Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

Last night I was hunting and had one of the biggest bucks Ive ever seenhangingaround (within 30 yards) my stand for over an hour after dark. The corn was just cut and I hunt a little island, its a big oak tree20 yards from the main woodline, there is plenty of corn scraps that are laying in the field. Ive always hadgood success hunting these because the bucks can come out and have a quick escape route and I think they feel safer between the islands than standing in the middle of 500 acres of open corn field. I couldnt get a shot off, again, becuase he came out just at dusk and couldnt get a clear view of thevital area because of my friggin peep, was after legal shooting time anyway but honestly if I could have made a safe clean vital shot I would have taken it, just being honest :)

Anyway the wind wasnt a concern, I didnt want to spook him but he was just milling around the cut corn all around me for 1:15 minutes before I decided to get down as quietly as possible. Well, I got down okay, but soon as I took the first step he busted me as I knew he would, but he didnt look like he was going anywhere anytime soon. Im not going to guess on how big he was because its all just a guess, but I have lots of mounted bucks on the wall with 2 over 130"s + measured and he dwarfed them in body size and rack size.

What would you have done? Just curious as to what others would do in this situation.

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

Diesel,
I had a similar experiance last season. We were hunting a dominate buck in Central PA, have no idea what he would have scored but he was HUGE. We did some mid season scouting and found what we believed to be his home territory judging by all the scrapes he had laid in the area.
Well the 2nd to last day of PA Archery season he came in just at dark. I had just lowered my pack out of the tree when I heard him coming. He ended up feeding through the area, and what would eventually be right through my most open shooting lane at 13yds. I could see his sillouet (sp?) in my lane but never tried to draw on him. I ended up staying in my stand until almost 2 and 1/2 hours past dark to let him move through at his pace without bumping him. I knew I'd be back the following day to hunt the same stand and didn't want to force him out.
Anyway, although he never knew I was there I never got a chance to see him agian. We went to hunt the same spot the following day, and the fog was so thick you couldn't see the base of the tree you were in. We hunted all day in hope of the fog clearing out, but it never did. Even though the last day couldn't have produced a good shot on him with the visibility the way it was, I had no regrets of staying on stand that long to let him move through.
Sorry for the length, but you are not alone on that one!

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

Noty much choice ,got to leave

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

I always hate to lower my bow and do so last because of this potential problem.

One year I had just gotten set up in my climber, deck set, safety strap on, working on gloves release and face mask when a big one starts milling about beneath me. The only thingI hadn't done yet was raise my bow[:'(].

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

I have put a few rocks in my pocket to throw on the ground around deer before to get them to leave. You could also grab a few small sticks that you could throw over their head and then they wouldn't know where it is coming from. Just put them in your pack or on the base of you stand under your seat. I think that would be better than getting busted getting out of your stand.

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

Next time just cough a couple times or flash your flashlight around. They'll get nervous and leave without ever really pinning you down. Just shine the light on them and keep turning it on and off. They will walk away highstepping all the way.

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

Tough to say. I mean you got to leave eventually but you hate to spook him. Id probablly just wait him out till either he left or I got sotired that I didnt care if I spooked him.

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

I've faked howling like a coyote ( a sick one ) and that has worked pretty good. Thrown sticks, but that has not worked more than it has worked. Pretend to be a loud obnoxious owl .. and they tend to get sick of the racket and move on at their own pace. What I wouldn't do.. is try and climb down while they are still around.

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

I'd done the same:)

RE: Climbing out of stand with big buck under you??
 

I am confused on the question as you have compiled a list of scenerios on what I would do in this situation. :eek: Are you asking what I would do in shooting this deer after dusk or getting down from the stand an hour after dark-thirthy with the deer near by and being busted, but I'm sure you knew that was going to happen if you did that. I've gotten down from my stand with activity around me and it didn't seem to make a diff.in latter hunts. Damn, when I sit my arse in a tree for hours prior to it getting dark, I'm ready to go prior to that.
As far as shooting a deer after legal hours? Maybe kinda like cooking a steak and dropping it on the floor and the 5 second rule applies. ;)

Bobby