Buck Tolerance

[funderburk]

How much sound, scent, and sight will a buck tolerate until he decides to split? It seems that they tolerate more than we often think they will...

[freezeAR]

Depends on a lot of variable. Time of year, past pressure, amount of encounters with other predators (wolfs, coyote, and other hunters). Even if the buck doesnt change his bed location he can change the direction of exit and time he gets up.
I think its important to note that a buck catching our scent is more destructive than sight or sound.

[Tennhunter3]

I think each buck is different and each bedding spot is different.

I do think some bucks any smell they detect that's out of place in their bedding they go dark.

Imagine your a mature buck and a human impacts your safe zone that human scent lingers upto 18 days unless a heavy storm washes it away.

So say weeks pass and the buck returns to that spot and begins to feel comfortable and several weeks later human scent does the same thing again. I think this is why the first sit each season is so vital and often the best chance of success.

If someone breaks into my house I'm going to change the locks and put in a security system. If they break in over and over I'm no longer going to feel safe in that environment. When your hunting a buck bedding area your breaking into his house.

[First Sit]

Depends in marshes people never really go in there except to hunt or trap. Mature bucks dont take intrusions into a marsh lightly. In farm country they are used to smelling farmers and people in certain places. However bucks dont take intrusions into the bedding areas lightly in farm country. I dont have a ton of experience in hill country but in my limited experience they tolerate humans outside of the prime bedding areas but they pay a lot more attention when you start getting human intrusions close to where they bed.

In all areas I've seen bucks move after 1 hunt and other times after several hunts in a given area. It's sort of depends on the buck but once they hit 4yr plus in pressured areas they dont tolerate much. In the heavily hunted areas I hunt even 2yo bucks dont tolerate much. I usually only get 1 to 3 sits on a spot before it's over usually the first sit is the best.

As previously mentioned your scent is the biggest issue. A buck can see you or hear you and tolerate it but when they smell you it's a much bigger impact imo. Often times they smell you were in an area that night or the next day. So if you rehunt an area you might still catch em off guard the follow day.

[funderburk]

So would y’all agree that pressure (especially human) seems to be the overall factor?

I remember Andrae saying that when a buck is bumped from his bed and escapes alive, we often think that we’ve ruined that spot and he’s never coming back. But in reality, he most likely considers that bed a success, because he saw, heard, or scented potential danger before it got to him and he got away alive.

[may21581]

So would y’all agree that pressure (especially human) seems to be the overall factor?

I remember Andrae saying that when a buck is bumped from his bed and escapes alive, we often think that we’ve ruined that spot and he’s never coming back. But in reality, he most likely considers that bed a success, because he saw, heard, or scented potential danger before it got to him and he got away alive.

Excellent point.

[brancher147]

My experience in hill country has been bump him once from a bed he will be right back. Bump him twice especially within a few days he may be gone for good. Never bumped any a third time. But it does depend on how they are bumped whether they see and smell you, depends on the individual buck, and depends on other available habitat and bedding and pressure. Time of season is a factor also.
In the mountains I have seen them bumped once and gone.

[Tennhunter3]

So would y’all agree that pressure (especially human) seems to be the overall factor?

I remember Andrae saying that when a buck is bumped from his bed and escapes alive, we often think that we’ve ruined that spot and he’s never coming back. But in reality, he most likely considers that bed a success, because he saw, heard, or scented potential danger before it got to him and he got away alive.

On a private farm with no pressure the buck is going to tolerate it better then a heavily pressured area of public.


Yes I think human smell has a bigger effect then other predators.

Most predators have 2 basic smells. Their normal smell and breeding smell. As humans we take many types of foreign smells into a area.

One can only imagine a buck smelling human oder,gasoline, food,drink,car smell,gear smell, contact solution in eyes, hair shampoo plus others in one single walk through a buck bedding area. Has to smell very foul to them.