Who's had this happen?

Possum Head · December 14, 2012, 09:25:00 AM

I hunted the other evening and an hour or so after climbing notice a doe had got up 20 yds from me this has only happened one other time that I can remember. Who else has this happened to them?

Tom Leemans · December 14, 2012, 09:32:00 AM

Spend enough time deer hunting and it will happen to you. Most probably will never know it though.

December 14, 2012, 09:33:00 AM

Yep. More than once...

Orion · December 14, 2012, 10:07:00 AM

I've been able to sneak to and into my tree stands with deer bedded 20-30 yards away a few times over the years. Good chance of doing it if the wind is right and you "stalk" your stand. Have also been able to sneak away a few times with deer bedded that close. Most times, though, they catch me coming or going.

joe ashton · December 14, 2012, 10:21:00 AM

Not to me but a friend. He climbed into his tree pulled up his bow, took off his pack and got everything ready but when he ripped apart a Velcro pocket closure a buck jumped up 20 yards or so away.

South MS Bowhunter · December 14, 2012, 10:53:00 AM

I've had it happen with a yearling, after climbing up one morning early and as the sun was rising and me scanning the woods I noticed a odd shape rock about 12" - 15" from the base of the tree I was in. As the sun continued to rise and the shadow began to flee the "rock" made an amazing transformation from a rock to a young yearling! I let it lay there for a couple of hours before it rose to leave.

I've also had deer come in and bed down within 20 or so yards before and without fail they keep a bush, a log, or something between us, or bed in pairs with one looking one way and the other covering the opposite side.

magnus · December 14, 2012, 10:56:00 AM

Had a monster buck stand up about 5 minutes after I got settled into a ladder stand. He was about 35 yards away. He actually came to me and was not alert at all. Biggest buck I ever missed.

Pat B · December 14, 2012, 12:02:00 PM

My first trad kill was similar. I climbed into my lock-on in a stand of hardwoods along a cane bottom, got situated, put a chew in my mouth and settled in for the evening hunt. About 5 nimutes later a doe stood up no more than 30 yards from me in the canes my stand was near. She walked straight to my stand and at 8' I shot straight down and hit her just off center of her back but back a bit. She ran up the hill about 50 yards, stood there for a minute then walked slowly back to the cane, obviously hurting. I heard her lay down and get up a few times before she settled down. 30 minutes later I climed down and knowing the shot was probably a liver shot I went back to camp until after supper.
We searched for a few hours after supper, all through the cane where she laid with no luck. The next morning I went back and found her right where I heard her last. She was bowed up with no white showing. We must have walked all over her the night before.

OBXarcher · December 14, 2012, 04:34:00 PM

We build a wooden stand one time. Took about a hour. Got done stood up on it talking and admiring our work and a buck stood up 15 yds away and looked at us. We felt like idiots.

Hill Hunter · December 14, 2012, 05:21:00 PM

I have had them bed while hunting, then never get up when I leave.

lpcjon2 · December 14, 2012, 07:47:00 PM

A few years ago I was hanging a stand and when I got up and sat down I looked to my left and not 10yrds away two does were looking right at me.

bamboo · December 14, 2012, 08:17:00 PM

after a couple hours in a ground blind i must have dozed off--how long i don't know [at least a couple hours]i woke up with a very full bladder--took a look around for deer and hopped up to relive myself--took 5-6 steps out of the downwind side of my hide--and boom a big doe jumps to her feet 15-20 ft from me blinking her eyes like she was dead asleep too!!i'll never know if she came in to her bed while i was asleep or if she was there when i sat down--BUT we both had a surprise!!

BowDiddle · December 14, 2012, 11:13:00 PM

I walked past a nice buck going in one morning, and caught his eyes with the flashlight. I was hunting in a really thick area, and it was really dark, or I wouldn't have been using the light much at all.

I knew he busted me, but he didn't move, except to turn his head to look at me, so I just kept right on past him to the lock on about 50 yards away.

Climbed up, laid the mag light in the seat (still on), climbed back down, and went to a nice clump of junipers between where he lay, and the tree stand.

Bout 10 minutes after good light I spotted him coming out of his bed. He walked right behind me, and then stepped out to take a peek at the tree stand.

10 yard double lung shot. 40 yard recovery.

Pheonixarcher · December 15, 2012, 01:38:00 AM

Bowdiddle, nice job my friend. Excellent tactic. I'll have to remeber that one. I've definitely had some similar situations, but no shots ever resulted.

huntnmuleys · December 15, 2012, 02:38:00 AM

One time I was elk hunting, and I stopped by a log to take a leak. When I was zipping up, after peeing a bull jumped up from the other side of the log, there were a couple small bushy trees right there and I never saw him.

buckeye_hunter · December 15, 2012, 08:13:00 AM

While ground hunting, I had a nice buck bedded in some thick crap 12 yards from me all morning and didn't know it. At about 10:30am, he got up, stretched and walked away. The brush was too thick to do anything about it by the time I saw him. 12 yards away on the ground and I didn't even know it....?

If I had been facing that direction initially I would have had an easy shot. As it was, I had to turn to get a shot and it didn't work out. Go figure.

beauleyse · December 15, 2012, 08:39:00 AM

I have a picture somewhere that shows a small six standing up after I tossed a rock at him... He was sleeping against the back door of my ground blind... Talk about be excited for a first time sit in a new spot!

xtrema312 · December 15, 2012, 05:04:00 PM

What you had a deer sneak up on you? You must be kidding!

No never had that happen.