Ever been face to face with a deer in the open?

[Thresher]

I had a scary yet exciting encounter with one last weekend. I had just finished up an evening hunt at my blind, and was walking back to my Dad's house. My typical routine when walking back, is to stop by any feeders that are close by, pan my headlamp around, and see if I can catch some varmits off guard. Well, this time around, I caught some eyes by the feeder, except it was those of a buck 30 yards away. He was a tall eight point, non-shooter (under 13" AR), and was probably 2.5 years. I guess I got the light on him early and had him blinded, and since I was being quite, he had no idea what I was. So what does he do? Walk straight toward me!! He was moving slow, but finally stopped at about 14 or 15 yards and just stared in my direction. After about 10 seconds, he finally turned and walked away. I continued back to the house, and after walking about 30 yards, the buck finally blew at me. He was a little slow that evening

Anyways, it was very exciting to say the least. Anyone else had close encounters with a deer out in the open, while not in a blind/stand?

[popup_menace]

I got about 60 yards away from a doe this last weekend when i stepped out of my stand to head home. thats the closest ive ever been without a blind between me and the deer

[Kolpin10]

I was on a ranch in south texas looking for a buck that had been seen guarding a harem of does in the area. I walked out if some brush into a clearing and he saw me and charged at me came to about 20 feet from me. I was holding a set of binoculars and nothing else. It spooked me a little bit he turned around gathered up his harem of 3 does and left. He was a 23 inch 12 point scored 156. He died later that afternoon.

[Stuck]

All the time. Her name is Edna and seems to get upset when I'm at the camphouse and don't throw any corn out. (she's off limits)

[Mark44]

In Kansas standing on the road blocking a draw that was weedy and full of brush. Pheasant hunters are pushing the draw, cut and harvested fields on both sides so it's pretty bare ground. The hunters are about quarter mile away and I'm just standing there bored, figuring maybe in a bit I might see a rooster or two. About that time out pops a big ol' Kansas buck. I was stunned and so was he. Guess he was bedded down in the draw. I about had a heart attack -- he was enormous and about 10 feet from me. I'm standing there trying to decide if #4 copper plated pheasant load could even make a dent in him if he decides to charge me ... and he snorts at me and canters off across an open field.

That's as close as I've been to a monster. It was awesome.

[jooger17]

Several times. I rattled up a buck in Ozona a few years ago and that was the only time I've been a little nervous about 1. I was leaning up against a rock and that sucker blew out of a cedar bush and stopped no more than 10' away! He was slobbering and breathing hard. Just a little busted up 3yo but he was ******!

Another time when i was a kid I rattled up a 6pt that was a 1 year old. That is hands down the closest I've ever been to a fully alive deer. I was covered head to toe in camo and has put doe pee on a drag line. I was sitting up against a huge pine tree and was more laying down than sitting. He couldn't have been more than 3' away! I could literally smell his breath!

Several times out west I've glassed a buck I wanted to get closer to. During my best apache sneak I've had deer explode out of a cedar a few feet away. It's pretty intense! There's nothing like being that close to one of God's wariest critters!

[Massey]

I walked around a cedar tree to come face to face with a doe that was also walking around it; had a few seconds of a stare down, then she bolted.

[Burnadell]

Yeah, I've had to whup their arses a couple of times. It was a fight, I tell ya, but it was either them or me!!! Now understand this was not a couple at the same time...it was two separate ocassions!

[recurve_rebel]

Got a couple.

Hunting the Davy Crockett, i was slowly making my way back to my truck after the morning hunt. I was in the middle of a large stand of some of the really big pines. I stepped out from behind a tree and off to my right about 20 ft stood a doe, I froze and so did she. Right behind her maybe 10 more ft was a buck. I was gun hunting so the buck may have been legal but with the shade from the trees and what not i couldnt be sure if he was a spike or not (had big cow horns and one was forked but i couldnt tell on the other one.) So i stood there and studied him a few secs and they started stomping trying to get me to move, they eventually had enough and started trotting off the other way, at this point i realized he was indeed a spike but didnt feel comfortable with a moving shot so he got a pass. Not 45 secs later I hear a boom in the direction they went, I guess he wasnt so lucky after all.

Another one was a buck i killed up near Forestburg. We were on a weekend lease and the stand i liked was all the way at the end of the trail past two other people. Well i get back there and there is no chair in the blind. So I lean up against a tree in full camo and hope for the best. Wouldnt you know not 20 mins later a buck comes in to the doe pee i put out, he was about 10 yds behind me. of course he was on my right and i shoot right handed so i had to get my gun and my body turned all the way around. That doe pee really had him going so after what seemed like an eternity I got turned and took him with my 30.06 at about 10yds. He was nothing but a brown spot in the scope but hey, what can ya do?

[jdubuzz]

In '08, after a morning hunt, I was headed back to the 4 wheeler. When, I got to it, I was putting up my bow and pack. Something caught my eye, I looked up and here comes a 6pt, with no brow tines. He was walking straight for me. He got about 30 yards and stopped staring at me or the atv. I was knelt down beside it, by this time. He didn't spook or anything. He just, at the same walking pace and skirted me and the 4 wheeler, by about 40 yards. I don't think he ever saw me, cause he never got alarmed. It was a crazy expierence. Weird nonetheless. I did snap a few cell phone photos of him. I'll have to see if I can find them.

Oh and welcome to the GreenScreeen.....

[ChickenWilly]

I snuck up on one of our feeders last weekend that has been gettin hit hard by the coons just using the moonlight until I got about 20 yards away from the feeder and I hit the pressure switch for my scope light. Nothing under the feeder so I crept on up and looked down to the right of the feeder and when I hit the light there was a real nice buck standing 15 yards away looking at me. If it had only been daylight and I had been holding something besides my 17hmr I would have had a punched buck tag! Pretty cool though being that close to him and he never knew what was going on

[Usdi Yonv]

I used to live in Northern California on the edge of a wildlife reserve. There were some HUGE muleys that lived there. I had about six different fruit trees in my yard. One evening while it was raining i took a stroll down to the mailbox and one of da big boys was eating apricots, I figured he'd bolt once I got close to him. They really had no fear of humans, as they weren't hunted there. I got so close to him I coulda stuck my ol Buck Special in his neck. I got my mail and he just kept eating, he did move on to the apple tree though.

[cumminchevy]

i had a buck walk about 20 ft from me while leaning up against without anything between us. not a shooter but i got pretty excited

[jesterdoc]

I had 4 does walk within 10-15 feet of me my last hunt. I sat a little long waiting for a small buck to leave the area. I had just climbed down off the tripod and was knelt down rummaging through my bag for my headlamp when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked up and there was a string of 4 does at about 12 ft, they gave a wide berth and walked by giving me the stink eye.
They never blew up, never spooked. Just kept moving and disappeared into the brush. I'm guessing they didn't know what I was and since it was dark and I froze as soon as I saw them they didn't spook.

Was pretty cool to say the least.

My FIL has a buck fawn (100% wild and free range) that is the most curious and fearless deer I've ever seen. He would come out while we were filling feeders and stand at 20 yds waiting. If we'd throw some corn closer he'd come right to it and eat until Momma had enough and would snort, then he'd just turn around and mosey off.

[TexPro]

Many of times while mule deer hunting.....that's why i'd pick a mule deer hunt over whitetail any day!! There's nothing like a 200lb buck busting out of a mesquite bush 10 ft away from ya!

Had a yearling get within arms length of me while sitting in a ground blind made of cedar. It was exciting until the vision of that dude getting his tail kicked around while demonstrating scent came thru my head.