I acquired a new piece of ground adjacent to my ohio property this week. Found out this morning that a guy who hunts the place a couple days a year was in there this morning setting up a ladder stand, not hunting, using his quad. He told me he went back and forth through the property several times. I know there is at least one good buck in there. He doesn't plan to hunt it until November. Question is if my trip is scheduled for October 5 thru 13, am I sunk. Will his footprint ruin the ground or will a mature buck forgive the intrusion? I have a producing pear tree that's loaded and believe they will be visiting in? I have permission on two other properties, should I dump this one since I only have a few days to hunt?
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Forgiveness question
- Thread starter Mattyq2402
- Start date
What's normal non-hunting activity like and how large is the property? And what (and how close) are your other plans/options?
Seems like the fine details would be important. E.g. a quad running around a large property that has regular motorized activity probably wouldn't matter.
Seems like the fine details would be important. E.g. a quad running around a large property that has regular motorized activity probably wouldn't matter.
Early season I will be only one hunting a large roughly 1000 acre chunk. I have 4 landowners giving me permission along with my property. There is a really big 10 that uses the property in question.
Quad activity is none, this would b first time anyone has entered and rummaged thru the ground unless there is a trespasser.
Quad activity is none, this would b first time anyone has entered and rummaged thru the ground unless there is a trespasser.
A single disturbance situation like you described will not blow out the woods for very long. Deer don't go that far anyway, even in heavy pressure areas, so it will be fine.
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Personally I think the theory of mature bucks fleeing is way over exaggerated. They might go nocturnal, but I don't think they flee the area. If so where would they go that has zero human activity? I believe the learn an area and keep their daylight movement to an absolute minimum until the rut. I am no expert but that has been my experience.
Man, you worry too much. Quit worrying and go hunt....
A deer’s bedroom is where it goes so it knows all the exits and local disturbances. If the big buck was in there he probably disappeared before the wheeler was even off the back of the truck and then snuck back in shortly after the disturbance was gone. It usually takes a lot of disturbance for a deer that’s been living in an area for a long time to leave for good. Was on a house building project a few years ago and the land got cleared right next to a nice bucks preferred daytime bed in some nice hinting woods. Nearly every morning we watched that buck come back to his hideout which was only about 50 yards from the house going up. Nailers, heavy equipment, tons of people around all day and that deer would’ve rather slept where he had been then stake out a new spot. I’d say your most likely just fine.
Generally my best hunt from a stand is the 1st time that I use it so since you have other areas to consider, you could always hunt elsewhere for a few days then the latter part of your scheduled hunt try for that 10 pointer which gives him more time to get back to his regular routine. Good hunting.
Unless he’s in there and in his bed/beds every day, you’ll be fine. They get predators that pass through at times too I’m sure.
If a deer vacated his bedding area every time a human walked through, public land bucks would never have anywhere to live.
If the buck bedded there that morning, he got out of his bedding area unscathed so it reinforces the value of that bed to him. The other guy made all kinds of racket on his way in/out with that 4-wheeler, so the buck would have been way out of the area before he got close.
I doubt it alters the buck’s routine at all.
Go check out the Nebraska hunt that THP did last year where they busted a buck out of his bed, and killed him out of it a day or two later.
If the buck bedded there that morning, he got out of his bedding area unscathed so it reinforces the value of that bed to him. The other guy made all kinds of racket on his way in/out with that 4-wheeler, so the buck would have been way out of the area before he got close.
I doubt it alters the buck’s routine at all.
Go check out the Nebraska hunt that THP did last year where they busted a buck out of his bed, and killed him out of it a day or two later.
I wouldn’t worry about the intrusion, if he was on a four wheeler and setting up a ladder stand he was likely making quite a bit of noise and probably wasn’t tearing through bedding/ security cover.
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If he's not in there much and won't be back until Nov then you're good to go. There's a chance the "Big One" leaves the property or a new "big one" arrives during the shift.
Honestly, I'd get that guys number and feel him out to see how he hunts, where he hunts, how he access, and what the property is like during Nov. He could be a wealth of knowledge about the place or he could just be pulling your chains.
Honestly, I'd get that guys number and feel him out to see how he hunts, where he hunts, how he access, and what the property is like during Nov. He could be a wealth of knowledge about the place or he could just be pulling your chains.
A guy walking through the property once or twice won't affect much. It takes continuous pressure to push them out IMO.