I set up a pop up blind about 10 yards from my tree stand because i have had nothing but turkeys come by all season. tried em w/o the pop up with a natural gb ang ghille but they busted me on the draw.
So fw to yesterday, beautiful young buck shows up from where no deer has before and i literally thought he was going to stick his head in the blind before he finally turned and stopped broadside at 5 yds. I was locked in on my spot and let the arrow go, then like a bad movie in slow motion the belly drops to the ground amd he spun on his feet as i watched my yellow feathers clear his back by 6" at least! I figure he was keying in on the black void in the brush when i shot. Never would have guessed one could duck that low that quick. all i could do was shake my head at my mistake and laugh at what the deer must have thought. I wish him well over the next 16 days.
Sometimes being too close can cause them to do that at the sound of the shot. Being startled is a bit different than being heard and looked at.