Dumb Deer or Dumb Hunter?

**kroberts2131** · 10-17-2012, 10:08 PM

This evening I got out of the blind about 15 min after sundown. I'm walking across the cow pasture when I see something move. Look closer and realize its two deer grazing. I still have 15 minutes of legal shooting so I get down on one knee and decide to watch. The big doe spots me and gets curious. She starts heading my way. When all is said and done, she is within 10 yards of me just looking at me. I never moved and she just went back to grazing. She gave me a broadside shot. Raise up slowly to draw and just as i'm getting my sight picture, she blows a little bit and takes off. I let the arrow fly but missed. She ran about 30-40 yards, laughed at me, and went back to grazing. I watched them both for another 10 minutes or so before they moved on.

So not only did I miss the shot, but I lost my arrow too! I don't feel too bad about it though. Thats not exactly a common occurance when your deer hunting.

**Porter** · 10-17-2012, 10:11 PM

I fell in the category of dumb hunter tonight. Missed a doe broadside at 20 yds.

**Okie4570** · 10-17-2012, 10:12 PM

It's all part of the experience, no two hunting trips are the same.

**kroberts2131** · 10-17-2012, 10:17 PM

I enjoyed every minute of it. Like I said, I doubt i'll get that close to another deer. Great experience though.

**imhntn** · 10-17-2012, 10:57 PM

Everybody misses. I've had a doe walk up and sniff me from a couple yards before. You just never know. If it were not for dumb deer, I wouldn't get many.

**nvrsatisfied** · 10-17-2012, 11:00 PM

i was wearing my new ghille suite and noticed my boot was untied. nothing around i stopped, layed my bow down and started lacing up my boot. then i relized just to my right about 15yrds small motion on the other side of the cedar tree. i slowly turn and there was a doe and two fawns. as they moved out into the rye field momma watched me the whole time as the little one's ate.....try crouching in a posistion of tieing your shoe while a deer grazes...lol. sucky part was; this was on my way TO the stand.

i have had three close encounters with deer and i can't recall the number of times owls, hawks, and coyotes; while out predator hunting. that is why i keep going out, win or lose its always great.

**Glocktogo** · 10-17-2012, 11:24 PM

I've had it happen to me twice. Once with two young does and another time with a spike. The spike saw me walking down a road and trotted about 400 yards to get to me. Of course this was during the rut!

**Lurker66** · 10-18-2012, 12:14 AM

I was climbing into my stand, actually on 3-4 rung and had a buck run to my tree and smell my bow, that was twisting on the string. Dumb or lucky?

**angsniper** · 10-18-2012, 07:42 AM

I had a 4pt sneak up behind me with my bow leaning against a tree in front of me. There had been to racoons making noise behind me all morning so I didn't think anything about the noise. He walked past me closer than arms length, so close I was counting his eyelashes! Walk around in front of me and started eating acorns at about 5ft. The whole time my was leaning against the tree and no way for me to get it. He finally winded me after what seemed like forever.

**dennishoddy** · 10-18-2012, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Lurker66

I was climbing into my stand, actually on 3-4 rung and had a buck run to my tree and smell my bow, that was twisting on the string. Dumb or lucky?

I was leaving the stand and had my bow dangling on a string. Just sat there while a young 6 point sniffed it.
At that time in my hunting career, I'd never killed a buck, so I got pretty excited seeing one that close.
There was a fleeting moment when I considered jumping down on it, dispatching it with the hunting knife.
This put me in the dumb hunter category.

I watched way too much TV back in those days.

**makeithappen** · 10-18-2012, 08:07 AM

Experiences like that make for great stories and keep you going back even when you don't see anything.

**doctorjj** · 10-18-2012, 08:24 AM

I'm still wondering why you got out of your stand at that point. The last 30 minutes is usually the best time.

**surjimmy** · 10-18-2012, 11:58 AM

Everyone misses every now and then, not everyone can say a deer walked up within 10 yards and ignored you and started grazing.

**Sticky Stokes** · 10-18-2012, 03:15 PM

I love dumb deer! Last year I had a small buck literally stick his head into the blow down I was sitting in, he was 3 feet away looking right at me, he just snorted real loud then kept eating. I have been a dumb hunter too, three years ago Im in a tripod, been there 2-3 hours and I really have to pee so I hang up my bow, start my business....look over my left shoulder and there is a really nice tall 8 or 9 point with another deer 20-25 yds away, I try to slowly turn around but Im busted and they bail..........