Big Bucks don't get big for no reason! Part 2

This AM hunt took place on Thursday 10/28/10.

I started this hunt out on the same piece of property as the hunt that took place on 10/26/10. I was running a little late, and started my ascent up the hill to where the treestand was. In no less than 8 min, I was resting comfortably in my stand letting my eyes become accustom to the sunlight creeping over the trees. After a few minutes, I noticed a dimly lit, blaze orange beanie, bobbing through the trail. It stopped parallel with my stand, and turned towards my direction. I couldn't imagine who it would be? As the stranger approached my stand I asked, "Is this Jeff or mike?," hoping it was a distance relative also hunting the property. "Jeff," he called out, I was relieved. I said, "Are you wanting to hunt this stand?"
"Yeah, I was planning on it," Jeff whispered. So, reluctantly I climb out of the stand, not wanting to ruffle any feathers, and quietly made my way down the trail to the next stand's location.

Stand #2, lies on the edge of a field, where winter wheat has been sown. At about 7:15, I reached the stand and settled in for good....I hoped. It was much colder Thursday, and I didn't dress for the weather. My phone read 31 degrees, and I believed it. As light made its approach over the field, I began to question my move. "Maybe I should have told him to go on down the road." Or "hey man, better get here on time or don't expect to set in a tree stand." They were just thoughts. As 7:40am came, I saw part of a doe peering through the thick woods into the field. I began to get excited, she was only 35yrds away. Fixing my gaze on the doe, a second doe popped out, and then a nice eight point buck. The deer slowly worked the edge of the tree line as they grazed on green grass. I shouldered my rifle waiting for the buck to give me a nice "look." BUT the deer never made it out to the tree line! Something detoured them and they quickly walked back into the trees, never giving me a comfortable clear shot. I often wonder about a Big Bucks intuition. There must me something genetic that senses danger, or maybe they have learned behaviors from past episodes. Possibly, a few hunters have flung arrows, missing their mark by a hair, teaching bucks to avoid similar situations. It could be, that other mature bucks teach these once younger deer the crafty ticks of their trade. I'm quite sure I'll never be certain, but what I do know is "Big Bucks don't get big for no reason!"