So I'm sitting in my stand Saturday evening when I start to hear what sounds like something slowly walking in the leaves to my right (north). Step pause step step step step pause, step step pause. Wouldn't be the first time that I heard noise in the leaves like this for it to end up being a grouse or squirrel, but it was late in the afternoon so I got to my feet and flipped the seat up and secured it so it wouldn't flop down. This went on for about 20 minutes without seeing what is moving around, My visibility in that direction is blocked from about 35-50 yards by some thick brush and pines. Finally I see a deer appear through the pines, a buck. It must have been pacing trying to check the wind before moving into this section of woods. It took about another 10 minutes for him to walk the 35 yards into the shooting opening. During this time I grab my bow, attach my release and get my body positioned for the shooting opening. He walks in and is barely quartered away at about 25 yards. My pins are 20,30,40 and I have a habit of shooting a little low if anything so I'm reminding myself, anchor, peep, middle pin. I aim and let the arrow go. Now this is the first time I've used a lighted nock shooting at an actual deer. The light was getting low and all I can see is this green dot streaking in the direction I was aiming, no longer can see the deer or the trees he was standing between. Next thing I know, the buck is running south. I couldn't tell if I hit him, if I did where. I couldn't tell if the deer just took of on a run or jumped and kicked. All I could see is the green dot sitting in the brush in the direction I had shot. After a few seconds the buck stopped running and I again can hear him walking in the leaves again. So I hang my bow back up and take a seat again. After about 5 minutes I stop hearing the steps in the leaves, then after a few more minutes I start hearing steps again that sound like they are going to cross south of my stand. So I nock another arrow just in case. I can hear these steps for another 20 minutes or so and not only to they move to my left south of me, they sound to be getting closer like the buck is circling back around me. At this point, it is to dark to see anything, I keep hearing the noise in the leaves for a little while before they eventually stop. I sit back for another 30 minutes. Pack up my gear, lower it down and climb out. I don't hear a sound as I do this. So I walk across to where my arrow is glowing in the darkness. I check it and see that I did hit him. Look in the direction he took off running and start finding decent blood but not great. So I stick my arrow in the ground to mark my stop and walk back to the shack. So I grab a bite to eat, use the facilities, change into some not so warm clothing. A buddy gets ready, grabs the big shinning light, ATV and trailer and we head back out. Its now about 2.5 hours after the shot. We drop the ATV where it is fairly close and walk the rest of the way back to where I left my arrow and start tracking. Before long, you don't need to be a tracking expert to follow as blood is all over. Within a couple minutes we find him, about 40 yards from where I shot him, he had run/walked straight south. So now I'm thinking, what the heck circled around to my south. Don't know if it just happened to be another deer that came from a different direction or if the buck I shot kicked another deer that was bedded down to my south. I was all but certain that I would track the buck and end up 10 yards from my stand after walking a mile through the woods.
