Spooked buck

[Huntinmechanic]

How long does it take for a buck to return to an area after being bumped? I bumped two old bucks today. I didn't push the bucks after spooking them. Their location is very secure and will require planning to get in on them. Just curious how long I should wait before going back in? Thanks.

 

[Marble]

How were they spooked,? Wind, noise and/or sight?

The bigger bucks that I have dealt with have had a home range and not a spot per.


I would guess 3 to 4 days. But I've seen it where I never see the bucks again and seeing them the next day.

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[Huntinmechanic]

Thanks Marble. They spotted me at about 100 yards in some pretty thick timber. The first buck busted out pretty quick, which caused me to freeze. The second buck took about 20 seconds to get up and run. I don't think he ever saw me. I'm planning on going back into the area tomorrow afternoon. I left without ever bumping them. I took a long detour to ensure that didn't happen. We're getting weather up high tonight. I'm not sure how that'll affect the bucks if they return to the area. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

 

[Rich M]

Sounds reasonable - they'll be around there somewhere close. Good luck!

 

[dusky]

Update us if you see them again! In thick timber I've never been able to get a good enough glimpse of their rack to be able to confirm it was the same deer later on. But if it's a big buck spot now, annually it's a big buck spot, right?

 

[Huntinmechanic]

Well, I wasn't able to find either buck after 3 days of hunting them. Unfortunately... or fortunately, weather came in which helped me get back into the area by covering up much of my sound and reversing the prevailing wind direction, but I think these factors also affected the buck patterns. I went back into the area 50ish hours after I bumped them. I circled the area a few times looking for tracks, beds, scat, etc. There was no fresh sign, but there was also a few inches of fresh snow that had fallen.

I agree with Dusky, this spot is a big buck hidey hole. The terrain, feed, water and wind situation make an ideal hangout for bucks and bulls. I'm positive this spot holds animals until winter weather comes in. I used every e-scouting tool to identify this area and it actually kinda worked out.

 

[dusky]

It would be fun to decipher where they go after getting spooked from that spot. I bet it's either far away or in a super nasty spot. Ie. Good luck!