hunter_mike wrote:Both were hunkered down and I had actually already walked past them and had been closer to the actual buck, and I got into thicker brush before they jumped up. I definitely believe that they realize that the more brush that is in between you and them, the safer they are when making a get-away. Had I been hunting when I kicked up either of these bucks, I would not have been able to make a shot at all because the buck waited till I was in the thick before jumping, even though I was further away at that point in time than I had been moments earlier.
Well put! About 50% of the deer I've jumped in heavy cover flee after I cross their lateral plane and are somewhat past them. I assume these are older deer. I've also observed that the majority of those that flee once I pass them do it because I stopped walking. It's a belief of mine that when heading to my tree in the cover of darkness, I should maintain a steady, consistent, quiet pace. Seems like a lot times I would stop to take a compass bearing or check my gps, a deer would get up and flee. I think that, so long as they can hear you and you're not heading directly towards them, they're content just being able to keep tabs on you while you pass via your sounds walking. When you stop, they get nervous. Just my experience.
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