What an experience I had this morning.

For the first time since the season opened, it was cool this morning -- 42 degrees on my front porch thermometer when I got up. I went through all my morning cleaning rituals and headed out early in order to get to the thicket near my house before the deer crossed the open field to get there. I had not set foot in there since last season because I know the place like the back of my hand (I LIVE right next to it), and the trail I used was briar clogged, but I quietly made my way to the tree I wanted to use and silently screwed in my steps and got my stand set up in the tree . . . and waited.

I figured that the deer would arrive early since they don't feel comfortable walking across the open field in broad daylight. By 7:15am, I hadn't seen anything and was thinking it might be an uneventful morning -- and then I saw 2 or 3 does run across the field running AWAY from the thicket I was in. I figured they must've smelled me. I watched them stop about 200 yards away right next to a huge deer coming the other way -- and I could clearly see a large rack from where I was. Since the does were nervous and had run away from the thicket, I figured he'd go with them when they continued on their way . . . he didn't. I was about to drop my binoculars looking at this brute. He was a giant with G2's of about 15" and G3's of about 12" plus other assorted goodies -- and he was extreemly wide as well.

Instead of running off with the does, he started across the field headed DIRECTLY at me! He came like I was reeling him in on a line. He made it to no more than 15 yards away and stood there broadside with absolutely nothing between him and me. I COULDN'T DRAW BECAUSE I KNEW HE'D SPOT THE MOVEMENT! [:@][:@] After a minute or two of posing in every position except one where I could draw, he started walking and I was able to draw when he walked behind some vines. I waited for him to walk out on the other side, but there was no clear shot because the vines were so thick. Against my better judgement, I attempted to squeeze an arrow between a couple of vines, but hit the vines anyway. He was untouched as my clean arrow proved.

Don't beat me up over the ill-advised shot. I KNOW it was a bad decision, but I already feel bad enough about not being able to shoot at this monster when he stood there broadside inside 15 yards. He's still healthy and wasn't too spooked, so I have plenty of time to try for him if someone else doesn't get him.