Spooking Does and Fawns - Can it Ruin Your Chances?

[Northcountryman]

I was Reading an article in NorthAmerican Whitetail this am About spooking does , small bucks and fawns that are not being targeted by the hunter .  essentially, the author maintains this is a no - no and can lead to burning a spot due to body language differences displayed by said spoked deer that is then detected by targeted bucks. I’m not sure if that matters as I’ve spooked plenty of does  on my way in/ out of my stands and still saw deer afterwards . Certainly , it should be avoided as much as possible , though as spooking deer is never a good thing ; I’m just not sure if it will end up ruining your chances , though . What do you think ?

[suburbanfarmer]

4 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

I was Reading an article in NorthAmerican Whitetail this am About spooking does , small bucks and fawns that are not being targeted by the hunter .  essentially, the author maintains this is a no - no and can lead to burning a spot due to body language differences displayed by said spoked deer that is then detected by targeted bucks. I’m not sure if that matters as I’ve spooked plenty of does  on my way in/ out of my stands and still saw deer afterwards . Certainly , it should be avoided as much as possible , though as spooking deer is never a good thing ; I’m just not sure if it will end up ruining your chances , though . What do you think ?

Depends on the location and deer herd size.

Suburbia, deer get bumped/spooked all the time vs out in the ADK, hunt maybe over for the day

[cdbing]

If the target buck sees the other non-target deer acting skittish, I could see the buck taking evasive action.

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[Gobbler Chaser]

Big bucks use does as sensors. They'll stand off and see what does are doing, if they're relaxed. If the does are looking directly at the target buck that's normal. But if they're looking at something else or testing the wind alot the buck will hang back

[Robhuntandfish]

 I'm a believer in this especially if you have a very limited amount of deer around.

If you bump out the resident does then there goes your rut bait. Been concerned about this in my spot this week.  Been hitting it pretty hard and am glad the spot has a few days break now.  Keeping the does content means keeping the bucks there or drawing in others. 

 

[Northcountryman]

Well , if this is true , then there’s something to be said about taking the “ right “ way into your stand to minimize kicking something up . Oftentimes , the shortest Easiest  path may not be the “ best “ e.g. : traipsing straight thru the field cuz it’s an easy walk May not be as prudent as skirting around thru the woods and approaching from downwind , even if it takes twice as long .

[mowin]

It's difficult in some circumstances. I've bumped deer already in the fields going in for a afternoon hunt. Definitely not going to walk through the woods bedding areas to hunt a field edge.  Also have multiple deer in the field feeding after shooting light. I try to get down without spooking them, but sometimes they are only 30 yrds off. 

 

[dbHunterNY]

It's the rut with peak breeding around the corner. If doe bust you and leave a buck that's with them or tailing them will to. Any buck old for its area will often not come out if it sees or hears deer getting spooked. Deer have interdigital glands. When they bust you they stomp and leave a record to every other deer well after the fact that they encountered danger. If that happens enough deer will associate that area with danger. So yea it's important.

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[Daveboone]

I am very particular on letting others use my stands, for this reason. Of course, you cant always know if you spook deer...if you dont see them. If I spook deer from a stand, I consider that stand done pretty much for the season., or at least several weeks. If deer show up after shooting light sometimes I am in for a long sit before they wander away.

[GreeneHunter]

I've kicked many Deer while walking to my Ladder Stand , what I do pre season is actually Rake the trail leading to my Stand so there are no twigs that can snap or leaves sounding like rice crispies on the way in . It seem to help alot !

[Culvercreek hunt club]

18 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

It's the rut with peak breeding around the corner. If doe bust you and leave a buck that's with them or tailing them will to. Any buck old for its area will often not come out if it sees or hears deer getting spooked. Deer have interdigital glands. When they bust you they stomp and leave a record to every other deer well after the fact that they encountered danger. If that happens enough deer will associate that area with danger. So yea it's important.

