“I Jumped a Deer on the Way to My Deer
Hunting Stand…What to Do?”
By Marty
Prokop
It never fails.
In the predawn hours, as you are walking to your deer
hunting tree stand, you jump a deer. The deer takes off
running. What do you do?
Should you stay there and hope the deer comes back when it
is legal shooting time? Or should you continue on your way
to your deer hunting tree stand?
I’ve had similar experiences on my way out to my deer
hunting tree stand.
Here is what I do in similar
situations.
Deer like to think they are invisible in low light. During
low light, such as near dusk, I’ve walked 20 feet from a
deer. Even though it saw me, the deer stood still as if it
believed I couldn’t see it.
If you are heading out to your deer hunting tree stand and
jump a deer decide whether the deer has winded you, has seen
you or is running from some other noise it heard.
If a deer catches your scent, nine times out of ten, it will
run for the hills. You may not see the deer again that day.
Always try to have the wind blowing in your face when you
are walking to your deer hunting treestand. This will keep
your scent away from deer ahead of you.
Watch the actions of the running deer. If the deer bolts out
and slows down to look behind it, chances are you were not
seen, and the deer will go about its business. In this case,
wait until the deer walks out of sight and proceed to your
deer hunting tree stand slowly and quietly.
If the deer bolts and keeps running without looking back,
the deer either saw you or winded you. Rarely will you see
that particular deer again that day. Regardless, wait until
the deer is out of your sight and proceed to your deer
hunting tree stand.
Here’s an interesting deer hunting tip
on what to do when you are winded by a deer.
This past deer hunting season, I was winded by deer. They
ran. I had great success in stopping the deer by using a
fawn bleat call.
I have tested the fawn bleat on mature does and younger
bucks that winded, heard or saw me. They were running away.
They stopped immediately when I used the call. But the fawn
bleat call did not work in stopping large bucks.
Overall, when you jump a deer on the way to your deer
hunting tree stand and the deer runs for the hills, the
choice to keep moving towards your deer hunting tree stand
is likely the best option.
