The bucks are taunting me!

fishuntr2 · 10-29-2002, 07:45 AM

Last night at 7:00, Jason went out to the pump house to turn on the water. He came back in and said there were deer sparring in our field. I went out and saw 1 doe and 2 bucks. The bucks were locking antlers and pushing each other around. We were about 75 yards from them and they didn't seem bothered by us or the flashlight we were observing them with. After watching awhile I went back into the house. Jason stayed out there. After awhile he came in and said that he managed to low crawl to within 25 yards of the 2 bucks. A nice fork and a smaller 3-pt. The bucks finally broke it up after the doe wandered off and Jason heard 1 buck splashing across the river. I went out hunting for an hour this morning and didn't see anything. Did hear an animal blowing kind of like a horse as it ran across an upper clearcut I was below. Sounded big so probably an elk.
Bob

Firedog · 10-29-2002, 08:35 AM

Kind of know what you mean I was out yesterday and had a small forked horn that just wouldnt go away. Jumped him on my way to an area I was going to hunt He knew something was up but couldnt Pin Point where I was even when he looked right at me a couple times. Watched him feed around me for about 20 min. Then he finally got over the ridge and I moved on, didnt want to spook him just in case there were any other deer in the area. Hunted for about five hours and was on my way back across this same ridge and as I am coming down towards the truck, guess who is between me and the truck. It is about an hour till dark and all I have to do is go though about 80 more yards of timber and cross a Reprod patch that had just been thinned and I will be back at my truck, so I sit and watch him, play the same game as before I move a little an he will look up and try and figure out what I am then go back to feeding. He starts out about 80 yards down the hill on the edge of the clearcut and ends up working his way all the way up the hill and back around above me. Closest he got was 10 yards. This all took about 40 mins, I was hoping another buck might come out but no such luck. I finally got tired of playing cat and mouse with him and just turned around and looked at him, blew my cow call a couple times. He stomped his feet and walked back over the ridge. I thought long and hard about shooting him but it was a small fork and I have quite a bit of time left to hunt before season is over. Sure was tempting though. :smile:

Bubba · 10-29-2002, 09:25 AM

Same thing sorta happened to me while Elk hunting last week in the dalles watershed. I was trying to call an Elk in with my Cow call and all the sudden i heard what seemed to be a horse but of course it was a huge Buck he got within 40 feet of me and started to ram his head against a huge tree and then he started to rub the limbs off of all the small trees around me. I continued to blow my cow call and he was below me diggin in the ground and grunting he seemed kinda mad, it was really exciting, but thats about as close as i got to any animal all season, that watershed tag is kind of a joke. Way to thick.

Gus Orviston · 10-29-2002, 09:39 AM

Quote:

I went out hunting for an hour this morning and didn't see anything. Did hear an animal blowing kind of like a horse as it ran across an upper clearcut I was below. Sounded big so probably an elk.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I bet it was a deer, the blow hard when they can't tell what you are, and it sounds like a horse. They will also stomp their feet when agitated.

[ 10-29-2002, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Gus Orviston ]

Gus Orviston · 10-29-2002, 12:16 PM

Been lucky enough to see the snorting and stomping several times thanks to some old timers I know :smile: , and last year had a doe stomp in my back yard. She ripped out a section of grass about 14" long... it was funny but PO'ed me nonetheless, I had just reseeded the entire lawn and had to add that to my patch work... swore I was going to get some blunts for the bow and run them off.

Instead I started feeding them :shocked: , and now I get a little 3 point and several does and little guys. Mostly they don't do much damage, but there are few bushes that get a natural pruning...coyote urine and bird netting cures that :grin:

Funny critters, whenever I pile up a mound of dirt, rock, or build a brick wall, I will always find them walking (or their tracks) on top of my projects. There is something about freshly turned dirt that attracts them.

fishuntr2 · 10-29-2002, 02:00 PM

I have heard deer snort and blow...this was bigger. Especilly when it ran off...quite the noise. And it was a ways away from me.It might have been a neighbors horse as they get out once in awhile. Don't know and I didn't cut any tracks on the path I was following. I'll be out there every morning this week for an hour and all day friday thru sunday. Bound to see something...
Bob

Flying Roast Beef · 10-29-2002, 11:12 PM

I had that happen out in eastern Oregon once. I sat down to eat an apple in a place where I could see acrossed this canyon and I could hear an animal walking up a steep hill towards me. I just sat there as a huge four point mulie walked to within feet of me. We played the staring game for a few minutes then I sort of snorted at him. Wow did that get him going. He starts looking at me over his brow tines and spreading his feet. I figured that was enough and stood up. He never did spook. Just sort of strutted off looking over his shoulder at me. Funny how tough they are when they are all rutted out! I sure wish I'd had my camera but then it would never have happened anyway!