# your closes incounter with a buck



## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

i will start with a true story that happen to me severial years ago,i was not hunting at the time just doing so scouting,i was only carring my back pack with grunt call and a rattle bag at the time, i found a smale spot of just tall weeds abought four foot tall with a thicket behind me in the corner of a swamp and a cornfield that had two rows of stocks taken down,and big woods to the right and behind me so i got down on my knees and glassed around to find nothing at first then i hit my rattle bag and grunted three times and was glassing the wood line thinking thats were they wouild come from,boy was i wrong,i heard nothing and slowly turned to glass the corn and there was a big eight point standing right infront of me i had a face mask on but you could see the steam of my breath,now im a bit taken back and the buck came even closer to me with only grass between him and me,and next thing i know he steped closer now only two foot from my face,he stood there eyeing me hard i could hear my heart beating out of my chest,and thought this is it im dead,my knees were shakeing from beeing bent in this spot for ten mins,were now eye to eye truley inches away,then he moves to his left four step and sniffs the ground were i went in then eyes me one more time and then starts to stomp his foot hard on the ground i had know were to go,then he turns tourgs the swamp and stops again and looks back at me one more time then leaps off in the swamps,and i fell over on my back trying to catch my breath and work some blood back in my lower legs.you cant count the times i ask god for help that day,then i got my self comed down and seen three more bucks and ten does, this is the closes call i have ever hade and wouild never want to go throu it again,and its all true,so i was woundering if anyone on here has had a close incounter,markfish


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## crappiewacka (Apr 7, 2009)

Nothing like that! That's amazing!
Close calls w/yotes a couple times, couple startles w/deer, never face to face.


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

Years ago I was in Athens county on a weekend camping and squirrel hunting trip.My first afternoon I decided to setup in the bottom of a ravine.
I was sitting on the ground at the base of a large hickory tree with my legs outstretched.

I heard a dog barking in the distance and it was getting closer.
Suddenly I hear something very large headed toward me very fast.
A huge buck bounded down the hill and leaped directly over my legs and out of sight.
It actually brushed the bill of my hat knocking it off.
I darn near had a heart attack!

A few minutes later a beagle came over the hill trailing this buck.
I didnt shoot the dog,but I did shoot into the air,scaring him away.


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

I've had several close encounters with deer and not just bucks. Last year I switched to using a crossbow on account of shoulder problems. I set up at pinch point where two wood lots and two alfalfa fields came together looking at it from the air it resembled a checker board along the treeline to my right I had round bails stacked right against the treeline and I was sitting behind the last one between it and the woods.. Anyway. I just sat down and was in the process of putting on my gloves and face mask when I looked up and seen a buck out in the field I was facing. I grunted at him but he seemed to ignore me. So I hit my can bleat a few times and he turned and started walking down the tree line towards me. At about 75 yards he veered into the woods and disappeared behind a briar thicket. I figured he went in to bed down, so I just sat there with the intent of waiting him out. About 5 minutes after I last seen him I heard the sound of something walking in the field I turned to look to see what it was and it was that buck. He had circled around to put the wind in his favor and was literally right on the other side of the round bails walking with his nose to the ground. When he cleared the last bail where I was sitting he was about 8 feet away when I let my arrow fly. I hit him hard he made one leap then started walking as if nothing happened. He was so close I could see blood pouring out of him from both sides. He walked back over to the briar thicket he had walked behind earlier and just as he got to it he toppled over. 

One other time I was squirrel hunting maybe 8 or 10 years ago. I was sitting up against a black walnut tree and had already taken a couple nice fox squirrels. At some point I dozed off, I don't know how long I was out maybe a half hour by my guess anyway. I woke up and opened my eyes and there was a small doe standing damn near at my feet. I kinda jerked because she startled me. When I flinched she stomped her foot snorted and then took off out of there. I thought for sure I would need to go change my shorts, she scared the s*@t out of me.

Speaking of falling asleep in the woods, one time I fell asleep, I was probably like 16 or 17 anyway it was during gun season. My dad had come down to bring me a sandwich and coffee and to see if I had seen anything, he found me sawing logs. So he picked up my muzzle loader and set it behind a tree about 5 yards behind me. then went back up the hill behind me a ways and sat to watch his prank unfold. I awoke to the sound of shots coming from out ahead of me they were close so i stand up just as two doe's and a small spike buck come bouncing down the hill to my front. I'm reaching for my gun and can't find it. They see me standing there dumbfounded and take off. Now I'm freaked out because my gun is missing and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to explain to my dad. Then I hear the sound of someone laughing hysterically I look up the hill behind me and there's my dad in tears laughing uncontrollably. He walks down to me and about 5 yards away he picks up my gun from behind a tree and hands it to me. So now I try my best not to cat nap in the woods especially when he's around lol.


