I have had a bunch of "close encounters" with deer while ground hunting. Lots within 15 yards but off the top of my head I can think of two young bucks that walked within 5 feet of me. Once was when I was rattling for a buddy on the last day of the season, I had a little 6 pointer come walking directly up a hill towards me. I was whispering to my buddy that one was coming but he didn't hear me. I kept trying to get his attention without spooking the buck but my buddy was in la la land and never paid any attention and he had his back facing me and the approaching buck so he had no idea what was about to happen. Well, I lowered my head and crouched down next to a fallen tree and the buck walked right next to me, so close I could see the bottom of his stomach when I peeked out of the corner of my eye. Then I got the giggles because I knew my buddy had no clue that a buck was two feet behind him and closing fast. I was doing all I could to keep the laughter in until finally the buck startled my buddy and he gasped out loud and scared the begezus out of the buck and the buck snorted and bolted. It was hilarious.

Another time I was ground hunting and had a little forkie walk in to within about 3 feet of me. It was the first morning hunt of a 5 day trip me and a couple buddies were on and the night before we were all so pumped up about the upcoming week that we celebrated with the shots of Jack Daniels and beer chasers a bit too much and I was hangin' in a big way that morning and when this little buck sauntered in and kept getting closer and closer, I was getting more and more nervous which got the ole butterflies a goin' which in turn, coupled with stale Jack in my gut, resulted in major gastrointestinal pain. I tried to hold the flatulants in but the pressure was too great so I had to blow it all out my arse. It wasn't long that the young buck got whiff of my funk and looked me straight in the eye and started stomping and blowing and finally bolted. My stench ruined that spot for the entire trip.