Author Topic: Spooked deer (Read 528 times)

freddogs · « **on:** November 21, 2005, 05:12:54 AM »

Here in WI the season is going good so far. I shot a small buck and a doe the first day. The buck ran into thick brush and expired about 65 yards from my stand. I gutted him and dragged him out of the brush to a tractor trail. The next day (yesterday) about 2:30 pm 3 does came through. They got to where the buck was gutted and got real nervous and milled around in the brush. The wind was good and I was motionless after seeing them coming from a long way. They spooked and ran up wind into an open field out of range (Shotgun area). An hour later another doe came to the same area and got spooky. She came across my shooting lane so fast that I missed. Does anyone know what caused this spookiness and what I can do about it. My only guess is that there is some scent from the buck and I may have to hunt a different spot for a few days till it goes away.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2005, 05:48:13 AM »

I'd be more inclined to believe it was YOUR scent not that of the dead buck that was spooking them. If you gutted it you spent some time there and no doubt walked around the area a bit. That left a lot of your scent for them to smell. The smell of the buck was a natural scent that shouldn't have bothered them.

JKump · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2005, 10:14:31 AM »

I would also believe it was your scent. But also if you left the guts coyotes or wild dogs could have came in the area. Their scent could have spooked.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2005, 10:15:54 AM »

Got to agree with Graybeard.

Gregory · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2005, 12:34:18 PM »

I shot a buck on Friday, and on Saturday morning had a doe sniffing the gut pile. She didn't seem too concerned.
My scent was blowing towards her but it took several minutes before she spooked.

freddogs · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2005, 01:58:24 PM »

You would think my scent would have disapated a day later. I didn't walk to the area or go to the area after I dragged the deer out. I sat in a different area tonight. Don't know if varmints were after the pile. The gut pile from the doe was untouched but it's about a 100 yards from the other one on the opposite side of my stand.
I plan to try it tomorow morning.

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2005, 06:08:14 PM »

A buck can smell the track of a doe 24 hours after she passed and tell which way she went from which she came. And you think he can't smell your scent left on the ground from gutting and dragging out a deer the day before? Ya jist under estimating the power of a deer's nose.

freddogs · « **Reply #7 on:** November 22, 2005, 07:36:24 AM »

:-D You could be right. I sat out there this morning for a couple hours but didn't see anything. The Temps were in the 20s.
With the number of people we have wandering around south east WI the deer have to be pretty used to human scent. There are lots of other hunters around just not on the 80 acres we hunt. This is a pretty populated area.
13 deer have come off this property so far this fall so I guess they could be pretty spooky.
There are still some there since I saw 3 yesterday afternoon.