Well here's the story. I did it again but in a whole different area.
So my brother and I spot two does and a forked horn buck on a distant ridge. I instructed my brother to hand signal if and when I spook the deer when crossing a thick patch of cat-claw and cactus. I literally had to draw my knife out to chop a few cactus pads out of my way a few times. I cross onto the same ridge with the deer. I glance back and my bro gives it an OK. They're still there!
I'm not dressed in camo just normal everyday wear. Jeans and a gray hoodie sweater.
So now I'm 250yds down hill in plain sight with scattered cover. I step forward with the bow overhead and sway the "horn" to get the does attention. They immediately notice and give a stare down for a few minutes. I look thru my binos and see that they're looking straight at me. In a crouched position I move forward, to mimick a feeding animal I pluck the brush. I look back up at the deer for a few more minutes and then they relax!!!!!! Wow. I now know I have'em. Body language tells all. I keep at it until I reach 60 yds. The wind is in my favor the whole time. The deer are located on a slope above me. I had to add that during this whole time I'm taking my time. Moving from bush to bush in a slow zig-zag pattern. If you ever notice a feeding beef cow in the open range it never feeds in a direct path. It just kinda in and out, no real pattern when feeding. In my part of the country, cattle and deer are the norm.
By now the two does are visible but the buck had bedded. I could not see where he had gone but since they're rutting I assume he was nearby. The weird thing about this is, I could literally get away with movement and noise. I'm at 30yds and moving parallel with the feeding does. Looking up occasionally and scanning for the buck. At this time my arrow is nocked and ready. I move around a Jojoba bush into a clear pathway. I scan once more and there he is. At 20yds!! He's scanning left to right looking for his gals. I side step to my left into a shooting path. The does are to my left and the buck on my right. Only thing I see is his antler tips moving thru the bush.
I get ready............here he comes.........draw.....release and MISS. Shot too far forward just missing his brisket. At 18yds I was thrilled to have fooled'em again. I wanted to capture it on my camera but it was so much of a hassle messing with the camera I left it.
I think the thing I noticed the second time during my approach which I did not notice the first time was distance. IMO you need to have enough SAFE distance and time for the deer to determine if your a danger. Needless to say I never got a deer this year.
But I tell you what, it was such a great feeling to stalk these group of deer in front of an audience. My bro neph and another on-looker.
