Directly underneath me.

 

A couple feet. Lots of times on drives deer get close and no shot.

 

Once had a small button buck walk up probably within 5ft of me, I tried shooing him away but I literally had to jump and him and say boo to get him to leave. Unfortunately it was before I had a cellphone so I never did get a picture.

 

A little off topic, but back in the day of one and done...a friend had a doe do the same thing...it even followed him back to the truck when we met for lunch...cars were slowing down and stopping...I always wished I had a camera with me...I could've taken a picture...bow drawn point blank...then stuck the arrow in the ground and taken another picture...as if I missed.

 

I've never had to let them get too close before the shot...that said...I've been surprised a few times by buck coming from behind and walking under me...but was still lucky enough to get a shot...however, when a buck walks/trots/runs by on a mission it isn't likely you are going to get a shot no matter how close he is.

 

I didn't want to shoot her anyway, but I had a big doe put her nose right on my boots while I was leaning back against a tree. I was sitting just off the trail with my boots right on the edge taking a break when she strolled by. Never boogered, just sniffed and walked away.
Hunting from the ground I noticed a combine pull in to start taking corn off. I found the heaviest trail leading out of the corn that I could and watched down a corn row. Within seconds I heard crashing and a very heavy antlered buck was running right down that row towards me. As I started to draw he veered off to my right and crashed down through the thicket. He was less than 30' from me.

 

There’s something almost magical about those up-close, no shot moments, it’s like the deer are letting you share a little piece of their world without any pressure.

I especially love the mental image of that buck charging down the corn row, less than 30 feet and you just get to watch. Those are the stories that stick with you even more than the ones where a shot is taken. Did you get a chance to take any photos, or was it just one of those moments you knew had to stay in memory?

 

Early muzzy season so no buck shooting.Deer coming to me while in corn field.Muzzy up and ready.Keeps coming.Oh great it's a buck I can't shoot.Comes with in 2 corn rows that I can see hairs on nose.Turns and just walks away.
Have had many I shot at 5-10 yards but that was closest.
Smoking clothes works.

 

During 1st day of rifle season a couple of years ago, I had two fawns, still had a few spots, a couple of feet away from me. I was sitting on a stool against a tree, and smoking a cig. One buck and one doe, and he was trying his best bravado to snort at me. Then they foraged around me for around 20 minutes and moseyed off.

I figured they must have lost Mom to a hunter.

 

Twice but not deer hunting. Turkey hunting at base of tree and a doe and hours old fawn at arms reach passed by.
Another turkey hunt buddy and I were back to back at a tree and he was calling. Spike walked up, sniffed my boots then walked around to check out buddy . He wandered off.

 

Had a decent 8 point at about 5 yards last year on the first week of Nov. He came from might right rear and was moving under me and never stopped. It happens a lot if your picky about your shots, which can be a little of a lost art.

 

Straight down...more than once....

 

Sniffing the tree I had climbed. I eventually shot him at 14 yards after he walked off and turned.

 

A massive 9pt. at maybe 8 yards. A hot doe was working her way through the brush in front of me and popped out just below in my shooting lane. I could see and hear him right behind her. I thought he would do the same thing. Nope, he came straight toward me behind an oak. He was looking for her for 10 minutes (or who knows how long my heart was racing so fast). At no point could I see more than his butt or his massive headgear. He turned directly back into the brush looking for her.

 

The biggest buck ive ever seen live and in the woods i had hunted a lot of a season. The last day he had returned from galavanting to his core the evening prior. I setup the next evening and here he came on a string only to bed at 20 yards with no shot. I waited for him to move and he never did. At dark I threw my scent shield bottle at him in disgust. He was a true tank of a buck.

 

Had a spike at the bottom of a 20' tree stand sniffing the ladder. I had some leftover "juice" on my gloves and climbed it with them on. Funny, he turned around and walked back the same trail.

 

I had a nice buck within 8 ft back in 2020.
I decided to ground hunt a spot I had prepped and was tucked in behind a bush right off a 2 track trail on private land. It rained the night before and was very quiet, after not seeing any movement I started to 'daydream' or at least wasn't focused on shooting deer.
I don't know how I missed the movement but by the time I knew something was coming he was almost on top of me. We locked eyes at ground level and he shot off. Never even had a chance to move my bow. Needless to say I sat there for a good hour trying to figure out just happened and how I blew it.
I had a trail cam setup about 60-70 yards from the spot and decided to check it later that morning, here he is trying to figure out what he saw.

 

I was sitting in a row of pine trees and had a six pointer come in to less than ten feet for well over twenty feet. He kept really thick bushes and branches from a blow down between me and him. I pulled my bow back so many times and for so long that when he finally walked away I went home because my arms were too tired and sore to pull the vow back again.

 

MANY years ago had a button buck under my stand in archery.Had a rubber blunt in my quiver.Took it out , lined up,dropped it in the mid of shoulder blades.Legs went straight out and took off.Went 20 yds ,looked around and went back to feeding.

 

Directly under my tree stand, numerous times.

 

Literally 2 yards in front of me. Button buck. Got out of the ground blind to take a leak, looked to my right and he approached. Was pretty cool.

 

In spring turkey I was sitting on the ground with my back against a tree and had a yearling deer step on my foot.

 

I had a nice one straight down get away from me about 5 minutes into the season last year. I was frozen and should have been drawn but messed it up. It was not the first day but I think the first Tuesday, I've never shot a buck that early.

 

Below me and 6 ft on the ground

 

Is that too close

 

Couldn't get a shot, the lady at the double diamond deer ranch would probably be quicker to the trigger

 

I was sitting at the base of a small tree with my legs straight out along a small fallen log. A spike buck came off the hill and jumped over the log and my legs. I could have stabbed him with a knife. Same spot, not a deer, but a grouse glided past my head and lit on the other side of the log. Less than 2 feet away but not visible. Finally, after maybe 30 seconds it stuck its head up. It knew something wasn't right but cautiously walked off 20 yds and flew. A squirrel ran up the right to me before it stopped and saw me. It decided to get out of there, not if a big hurry though. Only started bow hunting when I retired and I only hunt from the ground. I've had lots of close encounters since bow hunting. Love it.

 

Does it count if you hit one with the truck? Because of so.. pretty close.