Due to reasons out of my control I could only hunt saturday of opening weekend. I was sitting high in my tree stand by 6:00am waiting for daybreak. About 9:00 a small eight point came within 15 yards of my stand but I let him walk, too small. Around 12:00 i discover that I left my lunch in the truck<img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>. So I decided to get down and go get it. I lowered my bow to the ground and started the climb down the tree. About half way down I heard something. Two does were about 25 yards behind my setup looking thru the trees. I could tell that they heard something, but had not seen me yet so I froze. After a few minutes of them pacing around one blew and they both took off, I pulled up my bow as fast as I could and nocked an arrow and froze again, with my tree stand crooked and me sitting backwards in the climbing position, I must have looked like a fool. I could see the two deer comming back about 60 yards out, they made a wide circle towards me and went right back to the same place that i first saw them at. Finally they moved into a shooting lane at what I thought was about 30 yards. I drew and put the 30 yard pin on her shoulder, at the last minute I decided to move it up a bit and released. Between her ducking and my misjudging the yardage (she was only about 26 yards)the arrow went right over her back. Again they took off and I quickly nocked another arrow. For a third time they returned and stood looking in my direction. One was about to step into an opening so I could take another shot when snorted, spun around and they both ran off. I just sat there, unbelievable....Two deer and my bow was on the ground! I have read stories about this, and never thought it would happen to me!

Well, as I said I could't go sunday so I went out and bought a range finder.....won't make that mistake next weekend.

AH

Were you hunting fort hood? Don't forget your lunck next time.

yep i sure was hunting ft hood, and i wont forget it next time..

I've had something similar to that happen to me. I was climbing the tree and only got about 9ft off the ground when a group of 6 does came around the hill. One saw me and stood there long enough for me to pull my bow up. I shot at the last doe in the group and thought I hit her. So I sit there for about 20minutes and went back down. I walked up the bank and found my arrow. No blood. So it was only 3:30pm and there was plenty of day light left. So I went back to the stand. I started climbing the tree again. I only got half way up the tree again, about 11ft off the ground and here come a nice 10pt. He noticed me immediately. He stood there for about 1minute before he sprinted off. A very disappointing day to say the least. <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>

High Country Archery - &quot;Driven to greater heights...&quot;

Had the same thing happen to me....lol

I was hunting the last week of our season many years ago. We had a buck pool at the archery shop and no one really turned in a decent winning buck. I passed on a few all season that might have been close but I wasn't sure and they were rather small. Well, we were counting spread and points and I was all the way down my tree one day around 11:00 because I hadn't seen a thing and was freezing. Bow on the ground, I heard the steps of a buck, you know it when you hear it and sure nuff, a nice 6 with a wide spread walked by me at 15 yards. I just picked up my bow as he passed and he stopped, looked at me and was gone in a flash.....

Oh well, no one collected the pool and we had a great party for the shop with it so everyone won!

Learned a lesson that day tho, that's what I love about hunting, especially bowhunting, something to learn daily.

<font color=blue>Good Luck and Good Shooting</font id=blue>

<font color=red>Rob</font id=red>