[tsubaki]

Oh, such an instance reminds me of the times after work in the early fall I would put my stand and bow in the truck and head to the woods of a military reservation. I would get off work at 4:30 and usually be up the tree by 5:30 and sit there till about 8:30 in hopes of seeing something. If you have bow hunted early in the fall you know that they will only move about the first half hour in the morning and the last thirty minutes in the afternoon.
Well this afternoon it had rained just before I got there and with my stand on my back and bow in hand headed to a normal location where the deer should present themselves.
Just before I got to the location to climb a tree I stepped right in the middle of a herd of deer and they hadn’t noticed me! Just freezing apparently with full camo, stand and bow, my shape wasn’t apparent nor the human scent! What seemed like an eternity finally the three deer I could see ignored me completely enough to let me nock an arrow and get ready to shoot! Well about that time a large male yearling came within 10 feet of me, looked me up head and toe and resumed feeding! My heart was about to explode by now, on the ground with these animals so close and not worried at all! As this deer turned to walk away I pulled the bow back and it creeked, this got the attention of the young buck and he turned toward me and continued surveying what I was. He was so close and stayed to feed so long I could hear his stomach growling! During this time with the bow pulled back, I bit my thumb knuckle and waited another eternity for him to become bored with me and leave. Thank God he did. By now it was just sunset and I had all the adrenilin I could take and turned back to the truck without even climbing a tree. The other deer in that location let me know that they knew I was there by blowing at me, which I took it as you would waive to your neighbor.
I have a always enjoyed bow hunting if for just the scenery.