In need of advise!

[Jdaukontas]

Sunday afternoon my neighbor, who is a farmer, told me he saw a giant around dusk on the hill side down the road from me which pastures cows. It is very thick with apples and briers. I decided I was going to sit it yesterday afternoon. Getting in was hard but after about an hour I found a decent spot. After about 10 minutes I decided I was going to move a little closer to a field edge down the ridge. After moving another 30 feet I decided it was good.

Around 435 I heard blue jays in the distance start to go crazy. The jays made their way down the ridge, but towards my original position. Finally the jays where right where I originally was when all noise stopped. After what felt like minutes I caught a slight glimpse of tines move on the other side of the briers. Then I heard crashing down the ridge back towards where the jays started.

My question is whether or not I blew it? Is this buck gone or should I give it another sit? Should I let it cool down, or get right back in there today?

Help!

[Redman232]

In my opinion, if he just smelled where you were, he may avoid that specific spot, but if it's as thick as you say he won't abandoned the property, for all you know he could have been chasing a doe. I'd come at him from a different direction. This time of year either he is there for the ladies or security.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

You need to hunt the same area, but a new spot...

[Jrichard]

In my opinion, if he just smelled where you were, he may avoid that specific spot, but if it's as thick as you say he won't abandoned the property, for all you know he could have been chasing a doe. I'd come at him from a different direction. This time of year either he is there for the ladies or security.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I agree with dan and Redman. If he caught your scent, its likely he is there more for security than the ladies IMHO. I have noticed human scent takes a backseat to the ladies (depending how deep into the rut you are.) Last week I walked in slow, looking for rubs and scrapes. I didnt see a single one. I was pulling a drag. Now mind you I forgot my boots at home because I went after work. So I was wearing sweaty old sneakers.

Anyway I walked down an old access road, and straight to my spot. Now my path runs along the side of a swamp. I sat at the top of the hill so I could see the swamp. And in return I could also see exactly where I walked in, but there was a ton twigs in the way. I watched a decent 8 point buck (3 yr old if I had to guess) walk along the edge of the swamp from the opposite side. he started to move off away from the swamp. He mad a scrape on the edge of the access road I walked in on. He hit my drag trail and stopped. He immediately started following it right towards me. Taking the exact same path I took. I could not believe it. It was too good to be true. And it was. There was a doe milling around on the edge of the swamp that I hadnt seen because I was focused on the buck. He stopped and looked around. He didnt seem alarmed. He seemed more curious. He turned and took a few steps toward the swamp. studying it hard. He must have spotted the doe and he took off after her, not too fast but too fast for me to get a shot off through the small hole I had.

Like I said I was wearing my nasty 6 year old sneakers that I used to use to run and work when I worked at UPS. I am sure this doesn't happen often but it was pretty crazy to see and learn. If he hadnt spotted that doe he would have likely walked right into me. I am thinking if it was not a doe, and the deer just took off, it is probably a secure place for him in his mind. Like they said try a different area, but same spot. He will probably stay in that core area until the second rut kicks in.

[Jdaukontas]

Thanks for the replies. It is hard, because the only other way to get out of the pinch is to cross a field or road. The thick area he is using makes a peninsula. One side faces the road, one side faces pasture, and the other opens into the woods. I was sitting the side that opens into the woods, but I was on the high side (the peninsula runs a small ridge). He came out on the low side and caught my scent trail I am thinking. I should have stayed low and worked towards the high side but I am a fool. He ran towards the road when he busted out. The peninsula about 60 yards wide and runs 3 football fields in length.

We had a hard rain all night so is it possible that my scent got washed away and he will exit high side now?

[Jrichard]

Thanks for the replies. It is hard, because the only other way to get out of the pinch is to cross a field or road. The thick area he is using makes a peninsula. One side faces the road, one side faces pasture, and the other opens into the woods. I was sitting the side that opens into the woods, but I was on the high side (the peninsula runs a small ridge). He came out on the low side and caught my scent trail I am thinking. I should have stayed low and worked towards the high side but I am a fool. He ran towards the road when he busted out. The peninsula about 60 yards wide and runs 3 football fields in length.

We had a hard rain all night so is it possible that my scent got washed away and he will exit high side now?

Personally I am not sure. I feel like if he caught your scent he may associate that area with your scent. He will probably avoid that area for a good week at least. IDK one of these guys could tell you better probably. But my experience is most deer avoid there area at least a few days. So if you don't plan on going out till next week, then you could possibly get away with a sit in the same relative area.

But he has already caught your scent so rain wont change his mind about not going back for a few days. But it will wash it away so other deer running through there wont be as alarmed. He may hit high side depending on wind and time of day. if the thermals are being pulled down the hill he will probably use that to his advantage. He was probably bedding near by, and was using that area for the wind and thermals. So he probably does very similar things when he beds there. He probably enters the bed in the morning high and exits low. Just my thinking. I would not be surprised if hes not bedding in that thick brush at the end of one of those peninsulas