Help! Target Buck potentially spooked, What to do?

[TheObserver]

Out rattling yesterday afternoon, rattled in my first Buck as light was fading. He came in with purpose not quietly but not running, his area bedding/Rubs all over, he was coming to smash whatever Bucks were fighting and send them out of the area for sure.

I heard the sticks breaking and was looking intently in the direction, down a small draw full of thicket. Sure enough I see a rack coming up right to me over the thickets. It's one of the 4 points I am trying to get.

I draw my bow while he can not see me, he didn't hear a thing and keeps walking. Now he stops 20 yards away, some very very small twigs in the way that I figured would not derail the flight of my arrow whatsoever (have shot my arrows through grass at Deer and kills them like nothing was there), I know that twigs/branches deflect arrows, it happened to me last year at 55 yards (did not see the twigs), but these were so tiny! and with being so close I thought I would have this Buck for sure. Nope.

Clean miss.

I could not believe it, all the time I put in here was my chance how could I be so f****n stupid. Could have let him start walking again and bleated with my mouth and he would have stopped clear of anything but I jumped the decision.

After the arrow went by him he reacted, but just stood there looking around. But when I went to grab another arrow out of my quiver he took off, he did not see me the whole interaction/time he only heard me reach for my arrow. Not full tilt but he was not sticking around, as he was taking off I doe bleated and it sounded like he stopped, but I couldn't pursue it was just to calm him down hopefully.

My questions are these,

1) Do you guys think he is spooked and I shouldn't pursue anymore/leave his area alone and look for the other 4 point or other Bucks?

2) Or do you think I should keep going to his area and rattling/trying for him, or keep trying for him but without rattling? (still hunt when it rains again or set up between bedding/feeding) do you think he has forgot about it or he is spooked?

I'm trying to tell myself it wasn't a traumatic event for him and not a big deal so I should keep going and he probably didn't think about it too much.

Last night I was sweating for no reason and almost puked I was so dissapointed in myself, would have been pretty happy to get a Blacktail like this with my bow on foot, the only animal I have gotten so far that I would've considered mounting. Can't believe I blew my chance it was surreal...


https://i.imgur.com/zjjadUL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8rXyfQP.jpg

[grantk]

Get in there and get him, it's the rut.

[Norwestalta]

He not gone very far. Patience. Nice deer by the way.

[northof49]

Nice BT….I’d ditch the sticks and string and grab the rifle.

[Ferenc]

Looks like a nice area from the cam pics to put up a blacktail decoy .... that along with some rattling ... can call

[ACE]

​Fawn in distress call . . .

[Bugle M In]

He will still be somewhere close.
my buddy shit at a big 4pt with 4 does just above an opening and missed cleanly and they all took off.
We spent the day looking and couldn’t find them.
The next day, about 26hours after that shot, my other hunting partner found all 5 of them, 4 does bedded the buck standing and sniffing, probably 600-700 yards above the missed shot the day before.
And yup, buck fever with the 2nd hunting partner and he missed as well!!!

Find the does.
He should be around them or looking for one that is in heat.

I hunted in the snow 2 years ago, really foggy out, couldn’t see more the 30-40 yards.
Cut a buck track so followed him.
Within 400 yards, he had located no fewer than 5 deepest groups of does (Maybe 2 to 4 for on each group).
He has travelled in a b-line.
Everytime he cut into the does, you could see how he checked them all out from the tracks in the snow.
Guess he knew that first group, no does in heat, so off he went to the next group.
He did this 5 separate times.

I finally caught up to him on the 6th group, about 600 yards from where I cut his first track.
He was just in the process of checking out another group if does.
I’m He was legal but passed him up.

Find the does in the area.
He has more than likely not gone far.
Especially if he has been hovering in the area for days waiting for the does to go into heat, imo

[walks with deer]

Send me gps i will go check for you so you dont waste your time out.

[Ron.C]

Shitty, it will sting for some time but a clean miss is better than a bad hit. Out of curioisty did you miss low/high? Ive talked to allot of guys that hit or miss low as they drop their bow arm (forgetting all form) on a big animal. Almost like instant onset target panic. (Ive been there too).

In regards to shooting through grass/brush, try not to. It doesnt take much to deflect an arrow

If he didnt run off completely spooked, you may see him again. Still rutting and his urge to breed may best his survival instincts. If you are in a good spot where you are seeing lots of does, no harm in sticking it out. He may be back, or you could arrow another

But those big bucks dont get like that by repeating mistakes

[high horse Hal]

its a 50/50 situation

[TheObserver]

Send me gps i will go check for you so you dont waste your time out.

Hey thanks man!! Appreciate it!

I need to know before the end of the month though please, PM sent.

[TheObserver]

Shitty, it will sting for some time but a clean miss is better than a bad hit. Out of curioisty did you miss low/high? Ive talked to allot of guys that hit or miss low as they drop their bow arm (forgetting all form) on a big animal. Almost like instant onset target panic. (Ive been there too).

In regards to shooting through grass/brush, try not to. It doesnt take much to deflect an arrow

If he didnt run off completely spooked, you may see him again. Still rutting and his urge to breed may best his survival instincts. If you are in a good spot where you are seeing lots of does, no harm in sticking it out. He may be back, or you could arrow another

But those big bucks dont get like that by repeating mistakes

Yeah i'm f****n choked, definitely is!

