About 10 or so years ago in West By-God Virginia on a chilly morning, I sat against a tree overlooking a 'bowl' of hardwoods with a rifle in my lap. Three of us were on a stand and the remaining four or five drivers were doing a little push.

A doe walked within 10 feet of me. I saw her coming and never moved a muscle other than to follow her with my eyes from under the brim of my cap. I'd tilted my head slightly when I first saw her so I could watch.

She stopped in front of me, nibbled something, looked straight at me for probably 30-45 seconds, swished her tail and kept on walking. No fear, no alarm. For once, I'd done a good job of being a stump.

She wasn't a wall-hanging rack monster BoonerShooter. She was a deer. Doe season wasn't in or I might have perforated her. Dunno for sure, though.

I think they're all magnificent. They're still just deer, just an animal, but they're pretty cool.