Deer Sleeping
11-30-2007, 06:18 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 660
Deer Sleeping
Well Ive been hunting all day,and I had a pretty unique experience. I was looking around, wasn't seeing much, and then all of a sudden as I turned to my right, I could see a cape/chest of a deer but the rest of the body was behind a tree. So I watched it for a second and when he walked I realized he was a little basket racked 8 pointer. He was only about35 yards away from me. Well he was walking real slow and digging in the dirt with his nose, I couldn't figure out what he was doing and then he started walking right at me! He walked all the way til he was about 25 yards from me and then he just kneeled down and bedded there! I couldn't believe it...I literally said "Oh my god come on" Because I knew I was gonna be froze and not be able to move since he was looking straight at me while he was bedded. So anyways he laid there for about an hour and 45 minutes and I finally got to see a deer sleep. It was really neat because I had always wondered how they slept. He would close his eyes for about 10 minutes and you could see his head fall down and then he would wake up and look around for about 10 minutes, then would get sleepy again, close his eyes, and sleep for about 10 more minutes. He did that for the whole time he was there. I had to move and look around when he was sleeping, lol. When he wasn't I just stared at him and used him for my eyes. I got ahold of my dad on the radio when the buck was sleeping and told him I was pinned down and couldn't leave, so my dad gradually started walking to me and when he did the buck saw him, and I kid you not he ran so hard and so fast out of there and NEVER MADE A SINGLE NOISE- I was only about 25 yards from him and I never heard a leaf crunch. He was jumping over logs and running down hills, and he never even made a noise loud enough for me to hear from 25 yards away. Made me wonder how many deer have WALKED past me if he was running that hard and I couldn't even hear him when all my attention wason him. And he blended in absolutely amazing. Its really neat when you get to observe them for a while and learn their behavior. Today was a day when I definitely would have just preferred to watch him, it was just a different experience.
11-30-2007, 06:26 PM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MO
Posts: 643
RE: Deer Sleeping
That's neat to see. I walked up to about50 yards on bedded 1-1/2 year buck this year. He was doing the same thing you talked about. I watched him for about 20 minutes or so then back tracked and took the long way out of the woodsso I wouldn't spook him. It was cool to see.
11-30-2007, 06:33 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Deer Sleeping
I had a buck bed down 14 yds away for 3:40 last year. His head was behind a tree, though...most of the time...so my movement wasn't an issue.
He only got up when some other deer entered later in the day. I also saw 4 sparring matches between 6 different little bucks, that day. It's still what I refr to as my greatest day afield......and I never shot anything.
Sounds like you had a great day. Congrats.
He only got up when some other deer entered later in the day. I also saw 4 sparring matches between 6 different little bucks, that day. It's still what I refr to as my greatest day afield......and I never shot anything.
Sounds like you had a great day. Congrats.
11-30-2007, 06:57 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 660
RE: Deer Sleeping
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
I had a buck bed down 14 yds away for 3:40 last year. His head was behind a tree, though...most of the time...so my movement wasn't an issue.
He only got up when some other deer entered later in the day. I also saw 4 sparring matches between 6 different little bucks, that day. It's still what I refr to as my greatest day afield......and I never shot anything.
Sounds like you had a great day. Congrats.
I had a buck bed down 14 yds away for 3:40 last year. His head was behind a tree, though...most of the time...so my movement wasn't an issue.
He only got up when some other deer entered later in the day. I also saw 4 sparring matches between 6 different little bucks, that day. It's still what I refr to as my greatest day afield......and I never shot anything.
Sounds like you had a great day. Congrats.
11-30-2007, 07:32 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 3,606
RE: Deer Sleeping
cool experience i once saw a video of a guy stalk a deer that was sleeping got to about 15 yards with its head drifting up and down as it slept for a few moments when he drew back and shot him.
11-30-2007, 07:36 PM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: East Central Illinois
Posts: 660
RE: Deer Sleeping
ORIGINAL: Rhody Hunter
cool experience i once saw a video of a guy stalk a deer that was sleeping got to about 15 yards with its head drifting up and down as it slept for a few moments when he drew back and shot him.
cool experience i once saw a video of a guy stalk a deer that was sleeping got to about 15 yards with its head drifting up and down as it slept for a few moments when he drew back and shot him.
It's kinda funny how they learn what to tone out too, there were all kinds of birds and squirrels (and youknow how loud squirrels can be)right behind him and he ignored them like they weren't even there.
