Ok so I'm relatively new to all this. I'm in kind of a jam as we speak. I am out scouting and I was following a small creek. I just jumped 2 HUGE does that I got within 30 yards of and didn't realize it until they crashed off. Should I keep moving on or just leave? I know there's still 2 months before the season but I'd rather not educate the deer. There is one about 60 yards looking at me right now. For now I'm staying put. So I don't spook them more. Trying for pics.
If you have two months before the season begins I say tromp around and scout the entire area you plan to hunt. Those deer won't spook and leave the area after one disturbance. It is important to get familiar with the area you plan on hunting. Look for area where the land transitions from hardwoods/pines, hills to streams, etc.
I agree with the others... Most deer are used to some human interaction, you can't walk and pins and needles all the time. With that said, now is the time to start a plan; and hopefully create some areas where the deer feel safe.
Thanks guys. I was able to get a lot accomplished, actually. Saw some really large deer and found some heavily used trails. I was scouting state land that abuts private property. My grandparents actually owned 10 acres of land that was separated from the state land by a creek, which is right where I spooked the deer today. I grew up in the woods there and that is where I learned how to hunt. They moved 5 years ago, just when I was starting to get things figured out and see/shoot at deer while hunting. Their patterns haven't seemed to change much. They were right where I would have expected them to be if I were hunting 5 years ago. My problem now is going to be accessing my spots. If I come in through the state land, I walk through 2 bedding spots and it is almost mile to my stand locations (not to mention if I get a deer it is a completely uphill drag...steep too). I am going to try get permission to hunt my grandparent's old land, or at least get permission to park on their property so its not as long of a walk and I'm not trudging through the deer's safe zones.
