Deer always seem to show up at the most inopportune time. Either I'm moving my bag or putting on another layer or adjusting something and there they are staring me down. I'm always sure to look around but those damn ninja deer never fail. Last night it was about 6pm (sunset) and I had decided to get down about 15 minutes early to walk out - I didn't really want to haul a 30lb climber, bow and bag through the swampy field (easiest way out) in pitch black darkness - I wanted a little light left. I had only seen two does on the ridge above and to my left. I let my bag down with my haul line and proceed to start climbing down with my bow slung over my shoulder. I get about halfway down and here come the two does from earlier - now they're coming back down the ridge to my right side this time (of course - they come down right under the tree I had planned to sit in before I changed my mind and chose the tree I was currently in). They're about 50 yards out and slowly quartering in my direction. I stop climbing down and now i'm sitting on the rail of my climber. I pull my bow around and nock an arrow. I figure i'll wait about 10 more minutes because after that I won't have enough light to shoot. About 9 minutes go by and something big stumbles down the hill. Its about the same distance out - 50 yards but I can see its a bigger bodied deer and its stomping around - has to be a buck I think. I don't have my grunt call - its on the ground in my bag but I have a fawn bleat in my pocket. I hit that a few times and it comes towards me, turns - about 35 yards out and stops perfectly broadside. I can make out her features and I'm certain don't see any antlers. Nonetheless its a big bodied doe and I decide I've got just enough light to make out the line on the shoulder and see my pin through my peep. I draw and half stand to clear a branch. Her head comes up and ears come forward just before I pull the trigger but I'm already squeezing. At this point I'm rather certain she busted me (possibly from my movement when drawing - I was only about 6 feet off the ground) just as the arrow left the string - she snorted, dropped and took off, the arrow missing about 6 inches over her back. I'm glad it was a clean miss. Moral of the story, stay in the stand with all your gear until you have no more light to shoot. If I had been in my original position on the tree I might have been able to get her in closer for a much better shot. Hopefully I'll see that fat doe again - on the ground
