Bumping a mature buck?

[rooney]

While hanging a stand in a new spot today I bumped a big 8 pointer. Is there any chance he comes back to the area?

 

[mntbuck]

maybe but highly unlikely.

 

[muddyboots]

Yep. The first mature buck i ever killed i found this way. I jumped him from his bed. I hung a stand right then and killed him 2 days later.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

More than likely, he will stick around after the first bump. Two bumps, highly unlikely. Three bumps, better be looking for shooting stars and make a wish :D

 

[nate17]

had a buddy walk in and bump a 3.5 year old 8 point in the middle of a scrape at 8 in the morning last yr.

hung a stand and shot him in the same scrape at 2 in the evening the next day.

 

[rooney]

Depends on what you mean by "bumped."

I'd say it is likely he won't go very far.

The spot is about 75 yards off a 1/2 acre field. Before I entered the woods which is very thick, I see him running off.

 

[DeerKiller2012]

I'd definitely hang tight in there and stay scent free as possible and try to go in a little bit before first light and try to be as quiet in and out as I could. I personally wouldn't pull the trigger on anything in there unless it was him or bigger

 

[rooney]

Thanks guys. I feel better about it now. Hopefully I'll get a shot at him.

 

[Tomahawk]

Absolutely he will be back. This has got to be the silliest myth out there. I have killed 4 mature bucks the very next day in the very same area (one in the exact same spot) after bumping or spooking them out of the area. It is so funny to hear people say that the deer is gone from that spot for good. They couldn't be more wrong! Do not, I repeat, do not believe such foolish advice. If that deer is using the area as his core or breeding area then he will continue to use the area regardless of being spooked. If a deer never returned to areas it got spooked in, then eventually it would be living in a 20 yard spot. Deer spook easy but don't avoid an area entirely because of being spooked. In fact, if I jump a good deer, I get a stand in there as soon as possible.

 

[redblood]

he will be back come rut, and you shouldnt return until then

 

[Vermin93]

There is a hunting tactic called "bump and dump" that I've read about. I have a DVD where Andrae D'Aquisto talks about how he used this tactic to take an absolute bruiser of a buck. If you Goggle "bump and dump deer" you can read about it.

 

[String Music]

How do you know it was a mature buck? Did you see his body or just his rack?

The first thing I would do is figure out the prevailing winds for that day. He may only bed there on specific wind directions. Next, figure out why he bed there. Can he see/smell danger approaching from all angles? This will help you locate other potential bedding areas on your farm.

Also, I wouldn't hang a stand right over his bed. I'd hunt along one of his trails leading from his bed to his likely source of food. This way you can get a few more hunts out of the setup as opposed to hunting directly over his bed.

You should also hunt this bedding location as soon as possible. With the rut coming up, there's no telling where he will be in a couple weeks.

 

[hitek7]

"Bumped" a nine point from same area 3 times last year. Once before season, again during archery, and again during the youth hunt. Buddy killed him opening week of muzzleloader 150 yards away. He was 4.5.

 

[ngpirtle]

Ran two 130+ class'ers out the evening before rifle last year hanging my stand for opening weekend. Hunted that stand the rest of the year and never saw them again.....

 

[StalkingWolf]

I always love these questions. IMO, you just never know unless you go back and kill him. And if you don't kill him, that doesn't mean he hasn't been back. How many times have you seen a big buck that was not spooked and never saw him again? With all of that said, I would be encouraged if I jumped a big buck in one of my hunting spots though. I'm not trying to be rude, but that is just how I see it.

 

[Bobs8pt]

I have to say i agree with Tomahawk, Stay tight and hunt hard. With the upcoming rut he will be cruising

 

[Football Hunter]

maybe......

 

[Beardendy88]

I honestly think unless you are hunting in the Mountains it doesnot matter at all because deer are so use to humans especially on farms that they are use to being jumped by humans or having run ins with them

 

[rooney]

How do you know it was a mature buck? Did you see his body or just his rack?

The first thing I would do is figure out the prevailing winds for that day. He may only bed there on specific wind directions. Next, figure out why he bed there. Can he see/smell danger approaching from all angles? This will help you locate other potential bedding areas on your farm.

Also, I wouldn't hang a stand right over his bed. I'd hunt along one of his trails leuote]

I got a good look at his body and rack. He ran from left to right. When I say mature I meant at least 3 years old.

He was only bedded around 20 yards from the edge of the field on a rise. I'm assuming he was keeping an eye on the field for does or because of the high winds.

Finding bedding areas is tough on our farm. When my grandfather had it logged years ago, they cut every tree above 14 inches in diameter. The whole farm is big thicket. The good news is that we seem to hold good deer, but it makes finding them a little tougher.

 

[hitek7]

Ran two 130+ class'ers out the evening before rifle last year hanging my stand for opening weekend. Hunted that stand the rest of the year and never saw them again.....

Day before rifle season? That may have just been bucks passing through. If they are regulars in your area, they will be back. It does not mean you will see them again though...
On another note, I have seen bucks before in an area that did not get bumped and never seen them again.