What to do??????

[HUSKERBUCK]

I need your guys thoughts on this one. This morning after hunting for a while my partner and I decided to check out another spot about a mile away from where we usually hunt. This spot hardly gets hunted because when on the stand it is very likely that you will put in alot of time on the stand and not see any deer. Where as our other places you almost always see deer.
Anyway, when we were in there checking it out we found alot of good signs (rubs, scrapes, trails, and a couple of does). On our way back out we jumped a very nice 5X5. He waited untill we were only about 10 yards before he jumped and trotted off. We had to be within 30 yards of him for about 10 minutes before we jumped him. We quickly looked for a couple of good trees for a stand and got out.
My question is should we put up a stand right away and the back off or wait awhile before putting one up? I would like to know what some of you would do. Thanks

 

[bowhuntinfool]

i think i would put one up quick then back off it for a couple weeks let him get settled back donw then hunt it hard for about a week or so. GOOD LUCK go get em boys!!

 

[BuckHusker]

I'd go for it at least once. Just make sure the wind and everything is right. If that doesn't do it then backoff for a while. If you wait too long, he’ll be out cruising, and away from his home turf. FYI, I have been seeing some localized very heavy, (Nov. type) scrapes too, and had a similar incident yesterday as well. I am not there tonight, because the wind is wrong. Per the weather channel it should be good tomorrow, and I "WILL" be there.

 

[horst]

Id hang the stand and hunt it the same night.Youve already got scent all over the area twice, once going in to scout it and once going in to hang the stand,and the deer in that area dont sound to spooky if you were able to walk within 30 yrds of the buck the first time.But by the third time you go back into hunt it they may already be on to you.Id just slip in quietly in the afternoon, keeping my scent down as much as I could, be as quiet as you can hanging it, and then stay in it till dark.They say the first time you hunt a stand is usually the best chance you got for taking a buck.

 

[Iowa1]

I would respectfully disagree with the above posters who said to hunt that location. Sounds to me like you bumped a buck out of his core area. That is never a good place to hunt because it is almost impossible to get intot he stand undetected. You never know when he is going to be there. I would suggest you set up with a spotting scope and try to learn a travel pattern within the next few days. Remember, rutting activity is only two weeks away, and if you don't get him soon, he may spend very little time in that core area until the end of the rut.

I would suggest you not go near the spot again, and set up on a travel way. Bump him once and you may not change his patterns, but bump him a couple times and you may never see him in that spot again. Ever.

 

[hunt-m-up]

I agree with Iowa1. That time of day, this early in the season, that buck does most of his travelling early AM/late PM. Sounds like you caught him bedded. Judge what you feel is the closest you can get to him on a travel route to or from water/food or set up on two different routes to play wind. Possibly on a trail between where you saw him and where you saw the does. Rut will change patterns, but does still need water and food and he'll follow.

 

[wisco kid]

You could wait for a very windy or rainy day. Both kinds of days cover up the sounds you make putting up the stand, and if its raining, it will help wash away your scent right away. Go in as clean as possible.

There is another option. If your other spots are offering you good prospects, spend this season trying to take the bucks in the areas you're set up for..and leave this area for next year. The buck will be another year bigger (December and January scouting should let you know if he made it through), and you can go in this winter and create your setups by building permanent stands or cutting lanes and picking out locations for portables or climbers you can set up in the summer before the season starts.