I set up my stand with a trail running horizontaly in front of it about 6-7 yrds away. I watch down the trail and at around 7:30 up pops a deer about 100 yds away (that' s all the visibility i have here). He' s not dilly-dallying around... he' s walking rapidly towards me. I slowly put on my hand release and put my other hand on my bow. He walked to where there was trees s and leaves in between he and I so in 1 motion I stood up and drew my bow. Only one propblem (and this is where buck fever set in): In the excitement, with my bow laying on my lap on it' s side, the arrow was resting on the body of the bow. So when I stood up it fell off the bow onto my arm. Without hesitation after I drew, the buck walks from still being off to my left to right in front of me!! I kid you not, 6 yards away!!!!! [] I' m at full draw, with the arrow resting on my arm and he' s standing there horizontaly giving me the perfect double lung shot for 1 minute!!!!
I hold my draw, he turns and looks at me, I don' t make eye contact and look away with my eyes. He then proceeds to walk right towards my tree and comes up and starts sniffing where my gear bag and bow were before I hoisted them up on my tote rope. He sits there sniffing for like 2 more minutes!!! Now (after 3 minutes full draw) my arm is very shaky and I know I need to release while he' s under me looking down, but quietly enough to where he won' t hear (I' m only 15 ft. up). So I try and gently release so I can re-draw properly and wait for him to talk away... So, I am succesful up until the point where the fletching hits my jacket and makes THE SMALLEST sound! He hears and takes ONE jump and then turns looks for 1/2 second and then SLOWLY walks away! [:' (]

This wasn' t a large buck... he weighed between 130-150 lbs. and was an average 4 or SMALL 6 point. But in an area where I' m told that taking an 80 lobs. doe isn' t a waste of a tag, that' s a lot of meat I' d be happy to have in the freezer! There you have it!! Lesson learned, I HOPE!!

I told my brother the story and he said that it probably be better for it not to have happen at all than to deal with the disappointment. I said NO WAY! That was INCREDIBLE!!! [:-] That was my first deer within 400 yds while hunting (last year rifle, had a dow about 400 yds away). WHAT A RUSH! With a rifle I would have taken a shot from a lot further away! BOW HUNTING ROCKS!!!!!!