the sinking feeling you get......

[Bigburner]

When you bump your target buck. Last night I wanted to put a move on a buck I'm after so I was carefully and quietly making my way to my set and came across a fresh scrape. My thought was should I stop here knowing there was a huge mess of scrapes along this transition line that I was walking in on between a swamp/stream bottom and the big woods with a few scattered white oaks dropping in close proximaty to beds and this scrapenline .I kept going questioning my desicion. I walked up a slight rise and the buck bolted from a bed that was down low in a little pocket in the transition with an uprooted clump of small hollies in front and the thick swamp to his back. After my heart sunk I analyzed the situation and didn't know a bed was there and let it dawn on me why it worked so well for that buck. I thought about proceeding to my intended spot but figured that would be a bad idea b/c he was probabley watching his back trail. It was one of those moments where you just want to leave.
I decided I would still make lemonade out of lemons at this point but moved a few hundred yards in a big downwind circle to a likely place where I might get eyes on him in a different part of the woods.
I opted to sit in a terrian funnel just as an observation sit and maybe get a crack at a doe. Well sat and nothing. I was bummed about the whole situation.
last two minutes of shooting light I hear a noise that I've never heard before in all my life. It sounded like when you have a switch or long twig in your hand waving it back in forth as fast as you can. It kept getting louder and closer but so fast I couldn't pin point it. Next thing I know this giant buck comes blazing through this funnel with a bigger one behind him pushing him making this noise. I blat and try to stop them in shooting range. The first buck goes bye bye the second stops at 30 yards of course behind a giant yellow poplar and I only have eyes on his hind quarter. No shot but he walks away slowly and he dips into patch of holly. I wait and he pops back out 40 yards broadside totally calm. Its after legal time at this point. It blew my mind. From the lowest of lows to seeing this awesome show of two bucks that I didn't even know they were around.
I couldn't get back in there early this morning to attempt a bump and dump. The kids are off school today and told the wife id watch them.
If I would have stoppped at the first fresh sign I would have likely killed that buck. A lot to take away from that hunt with a little gift at the end to keep me from loosing my mind.




A few lessons learned

[headgear]

It happens to me all the time, I don't consider it a negative thing, you were you right but things didn't go your way. Learn from it and hunt it better the next time. At least in my area there aren't always single beds that you hunt, the deer might be in the same general area but have different beds for each wind or during different times of the year, until you figure it all out you just have to keep learning. Off season scouting doesn't always tell you the whole picture, sometimes you have to get in there and scout in season or hunt it without all the info and mess things up. The more you learn the more you can fine tune you setups.

[hunter_mike]

Wow that is cool too bad you didnt get him though

[Jackson Marsh]

Great encounter! Happens to me almost every year, learn from it and try again.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Stanley]

Just curious where are you trying to bump and dump to? I personally think this is a bad idea. I would hunt rather than bump. Just me I guess with my low impact mind set. In most cases I think the bump and dump are more for last ditch efforts when all other options have been exhausted. Or if you have a good idea of where the buck will bump to. Good luck hope you knock him down.

[Buckfever]

So you were on one buck and now are on 3? I agree with Stanley you found gold don't ruin it. Go low impact and put your time in.

[PK_]

Are you kidding me. You are into them big time. Good job. Only a matter of time before you seal the deal on one of these hunts. Love your reports.

[Bigburner]

Stan,
I never Intended to bump him. I just threw out the idea more out of curiosty to attempt to see could intercept him very early morning on the way back to that bed. Its too late now to find out but, that bed clearly worked for him. And weather conditions were favorable for me and him to return. In your opinion and experience do you think that is too aggressive with the amount of time left in the season?
There is a mess of hot sign in that area I just feel like that area needs time too cool down now. Ignoring that sign is tough. next shot would involve picking a likely spot where I may see him in daylight hours at a distance that allows me to set up as quietly and just out of site of his bed as possible. It's a really open woods as well so its tough. Its giant yellow poplar oak an loblolly pine with a really closed canopy. Completely open understory. And midstory of holly thickets. When you are above the holly its very open and the deer use the holly like ant tunnels. I'm not used to hunting these open stands. You definately need to give yourself some more space.

[Bigburner]

So you were on one buck and now are on 3? I agree with Stanley you found gold don't ruin it. Go low impact and put your time in.

Yeah 3. Its what a black comedian would call " white people problems"!

