"Missed by that Much"...Maxwell Smart

[MrDig]

I was in an improvised ground blind today, read I was too lazy to bring a tree stand. Any way It was about 2:30pm CST and I settled into a spot on the WMA I hunt. For some time all there was to see were some other Hunters who were a little too close as they walked in. One actually tried to post in a spot that took 75% of my shooting area away. He saw me and quietely moved off. Another thing I saw was the BIGGEST Red Tailed Hawk I have ever witnessed. The acrobatics were amazing as it whirled and bucked the wind to keep its eyes on its prey, Then like a lighening bolt it dropped below the tree line. Didn't see it after that. About 4:00 pm the farm hounds in some neighboring Private land started going berzerk, and Low and behold just to my north two large whitetail does walked right up on me. I noticed the movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head to see them standing spittin distance away. The front doe Bolted as soon as I moved and the rear one did likewise. The buck behind them wheeled and ran so I never got a shot at him, and as I got the gun on the smaller rear doe she sprang to leap something in the field, my shot went low. Running at a good clip she was gone before a second shot could be made.
Tomorrow is my last day to hunt so I'm hittin the sack to try one last time.

 

[Atticus]

That's funny...the same thing happened to me today, although I was bow hunting unfortunately. I brought my stand along, but I got there late and decided to hunt on the ground instead. I put myself in between the root- ball of a fallen tree and a brush pile. Had two nice bucks within 50 feet but the brush was a little too thick to shoot through. They slowly drifted away and then about 30 minutes later I hear the crunch,crunch, crunch of leaves behind me and the sound is getting closer. I look over the root ball and here are three does walking quickly right at me. I sat back down and hoped they would walk by...but they didn't...they just stopped. I look over my left shoulder and there's a doe looking at me through the roots (about 3 feet away). She blew, and off thye went. I just busted out laughing. I was just scouting and really didn't care if I got one today. I sat there for about another hour just watching and listening to a Redtail Hawk. Then I picked out a couple of well placed trees for the climber and did some clearing for next time. It was a nice morning. Just got home a bit ago and had a hot bowl of Lawdog's Texas Chicken Soup and a Shiner. I'll take a day like this one anytime.