I sat this morning for the first time with my new rifle. This probably sounds silly, but for some reason it was much more exciting to be hunting with a rifle I had built myself. I am very anxious to take a deer with it. It was a beautiful morning and about 35 degrees at daylight. I had just gotten settled in my stand when I saw a deer about 100 yards below me coming straight up the ridge finger I was sitting on. When he got within 30 yards I could see that he was exactly the type deer I didn't want to shoot, a wide thin horned 4-point and pretty sure he was 1-1/2. Funny how young bucks act, he milled around within 20 yards for about 10 minutes offering several shot opportunities had I wanted to take him. It's almost like he knew he was safe. At 8:00, I had three does pass within 50 yards, but they did not present a good shot. They were moving at a pretty good clip down a trail a little wide of my stand. Unlike the young buck they were pretty wary, probably some does I have "educated" while bowhunting from this stand. I could only sit till 10:00 this morning because we had plans this evening with some friends to watch a ballgame (Iron Bowl is a big deal in Alabama). At 9:45, I had a big doe appear behind my stand. She must have gotten my wind a little bit because she was very nervous and spent 15 minuted trying to pinpoint my location. When she finally gave up and continued down the hill presenting a perfect broadside shot at about 12 yards I had for some reason changed my mind about shooting a deer this morning. I watched her go out of sight, climbed quietly down from my stand and headed to the house. I think it had something to do with not having my younger brother and his son along to help drag. Good news is it will be cold and clear tomorrow and I have all day to hunt.