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## nicklesman (Jun 29, 2006)

Great thread. Never had an encounter with deer but I had one with emu's. An emu is a big bird like an ostrich. I was deer hunting in Alabama on the ground and the farmer had one rule don't shoot his emu's. Well these dang birds came with in inches of me pecking around. Talk about scared. Almost had to shoot. Took everything I had not to

_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

had a buck at salt fork years back that was running around and snorting at me after sunset. never really got to see him other than shadows in the dark.


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## JSykes3 (Oct 14, 2010)

Rklagstad and I were fishing last summer in cascade valley (cuyahoga river). We were wading in the river right past this island. I heard a rustling on the island and paused for about 20 seconds, nothing happened. Five seconds after we continue wading down river 2 HUGE bucks jump ,damn near over me, from the island to the shore, which is about a 20' stretch. The first runs off but the second one just sits there, about 15' from me, staring. I pulled out my knife and kept staring back. After about 10 seconds he runs off. Scared the sh*t out of me.


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## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

When I bow hunted in southeastern Pa. I would sit on the stand all morning then have lunch. After lunch I would switch over to a shotgun for some grouse hunting until it was time to be back on stand for the evening hunt. The game lands in Pa had allot of wide cut trails through out the properties. I would walk these to jump grouse along them. These trails would go from thickets to fields and second growth woods. That morning I seen a few doe and no bucks, so I was looking forward to some grouse hunting. As I was walking through some scrub brush area that lead to wildlife plot. I heard this loud ruckus coming from the edge of the food plot.
I thought some guy was in a blind rattling up a buck. So rather than spoil his setup I froze in my tracks to listen. I thought he was doing a excellent job and worked my way around a little bend in the trail to see to nice bucks going at it. I was not more than 30 yds away from the fight. They did not even notice I was there. Just at the next moment the one decided to turn and run away from the fight with the other one in pursuit. The only problem they were running right at me. I jumped off the trail into some brush just in time. I could feel the rush of air from both them as they ran past. Fortunately for me they were so locked on each other they paid me no mind and kept going. I do not think my heart rate slowed down for at least an hour.


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## cmiller (Jun 3, 2008)

Went out to some hunting cabins where hunting is not allowed. Hand fed deer apples and pet them. This was in WV and not at a petting zoo.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

JSykes3 said:


> Rklagstad and I were fishing last summer in cascade valley (cuyahoga river). We were wading in the river right past this island. I heard a rustling on the island and paused for about 20 seconds, nothing happened. Five seconds after we continue wading down river 2 HUGE bucks jump ,damn near over me, from the island to the shore, which is about a 20' stretch. The first runs off but the second one just sits there, about 15' from me, staring. I pulled out my knife and kept staring back. After about 10 seconds he runs off. Scared the sh*t out of me.


There are some big deer down there near downtown Akron! I saw two 10 pointers a few years ago driving down Hickory St. which is just north of downtown Akron on the hill going down to the Little Cuyahoga River. They were only 10 yds off the road, munching on brush. We watched them for 5 minutes from our car and they never even looked at us! Those are the biggest deer I've ever seen in person.


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

Many moons ago when I was a young lad,wasn't old enough to drive yet,I was hunting the tree climbing rodent with my dad.He always made me go out with him and experience the outdoors with him.I hated squirrel hunting period but wasn't much I could do about it so I reluctantly went along.One day, in Oct I believe, we were down south in Zaleski state forrest hunting and it was a boring day,so against a tree I sat looking around ,dazing about bout half asleep when the nature urge called.I stood and was about to place the gun down by the tree I was resting against when I turned and less than 6 ft away stood the most massive,master of the herd I have ever seen.I was so petrified to this day I couldn't tell you the point count but that rack was huge.He was upset that I had invaded his turf as he was snorting,snot flying and all.It was right there that we had a heart to heart talk,he didn't move and neither did I for what seemed an eternity.I told him I was sorry,I never wanted to be there,if he passed on by I would forever be in debt to him.Well devine intervention must have set in as after a while he calmy moved to his right to where a enormous glob of wild grapevines were running up into a tree.He put his rack into them and tore the whole cluster down and looked back at me as if to say,this could have been your sorry butt.I was so shaken by the ordeal I totally forgot I had a 16 ga pump in my hand yet.He could have charged me without me firing a shot as I was both scared poopless and amazed at his massiveness.I know it was most likely my age but I still swear to this day I have never seen another buck that huge,muscular,mean,yet so majestic.


