OK…scenario…

I was in one of my favorite trees, yesterday. I heard a buck grunting and glassed a buck I believe to be the “baby bull”, or….a decendent of the buck I call the bull, here. His rack is exactly the same….just a little smaller. I guess him to be 2.5yrs. Anyways…I see this buck coming my way….and I decide if he offers the shot…I’m gonna take him.

The doe and fawn he’s dogging go right past me….merely 3-4 yds from the front of my tree. When this buck gets directly downwind of me (8-9 yds)….he freezes. Now it’s 8:15 in the morning, and my thermal is going up. He can’t smell ME. He “might” be able to scent where I touched my equipment or around the tree I’m in….but he can’t smell ME. He stops there for about 30 seconds….looking around. Then…I swear…he looked right up at me. He blew and took about 2 hops backwards. HE then stands there (still in range but on alert in my opinion) and stays there for about 30 seconds. I see his tail start to swish and he just slowly walks into the woods. He even comes back kinda towards me….but never back into range.

Do I have a chance at this buck from that tree? I ask because the tree’s one of the few around there in such a great spot…..and I’d hate to abandon it. But….I’d also like to take this buck.

Jeff,

If that spot is close to other human activity,(knowing where you hunt)I think you will be fine. He probably just got a wiff of somelingering scent. And it doesn't take much to make them nervous. I don't think he really figured you out or he wouldn't have stuck around. He can still be had there.

To me it doesn't seem like you spooked him enough to know that you were something bad in the tree. I had this happen this year with 4 very mature doe's. I seen these same 4 doe's back to back nights, let me add that they were the biggest doe's i've ever seen. They checked me out in the tree also, my wind was kinda catching them both nights but they couldn't put it quite together. I didn't move an inch but i know the second night out hunting i could of zipped them again! An old doe can be just as smart as some of these nice bucks were seeing. Good luck to ya!

I appreciate your input guys. I'm torn. If I go back int here, soon....I'll move around a bit. I'd like to put Rob in this tree when he's here....and I want him to have as good a chance as any to get a good deer. Does? I saw them walking under this tree yesterday afternoon.

On a side note....I saw the biggest doe I've ever seen, yesterday. She had a big, long, squared snout that was something to look at. I've never seen a doe so big. I'd have burned a buck tag to take her. The grey patches around her eyes were as big as baseballs. I have no idea how old she was....but it was clear she was the matriarch of the 7-8 she was with. She kept the other girls in line and when another lone doe came over to them....she promptly ran her off. Neat to watch.