I thought it would be fun to start a thread on unique experiences in the woods where a sly ole buck outfoxed you and left you scratching your head wondering. I'll start.

On this particular day I was hunting rolling prairie land when I walked up to a lump of thick bushes of some sort. It was about 10 to 15 yds around and you couldn't see all the way through it. I figured if I yelled and screamed enough that if there was a deer in there it would come out. So I made a lot of noise and nothing so I continued on. And for some reason after I was quite a ways away I look back and you guessed it, out of the bush I was just yelling into came this nice buck heading for the horizon. Never did get a shot. It6 always amazes me how smart they can be.

It seems that years of shooting everything from .22's to 155's ruined my hearing, especially my left ear, resulting in my not being able to tell directions of sound (when I can hear anything). I have had several deer walking, crunching leaves and I could never tell where they were. A couple of weeks ago I had a deer walking in the leaves behind me then in some water within 20 yards under a dense mountain laurel thicket. It was like the deer evaporated. No more sound and I have no idea where the deer went.

I first saw this buck in 2001.It was opening morning and he was bedded down on the inside of a steep cut with a couple does about 250yds away. By the time I crept within distance though small popal slashings and scrub oak he was at the top of the cut.All I could see of him was the lower half of his body thruogh the brush.By the time I could make out part of his rack I was busted and he diapeared over the top.We played this game for 2 more seasons.I'd try sneeking up thruogh the bottom of the cut,across the side of it over the top ect.. and every time he'd be in the perfect position to see me or the wind would be just right to catch my sent. By the end of 2003 I was at my wits end on how to get in there without being seen.Finaly it took four of us,my 2 uncles my cousin and I to tag him. We each went in at diferent points around that cut(it's in very high srub oaks hills some pine cuts and bordered by a firebreak) and I pushed him off that hill (just caught a glimpse of antlers as he went over the top) and down in front of my uncle.He took him with one perfect shot at 200yds. I didn't know untilI got out at dark.He had this huge smile on his face as he opened the back of the suburban.The buck dressed out at 235lbs had a mainframe 8pt rack and 6 stickers around the bases. He was a sneaky old buck and one of my favorites! I was so happy to finaly get to see him up close!And proud of my Uncle too!
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh77/brushbuck28/2003rodsbig8ptwstickers.jpg

Heres a pic of his antler impression in the snow from that hill I kept chasing him off.You can see his tines above the hole he made with his nose browsing.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh77/brushbuck28/Hunting/2003antlerimpressioninsnow.jpg

Got photos of this buck on our trail camera last year as a nice young 8 pt, but never saw him during the day during the season. Saw him for the first time during Muzzleloading this year running does back in forth in and out of thick brush just 80 yards away and never presented a good shot! Videoing my brothers hunt, we snuck right up on him as he was holed upp with some does again, never knew we were there and you guessed it never presented a shot then one of the doe, being fed up with Mr. Big decided to bolt so he chased in pursuit. Got a couple nice trail camera pics. of him this summer as a huge mainframe 8, took over one of my mock scrapes too. Never saw him throughout the rest of the season, until about last week when i checked the camera again, only to find a huge bodied deer, with no antlers and scabs on his head. I guess we'll play this game again next year.

Cool post idea too by the way.

every year it seams like I will see a nice buck in early season on one trail that goes past a different stand. Then the next night I will go to that stand and he will be where I was the night before. I think Murphy is breeding alot of does.