WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[Greenlee865]

Ok guys I want to lay out a scenario for you and see how you would react. I’m going to apologize ahead of time for the length, but I wanted to give as much info as I could. I’ll try and get you caught up to speed as quickly as I can then dive into the situation. So I’ve been a bow hunter for more than half my life now. I’ve had some success but not if you’re measuring by horns or maturity. Well after having some success on does and immature bucks the last little bit I felt compelled to challenge my self to hunt mature bucks. Well I feel I’ve done my preparation and I have the knowledge and decent understanding, but the catch is the area I live in just doesn’t have a lot of opportunities for more mature bucks. I haven’t really been on anything I’d hoped for... until this year. Now here’s what happened. I finally found a good buck on a property I can hunt (3 1/2 yr old probably but for my area he’s a good deer and would be by far my best buck) through trail cam photos. I’ve spent the first 2 1/2 months of season holding out, learning as much as I could, and waiting for the right conditions to make my move. Well those conditions came and I made my move. Well my move in on this deer was successful. I seen him and had him in bow range, however, I couldn’t get the shot. Every time he was stopped something was in the way of getting a clear shot. I had a slight off wind. I don’t have milkweed so I use tiny shreds of cotton. Before he had came in I checked what the wind current was doing and it was dropping almost straight to the ground to the NW of my stand. My stand is facing North. Wind was supposed to be N to NNE. He came in directly in front of me from the North and made his way around the west (left) side of the stand with no shot presenting itself. He got about southwest of the stand and stopped and peered into the bottom he was headed to I’m assuming to check things out before he continued on. During this time what I think happened was my thermals were pulling some scent up the hill towards him, because it was a morning hunt. I don’t think the cotton done an effective job at showing me this. I could tell he was getting antsy like he smelled something wasn’t right and he turned around and went back out about the same way he came in. He didn’t just plum tear out of there but he did trot back out. So I want to know what would be your move now? In your experience have I messed up for this season on that deer? Would you try and catch him off gaurd in a slightly different area now? I don’t have a lot of knowledge on the rest of his pattern because I didn’t know about him until season started and honestly I don’t know my hunting property as well I should because basically I just didn’t have the knowledge and know how until just recently on how to really dissect an area and I didn’t want to go in scouting too hard this year when I already knew where he was in daylight. Can any of you with more experience maybe advise me on what to take from this encounter or what I should be looking at for my next move.

[Ack]

With the knowledge of how he came through the area, I would go back in on similar conditions and hunt a different tree that will offer a shot, but also keep your scent away from his path. He knows something was off, but might not know exactly what it was and could go back through there again.

[timberninja]

I would get right back in there and hunt him again as soon as the wind would allow me to. I wouldn't change anything.

[backstraps]

He knew something was up and being a 3.5 y/o I would inagine you still have a really good chance at him

Inwould get back in asap with the same wind conditions
Im not sure I would get in the same tree (lack of shot opportunities and thats the general area he picked up scent from). I wouldnt go far..sometimes 20 yds can make a virgin hunt. If you had a clean entrance and exit I would certainly used those again

I think youre still very well in the game and can kill him

[Redman232]

I agree with what has been said before. I would interpret his reaction to catching a slight whiff of you and being confused as to where exactly it was coming from. If he had gotten a nose full, most often I've seen them either sneak out head down really quick or full blown come unglued. Since he just trotted off, I think you are good to hunt the same general area.

[may21581]

Had a similar situation this year. Every deer is different and each reacts in their own way. By the sounds of it he caught a little scent and with his past experience knew something was off so he went with his instinct and returned back. He did not bolt or panic just reacted.
My experience and many others will tell you the older they get the more they get locked into their core area. He may be back in a day, a week, or maybe a month but he will be back when it feels right to him.
This part of the hunt is hard for me also. This is where you need to pay attention to the animal and really study them. It's a fine line we walk when figuring out what they will tolerate and what you can get away with. I guess it's no coincidence that alot of world class deer are taken from several years of Intel. Good luck

[G-Patt]

Definitely hunt that area with the same wind but give it a few days after a rain or snow storm. Sounds like you were in the right tree but had some bad luck. I'm on the fence on either using the same tree or finding another one if it's available. I'd probably use the same tree but position myself better to make that shot. Good luck. I hope you get him.

[mheichelbech]

If possible, move back away from the edge of the slope further so you aren’t as affected by the thermals. You also might try going higher in the tree, winds can be different at different heights. I’ve seen 5 feet make a difference, not always but sometimes.

Try to make better shooting lanes if you can but be careful with this. I set a stand and cut shooting lanes, cut shooting lanes and the buck detected/smelled where I had cut the next day. I still could have shot him (wasn’t my target) but it was a lesson learned. 2 other bucks had gone through with no reaction.

[Greenlee865]

Thanks guys for your advice. I know I can come in from a different and better angle of approach now too, but the toughest thing in getting above him is going to be finding a tree that can hide me. Supposed to be storming tomorrow. I’m hope the wind will be good on the back side of this and I can slip back in there. I’m not big on hunting scrapes or rubs. Even before listening to all of Dan’s stuff I learned quickly to not let all that stuff give you foolish hope, however the day I seen him I found a freshly opened scrape and that was also the direction he was going. Maybe he’ll come back into that when the weather lets up, but either way I know that area has been consistent for him this year.

[dan]

I would give that area another try... As in one... Don't camp there. Hop around and try different spots and areas of that property. I will say though, you need to take a shot when it presents. Big bucks don't hang around and stop in perfect quartering angles very much or very long. I shoot the 1st ethical shot when they get in range. Don't matter if there walking or it ain't perfect. They just plain have a knack for detecting you.

[Greenlee865]

Finally have a good wind again and back in the spot. Send some prayers and good whitetail fortune my way!

[EllieTheChubb]

Good luck!