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On the other side of the coin I have jumped a doe walking in and turns out she was hot. She ran right by a stand I had up and I climbed up in it. It was a parade of bucks all day right down her trail by the stand. 

[cdbing]

It's the rut with peak breeding around the corner. If doe bust you and leave a buck that's with them or tailing them will to. Any buck old for its area will often not come out if it sees or hears deer getting spooked. Deer have interdigital glands. When they bust you they stomp and leave a record to every other deer well after the fact that they encountered danger. If that happens enough deer will associate that area with danger. So yea it's important.

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I have been busted by does complete with stomping and blowing and just being a nuisance, and had another deer follow a few minutes later and not react. That might be an anomaly, but it has happened to me more than a couple times.

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[mlammerhirt]

Had the lead/mature doe during yesterdays PM hunt come in and catch us before we saw her. She didn't know exactly where we were but wasn't happy which resulted in a stomp....blow and bounding off with two others in two. Fast forward 25 minutes later and the same crew came right back thru.

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[dbHunterNY]

On the other side of the coin I have jumped a doe walking in and turns out she was hot. She ran right by a stand I had up and I climbed up in it. It was a parade of bucks all day right down her trail by the stand. 

Did you play the lottery that day? lol

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[dbHunterNY]

I have been busted by does complete with stomping and blowing and just being a nuisance, and had another deer follow a few minutes later and not react. That might be an anomaly, but it has happened to me more than a couple times.

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They're pretty tolerant. If it turns into a regular occurrence it's a problem.

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[Northcountryman]

38 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

They're pretty tolerant. If it turns into a regular occurrence it's a problem.

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Agreed - you can get away with a lot more with does and immature bauds than you can the big boys . 

[mowin]

I've spooked the same spike 4 times this week in my food plot. All 4 while walking in, he ran off. Had to bust him big time yesterday leaving my stand. 

Called in a big 6 yesterday, but a doe caught his attention, and he vered off. Today, missed a huge 8 minutes after spooking the same spike off the plot.

Shot just under him. 

Edited November 9, 2021 by mowin

[Northcountryman]

In your case , sounds like it doesn’t seem to matter , then ! 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

12 hours ago, dbHunterNY said:

Did you play the lottery that day? lol

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 nah. Nothing mature enough strolled by but it was really great action. 

[jperch]

I don't know if it's true but hunters used to say that if a deer was badly spooked it left a scent as a warning to other deer.

[DirtTime]

Spooking deer can't make them leave for very long. In the days of old when hunters wore blue jeans and did a lot of drives they would hunt the same areas often, and continue to do drives and still kill deer.

[moog5050]

If one hunts an area with a decent population, its likely that they will spook deer on entry - I would say it happens more often than not to me on morning hunts.  Maybe I just suck but I still see the occasional deer.

[DirtTime]

3 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

If one hunts an area with a decent population, its likely that they will spook deer on entry - I would say it happens more often than not to me on morning hunts.  Maybe I just suck but I still see the occasional deer.

I've seen some of the deer you have taken, no suck about that at all. If you're spooking deer then please come on over this way and spook a few for me please.

[Just Lucky]

I think there is a difference in spooking vs. Disturbing deer. 

Spooking deer, I think results in  that deer, or group not returning.  Shooting, bow, or gun results in spooked deer. Sneaking around with bow does the same.

Disturbed deer, such as jumped when bedding, move and circle back. Casual walk to and from stands with bow I think disturbs. Or moving stand, cutting wood, ect.

Alot of my success with gun hunting depends on disturbed deer looking for me on a particular path. Deer will pattern us as we do them. I jump shoot alot of deer coming in the back way after they have me patterned.  3 out of 4 of my biggest bucks have been killed that way.

[GreeneHunter]

Years ago when I was just getting into Hunting I used to hear " Once the shooting starts they head for the Hills "  took me a few years to realize where I hunt IS the Hills ! They may temporarily stay out of their 10-50 acres that the usually stay in but they will be back and perhaps go Nocturnal but they didn't go anywhere . They've just been educated !