AF Hunter

Yesterday, late afternoon, I was sitting in one of those portable ground stands. Right at sunset, off to my right I heard a loud wheeeze and then a stomp. Carefully, I turned in the blind to see what had made that noise. As I was turning, it happened again. By the time I got turned around enough to see, it had happened a total of 5 or 6 times. Then I saw it, there was a 6 point buck with 4 does standing there 20 feet off to my right rear. They were all staring at the ground blind and the buck wheezed and stomped again. Then he turned and bolted away through the woods with the does in tow. About 5 minutes later, as I sat there swearing under my breath for having the blind facing the wrong direction, I heard the wheeze again right behind my blind. When he stomped the blind moved - he was that close! After the one stomp, her turned and stomped away through the woods wheezing every few steps. Do bucks get this way right before the rut or something? I've never seen anything like this before.

Hokie3

He either scented you or knew something wasn't right. The fact that he came back after leaving once leads me to believe the latter. He may have justbeen curious but didn't know what to think.

JeramyK

I agree with Hokie. Sounds to me like he knew something wasn't right and it put him on alert. Then, out of curiosity, he came back to investigate.

deer-hunter18

EXACTLY

442deer

Welcome to bowhunting! That's the sound you hear when your BUSTED. It's a warning to other deer in the area that something in the area doesn't look, or (most likely) smell right.

Buck Huntin Girl

That, ladies and gents is why I hunt from a stand, because if I heard that and felt my blind move, it would be ME you'd be draggin' outta the woods because I'd keel over from a heartattack!

AF Hunter

Thank you all. I took all the precautions though. Bathed in scent killing soap. Washed all clothes in scent killing detergent.Entered the blind two hours before the deer started moving. Put the blind up three weeks ago and avoided going anywhere near it until yesterday. The blind is carbon coated on the inside to hold in any smells. The only thing I can think of that was different was the flap was opened just enough to see the trail and shoot an arrow through. I'll leave all alone there until shotgun season. Time to fall back on plan B and use the tree stand up by the corn field. Thanks again.

AF Hunter

Well, BHG, I did kinda need my shorts cleaned when he wheezed right behind me and the blind moved when he stomped. It seemed like it was an hour before I didn't hear my pulse in my ears anymore. Part of the adventure I suppose.

Arthur P

I had some of that action not long ago. I was on a hog hunt watching a spot where the hogs were crossing under a fence. Sitting on a folding stool behind a handy bush. A friend was in a treestand just 50 yards down the fence line and he saw the whole thing.

I was sitting there when I heard something critter-ish walking upbehind me. Naturally, I froze thinking it was a hog heading for the crossing. Then - wheeze, stomp, wheeze, stomp. Aw, frack! A deer. CLOSE deer. Every stompsent ajolt upthe stool I was on. This went ona couple of minutes before it quitand I heard steps leaving. Turned around to see a doe and fawn walking off into the woods.

My buddy said she was practically sniffing the back of my neck, not two yards away. And no, I wasn't wearingany non-stink suit ofcarbon clothes.A pretty stout breeze was coming directly over my left shoulder.

When they see something they're not sure about, I think they go through that routine to see if they can make it move. If it moves, then they know it's something they don't like.

cardeer

Cool aint? Getting that close on the ground. you just stay on the ground .Taking a deer like that is 10 times the rush over a tree stand