Ask The Biologist

Busted!

Busted!

By Bob Humphrey

So you spooked the buck you were after. What happens now?

QUESTION: I have been hunting a big buck this season, and last night he finally came in. But before I could get a shot he caught me moving and ran off. My question is, should I give up on the spot or will he be back? How long should I wait before hunting there again? — Bill G.

ANSWER: There’s no way of knowing for sure. Like people, individual deer have different personalities. How the buck reacts could also depend on what actually disturbed him. If he smelled human odor or somehow identified you as a human, it’s less likely you’ll see him again at that location. If he was merely disturbed by a noise or movement he was unable to identify, he might soon forget about it. The woods are full of things that move and make noise, and if deer never returned to a location where they were alarmed, they’d soon run out of places to go.

Research says that adult bucks are unlikely to abandon their home range based on disturbance. However, they will move less during daylight and stick more to thicker cover. If you don’t already have one there, put a camera at the spot. Give it a couple days rest, then try it again, or at the very least, check the camera to see if the deer has returned.

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