Has anyone ever had this happen ?

[jzehr]

So NYs late muzzleloder season opened this week and I figured I would throw a quick stalk on the same bed I killed my regular season buck in. Conditions were perfect and I was able to get to 15 yards when wouldn't you know I see the rack of a big 10 point in the same exact bed that I shot my 8 point in. Anyway we saw each other at the same time but instead of standing up and running, the buck literally slid him self like a penguin across the small deer trail and down an embankment into cattails. He never stood up and I never had a good ethical shot. I couldn't believe that he knew enough to stay flat on the ground. has anyone else seen anything like this happen ? Also second question the buck obvously saw me and with snow on I tracked him and jumped him one more time but couldn't get a shot. What are the chances he will use that bed again ? I only have one more day to hunt and it will be Saturday.

[EllieTheChubb]

Last year. I was walking the edge of a swamp on a blustery day and saw antlers about 20yds in the cattails against a dead tree. The only reason I saw them was because of how violently the cattails were whipping in the wind against the starionary rack. I froze the second I saw them and just watched bow in hand. Within 10 seconds the antlers dropped out of view and I slowly worked my way towards a tree where the roots gave me an extra foot of elevation. I was amazed to see absolutely nothing once I got there. I started to question my own eyes and after 10 perplexed minutes I waded out to the tree. There was a fresh bed there and I figured out what happened. Without standing up the buck slid down off the hump of dry land into the marsh and walked off.

[jzehr]

Last year. I was walking the edge of a swamp on a blustery day and saw antlers about 20yds in the cattails against a dead tree. The only reason I saw them was because of how violently the cattails were whipping in the wind against the starionary rack. I froze the second I saw them and just watched bow in hand. Within 10 seconds the antlers dropped out of view and I slowly worked my way towards a tree where the roots gave me an extra foot of elevation. I was amazed to see absolutely nothing once I got there. I started to question my own eyes and after 10 perplexed minutes I waded out to the tree. There was a fresh bed there and I figured out what happened. Without standing up the buck slid down off the hump of dry land into the marsh and walked off.

It's amazing how quickly they learn to beat you

[treeroot]

It definitely makes you wonder how many you haven't seen/ walked right past.

A good friend of mine works on radio towers. He said you'd be surprised how many deer just lay down when a hunter comes onto a property and they wait for them to pass.