Well, I took today off work and went bowhunting in the state forest. I figured aMonday on a full moon would be really great. I stayed on stand the whole day too. It was nice, quiet, peaceful, and I even caught myself dozing off a few times in my Summit Viper tree stand.

But this morning started off on the wrong foot - because of me... [:-] I slowly walked down one of the forest roads (dirt road/loose gravel) and carefully watched my step the whole way down to where the trail is. All of the sudden, when I get down to the bottom of the ravine near the small creekbed, I hear "BOOM, CRASH, THRASH... i.e. ADIOS AMIGO!!!" [&:]

I didn't see what it was, but I mean, you know and I know and everyone knows what that sound is. And that wasn't no little doe either. Man, I was just sick... I spent allup until noon trying to call him back. I even setup a mock scrape with some tarsal spray way into the woods, in hopes that he would circle back around. ...No chance. [&o][]

Even in the heat of the afternoon, I switched to the Primos L'il Can hoping it would call in a doe or the buck. Again, nothing. Aaaaaargh, what did I do? Will this buck return to his bedding area that I spooked him from?

He'll be back. Big bucks (if that is what it was) have escape routes in their bedding areas for a reason. If every time a buck got spooked and left the area for good he would end up in the rain forest- know what I mean. I would definately give it a couple days rest though.

he'll be back!!

No offence to you Butch but I would recommend you put all them calls away and sit and never let them know your there. I have been bowhunting along time and can count the number of grunts I have heard on one hand. Just try it and see, it couldn't hurt.

No worries Butch he will return. We shotgun hunt here in Iowa and I don't know how many times we have pushed the same buck out of the area a day or 2 after we first saw him. They get use to a area and return methodically.