I missed low and slightly left, it was not a perfect broadside double long. But I have taken this exact same shot, actually at the exact same yardage two years ago on a Mulie (though this was relatively flat and 2 years ago up hill) and it died instantly and fell on the spot, so I took the shot, I was actually surprisingly calm given the situation, probably because I had the complete element of surprise. Was more panicked hunting w.t. Does last month.

If I would have just waited then bleated, then I wouldnt have been able to ask for a better shot. But I was already drawn for 7-10 sec and who knows how long until he would have taken a couple more steps. I should have waited though.

Yeah I know that's why i'm wondering if he is skeptical of rattling so soon after, or probably doesn't think much of it. No way to know I guess.

[stixnstones]

Go get em. Goodluck

[caddisguy]

Yeah i'm f****n choked, definitely is!

I missed low and slightly left, it was not a perfect broadside double long. But I have taken this exact same shot, actually at the exact same yardage two years ago on a Mulie (though this was relatively flat and 2 years ago up hill) and it died instantly and fell on the spot, so I took the shot, I was actually surprisingly calm given the situation, probably because I had the complete element of surprise. Was more panicked hunting w.t. Does last month.

If I would have just waited then bleated, then I wouldnt have been able to ask for a better shot. But I was already drawn for 7-10 sec and who knows how long until he would have taken a couple more steps. I should have waited though.

Yeah I know that's why i'm wondering if he is skeptical of rattling so soon after, or probably doesn't think much of it. No way to know I guess.

Good thread and story here. Bummer about the miss. I'd be reluctant to rattle if I was 100% set on that particular buck, but that's just my gut talking. Maybe someone here has some actual experience with rattling on a second go after spooking it off after it came in on the first rattle.

Like walks with deer said... if we knew exactly where you are hunting, we could offer up better advice tailored to your particular situation :grin:

Hope you'll find that deer or an even better one that will make you glad you missed. Good luck out there!

[TheObserver]

Good thread and story here. Bummer about the miss. I'd be reluctant to rattle if I was 100% set on that particular buck, but that's just my gut talking. Maybe someone here has some actual experience with rattling on a second go after spooking it off after it came in on the first rattle.

Like walks with deer said... if we knew exactly where you are hunting, we could offer up better advice tailored to your particular situation :grin:

Hope you'll find that deer or an even better one that will make you glad you missed. Good luck out there!

Yeah it was pretty devastating man, unreal scenario though and bringing him in like that with the rattling and how all I could see coming up the draw was his rack was cool. Yeah that is what I was hoping for with the thread but that is a pretty rare/unique scenario I guess.

Hahaha funny guy that walks with deer hey, I sent him the gps location just tell him I told him to share it with ya lol

Thanks man, if I don't get him this year and he makes it to next year this is definitely not over i'm going to do everything I can next year to make it happen for next November.

You too! Hope one of your new spots bears some fruits for your labours!

[Blacktail1]

I’d hold off . You can do better !

[walks with deer]

All joking aside if there is does there he will be close...give him a day or two and go get him...guessing these deer are not heavily pressured and the pocket they live in is probably not that big... next time just wait for no obstructions.. i have done some accidental logging myself shot that tree but good.

[Bugle M In]

Hunt long enough, everyone misses at some point, for whatever reason, excitement, a hasty need to shoot, a bad rest, a flinch etc.
And then there has been the bad shot placement that probably everyone has made also.
Dont beat yourself up, just means you are human.
Good luck and just remember to have fun out there.

[jshansen]

He won't come back in to your rattling or calls but find the does, he'll be with em, or close by. Still hunt through the doe populations. I once spooked off a big buck with a doe, he took off on a dead run, but later that night when the doe came out to feed he couldn't help himself and was hot on her tail. Nailed him at 7 yards. In the same spot I spooked him 6 hours earlier.

[TheObserver]

Man I just rattled/grunted in another Buck!! That's two in 5 days, brought him in to 10 yards young 2 point let him walk. I will never enter the BT woods again during pre/rut/post without a set of rattling antlers. My favourite weather to hunt them now is still and quiet not raining, so much fun rattling them in!!!!

[VLD43]

I would suggest you don't hunt that area to often as it screws things up for you. Hunt it and then let it rest for a few days. Try finding another stand position other than the one you are presently using. You have to try to catch him off guard. If you are in the same place to often, he will be very cautious of it or avoid it all together. Good luck

[Bugle M In]

I would agree with that statement except for a few points.
We never know who else has been hunting the same areas we hunt, and how often.
The last few years had been an eye opener for me after the fires.
Now I can watch several groups in the same day go up the same routes, neither of the groups knowing who is ahead or behind them.
Also, when the rut is truly on…..
when the bucks are head deep into does, you could have a parade go by them and they don’t care.
And, if you spook one buck, and it’s an active area with a lot of does, there will usually be other bucks.

Hunted a small area, mostly sitting right to a big tree, bugling elk.
Had 5 separate bulls come in, all on separate days, in a 7 day hunt.

Uf the area sees a lot of pressure.
You have to find an area the deer may go to, an isolated corner of a mountain perhaps, but still the same mountain everyone else is hunting in as well.

I have seen a lot if that as well while watching hunters.
Not enough can be said about just sitting and glassing all day from sunrise to sunset.
It can teach you a lot.

[TheObserver]

I would suggest you don't hunt that area to often as it screws things up for you. Hunt it and then let it rest for a few days. Try finding another stand position other than the one you are presently using. You have to try to catch him off guard. If you are in the same place to often, he will be very cautious of it or avoid it all together. Good luck

I ditched the stand a week ago. Looking back the stand could have been put in much more productive locations first time using a stand, definitely got a feel of what to look for/not for a stand location