Ok i keep replaying my hunt from this Sunday morn over and over in my head. For those that didnt read i had a super nice buck come into 35 or so yds. He stepped behind some brush so i went for my bow (had to take eyes off him). When i looked back i couldnt make him out. I slowly inched into position to make a shot if he stepped out. He came from downwind but the wind was swirling anyway. After i was froze for about 15 sec trying to find him in brush he bolted but didnt hear him blow. Just trying to figure out if he saw me or something else (like the coyote i killed 30 min later). I just really hope he didnt smell me. He stopped about 120-150yds out and appeared to calm down then trotted off another direction if that helps. What do you guys think? If he smelled me would he have for sure blown?
Thats what i thought but im getting mixed feedback on the situation. Ive gotten from a few people that "if he didnt blow youre good." I know theres nothing i can do about it now anyway.
Many times they will not blow after winding you. If he bolted, he either saw you or smelled you, or both. Either way, he busted you in that stand. Once he starts chasing does, he will not avoid that stand though. Getting busted once doesn't end the game.
Good to hear. I thought if i hunt same area ill switch trees. Its an old ladder stand that he busted me in so at least if he checks it i wont be there.... ill be a few trees over... at full draw.
Nope...especially mature bucks. I've caught sight of mature bucks seeing me and one time what a mature buck did when he got a whiff of something that just didn't seem right to him. I'll breakdown the main three I'm thinking of: -First and the most awesome experience was just last season. I had a oak stand that you sat facing away from the edge of the bedding area (a tall grass/bushes swamp). It was extremely easy to get to but "very close". I slipped in one afternoon and as I was clipping my safety strap I just happened to catch the profile of a deer's head and eye locked on to me about 45 yards into the bedding area behind me. He was tucked up along a bush and it took me a second to realize it was JR, a 3 1/2 year old offspring of the big buck I was chasing RD, but I'd probably of shot him if given a chance. I froze, and we seriously locked eyes for what felt like an hour, but probably 3-5 minutes...then he did something I'd never seen before. He slinked (best word I can describe it as) away. I kid you not he raised his body up to the minimum height required to work his legs and seriously slinked away. If you have ever seen a deer duck down to go under a fence....it was similar to this but for an extended amount of distance. Craziest and oddest thing I'd seen a mature (maturer...I know 3 1/2 isn't quite full...but he could be older than we suspect) buck do in the wild. Makes me wonder how often a mature buck sees us but we never have a clue as they retreat away. -Second instance occurred in September of 2013. I frequented the one property we hunted and would walk the trails as to make the deer used to smelling human scent on the quad trails....for these were to be my entrance and exit routes to some of my stands. One day while I was walking I was keeping my eye out for deer in suspected spots and my eyes caught movement of a deer slowly standing up off to my front right about 70 yards away. He was again probably just a 3 1/2 year old buck (I suspect an older one would have stayed down) and he'd caught sight of me. However, I never broke my slow steady stride and kept walking and just turning my head to see what he'd do. He never moved, just watched...his head slowly turning as mine did.....so I was startled to say the least when 2 does that had been with him that I didn't see stand up began to blow and take off. Crazy thing is he didn't think I saw him (he was 40 or so yards from the does) so he stayed pat. I could no longer look back behind me and he still hadn't moved. -The third time was actually my pops experience. He was set up in a ground blind along our northern border at the home property. He basically was overlooking a bedding to our plot location. He had a couple does come out and feed through the oak flat between the bedding and the food plot. He then caught movement in the bedding area and raised his binocs up to see a mature big (be his biggest to date) buck in the bedding area getting set to walk out. That's when the wind swirled and switched directions. That buck caught a whiff and despite the wind shifting back to a safer direction he stood there in the thick cover of the bedding edge until dark. Refusing to go out and join the does which by now and moved on and out of sight. That buck wasn't dumb, he had caught a whiff of danger and his urge to survive won over his urge to breed....perhaps a day later or a hotter doe and my dad would have bagged him.
Not every deer is the same either.....pee in a scrape and you might get on camera a buck hitting that scrape.....the very next buck you don't get pics of because he bolted the second he caught whiff of it. Each deer is gonna react differently....however like I outlined, it seems the older the bucks get the more they'd rather slip away then broadcast their retreat.
Agreed. Does usually do, but not always. They are not only concerned about their safety, but that of their fawns and the other does in their group/area. Bucks are more solitary and will most often avoid blowing. They aren't worried about alerting others most of the time. In fact, I think they'd rather be quiet about it.
a doe blows to alert the herd. A mature buck is only looking out for himself. He either smelled you or you made some sound when getting into position.
I can't recall a buck blowing. Does do so regularly. I feel that does only do it when they have seen or smelled me. If they think something is up, but aren't sure what it is, then they will usually just move on Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The smart ones will never let you know they were there unless you spot them tucking their tail and heading away from you.
Thanks guys. Never been busted like that (that i know of). Im Sure i have alot and just didnt know it. Makes sense that theyre looking out for their own and dont want to draw anymore attention. And @ Chuck C. Thats exactly what he did. His tail was tucked. Not like the doe and fawn that i had 30 min later high tail it from a coyote. I love continually learning this stuff. Every hunt makes me a better hunter. Thanks again!
I agree the main reason they blow is to alert others. But I've read they also blow when they are unsure if What they saw/heard/smelled is a threat, to get a reaction from the predator or other critter they thought they saw/heard/smelled. Again probably a doe would do that more than a mature buck. So if a mature buck blows at you, he was unsure.
Had this same conversation with some buddies over beers last weekend. I've literally never had a mature buck blow at me. Does do a LOT, but usually only if they know something is wrong but can't pinpoint it.
If you think about it, unless you spotted him you never would have known he was even there. That's the stuff that will haunt you and make ya paranoid LOL!
I agree with others, does will likely blow, especially if they gave fawns. Mature bucks usually just high tail it!
