Keep trying the same spot or move after bumping?

[RuggedYogi]

New mule deer hunter here…

I found an alpine meadow with a stream that deer are traveling to in the morning to drink from.

Yesterday, three bucks came into this meadow and one of them walked straight up to the tree I was hiding behind. He was at 15 yards and stopped, staring straight at me through the branches. The wind was good, I held still, but the buck knew something was up, gave a snort and ran off. The other two bucks followed him.

Today, I posted up in the same meadow. I heard deer coming down into the meadow again, but right before they got to the edge of the tree line, the wind started shifting like crazy. I think the deer winded me, as they didn’t come into the meadow and I could hear them walking in the opposite direction.

I want to go back tomorrow morning but am wondering if this spot is too pressured now.
Thoughts? Anecdotal experiences?

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I once saw a big mature mule deer buck get shot at by another hunter during rifle season. Two days later that buck was back in that same exact meadow but acted super spooky. This was during the rut though. If I had to guess based on what you said, I would bet that those bucks you are after are still in the same general area.

 

[Bubblehide]

I no one else is hunting it, I would give it a couple days rest and hunt an area close by.

 

[EdP]

Maybe wait for the wind to change to a more favorable direction. Definitely tend to your scent as best you can. It is obviously a good spot so I would continure to work it unless you have something else set up that might work better.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

In my opinion, those bucks returing during legal shooting light is a coin flip. Sometimes it takes a few days or more for them to return to their normal patterns after that happens, then othertimes they will come straight back the next morning. If your set on killing one of those bucks I would still be hunting the general area until I find them again. That could mean sitting in that meadow the next morning then glassing a larger surrounding area in the evening. You def have to play the wind right though, easier said than done.

I'll give you a story that should motivate you to stay put. Two years ago I was hunting a LE unit in early October that I had scouted several times and there was zero other pressure in this basin that held a few decent bucks. Had to skip opening weekend due to another tag. Came in on the next friday after opener so I was hunting my way to my spike camp. I get to spike at 9500 ft and as I'm dropping my pack I see deer on the ridge above me. Throw up my glass and its a bacherlor group of 3 bucks with one shooter. I had an hour left of light so I dumped my sleeping gear and took off up the ridge to close the distance. As I get within range while they are feeding in the wide open on the top of the 10,200 ft mountain, I settle my pack and rifle across to take the shot. It was if all my shooting training never happened and somehow I pulled the trigger before I was ready to take the chip shot. Clean miss straight over his back and the group of bucks took off like I just spanked all them with a paddle. I took off after them trying to get another shot in the open but they were traveling too fast and darkness set in. I thought well there goes that buck off my list to find, held my head low back to set up camp in the dark. I was wrong, the next moring climbing the same ridge to get to my glassing knob theres that typical nice 4pt feeding in the exact same spot just traveling in opposite direction the evening before. He picked up a few does and the smaller bucks were already down the other drainage. I shot that buck that morning and couldnt believe after a bullet went right over his back and me chasing him the night before that he was there. He lab aged at 4.5 years old so not real mature but not a clueless yearling either.

 

[LONE HUNTER]

I have on 3 separate occasions scared a big mature 4 point off this season all within the same 200 yard piece of turf. I bet they are still there. Sometimes they hide for a few days but I bet they come back.

 

[Rich M]

Not being a jerk but you had a shot, need to set up better. Doing good to be at 15 yards.

Set up along the trail, closer to where the are coming from, and be ready to shoot if a buck comes that close again.

 

[danwolf]

I wouldnt count on water. And once they got wind of you, they might take a good week to go back to that spot.