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## JSykes3 (Oct 14, 2010)

bdawg said:


> There are some big deer down there near downtown Akron! I saw two 10 pointers a few years ago driving down Hickory St. which is just north of downtown Akron on the hill going down to the Little Cuyahoga River. They were only 10 yds off the road, munching on brush. We watched them for 5 minutes from our car and they never even looked at us! Those are the biggest deer I've ever seen in person.


Yeah it was probably about a mile or so away from Hickory St. Can't remember if it was last year or two years ago, just late in the season. Those deer were massive. Makes me wonder if they were the same deer you saw. Also, there are TONS of does down there.


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

good story purd, and if your like me every time you think abought how close you are to getting ,hit horned out of you, your heart starts pounding hard all over again just thinking abought it, and you never forget that day,markfish


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## ying6 (Apr 21, 2004)

I had a late start last night, getting out around 5:15 so I decided to hunt a blind we just put up along a fence row that leads out to a bean field. There are some good trails coming through and we have a little food plot out in front. The other night coming in I noticed a nice doe right at the food walking into the beans so I am thinking I might get a shot at a deer just before shooting time ends.
Wouldn't you know, as soon as I sit in the blind I hear a loud grunt coming from the thicket in the woods. Here is where it gets interesting. Imagine sitting in a blind where only 2 of the 4 windows are open. The two that are not open are facing the woods. I can hear this deer (or multiple deer) walking behind the blind. I hit the grunt call as I don't hear anything for a few minutes... then out of complete silence I hear a grunt... this grunt is within a foot of the blind. I can now hear the deer breathing on the blind.... I am literally imagining 2 scenarios. 1. The deer rips the blind apart, 2. The deer sticks its nose around the corner and into the open window. 
For the next 40 minutes this deer is pacing behind me... I can never see it but can hear it's breath and the leaves/ twigs breaking behind me.... as I start to feel ok with it, it begins to rain and I can't hear anything but the rain on top of the blind. 
I know the deer has to be still around and I never move, almost frozen bracing for something.
I stay until well after dark but never actually see or hear anything move off. I climb out and see where a tree has been rubbed within inches of the blind. 
An incredible hour hunt.... So now the hunt really begins!


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

It was not a deer but... Back around 1985 when lived in Utah, I headed up to the mountains for a day of hiking. As I drove up Little Cottonwod Canyon I saw some motion out of the corner of my eye and slowed down to see there was a bull moose in a picnic area along the side of the road. I pulled over, grabbed my camera and began taking pictures from around 50 yards away. The moose did not seem to be at all bothered by my presence, so I moved a little closer for "a better picture". Then a little closer and so on. After about 20 minutes I was within 10-15 yards of the moose and he continued to graze with no regard what so ever to me. I was crouched down, setting f-stop and shutter speed, then focused in for what was going to be an awesome full frame picture when the moose suddenly had had enough of me. He lowered his head, turned towards me and came at me full charge! I snapped my last shot of the the day as the moose rounded the bush and was within 7-10 yards of where I was crouched. I quickly jumped behind a sapling that he could have gone right thru and awaited impact. The moose pulled up 2 yards short of the tree, snorted and pawed a couple of times then walked away as if nothing had happened. My heart still races when I recount this story 26 years later. Oh BTW, I did get that last shot and while it is a little blurry and out of focus, I consider it the finest picture I have ever taken.


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

a moose look the ,ell out i dont have to out run it i just got to out run you,man im sure that put a dark spot in the under wear ha,was the hair on the back of your neck raising while you were typeing that all over in your mind,1000lbs,of mad meat well im glade you got to tell the story,markfish


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

markfish said:


> a moose look the ,ell out i dont have to out run it i just got to out run you,man im sure that put a dark spot in the under wear ha,was the hair on the back of your neck raising while you were typeing that all over in your mind,1000lbs,of mad meat well im glade you got to tell the story,markfish


Markfish, Yes it still makes the hair on my neck stand up when I recount this. Luckily I have become much wiser with age. At the time I believed I was mostly bullet proof. Looking back at all the stupid things I did in my youth, it is hard to believe I made my 28th birthday. I got married then and settled down a bit.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

This was a couple years ago and I was still in middleschool and pretty much had no idea what the he!! I was doing. ALl my brothers decided not to go out wince it was the last day of gun season and there all big bowhunters.(I would soon follow) I had the woods to myself for the first time in my life. I decide to go to a ladder stand on a ridge where we have been seeing this buck lately. I get out real early and leave my house at 2:30. 15 minutes later I'm loading my Mossberg 500 with 3'' slugs. After I walk about 50 more yrds I hear a crack of leaves. Look to the left side of me and there he is. Standing at 8ft (I walked it out later). I lift up and pull the trigger, pump, shoot again, pump, a follow up shot at 5 yards and he runs over a hill. I set my gun down and call my oldest brother at 2:52. No pick up. I call my second oldest brother at 2:53. 

