I don't normally hunt from the ground but decided that this year I would split my time between hunting from a treestand and off the ground. Last week I was hunting from the ground one afternoon and just at dark had 2 doe sneak in behind me and cross a hillside about 20 yards from me. I thought that was cool. Tonight I was set up in the same area but decided to back myself into some tall grass in a marshy area hoping to ambush those doe if they came through again. About 4:15 I had 4 doe cross a small ravine about 40 yards in front of me but offered no shot. About a half hour later I heard some movement off to my left in the tall grass and before I knew it a large doe stepped out into a small clearing about 8 feet from me. She was so close I could see droplets of moisture on her nose. The doe took about 2 steps and turned to look in my direction. It seemed like an hour but she only looked at me for maybe ten seconds. She turned and started to walk away when I started to draw. In retrospect I should have let her get a little farther away as she caught my movement and blew and took a couple of leaps back into the tall grass. MAN WHAT A RUSH!!!!!

Wow at 8 feet they can hear what you are thinking.

Yeah!
I think there is such a thing as TOO CLOSE!
I've had a buck on the other side of a tree - But what can you do?!!!
Five or six years ago I shot high and down at @ 3 Yds; single lunged a young buck  - and never brought him home...
Still haunts me.

Wow at 8 feet they can hear what you are thinking. Hunting Archer.

No kidding. Great point. I think sometimes they can hear our adrenaline fueled heart beat and pick up our hyper brain waves once we lock in. Well maybe just us Physco's that get hyped up come shooting time.

I gave up climbing years ago because of the experiances like the one you described on your hunt, priceless. Seems like you were in a hot spot.

Gotta love the close calls!

Ya gotta love it!

Hunts like that are what make you say it was good enough just being there.

Close encounters on the ground with a traditional bow comes close to defining bowhunting for me.

My season had been really slow but getting that close just made up for it. There just may be something to this ground hunting..  

The first time you have a close encounter on the ground, you get that "who's hunting who?" feeling. Doesn't matter what the animal is. I remember when I was in a natural blind and a little yearling fawn walked right up and stuck her head in the blind and licked the fletching on my arrows in the quiver laying near my feet. That was awesome! She earned a free pass that day.

Great hunt Fred and hope you get another chance soon.

Going to give it another go this afternoon and tomorrow. Season in the county where I live is over and ends saturday in that county.

I grunted a doe and chasing 8 pt in this year while on the ground. They caught me by surprise (came so fast) and I couldn't get into position quick enough. They passed me at 6 yards and I could smell the buck. After passing me I waited several seconds and then stood, turned and grunted. The buck returned... to just on the other side of some brush... then circled downwind and I got a shot. The broadhead split a small sapling. BUMMER! The ground game is great!

Fred,

What a cool encounter. Awesome.

Good luck.

One time, I was hunting a boggy sedge meadow with a brushy ditch through it. When I came in that morning, I couldn't quite find my spot, so I ended up wantering around in front of it for a while. I had a doe pee soaked rag tied to my boot to cover my scent. When I finally found my spot, I put some doe pee on the trail and nessled into the ditch.

About 9:00, I heard a swishing in the grass and a nice 6 pointer was comming in. He was sniffing like a hound dog. However, instead of taking the runway, he followed my trail!!

At 6 paces his head poked around the bush I was hiding beside, our eyes met for a second and he bugged otta there in a hurry.

I don't juice my boots any more...

That was fun, though.

Was hunting off the ground once in an apple orchard and carved my way into a heavy thorn thicket while wearing a leafy suit when a young doe walked out and started eating the brush I was using as cover. Pretty surreal experience.  She never spooked and I missed her at under 10 yds. when she walked away.  I could of easily touched her several times over.  I'm still not sure if it would of been better to connect on the shot or stick with the miss; the miss kinda puts an exclamation point on the story.

It's hunt from the ground for me or stay home and watch tv!  :D  Gotta Love It!

... mike ...

At 8 feet a real gentleman would have offered her a handkerchief to wipe off her whiskers!!  LOL

That close really is a rush!!

Now you know what you have been missing all these years. Those close encounters will leave you either smiling or frustrated. Stay with it Fred...