The first deer I ever shot was with the bow when I was 14. Missed the first two shots (both stuck into trees just beyond the deer) and hit him with the third. After each shot he just kept circling farther to my left, staying about 15-20 yds out. I was standing at the base of a big pine tree (I don't hunt from any elevated stand of any kind) and he was staring right at me from the time I shot the first arrow until the third one took out his heart.

When I was 16, I shot my first deer with the rifle, which ended up being a beautiful 8 pointer. I was still hunting the side of this mountain (in the Catskills...very rugged) and saw the deer uphill from me about 65 yards out coming right at me. I had also been watching 3 or 4 does feed down below me about 100 yards away. As soon as the buck turned broad side, I twelve ringed him (for those archers in the forum). After I saw him go down (25 yards from where I hit him) none of the does had even moved and were still feeding just as calm as can be. I think when a deer (in most cases does where I hunt b/c no does are harvested during regular season) hears gunshots all season long, and then hears one close but can't pin point where it came from, they almost ignore it. Rugged terrain mixed with thick hardwoods makes for locating the shot even harder on deer.