New here, and relatively new to bow hunting. I recently was granted permission to hunt a farm with lots of deer activity. I was not able to do much summer scouting, and have only found a few good places in my limited number of hunts/scouts. I placed a camera on a creek bottom where two creeks merge and I found a ton of tracks and other sign. I am getting pictures every day of several different bucks and lots of does. I decided I wanted to hang a stand to hunt the crossing. I waited until the wind was right, slipped down the trail in the middle of the day (had not gotten any pictures of deer at this time) and also it was relatively warm. When i was about 150-200 yards out from the creek crossing, I bumped three or four deer less than 25 yards from where i wanted to hang the stand. They did not blow, and im fairly confident they didn't smell me as i had the wind in my face at about 5mph and they were that far away. I went ahead and hung the stand, trying to make the best of the little time I have. My question is how long should I let it rest before i hunt it? Good cold front is coming in in a couple days and im off work and would love to sit in this stand, but also don't want to completely bust the stand so early in the season, especially after bumping those deer away from it.
I’d feel pretty confident slipping in there and hunting it in a few days. If it’s not an area you’ve frequented before I really wouldn’t expect the deer to change their patterns off of one encounter. And based off of what you said (bumping 3-4 deer at the same time) it’s probably a good guess that they were a group of doe, so it’s not like you educated a mature buck. Hunt that stand moving forward with confidence imo. Hope you have a good access route
I'd hunt it as soon as the conditions are right. Those deer you bumped were likely does if they were all together. Meaning the bucks you're getting on camera are still around somewhere, and will likely come looking for those does at some point.
I agree with everyone else that has replied. I had a doe watch me walk the edge of one of our cut corn fields yesterday while I was heading to a different spot. My dad sat on the field and said that she bounded into the woods after I got out of sight. An hour later she came back out with her fawn to feed. My point is that if this is an area that they frequent and feel comfortable in, I don't think that you bumping them once is going to do much harm to the area.
