Impact of a hunt

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mheichelbech
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Impact of a hunt

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sat Aug 20, 2016 6:15 am

Assuming you had good entry/exit and hunted with a favorable wind, didn't spook any deer (that you know of), what do you think is the typical area that is impacted by the hunter such that deer or bucks may avoid it for a period of time? Is it a 50 square yard area, 5 acre?

How long would it take for the area to return to normal for the deer? Would it matter if the area is frequented by non-hunters, hikers, dog walkers, etc.

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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
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whitetailassasin
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:54 pm

Sometimes you can be successful next day, sometimes it's burned immediately. If you in the core bedding, I would say more times than not its burned, at least for several days. How much of the area is burned, hard to say. I think each buck has its own tolerance, some high some low. I know it's not a precise answer but not sure there is one.

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mainebowhunter
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:47 pm

mheichelbech wrote:Assuming you had good entry/exit and hunted with a favorable wind, didn't spook any deer (that you know of), what do you think is the typical area that is impacted by the hunter such that deer or bucks may avoid it for a period of time? Is it a 50 square yard area, 5 acre?

How long would it take for the area to return to normal for the deer? Would it matter if the area is frequented by non-hunters, hikers, dog walkers, etc.

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Lets flip that around a little bit. IF the deer was not there that day or IF that deer has not been there in a week, hunting it 2 days in a row or 3 days in a row may not have that much of an impact. IF the deer does not show back up on day #3...is it because of your human presence or is it because the deer is doing something else or bedded somewhere else or feeding somewhere else. How do you know if the area is burned out? Or if the area is not? Some areas might not be bedded as often as others.

I agree is WTA, its a tough one to tell and a lot of it is left up to your own gut feeling. It really comes back to confidence.
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Hawthorne
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sun Aug 21, 2016 12:23 am

I use to hunt this one spot multiple times early season. It was a thick nasty area in the middle of a farming area that's 80% open ground. It never affected the bedding area because the big bucks didn't show up till late October coinciding with leaf drop, hunting pressure from surrounding farms, the pre rut ,and crop harvest. They simply weren't there early season but the does were and I could hunt it multiple days in a row during rut. I shot a few nice ones on my 3-4 sit because they were cycling thru. This was some years ago , now I would just wait till late October to hunt it.

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mheichelbech
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:48 am

Great point, about not seeing deer. Of course they could come through when your not there and smell your after scent. I guess that is what I was wondering about as well...they smell your scent by coming through when not there.

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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
mheichelbech
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sun Aug 21, 2016 6:01 am

mainebowhunter wrote:
mheichelbech wrote:Assuming you had good entry/exit and hunted with a favorable wind, didn't spook any deer (that you know of), what do you think is the typical area that is impacted by the hunter such that deer or bucks may avoid it for a period of time? Is it a 50 square yard area, 5 acre?

How long would it take for the area to return to normal for the deer? Would it matter if the area is frequented by non-hunters, hikers, dog walkers, etc.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Lets flip that around a little bit. IF the deer was not there that day or IF that deer has not been there in a week, hunting it 2 days in a row or 3 days in a row may not have that much of an impact. IF the deer does not show back up on day #3...is it because of your human presence or is it because the deer is doing something else or bedded somewhere else or feeding somewhere else. How do you know if the area is burned out? Or if the area is not? Some areas might not be bedded as often as others.

I agree is WTA, its a tough one to tell and a lot of it is left up to your own gut feeling. It really comes back to confidence.

This makes me wonder if for those spots in which I may want to hunt more than once, if it would make sense to keep a trail cam In the area near the tree stand to get an idea of what's going on when I'm not there.

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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
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cbay
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Re: Impact of a hunt

Unread postby cbay » Sun Aug 21, 2016 6:56 am

mheichelbech wrote:Assuming you had good entry/exit and hunted with a favorable wind, didn't spook any deer (that you know of), what do you think is the typical area that is impacted by the hunter such that deer or bucks may avoid it for a period of time? Is it a 50 square yard area, 5 acre?

How long would it take for the area to return to normal for the deer? Would it matter if the area is frequented by non-hunters, hikers, dog walkers, etc.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Using a spot i just got done prepping for season as an example of what i would do. Went in to a for sure bedding area and prepped a route in there and a couple trees over two days.
Will be going in to hunt sometime between oct. 15 and first week of nov. When i hunt it - whether i see him or not - the area will have my scent in there. It's burnt.

If i go back it will be to the other side of this ridge where i expect him or another buck to be away from the spot i hunted previously.
If that doesn't work i have one more spot on this ridge to hunt and then i will know that i have put a lot of stress on the bucks in there and would be wasting my time on that ridge. It's around 75 acres total. The first spot where the primary beds are is a low point off the ridge about 5 acres in size. The setup i will hunt is about 100 yards off it. Even if he's not home he will know i was there when he comes back so it's a cat n mouse game afer that.

I would say the area impacted would be most of that side of the ridge. All of the ridge on the other side will be burnt after i hunt it.
IF i hadn't fooled around in around his bed so much and just walked through the area and not right on top of his core area i figure he would just hole up tight and then back to normal after a day or two.

Right or wrong this is just an example for me. I may or may not know later this season. :pray:
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