Do they come back? Need some advice...

[PHo]

Ok so I’ve been hunting in a tree stand for some lowland blacktails. These deer are not the migratory type. Anyway, things are getting busy this week and I’m starting to see pre rut movement. Bucks are just beginning to follow does and they’re starting to spar with other bucks. Well this morning I had a shot at a buck that was with a couple does and some spikes, but unfortunately I shot high over his back. I’ve only sat at this particular location for a couple days so I don’t know if this group of deer frequent this area or if they’re just moving through. They ran off a little startled but I wouldn’t say that they completely spooked, they even stopped about 100yrds out to look back to see what was going on. I know this may be hard to answer but my question is do you guys think they may come back to the area within the next week or should I just move my tree stand to a different location?

 

[Sawfish]

Stay where you are. Are they feeding in that arwa?

 

[PHo]

Yes they were feeding. They were actually bedded about 100yds from my tree stand, which I was unaware of until I saw them get up this morning. They fed for about half and hour then bedded back down for another hour or so before getting up again and coming my way.

 

[Broomd]

DID HE SEE YOU?....that is the question....

Deer that know someone is in a stand may abandon an area. If there was confusion and they didn't detect your location, I'd sit tight.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The areas where I hunt blacktails, they stick around their bedding and feeding areas and you shouldn’t change your location.

One thing I’ve noticed is that they stick to some regular patterns and have a day bed and a night bed. They feed in from one direction in the morning from their “night” bed and then bed down in their “daytime” beds before getting up and feeding in the evenings heading back towards their night beds. I usually try to meet them in the middle near their game trails and play the wind properly.