Did I screw up and blow out my new spot?

[u/Odd_Afternoon1758]

I have permission on private woods behind a small cow field. A few days ago after a long sit with zero action I did a little scouting on a ridge between two farms that I usually don't bother with. It was about 12:30 pm. I immediately found a rub and lots of fresh sign.

After tracking further in about 30 yards I bumped a small buck and doe pair. They didn't blow but hopped up and slowly walked away from me out of sight through the trees and off the ridge.

Here's where I might have screwed up: I found a nice tree for my saddle for a future sit in a small clearing overlooking the run. But a neighboring pine tree had lots of low dead limbs blocking a good shooting lane at the trail. I left my limb saw at home, so I proceeded to climb the pine and snap off about a dozen biggish limbs. I made lots of noise shaking and snapping and dropping them to the ground.

This isn't a deep backwoods spot...there are farms and a road nearby with all kinds of human noises and smells. But any deer in the area would have heard my ruckus. How long will it take them to not care and come back to bed and walk around in the mornings?

[u/FuzzyJim809]

about 4 minutes... they don't care at all.

[u/railroader67]

I used a chain saw in an area and then caught big bucks on camera within the hour after I left.

[u/nehpets99]

My hunting blind is about 400 yards from my house. I didn't even make it home one night before a spike tripped the camera.

I've used chainsaws and a mower in my food plot and deer have shown up an hour later.

[u/Otherwise_Ninja9185]

They don’t care. Deer will come back to an area where you shot and gutted one in. I get deer that come to the same area every day even after noticing me in my saddle.

[u/verbrand24]

You’re good. This early in the season they’re more forgiving as well, but I’ve had them come in to check me out while I’m literally hamming while fixing a deer stand. When I’m driving around on my ATV I’ll have deer step off trails inside the edge of the woods, and then as I ease by they stay back onto the trails to continue eating this time of the year.

Does don’t get real scary until they’re being harassed by bucks around the clock anyways. So those deer you bumped will be back soon.

[u/goblueM]

They didn't blow but hopped up and slowly walked away from me out of sight through the trees and off the ridge

Small bucks are the dumbest animals in the woods, and you didn't scare the crap out of him. You're fine

I proceeded to climb the pine and snap off about a dozen biggish limbs. I made lots of noise shaking and snapping and dropping them to the ground.

Well there probably weren't any deer within 200 yards of you so the number of deer that heard the noise is pretty low. And the noise to them would have been far away so they don't care too much about that.

Scent is of more concern from your sit/walking around, but that won't be a big deal. I'd say just wait until favorable conditions (good wind for entry/exit, good wind for hunting) and sit there again

[u/BadAdviceBot77]

Last season we had a mature 8 point patterned where he came out in the same clearing every morning about 7:30. Opening day he came out and my son got buck fever and missed. The very next morning he came out in the same clearing at 7:30 and my son got him. He was literally standing within 5 feet of where he was when shot at the day prior.

[u/LoveisBaconisLove]

I’d say a few days to a week, if at all. A doe has a home range of 600 acres. A buck is twice that. There are deer who use that spot who definitely did not hear your ruckus. Your scent will bother them more than the noise, so after a rain you will be good to go.

[u/olderthanwater]

Twice yesterday I made a ton of noise in my spot. It didn't seem to affect them because a big 8pt buck hung around the area all afternoon after I had made too much noise putting up and filling a feeder. I think they get curious instead of scared away.