titleist

The absolutely most amazing thing I've ever seen/done in all the times in the woods. Now, this is going to be hard for a lot of you to beleive and you probably won't or never will. (heck I don't believe it myself). Anyhow, a buddy and I were walking to do some work on our stands yesterday when we heard some crashing in the woods. We jumped a few deer. We stopped dead still to see if anything would bust out into the swail that we were standing in. sure enough a spike horn popped out about 5 yards away from us!!!! We stood there in amazement of how close the deer was. Holding our breathes cause we didn't think he saw us yet!! He finally spotted us, and when he did....he really didn't care. He didn't get spooked. He actually took 2 more steps towards us then turned broadside. He's keep turning his head to keep an eye on us, but wasn't concerned at all. Here's the truly amazing part!!! I looked at my buddy and we both shrugged our shoulders (knowing what each of us were thinking). We took an easy step towards him...he turned his head again, flapped his tail and remained at ease. Now were about a step away from the deer and I'll tell ya....I'm about crapping my pants!!!! Took another easy step reached out and actually pet the freaking deer for about 5 seconds before he finally had enough and bolted. I don't know if something like this has ever happened to any of you guys, but WOW!! what a rush!! btw... any explanations of why he let me touch him??? No reservations or zoo or anything like that around.

HuntingBry

If it is a suburban setting and he is a young deer someone may be feeding him. Because of this, he may have yet to associate humans with danger. He'll learn it quickly if he runs into a different set of hunters. Who knows for sure though?

rattle bag

titleist,

i believe you, only because i've had it happen to me once. my dad and i were grading a house lot that sat in the corner of a field surrounded by woods. i was on the dozer and he was by the house kneeling down working on the septic sys. well, this small doe and i'm guessing maybe a yearling come out of the woods in front of me, crossed thru the yard to my dad. he had his back turned and had no idea she was around. i shut the dozer off and just sat there watching. he turned around, and fell backward startled and shocked. she just stood there for a moment looking at him then took a couple steps forward toward him again. he stuck out his hand and she sniffed and nudged it with her nose. she was as calm as a pet dog. he started petting her and she actually leaned into his petting as if enjoying it. this took place for about 5 minutes until she got bored or whatever and left back into the woods where she came. the only thing we can figure is that someone started feeding it as a young fawn and learned not to fear humans. i don't know?

but, yes it was cool and i'm glad someone else has experience something similar.

rattle bag

James Vee

I've been pretty close to a few deer. Within two or three steps...but never actually touched, or pet a wild one.

PABowhntr

Ok, I will be the smart-alleck in this one....

...maybe he thought that you and your buddy were two does...

..hint...hint....

...just be glad he wasn't in rut...<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

wilk

the same exact thing happened to me last year, it was a young spike and had slobber running out of its mouth and didnt even care i was there, my buddy reached for his camera but when he took the pic it actually was about 10yds away already but at one point it was 1 foot and it didnt even care i was there it had its head to the ground and was tracking a doe. when we told our other hunting friends about it they said yea right, i really dont think they believed us but it was true and probably wont ever happen again....but it was really cool.
Im 42 and never had anything like that happen to me and probably never will.....

Hunting with a bow brings about a different challenge on every hunt!!!

syhelms24

I had almost the same thing happen to me but the most amazing thing is I was at a family reunion and there was about 50 to 60 people there a doe walked right out in the middle of us and let about 20 kids pet it plus a whole lot of adults I even feed it canalope I have pics of this if anyone does'nt belive it.

cyclone

I believe ya. I know several guys that actually caught wild turkeys by hand..I don't think they were into the petting thing though...

Gotta watch that petting, leads to other more serious things.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

MATTHEWS

My friend experienced this before but soon found out it was a pin raised deer that escaped.

Pauly

The closest I've ever been to a wild deer, was a buck last November while out for a trail run before work in a nature preserve in the suburban Detroit area. I came around a corner and saw the buck, it was before sunrise but light enough to see him. He had a real nice rack that was well past his ears with nice length to his tines and 8-10 pts. I stood behind a tree and watched him as he stared at me for several moments, until I thought about the Rut and took off down the trail, wasn't sure if a whitetail buck would come after me due to the rut. But it was quite a thrill.