It was a gray overcast day in the 40's which had seen a few sprinkles of rain. I had driven to a friends house near my home with the idea of geting in a couple of hours in a tree stand before dark. On my way, I had stopped and purchased a doe tag, thinking I would take a doe if I had the chance, and save my any-deer tag for the peak of the rut. My thoughts were really on the next morning, when I was planning on driving to a different hunting spot about 40 miles awasy.

I climbed into the stand, screwed a small hook into the tree to hang my bow on and got comfortable. The stand was such that holding a bow with a knocked arrow was awkward, so I left my bow hanging on the hook, hoping I would see any approaching deer in time to retrieve it and get set. 

About a hour or less had passed when I heard the leaves russell behind me. I turned and saw this buck in the bottom of the small ravine headed my way, but not in a hurry. I turned, grabed my bow, knocked an arrow and got set just as he started uphill straight toward me. I didn't have time to count points, but I knew he was a decent buck, one that I wouldn't hesitate to take. 

When he was about 25-30 yards, I raised my bow, but didn't draw, because I didn't have much of a shot since he was coming straight at me. At about 20 yards, he stopped and looked straight up at me. I froze with arm outstreched and one eye open barely enought to see the deer through my eyelashes. I don't know if deer recognize eyes or not, but from past experience, it seems to me that they can-and instantly recognize it as danger!

It seemed like an eternity as the deer just stared at me. As my arm began to quiver, I prayed, "Please, Lord let him look away." The buck looked away and I thought I would get to change positions and rest my arm, but he looked back immediately. But then I guess he decided I was nothing dangerous, but it would be best to go around anyway. That is when he turned to his left and began walking, giving me a clear broadside shot. I drew, placed the crosshairs of my sight on his vitals and released the arrow. All I saw was a dark spot behind his right shoulder where the arrow had hit and instantly disappeared. I knew it was a good double lung shot. "He's mine." I said out loud.

The buck whirled and took off in the direction he had come from. He went out off the woods and headed straight toward my friends house which I could see throught the trees. He stopped and looked back. Then turned to run, but his front legs buckled and he went down.