Since I already took a buck, I' ve got to shoot 2 does in order to free up my other buck tag--and it' s gotta be quick with my hunting vacation starting this saturday and the rut quickly approaching. []

So I was happy last night when, with light fading, some does stepped out about 22 yards from my position. I was about to shoot one of the first 3 when I looked to my right and saw a much larger deer standing just behind them in some brush. I waited for this one and drew just as it stepped into my shooting lane broadside and stopped. I placed my 20 yard pin at the top of the kill zone and was beginning to apply pressure to the trigger when I saw the rack. [] It wasn' t big, and I hadn' t seen it up to this point, but it immediately disqualified this deer from the " eligible' s list." I let down and then saw another doe just behind the buck. I was unable to draw again before she was through the shooting lane. [:' (]

Since it was windy tonight and I needed to rest up before going to work tonight, I didn' t go out this evening. I went out into my garage to touch up some shiny spots on my tree steps and saw 11 deer--all does--in my meadow about 1/2 hour before dark. One of them was grunting and DID NOT have antlers!