Tonight was my first time out bowhunting since before rifle season. I put my stand up about 70 yards from my previous spot in hopes the bucks would still be following the same pattern. About an hour into my hunt, a small 8-point basket rack that was hanging around before rifle season came through so I had a good feeling about where I had set up but after that, nothing was moving. I realized all the deer I had seen before the rifle season had obviously been shot and started to think I was wasting my time and should go home when a fox came through. I had never seen a fox in that area so it was fun to watch him move through on his hunt for mice(especially since I had seen the only deer left in Nebraska walk by my stand already).
I spooked him by trying to get him on video and was unsuccessful at calling him back in. I sat there in that moonscape previously known as my �honey hole� debating on climbing down and heading in to work where I might actually do some good when it happened. DEER!!! There were four bucks coming through the trees my way and the third one back was a beauty! I got my bow ready and when he moved behind a tree, I drew. He came through, with the other three, on the side of me that only had one little opportunity for a shooting window(of coarse). I had to get on my tip toes in order to be sure and clear some small branches but I was able to go to full draw without any problems and then.....DISASTER...they spooked. I had the nicest buck I�ve ever had a legitimate chance to take, spook when he was only 5 freakin� steps from takin' the leap onto my wall!!! I'm not sure why but I have a few ideas. I might have spooked one of the smaller bucks in front of him with my movement or a "squeek" from my stand but the way they reacted leads me to believe that they might have got wind of that (soon to be dead) fox!!! They bolted back about forty yards but ended up coming back through just out of range a few minutes later. He was so close, the adrenalin is still seepin� outta me!! If I have to wait a whole year before I get another crack at him, I think I�ll die! I hurt bad enough that I almost wish I was a low-down cheatin� muzzle loader!!
To be continued��..hopefully.

Hope you get'em!

Nebraska:
You were THINKING of going to work when you had a chance to go deer hunting? You & everyone else on the board knows you wouldn't have accomplished "squat" at work with deer season open. Even though ya missed, ya made the right choice.
I sympathize for your miss & know how ya feel. During the 2002 moose season I missed a bull at about 100 yds that was facing me at a quartering angle. Nothing between him & I. I was using my .45-120 Sharps with 110 grs. of Fg black & had done a lot of practice with it. One shot, no blood sign, no hair, only tracks in the sand where he ran off. Think I over shot him but I think my biggest mistake was that I "had him in the freezer" before I shot. I'd guess that most of us have been there & done it. Again, I sympathize & hope you keep after him. Happy Holidays to all on the board. Bear in Fairbanks