Well my season took another ill fated twist for the worse [:@]. I was hunting a ladder stand this morning in one of my favorite little funnels. I called it quits for the morning and started packing my stuff. I lowered my bow down and started to climb down. Just as soon as my feet hit planet Earth, I looked up and I'm face to face with a 120" 9 pointer at about 30 yards [&o].
So the staredown starts. I hug the bottom of the ladder and peek at him just under the brim of my cap. The wind is blowing right at him. He's head bobbing and trying to wind me. Then the infamous foot stomp[:'(]. I knew the gig was about to be up at any minute. I stayed as still as I could for what seemed like a millenium. He finally had enough, blew and bolted out of there [:@][:@][:@][:@]. Kiss that buck and that stand goodbye.
What really fries me is I cut my morning hunt early by 45 minutes because I had to hurry to work for a meeting with a heating/AC contractor. I already sat 15 minutes past what I intended and knew I was going to be late. Needless to say he isn't getting the job (even though his bid did come in the lowest [8D]). Oh well... another adventure in the crazy world of bowhunting.
Is it just me or is that one of the worst feelings in hunting (aside from non recoveries and misses)? Being in a staredown at ground level knowing you're screwed.
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Jimmy S: 1/8/09 " I can hardly wait for baseball season to start. I love my Yankees! "
Next time try to act as nothing is the matter. A lot of times they will ignore you or run 10 or 15 yards and stop. They're curious as long as you don't act like a predator. Which is what you did.
Doesn't work everytime but I've had it work once. Didn't result in a deer so the result could still be the same.
My buddy told me a story where he was walking down a path and a doe came by and stopped. He didn't stop just slowed down. Lifted his bow nice and slow and got her.
Tom
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I have come to understand that I really enjoy learning things the hard way.
Been there dude. Since 80% of my hunts are evenings,my "staredowns" occur at night as I step out of the corn/woods and into theopen fields- and my headlamp illuminates the foreground asa big set of eyessnapsbackabout 30 yards away.You just think to yourself: "You Filthy, Dirty, Lowdown, Mangy sonofa...#!$%&!$"
A quick snort and the sound of heavy footfall bounding off into the darkness is all you're left with...
You usually cuss the whole way back to the car, but that doesn't make it feel any better.
"the staredown"
