What would you have done???

[Debo03]

Here's the setup...

Afternoon hunt with a 5 mph SSE wind. Heading into the woods about 4:30

2nd day of season, 1st hunt of the year. Going in blind but know a good deer is in the area.

Based on other buck beds found on the same property Suspected buck bed is the blue dot, anticipated stand position is the Green X.

Black line is the approach. Yellow dots are big rubs.

As you approach the rubs and get ready to head over the ridge an unknown deer starts blowing somewhere near the red X.

In the moment What do you do? Do you continue with your plan and hunt the green X? Do you scratch that location and move on to another ridge?


Now after the fact, trying to learn from mistakes... Do you think the deer that blew was likely the buck I was after and was bedded on the next point over or just another deer? Should I hunt that area again, if so when? And should I hunt the next point over or what should be the approach?

[backstraps]

I suspect the deer was bedded on the point at you red x.

Under that wind I most likely would've started on the lee side of the pinch point to the west of your red x.
But hey that's me and that's hunting. He could've easily been where you anticipated.

The tip of your blue arrow is where I would've accessed the punch point. That being said, I like your area and your setup. Just didn't work for you this hunt.

As for hunting him where he picked you off from....it would be a while before I would try him there again. Few weeks anyway.

As for what would I had done at the time...if I would've gotten a visual and he had been a shooter, I'd set up where I seen him and hoped he had not seen pressure before you and return to the bed

Good luck

[ Post made via Android ]

[PK_]

To me it seems he may have been bedded on the steeper section over the creek and was already up working slowly along the leeward side when he smelled you.

I would hunt on same wind, enter from blue dot side and setup near red x and be setup earlier

Personally I would expect the bedding on the steeper part, not those points. Maybe satellite beds on those points depending on deer numbers.
[ Post made via Android ]

[Debo03]

To me it seems he may have been bedded on the steeper section over the creek and was already up working slowly along the leeward side when he smelled you.

I would hunt on same wind, enter from blue dot side and setup near red x and be setup earlier

Personally I would expect the bedding on the steeper part, not those points. Maybe satellite beds on those points depending on deer numbers.
[ Post made via Android ]

Deer numbers are high. The blue dot side of that ridge is another property owner. No access from that side. But I do like your idea about him possibly being bedded on the steeper point. I don't usually I selected this point because I believed it to be slightly thicker than the other two and there is thicket just to the east of what is pictured.

[mauser06]

Like was said I'd picked a different spot...but that's hunting...

If like the saddle west of the red X and north/east of the blue arrow...I like that point best for the wind..I like saddles...saddles work well...


I'd hunt him on different winds on those other points and see how it fairs...


Did you hunt it that day??? What did you end up seeing???

I've hunted spots after been blown at...I've had the same mature doe blow at me two different times last week...she came back 3 times total...spent over an hour within killing range trying to figure it out...she never did...she blew in attempts to get me to move...I've seen that trick a lot...

[ Post made via Android ]

[Debo03]

Like was said I'd picked a different spot...but that's hunting...

If like the saddle west of the red X and north/east of the blue arrow...I like that point best for the wind..I like saddles...saddles work well...


I'd hunt him on different winds on those other points and see how it fairs...


Did you hunt it that day??? What did you end up seeing???

I've hunted spots after been blown at...I've had the same mature doe blow at me two different times last week...she came back 3 times total...spent over an hour within killing range trying to figure it out...she never did...she blew in attempts to get me to move...I've seen that trick a lot...

[ Post made via Android ]

Sorry, I meant to add that in my last reply. I have no idea what it was blowing at me, could have been a 150s buck or a doe. Never saw it. Just heard it probably 75 yards from me.

I also decided to try and go ahead and hunt as planned. It was already about 5:15 and I felt like I would do more damage than good trying to relocate.

Resulted in no deer sighted.

[rancid crabtree]

If you’re the only user of the land, give it a week to cool off. If others are on the land, all bets are off. A snort is not so bad as a sighting bump and crash.

[dan]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

[whitetailassasin]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Yes sir

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Debo03]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Thanks Dan, and others. I appreciate all the input.

Dan, you hit the nail on the head of exactly what I was thinking in the moment. Now that I look back on it after an unsuccessful hunt, that's when I start to question "did I make the right decision"?

I'm just a young beast hunter who is always trying to learn and improve myself, which is the reason I found myself here on the Beast seeking advise whenever possible.

[backstraps]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Thanks Dan, and others. I appreciate all the input.

Dan, you hit the nail on the head of exactly what I was thinking in the moment. Now that I look back on it after an unsuccessful hunt, that's when I start to question "did I make the right decision"?

I'm just a young beast hunter who is always trying to learn and improve myself, which is the reason I found myself here on the Beast seeking advise whenever possible.

Anytime you learn from a hunt, it's a successful hunt good job

[ Post made via Android ]

[Florida]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Great post.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Thanks Dan, and others. I appreciate all the input.

Dan, you hit the nail on the head of exactly what I was thinking in the moment. Now that I look back on it after an unsuccessful hunt, that's when I start to question "did I make the right decision"?

I'm just a young beast hunter who is always trying to learn and improve myself, which is the reason I found myself here on the Beast seeking advise whenever possible.

Your tactic was solid... Where you lack in being young and new is in confidence. That will come with time and success, just rest assured that even those of us with lots of bucks on the walls do many more hunts that don't work, than those that do...

[Debo03]

You only get so many east winds, and if your intel told you to be there, that's where I would of been. I think your plan was solid to strike when the wind was right. The facts are that in most places your going to spook unknown deer going in and setting up. Some let you know it, even more just slip away.
A spooked deer would not discourage me at all, I have killed plenty of deer after another deer spooked, and you got no way of knowing what that deer was... I would, take note though, and after season take a look at that bedding point where it spooked from.

Thanks Dan, and others. I appreciate all the input.

Dan, you hit the nail on the head of exactly what I was thinking in the moment. Now that I look back on it after an unsuccessful hunt, that's when I start to question "did I make the right decision"?

I'm just a young beast hunter who is always trying to learn and improve myself, which is the reason I found myself here on the Beast seeking advise whenever possible.

Your tactic was solid... Where you lack in being young and new is in confidence. That will come with time and success, just rest assured that even those of us with lots of bucks on the walls do many more hunts that don't work, than those that do...

And each time a post a thread, you guys inspire confidence. It's hard to gain confidence when theories are just theories. I'm excited for when those theories begin to translate into big buck encounters and eventually heads on the wall.

[Kraftd]

To me one of the most critical things is time of day. At 5:15 could very well have been deer up on their feet already. Bright side is may not have been spooked from a bed at that point.