How close have you got to a live wild deer?

[B-Logger]

To go along with some other threads about close or distance shooting, how close have you got to a live wild deer?

For me, I have actually touched a wild deer while hunting! What a thrill!!! What had happened was I was in a ground blind using netting in front of me and I was sitting on a small chair. I had watched a doe come from the west. She was about 80 yards out. She had a fawn but I had not seen that at the time. The doe started feeding on some wild blackberries and eventually came my way. She then started back towards the west and I thought maybe I would take her.

So up came the bow (recurve) very slowly but just as I was about to draw, the arrow slipped off and made just a slight sound. The doe heard it though and stood looking directly my way and I figured that was the end of that story. Not so!

She finally started coming my way but as she got closer it appeared she was looking beyond me....and she was. She walked right past me very slowly. As she was right in front of me I got the urge and just stuck my hand out and gently touched her hind quarter. She made a little twitch but that was all. She continued on for about 60 yards and then finally winded me. What a thrill I had that night.

I have been close enough several other times to touch the deer but that was the only time I actually touched one.

Once when I was quite young I was back in our woods checking on the young cattle when a doe dang near took my head off! Scared me to no end because I was walking along a 5 strand barbed wire fence. I stood there for a minute and then looked where she had came from. Sure enough, there was a tiny fawn, probably just born minutes before. Naturally I cleared out of that area to leave them alone. Again, a thrill for a young man.

[crazyfarmer]

Ive picked up a fawn before

Had a young deer sniff my boot once in the woods when I was sitting by a try. Usually 60% of the deer I see are close enough to spit on Its nothing like it... thats one reason im not big on 200+ yard shots. I like close up hunting

[dutchhunter]

i was hunting turkeys one morning and had a doe step on my boot well i was laying down hidding next to a tree .i find that well bow hunting i can and do get very close to deer on a regular bases .i have shot them at 5 yards and less several times .it really gets the heart pumping ijust love it DUTCH

[mikej]

i have had deer and elk eat grain and apples out of my hand quite a few times during winter feeding

[Grizzly Adam]

Well, I've finished off several still-very-much-alive deer with a knife before ... does that count?

Other than that, I'd say about five feet.

[munch]

have had lots pass right under my treestand but also had them walk by when turkey hunting where i could reach out and touch them with a broom stick

[perrysbirds]

Ive been about 5 feet away from a deer a few times.
Everytime while turkey hunting,love the way it gets the heart pounding!

[Grizzly Adam]

Well, I've finished off several still-very-much-alive deer with a knife

I'm more impressed with the folks who can "get up" on a deer than I am with the people who take long range shots and make them.

I don't know what my statement had to do with being impressed or long-range shots ... but:

I'd say the truth of it is that more deer "get up" on hunters than the other way round.

That's what tree stands are all about, isn't it?

Personally, I got up on most of the deer I've finished with a knife by spining them with an arrow first.

[huntone]

i have had deer and elk eat grain and apples out of my hand quite a few times during winter feeding

That's about as close as it gets.

Not counting little fawns, I would guess around 8 feet would be it for me. I was stalk hunting after a hard and windy rain from the night before and the deer had just started to move. It seemed like magic, all of a sudden deer were all around me and I don't know why they were not alerted to my scent. I stayed still in some cover. One of the most thrilling times in the woods for me was that morning.

[mikej]

it was actually quite amazing have a full grown 6x6 bull that close , some smaller 4x4's and 5x5's . it was kinda funny the cow's and calves were a lot more cautious than the bulls were, i would have thought it would be the other way around.

[VixChix]

[huntfishfam]

About 10 feet while turkey hunting. It was a small buck, I could see the nubs on his head, he walked the field edge and stopped where I had walked out to put my dekes. He turned and looked right at me, had no clue I was there.He then continued to turn around and walk away. I watched him walk around the field edge, he stopped to smell something, and put his head down and stepped on a stick at the same time, the stick hit him in the nose and he jumped. It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud.
Sean

[Dereck]

This year Turkey hunting I had a doe at 8 yds she stood still staring at me for 10 min. until she went back to feeding.Then she wondered into the bush and for the next few minutes I could here her walking around behind me. Then a big snap right behind me, scared the S%*T out of me she was 2yds behind me then she got upset and snorted for ten minutes just out of sight.

[mikej]

pyd how close have you been to a yote

[Bambiblaster]

I gave a neck rub to a 6 point in a apple orchard while scouting. Just kept chewing away.. Shot 1st 10 point 10 ft away and he only went 20 yrds and dropped