HuntingNet.com Forums - Finally got a shot.

I was up at 5am last Friday and on the road up to one of the few areas we (Mn)can use a bonus tag. I was up and in my stand at about 20 minutes before sunrise and feeling pretty confident.

I had set up about 13-14 feet high in a nice, straight maple maybe 15 yards from a creek (10-15 yards across 1-3 feet deep)

I had 25 -40 yard open shots in about every direction, and could see hundreds of yards up and downstream. It was chilly, but not freezing, a little breeze, but not too much......PERFECT.

After about an hour, almost directly across the creek, I spot movement and out walks a doe....followed by another. Now I'm trying to hunt does....that's what my bonus tag is specifically for...so I got plenty excited.
I couldn't move at first as both they and I were in the wide open field of view of each other. They both waded into the creek up to their bellies and started to drink. I was hoping that they would cross over to my side because then I could conceivably get a 10-15 yard shot, but they hung up there in the creek behind a tree that had tipped into the water. I couldn't shoot BUT they were screened a bit so I could stand up and get my release hooked on, my seat behind me flipped up ect. amazing how those little details can get so tough when there's deer right in front of you at 30 yards.
Somehow one of them figured out something was up. I was mostly upwind, but it had been swirling a bit and maybe she smelled me or saw me moving out of the corner of her eye and started acting nervous and shy. Both deer turned around slowly and moved on up the opposite bank into a big open space. As soon as they turned around I went to full draw and waited for them to climb back up....I figured definitely over 30 yards but not yet 40.....stretching it but still certainly do-able for me (I ranged it at 36 a bit later).
As the first one climbed up onto the open creek bank slightly quartering away, perfect opportunity, I released as her front shoulder passed my pin.

She scooted forward two steps and I watched my blue Nock-turnal pass directly through her tail leaving a cloud of white hair gently falling back to the ground.......AAARRRRGGHHHH!!!!!

They both ran about 15 feet when my arrow thudded into the bank, but they stopped to look around and try to ID me.... neither of them had looked directly at me yet. Still, I was stuck there unable to reload for about 10 minutes as they waited me out.....taking a nibble at brush, quickly looking up, nibble, look around. Finally I couldn't take it any more and went for another arrow. I got it nocked and was about to draw back again when they both looked right at me and that was it. Two flags (actually 1 1/2) over the bank and off through the brush.

I waited an hour or so then waded across to retrieve my arrow, hairy, but not a drop of blood......so ended my 46th B-day hunt, lol.