"mumble, mumble, drop tine, get your a$$ up here now!,mumble"

"what?"

"im at the pond" 

"ok"

I sit down and wait for the longest time(what I thought). Isaac reaches me by 3:05. I show him where the buck came out of the brush and where the shots were taken. We find NO blood! I freaked out! Told him I shot a monster! He goes and looks and I sit back down. 5 minutes later...

"Luke! Luke! Luke!"

I run the fastest I have ever ran towards the bottom of a fieldwhere I see antlers and my brother holding his black shotgun. Greatest moment of my life so far.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

Man that's a great buck. Can't believe he didn't bust out of there before you could get a shot off. Bucks like that don't get that big being stupid, but he must of slipped up. Good read...thanks for sharing.


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

thats a good story there luke and a great buck good job,markfish


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## Ozdog (Jul 30, 2007)

Mark, 
You should have put down the bino's pulled out the knife. Grabbed one horn with one hand and stuck him with the other then wrestled the beast down and killed him.
Boy's, sometimes it comes hand to hand LOL!

I've had a lot of Mexican stand off's over the years, mostly Rabbit hunting early season. Nothing as close as you guy's are talking though.


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

20 some years ago I was bowhunting from the ground when I heard a stick crack behind me. I was sitting on a stool behind a small tangle of grapevines watching a trail intersection. I slowly got turned around and there was a tall racked forkhorn feeding on acorns about 20 yds from me. I decided early on I wasn't going to shoot him. He kept feeding his way towards me and when he got within 5 yds I started getting nervous. It was getting dark and he kept creeping closer - I could hear him breathing and crunching acorns. When he was at about 4 feet he suddenly raised his head and started staring me down. I didn't know whether to crap myself, jump up or just sit there waiting for my heart to pound its way out of my chest. I suddenly got the wise idea to snort at him (I can duplicate a deer snort fairly well). I gave him my best snort, he jumped straight up and did a 180 in the air and ran off about 10 yds where he turned around and started snorting like crazy. I was already a good 20 yds down the trail in the opposite direction. He raised hell out there for as long as it took me to get out of earshot, which wasn't long.....


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

thats a great storey now were much older we cant run like we us to so dont hunt that nut tree any more,and i dont were under wear in the woods any more so i dont have to throw them away,or have to explain to the wife how a grown man does that race strip,ha we never know whats going to happen in them woods.good story man i felt like i was right there with you thanks,markfish


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

well i was very strong at that time but had no wish to get my ,ss kicked by a buck in full rut i dont think i could of even gotten my arm around his big neck,but if he had of drilled me and we wouild have went at it cause i did have my buck knife in hand and at ready,but that dont mean i wouild of even had a chance he had a good 100lbs,on me and with there necks so strong hell he probley wouild have drove me in the ground were i couldent move,but im glade it dident happen cause i my not be here today to talk abought it,when and if it ever happens to you 'you will know what it feels like,it will shake you to the core of you soul,markfish


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## rackman323 (Jul 13, 2007)

This past Sunday morning was off the hook. I was hunting a small foodplot and seeing lots of seeking and chasing. As the morning went on the bucks were getting larger. I had many encounters with bucks in the low 120 range. I did not pack a lunch so I needed to leave the woods and get back in the stand. At about 11:20 I got down and started to walk out of the woods. The trail carved back to this foodplot off the main road is about 10 feet wide through the thickest nastiest stuff on both sides. I am walking east and the wind is coming almost out of the ESE. At the end of the trail it makes an S curve. Right when I get to the S all heck breaks loose 15 yards in the thick stuff on my left (as my scent or noise disrupted something big). I stopped on the bend of the S and grabbed my grunt call and quickly grunted a few times. I heard some steps and something moving through the brush. It stopped. I waited. I could not see what it was but had a feeling it was a buck. After 3 min nothing. I then took my rattle antlers and started thrashing a sapling and the ground. I followed with a few grunts. As I set my antlers down I picked up my bow. Then I hear grunts getting closer. I come to full draw. At 4 yards from the S corner is a real nice 8 point. I recognize him immediately from trail camera pictures and my early encounter with him in the foodplot that day. He and I had a face to face for about 10 seconds and then he blew his lip and ran. He is on the hit list for next year as he is a nice 3.5 year old 125" perfect 8. As he ran I fell over and tried to gain my composure as the adrenaline was rushing. I thought for a moment about what could have happened if he did not like me.


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

man i love that feeling you get after it;s all over when your just weak in the legs and out of breath and your mind is raceing,and it takes alot out of you thinking what could have been,in the stand all you want is him to get closer but on the ground it a new ball game right,we never forget that 1st close incounter,thanks for the great storys,markfish


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