When a nice close shot becomes ...too close?

[muirsy]

Had my closest encounter behind the recurve tonight (searching for my first archery harvest)....

Stood in a spot I knew was usually actioned packed leading up to last light. Had great cover leaning up against a tree for close to 90 minutes, and finally I heard some cracks in the distance. Then some more. Then movement. Before I knew it, there were 5 mulley does meandering their way in my direction - this was it, I would be eating tenderloin in a couple hours!

The heart starts pounding as they get closer - a light wind in my face and I’m convinced that I’ll at least be getting a crack at something any minute now.

They keep coming in and still have no idea I’m there (30 yards now) and my heart begins to sink - they’re getting way too close, and literally are coming at me dead-on. I had expected them to walk parallel to me on a trail...nope. You’d have thought there was a trail of apples leading to my position.

By now they were so close that I had to start making a move to raise my bow. One of them is now looking at me, flicking her ears...I knew I had maybe 5 seconds. Got about .5 inches into a draw and they took off haha. In hindsight I should have had my bow up before they got that close.

Has this ever happened to anyone else??

Had they quartered and turned down that trail it was a 15 yard layup - but no, they had to beeline from 200 yards right to within 18 yards directly in front of me.

What’s a guy to do? Ah the highs and the lows...

Thanks for listening to a rattled bow hunter haha

J