Go slower... BINGO!
Twenty yards ahead a nice respectable mature buck jumps from the logging road onto the deer trail I'm on. Nice. But he's head on, no shot. My bow is up and an arrow on the string. Fifteen yards and head on, no shot. As he gets to ten yards the thorn brush and branches are in the way... Five yards, no shot. He sounds like a pig in heat. Grunting and breathing and now at TWO YARDS and I can't get an arrow through that darn brush! Still head on I might add.
As he lowers his head to go under a branch between us he sees me and turns inside out to get outa there. I tried a shot at him knowing he'd turn to get back on the logging road but missed. This time I had no "shakes" or "buck fever", just a big smile on my face and a Thank You to my Creator for being alive.
See..... "Almost Does Count For Something"
... mike ... :D ...
That is way to cool Mike. Congrats on the most successful hunt I have read about in a long time. :notworthy:
....Now if you were in a ladder stand......... :notworthy: :biglaugh: I love ya man!!!
Now that's excitement squared :thumbsup:
AWESOME hunt bro!
Stuff like that will make for a great hunt anytime Mike.Very cool!
Yeah Mike, I kinda know what ya mean. I left a raxorcap buried in a beech tree this am...lol.