muzzyman88

I think my favorite memory was a buck I didn't get a shot at, but the show he put on in front of me was amazing. I was rattling that morning and he came crashing through the timber to my right responding to the rattling I was doing. He was a huge, long tined 8 pointer with approx a 20-23" spread. The hair on his neck was on end, nostriles flaired and walking stiff legged. He than began to thrash every bush around, raking and throwing leaves and grunting. He then pushed a small 5 or 6 pointer that I didnt' see at first out of the area. He was definitely fired up. Had me so excited I couldn't do a thing but watch. Never saw that dude again after that.

The other that comes to mind was the ground hunting episode with a bear with cubs. I heard turkeys coming off the roost at first light. Fall turkey runs concurrently with archery... so I figured..."hey, I might get shot here". I was all situated expecting them to come from my right. Well, I hear something coming from in front of me. I had a tree to my back and in front of me so I couldn't see around it. I got ready, raised my bow and saw black. I thought "holy smokes, here they come!". To my surprise, the black materialized into a bear at 20 yards and still coming, right at me! I froze and watched this bear come to within 10 feet of me. She was close enough I could hear her breathing. She walked up beside me and stopped and stared for a few seconds, then went about her business and continued by me. Next, her two cubs came bobbing up the same path. They stared for a few seconds and continued. I never have been that close to a bear. Very cool experience. I saw that same family about a week later in a different spot.