hunter10 wrote:So if I'm understanding this right.. If you bump a mature deer in the morning or midday hours you would best be to setup for him to hopefully return by dark. If you bump him on an afternoon hunt it would be better to just come back for a mornjng hunt the next day like andras hunt in the hill dvd?
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Thats the idea in general, every bump is different but as far as returning back timing, not getting winded and how good is the bedding area all seem matter.
This is a great discussion! I would prefer to bump them in the evening so when they get up they just start going about there regular routine. Bumping them to early they have a tendency to go to another bedding area as JoeRE talked about having success. Though I am wondering about rut activities affecting his decision: Would he be more inclined to go cruising, then in turn doesnt come back for few days? Maybe another buck is in the other bedding area? Maybe he runs into does while re locating and things dont work in our favor? I have one example to share later on. Also, I have definitely noticed a difference in public vs private.
As Dan stated a "soft bump" is the goal, but you want to get a good look as well. Sneak in close but look like your just passing by. Walk steady, don't stop, don't walk directly at the buck bed. Sometimes you might get lucky and they stay put, you can just alter your route away. The tough part of it is that is actually works... we arent always planning to bump a buck so when it does happen sometimes werent prepared to make a setup, the weather could be bad the following days, wind is wrong the following days, etc... but its decision time when it happens. Do we trust our brain or our gut feelings? How many fresh sits can I get away w before he returns? Its all about making the right adjustment!
I am biased bc of one of my favorite exp but bumping the deer then pre setting a stand works. Its breaking the "beast rules" a bit but can be effective. I think whether to setup directly over the bed or down wind of the bed will vary by situation. Some of the best bedding areas cant be setup over due to the vegetation. If i was going to setup directly over a bed, id place the stand higher up the tree. You guys talked about different terrain bed settings working better than others, thats something would be hard to say yes or no about... BUT maybe farm bedding is better due to the food? As in he would be more inclined to return to that spot? Even though Andrea's giant on HC dvd was kind of hills mixed w farm setting - he was KING of that crp field on that ridge! So maybe a mixture of being the dominant animal, best bedding area, private land deer are variables that mattered there.
I bumped this young buck mid Nov, mid morning, sunny day/shaded bed, down wind of access trail. His bed is by far one of the coolest iv ever found and I kick my self for not taking a pic... Im pretty sure it was just a rut bed, though it had good ingredients. I shouldnt have walked into the bed but it was so worth seeing that it was so fresh the buck had laid down on top of a butterfly! Its wings were flapping slowly, but was flattened and unable to move. Ill never forget that... I figured he was watching does from there so for my evening sit I scouted w stand on my back at the bottom of the hill to look for sign. Found a rub line running parallel w a ditch and his hill side. So I setup. Couple hours later buddy texts says theres 15 deer coming my way, this guy came running through following his rubs line below his bed. The does he was chasing went another route yet he took this route... not sure if he was going back up the hill or short cutting to the does. On a map he basically did one big circle the rest of the day till I connected. He was my first and last deer ill shoot moving that fast...by far the worst and most unethical shot iv ever taken.
Red - Me
Orange - Bed
Blue - Travel
Yellow - Rub Line
This buck is from my first buck of my first beast season. Previous years I saw bucks in this spot out of shear luck, I was not hunting the wind so every time they busted me.
So I decided this was the spot. Mid Aug, midday I walked in w stand and there he stood. We were both equally shocked to see each other but there was no doubt he what I was looking for. I got the best look at him out of all the deer iv jumped. He ran up the hill w a trot, did not wind me. Im sure he stood up there and watched me set this stand. He was in hard antler for sure then. 3 weeks later was opening day, good moon day and it drizzled the night before so I was in like smoke. Grey light finally showed, I could just see the green pin lighting up then he came busting through like he was late for something. Stopped at 7 yds looked right up at me, turned his head and I connected. I still wonder if he would have been older whether it would have worked out so well?
This buck is not a bump-n-dump but the way he checked his bed before entering and his caliber is relevant, I think. This dandy was shot in late season by my father in law w a muzzle loader, light snow on the ground. He scent checked his bed from the down wind only to then enter his bed and walked through it TWICE before deciding it was safe to his liking. Luckily my father in law was a ridge over and was able to witness the amazingness that is a truly mature buck's mentlity before entering his bed.
This season my wife might being some schooling so im assuming now that my hunting time may be very limited. Bc of this I am toying w more bump-n-dump sets / more aggressive attacks. IDk yet... im waiting to see what summer intel has to offer before making setting my goals.