Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

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JEvraets
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Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby JEvraets » Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:10 am

Let's say a buck bed has the fallen log laying north to south. The buck lays on the west side of the log with his head to the north and but to the South. If he senses danger from the west...which direction does he flee? It seems the quickest escape is to run north? How much does the surrounding terrain play into escape routes?


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wolverinebuckman
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:33 am

I bumped several deer out of their marsh beds this past scouting season. They all fled in one common direction... The opposite of where I was coming from :mrgreen:

Seriously, though, they did. With the one exception of a yearling that was bedded with an older doe. The older one went the opposite direction, while the yearling ran nearly straight at me, missing me by a mere 10 yards.

But again, these were out cattail escape routes. Terrain likely would change things, as well as if they see, smell, or hear you. Just my thoughts.
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headgear
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby headgear » Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:38 am

If the danger is west they could easily run east, north, south or any direction in between, really hard to say for sure. There might be a preferred escape route but it might depend on the deer and their own history or how the bed and the surrounding terrain lays out. They might even head in the direction of their next preferred bedding. On top of all of that they sometimes like to head in one direction and then double back on you.
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:07 am

In my opinion, the first 2 options a buck prefers would be the area he has been watching all day or back the same way he entered bed. 3rd choice would be into the wind
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby bowfreak8 » Tue Jul 17, 2018 6:23 am

I've noticed when possible a deer will flee down hill. It's the easiest way for them to get as far away from danger as ASAP.
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby dan » Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:00 am

The 1st order of business is getting away from you... I have noticed they like to travel when being chased in one of 2 distinct directions, either straight down wind, or nose to wind. Most commonly based on my observations with wind to tail. Seems they like to smell whomever is following. But I get a few that go nose to wind too...
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:57 am

dan wrote:The 1st order of business is getting away from you... I have noticed they like to travel when being chased in one of 2 distinct directions, either straight down wind, or nose to wind. Most commonly based on my observations with wind to tail. Seems they like to smell whomever is following. But I get a few that go nose to wind too...

Exactly what I was going to type. Saved me some time. :lol:
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby Drenalin » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:34 am

It seems like the majority of deer I've jumped have gone straight uphill, with the caveat that "uphill" also means away from me.

I did bust some does once that ran to the top of the same ridge I was on, but a good hundred yards off. Coincidentally, my first buck also jumped with those does, but he went the opposite direction up another small rise. When he crested, he stopped and looked back :naughty:
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby Jdw » Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:26 am

In hill county I see the deer putting the point they are bedding on between me and them ASAP.
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:16 pm

in my area the deer i jump go any way they can at first then they will start to cut and run with the wind if you keep tracking them they will sometimes switch to wind to back quite often they start to make a big loop
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby JEvraets » Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:24 pm

dan wrote:The 1st order of business is getting away from you... I have noticed they like to travel when being chased in one of 2 distinct directions, either straight down wind, or nose to wind. Most commonly based on my observations with wind to tail. Seems they like to smell whomever is following. But I get a few that go nose to wind too...


Yes, and the deer that tend to travel nose to wind don't seem to travel as far. I think they tend to stay closer observing with their eyes. Would you agree with that?
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby dan » Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:22 pm

JEvraets wrote:
dan wrote:The 1st order of business is getting away from you... I have noticed they like to travel when being chased in one of 2 distinct directions, either straight down wind, or nose to wind. Most commonly based on my observations with wind to tail. Seems they like to smell whomever is following. But I get a few that go nose to wind too...


Yes, and the deer that tend to travel nose to wind don't seem to travel as far. I think they tend to stay closer observing with their eyes. Would you agree with that?


Hard to say... I have not noticed it, but now that you say it I can think of several instances where this was the case.
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Re: Direction of travel when escaping from a bed

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:44 pm

The ones I have bumped have a pattern they might leave in any direction but they almost always circle downwind to scent check what bumped them right after confirming with their nose.
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