I was baffled!!

[Mudd]

Yesterday morning I had these two small buck as close as 12-15 yards and at one point in time I had one of them on my side of the blind so nothing between us but my "on-bow" blind, my ghuillie and air.

I took this picture then put down the camera and picked up the bow.
 


This morning I decided to do a short hunt before church. At the end of my hunt I'm headed out and saw a doe coming up the hill so I stopped and backed up against a huge oak and waited.

She was acting very relaxed as she came to the edge of the woods and looked across the open field. She was making the choice to come down the old logging road I was on when her head popped up and she went on alert. I hadn't moved a muscle and yet she picked me off as quickly as she had laid eyes on me. How? Why?

The only thing different from yesterday and today was a baking soda soak I put the ghuillie through.

Wind wasn't a factor as it was blowing gently from her to me.

It is the 1st time I've ever had any animal see me as a human since I started using the ghuillie two years ago.

Got any ideas?

God bless,Mudd

[caleb7mm]

sun in your eyes?

[magnus]

Maybe it was movement by nature. Meaning if the leaves and brush are moving slightly due to a breeze and you aren't then the deer are drawn to the unatural nonmovement. It happened to me before on a windy day. Trying to sway with the wind is goofy. I felt like I was dancing. Didn't see a thing.
Just an idea. Who knows.

Keeping the Faith
Magnus

[kennyb]

maybe you should have went to church first!! lol

Were you staring into her eyes and blinking?

[Tajue17]

well I'm no expert by any means and God knows I have not harvested nearly enough deer to make this opinion but I honestly think that a mature Doe is alot more smarter than any buck,,,, especially a rutting buck..  I think she had that gut feeling that something wasn't right I've experienced this before!!!

and i have to agree with the above that I never look a deer in the eyes and I never face them directly,, when tis close I have that turned away look but I'm watching the spot..

[magnus]

Maybe UV? Never been proven?
Keeping the Faith
Magnus

[mambashooter]

[bornagainbowhunter]

i am gonna go with Kennyb. Lol
God Bless,
Nathan

[Cottonmouth]

I think deer are empathetic: they sense your intentions or moods.  We've all seen deer the day before the season or when we were squirrel hunting that didn't mind us that much, if at all.  Put a weapon in your hand and back strap on your mind, they start running at the first inkling of you. Dogs can sense it when you're in a bad mood, why shouldn't a prey species be atuned to bad intentions directed toward it?

[dan d]

Mudd, I have been studying all the posts on the Ghuillie suits lately, I did a search, but couldn't find it. What type of suit do you have ? Just curious, our pastor prayed for someone today who fell out of a tree stand and broke his back, I'm about ready to quit being a monkey in my old age and am enjoying all the Ghuillie suit posts lately,
Thanks,dan

[S.C. Hunter]

Mudd, it could have been any number of things as mentioned above. I don't think it was the baking soda soak I have used that for many years and never had trouble. As you mentioned the direction of wind was in your favor. The Ghillie suit you wear is it free moving in the material, lite enough for the wind to move freely? I also think the fact that you backed up to a huge oak tree may have given a perfect silhouette for the deer to pick you out, ghillie suits are much more effective when used with a backdrop that helps breakup your outline even more. Just a thought, animals also know their territory very well and sometimes they know when something is out of place. They may not see you but see something that wasn't there before. It was a technique we learned in the Marines. If time permits when setting up a observation point look around your area find land marks and know the yardages to certain points. Look for things that are out of place. If you have a area that is all green and you see a brown patch that wasn't there before it is a good chance it could be a sniper or other scout team member who's vegetation has started to dryout. Sorry to go on but there are alot of possibilities.

[longbow fanatic 1]

You got picked off because she was a smart 'Ol Doe. I have been busted by more of these Old Does ( Loud mouth- Snort Sirens ) than I care to remember!

[Mudd]

I have the heavy Rancho Safari longcoat with head cover and face mask.

After two years of using it, it's the 1st time I've been picked off.

I am trying to get over it..lol

I had been feeling invisible until now.

God bless,Mudd

[Ragnarok Forge]

Were you backlit due to weak foliage behind you or possibly clear sky behind you?

[OkKeith]

Mudd,

Could have just been coincidence, nothing to do with you.

Spend enough time in the woods, all kinds of stuff happens.

Don't sweat it. If it worked EVERY time, it wouldn't be as much fun, would it.

OkKeith

[Hud]

If you want to see what the doe saw, go out at the same time of day, set the gillie suit up where you were and the walk up like the Doe did, to the same point. The light should be the same if possible.