[PK_]

Stan,
I never Intended to bump him. I just threw out the idea more out of curiosty to attempt to see could intercept him very early morning on the way back to that bed. Its too late now to find out but, that bed clearly worked for him. And weather conditions were favorable for me and him to return. In your opinion and experience do you think that is too aggressive with the amount of time left in the season?
[glow=red]There is a mess of hot sign in that area I just feel like that area needs time too cool down now.[/glow] Ignoring that sign is tough. next shot would involve picking a likely spot where I may see him in daylight hours at a distance that allows me to set up as quietly and just out of site of his bed as possible. It's a really open woods as well so its tough. Its giant yellow poplar oak an loblolly pine with a really closed canopy. Completely open understory. And midstory of holly thickets. When you are above the holly its very open and the deer use the holly like ant tunnels. I'm not used to hunting these open stands. You definately need to give yourself some more space.

I know I am not exactly the most experienced on this site but man I would be right back in there for at least one more hunt right now. Those bucks are there now, they may not be there next week.

[Country]

Stan,
I never Intended to bump him. I just threw out the idea more out of curiosty to attempt to see could intercept him very early morning on the way back to that bed. Its too late now to find out but, that bed clearly worked for him. And weather conditions were favorable for me and him to return. In your opinion and experience do you think that is too aggressive with the amount of time left in the season?
[glow=red]There is a mess of hot sign in that area I just feel like that area needs time too cool down now.[/glow] Ignoring that sign is tough. next shot would involve picking a likely spot where I may see him in daylight hours at a distance that allows me to set up as quietly and just out of site of his bed as possible. It's a really open woods as well so its tough. Its giant yellow poplar oak an loblolly pine with a really closed canopy. Completely open understory. And midstory of holly thickets. When you are above the holly its very open and the deer use the holly like ant tunnels. I'm not used to hunting these open stands. You definately need to give yourself some more space.

I know I am not exactly the most experienced on this site but man I would be right back in there for at least one more hunt right now. Those bucks are there now, they may not be there next week.

I was going to suggest the same exact thing. Like Andrae says, you have to know when to lay off, but you also have to know when to lay on it. I'd be laying on it. What's the worst that could happen...no deer.

[wmihunter]

I think u should keep hunting it while the bucks are in that area. Sounds to me like u only spooked one buck and they are others to play with

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

The 1st thing I would of thought when I jumped the 1st buck would of been that he was a satellite buck and that there are bigger bucks bedded in my intended destination.

[dan]

Stan,
I never Intended to bump him. I just threw out the idea more out of curiosty to attempt to see could intercept him very early morning on the way back to that bed. Its too late now to find out but, that bed clearly worked for him. And weather conditions were favorable for me and him to return. In your opinion and experience do you think that is too aggressive with the amount of time left in the season?
[glow=red]There is a mess of hot sign in that area I just feel like that area needs time too cool down now.[/glow] Ignoring that sign is tough. next shot would involve picking a likely spot where I may see him in daylight hours at a distance that allows me to set up as quietly and just out of site of his bed as possible. It's a really open woods as well so its tough. Its giant yellow poplar oak an loblolly pine with a really closed canopy. Completely open understory. And midstory of holly thickets. When you are above the holly its very open and the deer use the holly like ant tunnels. I'm not used to hunting these open stands. You definately need to give yourself some more space.

I know I am not exactly the most experienced on this site but man I would be right back in there for at least one more hunt right now. Those bucks are there now, they may not be there next week.

I was going to suggest the same exact thing. Like Andrae says, you have to know when to lay off, but you also have to know when to lay on it. I'd be laying on it. What's the worst that could happen...no deer.

You need to hunt them while its hot... I would go right back in.

[Bigburner]

Stan,
I never Intended to bump him. I just threw out the idea more out of curiosty to attempt to see could intercept him very early morning on the way back to that bed. Its too late now to find out but, that bed clearly worked for him. And weather conditions were favorable for me and him to return. In your opinion and experience do you think that is too aggressive with the amount of time left in the season?
[glow=red]There is a mess of hot sign in that area I just feel like that area needs time too cool down now.[/glow] Ignoring that sign is tough. next shot would involve picking a likely spot where I may see him in daylight hours at a distance that allows me to set up as quietly and just out of site of his bed as possible. It's a really open woods as well so its tough. Its giant yellow poplar oak an loblolly pine with a really closed canopy. Completely open understory. And midstory of holly thickets. When you are above the holly its very open and the deer use the holly like ant tunnels. I'm not used to hunting these open stands. You definately need to give yourself some more space.

I know I am not exactly the most experienced on this site but man I would be right back in there for at least one more hunt right now. Those bucks are there now, they may not be there next week.

I was going to suggest the same exact thing. Like Andrae says, you have to know when to lay off, but you also have to know when to lay on it. I'd be laying on it. What's the worst that could happen...no deer.

You need to hunt them while its hot... I would go right back in.

Copy that! The more I've been contemplating it the more I've been coming to that conclusion. Nothing ventured nothing gained.