whitetailHunter Report post Posted December 9, 2004 My brother and I hunt a pretty small area in unit 31, it is a canyon about two miles long and at the wides point, about a mile wide. It has several small ridges that run down through the major canyon. If one of us takes a shot will all the other deer in the canyon leave the area? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
More D Report post Posted December 9, 2004 If he runs west he might stop somewhere around Cascabel, if east on the other side of Safford. South the other side of Wilcox etc...etc. Sorry just kidding! Sounds like a big canyon. Especiallyif shot at he might run forever or just untill he find a nasty hole and hold VERY tight untill its dark almost! So tight that you could walk right by him and he will not buge. Whats important is that canyon is HIS HOME and be sure he knows it well. I recommend: Practice shooting, sit on that canyon, find out where he hangs out, drink water, eats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
.270 Report post Posted December 9, 2004 i think most of the time with coues deer, if you shoot at one, the ones that you aren't shooting at, the ones that aren't with the one you're shooting at anyway, will probably hide real tight. not run off. that seems to be their best means of defense. as far as the one you shoot at, he'll run till he ain't scared anymore or finds a good place to hide. Lark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted December 9, 2004 I agree with Lark and MoreD. The WT spends his time learning the details of an area. That knowledge gives him a survival advantage. The other bucks might get spooked and hide more, which will make you think they left because you won't see them as easily, if at all. They will go where they feel safest, which will generally be a thick area that they are already familiar with. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muskeg Report post Posted December 9, 2004 When do they start relaxing, doing deer things again? Our Blacktail seem to have a very short attention span. If you shoot and miss and do not chase (no threat) soon they will just continue to do what they were doing. But we have thick rainforest jungle, that gun shot sounds don't carry that far. During the rut the Blacktail Bucks are so 'interested' that whatever happens around them (even a gun shot) they are oblivious to (sometimes). Once you shoot in a particular area (miss or hit) when can that area be hunted again? Johnnie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted December 9, 2004 A couple of years ago my buddy and I were hunting unit 23. We glassed up a decent buck on a little shelf and he chased a couple of does over the ridge. When we got to that ridge, he spooked out of tall grass and my friend with the tag shot at and missed him. The next morning we found him again on the same bench. This time he didn't get away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted December 9, 2004 I have seen bucks go back to feeding right after I killed one of their buddies. They go up and smell the dead buck and then just wait around wondering what to do and eventually get back to feeding. So sometimes they go back to normal right away. I think it depends on how much pressure they have seen. And I think it's age dependent too. A buck that has been through many hunting seasons will probably spook more easily than a young one. I think the bigger bucks learn to hold tighter and hide more than the younger ones do. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rembrant Report post Posted December 10, 2004 One year my brother and I woke up in unit 21 to 5 inches of wet snow and a total fog-in. We decided to hike out, dry out and regroup. On the hike out, I was trailing him - just totally diggin the 15 to 25 yd view. We were in mequites and saguaros, wet snow on everything and this mystical fog setting an eerie mood. My brother is head down and plowing along leading the way, and as I'm following and staring off in wonder, I see an outline of a big whitetail buck standing there watching us walk by at 25 yds. He had a tall rack that curved in at the top, shaped kinda like an ancient indian bowl. I tell my brother, "Big Buck! Big buck! And I swing my rifle around to the right, with full pack on, click the safety off and scope up to a faint image of this buck as he turns and dissapears ghost-like into the fog. If I had pulled the trigger, I probably would have killed him, but it just ain't right to be shootin at something you can't see! A few days later my brother goes back into the same area, does a little glassing, and then wonders if he were to walk down that same trail, could he possibly walk up to a big whitetail buck with a bad habit of standing there watching people walk by? As he walks through that same spot, he said the hair stood up on the back of his neck. He flipped his safety off and pussy footed along- walks around a tree and THERE HE IS!!!! standing there at about 25 yds just watching him. The deer does the turn and bolt thing. The hunter fires and misses - twice! Runs after him to a small drainage - watching, WATCHING... and the deer does a very un-whitetail thing and busts out the other side of the draw where my brother whacks him!!! He scores 104". Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
