I am a new bow hunter. I had a doe duck my arrow four days ago. Two does came out after the miss and stared at my ground blind stamping there feet every once and a while. I did not move. They ran off. Yesterday I went back to the blind and saw nothing.

Question: Is that stand done for a week, two weeks, the year? If not how long before the path(s) i/ares used again? Was it just one of those nights when the deer don't show?

Thanks.

I would give the area a rest for atleast a week. That's been my past experience atleast.

IMO, the more rest you can give a stand, the better it will be. I think this is the case whether you shoot at a deer or not.

definatly rest it for a week. Be vary carefull with scent next time out and only hunt with the perfect wind.

Like archerystud said, the more rest the better. I wouldn't automatically assume the two incidents are related either as I would almost think that same deer wouldn't have come back so quick, but you never know. You sure won't hurt anything by waiting longer than you think you need to.

The first time one hunts a stand is always the best and all will go downhill from there. I would move the blind for awhile and hunt elsewhere. I try never to hunt the same stand and if they spot me, I'm out of there probably for a minimum of a few weeks.

To throw a wrench into all the good advice above...

I shot a nice 10 pt. out of a stand that my friend shot a doe out of two days before. I knew hunting the stand so shortly afterwards was wrong in principal, but the wind was right and that stand was convenient. Good logic doesn't always hold true...

I see no problem with shooting a deer and then going back. My concern is when you get busted and deer start to blow at you and pound their feet and warn the whole woods.

One can do what you did but, its not likely to happen alot.

The land I hunt is two medium/small (80 acres and 30 acres) CREP fields with a narrow treed ravine in the middle. The stands/blind are along the very jagged tree line.

Question: Should my goal be getting as far away from the original spot (thinking first about the affected deer) or should I be more concerned with structure than spooked deer?

Thanks for the thoughtful advice.

I had a stand on a field once i saw deer there non stop, one snowy day i was out there and there were like 10 doe in front of me i waited till it was dark so they couldnt see me and i tried to sneek out but tripped on some wire and made some noise, they ran, i hunted it a few days later and still saw deer, this one area i had things like that happen before but the deer kept going there.

if you're after a deer in particular, like a buck, and the deer you want busts ya, move to a different location. if a doe busts ya, snorts and stomps the ground, most deer around will hear it, but it doesn't always mean you're screwed. the deer that have sniffed or seen ya, will always enter that area with the wind in their advantage from there on out. so you'll have to bathe in cover scent or scent eliminator.

The night i shot my buck, there was 2 seperate occasions when does snorted, but that was being startled by coons and a rooster. they bolted only to come back minutes later, were startled again, bolted and returned, at which time 5 bucks entered single file, the one i got coming out last.

trust me, if they smell you, 99% of the time they won't return that soon, no matter how hungry or thirsty they are.

Sounds like a heavily used area, or a great bottleneck you got there. I think a few days away would do you some good and try it again. Heck some nights they are there and you are definitely not busted, go back the next night and nothing.

A question for you, did you set up your blind the same night you hunted it?

That is a gross picture leechbait. Perceptive comment/question. It is a great bottleneck, and I had (more-or-less) just put up the blind. The blind stays there year round (it belongs to the land owner who only hunts shotgun and muzzleloader). That morning I went to the spot and turned the blind right-side up.

Could the deer have been reacting to the upright blind rather than me?

Sometime even subtle changes can make a difference to an old wise doe. That's why I asked if you just put up the blind.

About the picture, I just got it back from Glamor Shots.

There is a difference in getting busted and spooking them out of the field. If they see/ smell you in your stand, you can bet if it is a mature doe she will look for you next time. They aren't that bright, but they know better to try it twice. Move the blind 50-60yds, that might help, but i bet they put you and the blind together and don't go near it for a while.

I have had does they bust me look for me the next time even after a couple weeks rest. I have 12 stands set up, I rotate and haven't sat in one more than 3 times. I also have a climber and use that alot. Don't be predictable, don't hunt unless the wind is perfect. That keeps my spots as fresh as the first night i hunt. Good Luch hope that helps.