I believe this to be true. Although I, like most hunters I presume, group them as a whole when trying to pattern big bucks and use past experiences to learn from mistakes I may have made, there are always the times when all the written and personal experiences just differ. For example, in my experiences once an older buck and many times any age of buck is shot at, he will not visit that immediate area or spot again that season, at least during legal hunting hours. Of course I have heard of the rare times of hunters missing or wounding a buck and a few days later shooting him again out of the same stand. Then there are the times an older buck is just scared away for good by just stumbling upon him while walking in or out, then again I have experienced a few times not being able to run off an older buck.......until he is shot at! Then in my experiences he was gone for good!!!

I guess what I am getting at is with all the knowledge we gain, there are still the times that we are just plain fooled. And.....I am glad its this way, makes hunting that much more challenging and I sure can feel a whole lot better knowing an old buck got the better of me just by being unpredictable.......an individual!!!

Edited by - Cougar Mag on 11/13/2002 08:12:34

Most big bucks will temporarily leave the area after getting spooked a couple times or shot at.

But once I was hunting a great buck 170 class, and he would not be pushed out of his creek bottom. It was pulpwood company property and anyone with 10 dollars could hunt there. Many hunters knew about this buck and kept spooking him. I jumped him and he ran up a hill and just stood their out of sight and kept snorting. When gun season came in he even got shot at and missed by some other hunter I knew and he still returned to the same area. I never heard of anyone getting this buck.

Cougar, bucks travel long distances throughout the year, yet they have a "core area" that they spend most of their time in. They will, however, spook out of that area for a few days, then return. When they do return they are much more cautious, and that could explain why some are never seen again.

This core area is their home territory and they feel more comfortable here which is why they return, yet they are a little scared. Sorta like the little kid in school who is afraid of the bully, he is still there but more alert to where the bully is, and avoids him.

I feel that this is fairly accurate from all the research(reading books) I've done, and experience from the field I've had.

any other experiences, or ideas from anyone?

FOOLPROOF?
Never underestimate the power of a fool!

What if the "Hokey Pokey" really is what it's all about?

I feel that there are basics that apply to the majority of bucks, just as there are basics that apply to the majority of people, but each buck is an individual, some are just more wary, some are more agressive, some prefer to be far more nocturnal than others, I also beleive that some bucks are smarter than others.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

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I agree with dog...bucks dont crawl inside a hollow log and remain motionless from dawn till dark! Just like cattle or sheep they will be up and down thruout the day, they just stick to heavy cover and limit travel to a confined area

If I ain't huntin',I'm trappin',If I ain't trappin',I'm fishin'
If I ain't fishin',I'm wishin'!