Was walking out(back to the truck) and luckily spotten one through the corner of the grove before it saw me...
I wasn't sure at first if it was a deer, bush, stump or what...but I stood frozen. finally it relaxed enought to move its head/neck. Ok, now its on!!!
It was walking towards me, not a steady walk, a step here, nibble on something, another step perhaps, taking its own sweet time.
There was a group of small trees, probably 3-6 inches in diameter, that hid its head from my view briefly, it was then that I carefully kneeled down and began to position myself for a shot for when it came out into an opening.
As it got closer, I say "it" because it was dark enough I couldn't tell if it had antlers or not, it could sort of tell something wasn't quite right, it looked at me, lowered its head, and then as if its neck was spring loaded popped its head back up and looked...it did this two or three times before relaxing again.
During all the head bobbing, I thought I could finally see some antlers, doesn't really matter as I can legally shoot a buck or doe.
As he came around the corner of the grove he had to pass behind a low hanging branch with still plenty of leaves for cover. This was my opportunity to draw my bow back in anticipation of him clearing the branchy cover.
As I was hoping, he did clear the cover, so now it was all up to me.
All the while darkness had set in all around, all I could see of the deer was a siloette. I could barely make out the sight pins on my bow, fortunately for me I was out in the open bean field enough that the canopy that the grove provided for shade was not over me.
I had to guess at the distance between me and the deer and then from that estimate choose the correct sight pin. I guessed, I chose, and I let one fly...it felt good, sounded good...did I get him?
Wasn't sure, looked for sign, called Dad and he brought out a couple flash lights....we couldn't find my arrow, so that meant it was still out there in the field somewhere or planted into my prey.
We searched for some time without any signs of my arrow or from the deer, other than tracks.
Decided to call it a night and I'd come out first thing in the morning and pick up where we left off from the night before...
I walked to the exact location from which I shot. put another arrow in the bow, and let it fly in the same direction as the one I shot the night before...the arrow this time though had a special tip used for hunting small game that doesn't allow it to burrow under grass, or in my case bean stubble.
I proceded out to the location of the newly flung arrow, found it with no problem, so I continued along that same path looking for any sign of my arrow from the previous evening.....there it was, laying on top of the dirt...
Upon examining the arrow, it is very safe to say that this lucky deer has not been injured...
So soundly I'll be sleeping knowing that him and I may meet yet another day ;)
