Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
- AntlersAnonymous
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Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
I've posted about this specific deer before, however, after listening to Dan and other forum members I think I figured out what happened last season to the big 8. I kept getting pictures of him at dusk. My little brain didn't pick up on the fact that it meant he had to be bedding close. Well, he was bedding on our permanent access trail. Just like Dan has talked about. He let me bother him for about a month before he moved and stopped bedding there. This deer has lived on this specific piece of land most his life, it's the best of very few wooded areas around. My question is, will a homebody buck come back after being spooked off and a season has passed, or will he never return? Is it always different? My property has the most does, food, and cover. But I did run this buck off. This all just clicked in my brain suddenly. He was VERY killable and I screwed it up because I didn't know he was bedding right by the gate. I guess I just had to see it for myself instead of learning from you guys.
- Huntress13
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
In, to see what others say. We also have a piece like you describe and have had a buck bed right next to where we walk in. To the point you could smell the rut smell 20 yards away. I don't know for certain, but I believe he moved not far onto the next property.
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- VaBowKill5
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
I think that can go either way. I don’t think your intrusion a year ago is gonna prevent him from being back this year. However other factors could change what he does such as crop rotation or mast crop in the timber, if these factors have changed from last year then I think he will probably shift bedding to account for that. If all the factors are pretty much the same then it’s very possible he could be right back in there. History has a way of repeating itself in the deer woods. Be worth a shot to hunt it but think about a different approach to access that brings you in the back door without him knowing your there.
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
Hes been a homebody for a reason. You say your property has the best cover, food and does, so I wouldn't expect him to move. Plus it sounds like he has a great bedding spot where he can watch all the hunters on the access trail. Like others have said, throw him a curve ball by accessing differently and strike while the iron is hot.
- AntlersAnonymous
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
Thank you for the replies. Now that I'm understanding exactly what was happening and how I failed, I'm completely prepared. When it's time to hunt, I know how I need to access. He was on his feet as dusk every evening in the same area, watching the access path. He would never expect me to just come from a different direction.
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
Analyze your pics of him to see what the wind direction was on the days he was on camera. Then make a plan on where to set up and kill him when you get the right wind for him bedding in that spot.
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
How do you know for certain your presence is what pushed him out? Deer shift around during the season for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes pressure is one of them but food, water, cover, does, etc... unless you were cutting right through his bedding area and busting him out of there often then I don’t know if I would blame that on the reason he left. Could be but might not be. Now you know where he was bedding so I’d be a little more careful on accessing the property and how often. I’m sure he left some sign outside of the bedding area and if you know where that is loop around and see if that’s opened up. If so hunt it!
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
It's pretty hard to run a mature buck off. However. He may have a range that spans several properties and he moved to where you cant hunt. It could also be a seasonal bedding area and he left for reasons other than pressure. You gotta strike while he is there
- AntlersAnonymous
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Re: Spooking a homebody buck. Question.
I'm not 100% that I ran him off, I was just assuming. It's possible that he went deeper into the timber where we don't have cameras once November hit. We just never got anymore pics of him until December 16 and he already dropped his antlers. Which is super early. He was the most dominant buck on the property for sure. I did find some sign deeper in the woods once it was spring.
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