Starring Contest

[the blur]

Had a Doe confront me in the woods.  1st time ever.  She snorted at me,  stomped at me, from about 80 yards.   This lasted at least 2-3 minutes.   I really wanted a buck, but she would not leave.  Snorting over & over.   Finally I put my electronic ear protection on.    This is all from ground level.   I sit on a log usually.  She noticed me 1st actually, and got my attention with a snort.  I waited another 30 seconds... and set the cross hairs. ...  and 4 hours later at the butcher...

Very unusual occurrence in the woods.    Normally deer run without hesitation.   This deer hesitated & confronted me.    Bullet went straight in from front to back, and didn't exit.

[Nytracker]

If she blows she must go !

[Northcountryman]

No doubt !! That’s weird though , no fawn with her ? 

[DirtTime]

I had a testy doe do the same thing to me last Saturday.

 

I dropped my wife in her spot and headed down to a brush blind I had made just up on a ridge. Around 7AM I had to take a leak, so I decided to have a cup of coffee once I was back in my seat. I no sooner set the thermos down and I hear blowing behind me. I turn slowly and see a deer stomping and doing what looked like circles in the brush. I drop the cup and get ready with my rifle. Then the deer stops and peeks out at me from behind a tree. I set the rifle down and slowly get out my camera to get some video. She stared at me for probably 4-5 minutes while all this was going on. Then she trotted up around the ridge and stopped and stared at me again for a few seconds. Then trotted off towards where my wife was set up. Does aren't legal in the area of the NZ we hunt, so that crazy ass doe got a lucky pass. If they were legal I would have dumped her just because she was irritating me.

 

That marked the 6th time they have come in on me from behind with the wind in my face. Starting to seriously rethink how I play the wind.

[Northcountryman]

4 minutes ago, DirtTime said:

I had a testy doe do the same thing to me last Saturday.

 

I dropped my wife in her spot and headed down to a brush blind I had made just up on a ridge. Around 7AM I had to take a leak, so I decided to have a cup of coffee once I was back in my seat. I no sooner set the thermos down and I hear blowing behind me. I turn slowly and see a deer stomping and doing what looked like circles in the brush. I drop the cup and get ready with my rifle. Then the deer stops and peeks out at me from behind a tree. I set the rifle down and slowly get out my camera to get some video. She stared at me for probably 4-5 minutes while all this was going on. Then she trotted up around the ridge and stopped and stared at me again for a few seconds. Then trotted off towards where my wife was set up. Does aren't legal in the area of the NZ we hunt, so that crazy ass doe got a lucky pass. If they were legal I would have dumped her just because she was irritating me.

 

That marked the 6th time they have come in on me from behind with the wind in my face. Starting to seriously rethink how I play the wind.

You know , you raise an excellent point , and , I’ve thought of this myself . Prevailing wisdom is , “ always hunt with the wind in your face “ but , isn’t hat more for when still hunting ? I mean , if you think about it , when you’re in a stand , blind , etc. , you’re not moving so , it doesn’t matter if you’re facing inTo the wind ; deer can approach from any direction around you !! And , as you point out , they’re MOST likely to approach from behind you When you do so  , cuz they’re playing the wind just like you are !! If I’m sitting , I’d much rather face with the wind at my back . 

[the blur]

56 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

No doubt !! That’s weird though , no fawn with her ? 

2 fawns, and a group of 8 deer total.   The 2 fawns didn't have spots and were fairly decent sized.   No idea why they are yarding up so early.    5 deer took off immediately after the shot & crash, the 2 fawns stayed around.   That's how I knew they were her fawns..  They eventually ran off to the others in the group.    Then I'm thinking... maybe that's why the mama doe was stomping at me.   She was protecting her fawns.     She certainly had time to run away, and I gave her every opportunity to run.    So maybe, just maybe, mother does approach danger, while other deer run away immediately.   

[DirtTime]

27 minutes ago, Northcountryman said:

You know , you raise an excellent point , and , I’ve thought of this myself . Prevailing wisdom is , “ always hunt with the wind in your face “ but , isn’t hat more for when still hunting ? I mean , if you think about it , when you’re in a stand , blind , etc. , you’re not moving so , it doesn’t matter if you’re facing inTo the wind ; deer can approach from any direction around you !! And , as you point out , they’re MOST likely to approach from behind you When you do so  , cuz they’re playing the wind just like you are !! If I’m sitting , I’d much rather face with the wind at my back . 

When I scout I pay close attention to tracks, direction to and from bedding-food-water. I set accordingly for different wind directions. I hunt from the ground so making a few brush blinds in the same area is fairly easy of there's enough debris laying around. I always try to keep the wind at me whether I'm sitting or still hunting. It's just the one of many things that's etched into my brain.

 

On the hunt I mentioned I made a secondary blind up the ridge a little more so I can see over one area and have the original blind off to my left before I packed up to leave, so if they come up that way again they will be on my left. There was a lot more to how this all went down then I can put into words. From my back and on my off side. If that had been a legal buck I would have, and was ready to take that shot left handed. I don't shoot left handed, but I have shot a few of my hunting guns to see how far I'm off, surprisingly not far being right handed and left eye dominant. A couple inches difference.

 

I'm giving more thought to playing a cross wind when possible instead of right at me. But, there are no rules a deer or wind follow, so no matter what you do to play the wind, the deer will eventually play you.