Went hunting last night

[Frank V]

I went hunting on State land last night, it's about 19 miles from my house & I've been wanting to hunt it. I've seen a lot of Whitetail Does in the area & I've an anterless Whitetail tag for any 300 zone.
   The land is walk in only & I took my Bear Super K & checked it out last night. I found a slough & thought it'd be a neat place to watch as there were about 4 trails crossing it in the area I found. I saw a Doe bedded on the way in about 5pm. The ground was VERY dry & I wanted to see the area in front of me, it looked like a slough. So I left her ( it would have been an almost 300 yards stalk) I did note the time I saw her & the time she got up though.
  Going on to the slough I spooked two more Whitetails, so got no chance at them. They were in the area I wanted to watch though. So I sat under a couple sage bushes. After watching for about an hour the wind changed & I knew if I wanted to see anything I'd have to move. I crossed the slough & found a good spot looking back the way I'd just left. I saw another deer moving about 300 yards away & only got a glimpse of it.
  Took a couple pictures, & just about 7pm a Doe snuck in on me from behind, from the opposite direction I was watching she was about 25 yards away. I had on Predator Fall Grey coveralls, but hadn't put on my face mask & she saw me even though I was really screened by the sagebush. She didn't know what I was, but I was busted. I remained still trying not to look her in the eye. She fed a little more, but she'd look up at odd times trying to see what I was. I knew if I shifted enough to get into position she'd blow out of there. I now had about 45 minutes of legal shooting time. I continued to sit & hope she'd decide to cross the slough. She'd moved into about 15 yards which is a comfortable range for me. If she'd cross the slough I'd have a quartering away 15 yard shot. Nope she decided that she didn't like what was between that Sagebush & Cottonwood tree, she showed her flag & trotted off. She didn't blow or really bust out of there so I continued to watch till I had to leave.
   On the way out I spotted a Badger lopeing away, but couldn't close to bow range. Over all I saw 5 deer, had one in my lap, a Badger, Several Eagles, beautiful country. I'll be back & remember my face mask. It was a GREAT evening.
Thanks for reading.
Frank

[Cottonwood]

Good read Frank, thanks for sharing.

[All Hawks Kill]

Really good read!  I've said it once and I'll say it again, any day spent in the woods is a good day!

[Frank V]

Thanks guys it was really fun, I'm giving it a few days rest & going back.
Thinking more about why I got busted & talking to a couple friends who have slathers of experience hunting Whitetails, I didn't put on my face mask. It was in my daypack, but I thought I was well screened by the Sagebush. Both of them said oh yes you need your facemask. Well hunting is a LEARNING experience even if you've been doing it for a number of years. They even suggested gloves on my hands! Next time the facemask goes on!!!!! 
Frank