I save all of my awing for after the shot.you cant forget why your there.Its all apart of the mental aspect of our game,too much hard work an planing goes into the hunt.Iwont forget to shoot

Not so much deer, but coyotes in close always leave me in awe. I've been within 20 feet of one while in a ground blind. Being a dog owner I love to observe the coyotes up close. I have no interest in shooting one.

Jack

QuoteOriginally posted by AMB:
 

QuoteOriginally posted by onewhohasfun:
Nope.

Me neither. [/b]

I'm sorry you have not experienced it.  It is for these types of moments I head to the woods.  If I went solely for finding meat, I would quickly get bored of close encounters and probably hunting altogether.

i was bowhunting in NY about 5 years ago. i had  passed a few does. i turned my head to the left and 30yds away on the edge of the creek was a MONSTER buck looking right at me! i figured a 150+ class deer and well over 200lbs dressed..

i was on the ground.  i was so in shock, that im pretty sure i froze... i laugh about it now, but at the time i was very upset with myself...

he stared at me for about 30 secs, and just walked away. i was so shook up that as he walked away i started blowing my grunt call as loud as a duck call!! i was a mess!!

gaff

First truly Big Elk that I called in. In fact the biggest Elk I have ever had in shooting Range.

He responded to my bugle from about 15 yards in heavy timber directly behind me.

I was Shocked and Awed.

D

I didn't shoot one once because he was too big to kill with a muzzle-loading rifle. I wanted him with a bow...it never happened.

Got to admit the first time I saw a Cougar on the ground less the 20 yards away that didn't know I was there.  Other times it was either a brief glimpse jumping across the road or from long distance across a ridge.

It would have been an easy shot, but instead I stood bow in hand and just watched - in awe I suppose.

One quick glance at the antlers and then pick a small spot on the deer and go into auto pilot for the shot.  At that time it could be a buck or doe as far as my visual senses go, I'm looking at hair.

Was set up up near a roost site one afternoon. Worked a gob across the field from ~150 yards for 45". He gobbled all the way. He was working his way along the side of the field directly to my set-up. When he got w/i 50 yards he decided to just cut into the woods beside me and head toward the roost.

Glad he did. Still after taking many birds I was shaking so badly that I knew I couldn't have pulled off a chip shot. While the experience was most fulfilling I was relieved this particular time when he decided to step into the woods and out of my life.

Love them birds.

Yes sir, I remember it well. What an animal.

Only when I don't need the meat, then I'm focused on putting an arrow in one.
There have been times that I got to see something real cool while I had a bow in my hand, mainly because I didn't have a shot cause it was too far. Had I been hunting with a gun instead of a bow, it would have been a done deal before I got to witness an animal doing something really interesting. At those moments I'm glad I had a bow in hand and not a gun because it forced me to just be patient and watch. You get to see a lot more nature doing what it does with bow in hand. I believe that I'm a better, more experienced hunter because of that.
That's why I love to bowhunt so much and it keeps me going back again and again.

More often than not! Then I think man, that was a chip shot, should have taken it! HA! Maybe next time! Jason

Wyoming Antelope...watched this beautiful buck water with 5 does at 15 yds. I took a few pics and just admired how pretty these creatures really are.

I watched every movement, studied the horns and then watched him walk off with the ladies...after he presented me a great shot which I never took. Went out the following day and shot him....enough of the admiring....

Never awed, but aaaaaaaaad once. Last year I had a nice bull moose coming right to my call and what i thought was another one coming in from behind me. consentrating on the first one coming down the road and trying to ignore the second behind me, I waited with extreme excitment. He stopped at 15ft and I needed him to take two more steps to be open. The one behind me was to close for comfort so i finally had to move and look..........it was a ~500lb blk bear coming to the moose call. The archery gods were loving me then everything went right sideways quick!!

Wow TDHunter.......that would have gave me a heart attack and then the Archery Gods would have been carting me away!    

The moose part sounded really cool, right up to the point that a bear got involved.
Have ya ever seen a big fat redneck curl up in the fetal position screaming like a 6yr. old girl?
That would have been me!      

Yup.  First time I called in some turkeys.  I had 2 nice toms paying attention to a hen decoy.  I was ten yards away, had just started archery hunting, and was so awed that I could be that close to an animal....that I forgot to shoot!  By the time I was gathering my senses, they had decided that this girl wasn't cooperative enough, and had moved out past my comfort zone.  

I will never forget it though, and I picked up a feather as a memento.

RonP

I can think of twice.  The first back in the 90's when I had a huge IA nontypical just suddenly appear in the middle of an all-dayer about 35-40 yards away.  I wasn't going to shoot that far anyway, but I was so awed I forgot all about my camera hanging on the peg.  This buck had it all, wide, massive, stickers all over, and I got the impression it had a double row of tines.  When it walked away, I suddenly remembered my camera but it was too late.  I can't even draw the antlers (and I usually can); honestly, I'd bet money it was over 200 inches

The second time was when I was in a pit blind disguised as a termite mound and a huge eland bull stood just 10-15 yards away, quartering slightly at me.  Honestly, with a kill zone that big and at that range it should've been a give me.  But I was psyched out by that animal's musculature and didn't take the shot, waiting on a broadside or quartering away angle which I did not get.

QuoteOriginally posted by Longbowz:
Got to admit the first time I saw a Cougar on the ground less the 20 yards away that didn't know I was there.  Other times it was either a brief glimpse jumping across the road or from long distance across a ridge.

It would have been an easy shot, but instead I stood bow in hand and just watched - in awe I suppose.

I would have soiled myself if I saw a cougar that close to me. Heck, I've got barn cats I'm afraid off. LOL

Jack

QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin Dill:
Sorry guys. I keep thinking of girl I once saw...

Now that's funny!

I had a doe like Bill describes. She ended more hunts than I can count while I was hunting with my longbow. When she finally slipped up I took her with a muzzle loader. Never hesitated and was more excited than ANY deer I have ever shot. I still wish it had been with my bow....