Jumping a mule deer buck

[pd]

What is your strategy for when you jump a mule deer buck out of its bed? Do you face into the wind and look for them? Do they go in the opposite direction of the wind? Do they circle around most of the time?

If they circle around, it's a circle the size of the county. Muley bucks don't stop and get curious like whitey bucks.

Been awhile since youve hunted whitetail ??

This is a good topic.  I live on the westside, and really only hunt blacktail.  I have very close to zero experience with whitetail.  I am told by my elders (there is a considerable body of WT hunting knowledge, going back close to a century) that WT will "always circle around and come back to the point where they were bumped."

I don't have any way to confirm this theory.  Was it true once-upon-a-time, but no longer true?  Was it an Old Wive's fiction?  Is it still true?  I think Pianoman is suggesting something similar.

[buckfvr]

My experience has been if you jump a deer out of bed and he has only heard you, then yes, he may stop to look and or loop around, etc., but if he has smelled and or seen you, all bets are on an increased rate of escape and evade.  Like most likely to not see him again anytime soon.  Since the wolves are ever increasing, you can expect them to eject from bed even if they only hear you.  Ive watched whitetail and mule deer that I know only heard me, run like a race horse and not slow up until out of sight. But mostly, they are still unpredictable in the end.

[Alchase]

What is your strategy for when you jump a mule deer buck out of its bed? Do you face into the wind and look for them? Do they go in the opposite direction of the wind? Do they circle around most of the time?

If they circle around, it's a circle the size of the county. Muley bucks don't stop and get curious like whitey bucks.

Been awhile since youve hunted whitetail ??

My experience hunting only white tail over the last six years here in Oklahoma, is once you bust a white tail buck, they are gone, no Stotting, no trotting. They take off at full speed and don’t stop until the next county.

Mule deer bucks after busting me, I have been able to stop with a whistle or snort where They turn around and give you a quick chance if you are ready. I have also seen muleys stot over a hill, and once out of sight, out of mind, Just go right back to eating. Giving a chance to sneak over the hill and a possible shot.

Having said that, I also watched a 3x4 muley buck bust a hunter a crossed the road from Parigyn Lake, we watched that buck run non-stop over many pastures and lost sight of him on the far side of East Chewach River.

[highcountry_hunter]

I wait for the deer to run 60 yards stop and stare at me broadside and shoot them. Mule deer are dumb.

Not sure if joking or serious…

Super serious. No other animal I would rather jump from it’s bed.

Hmm interesting. In my experience the smaller ones like to stop and see what spooked em but the mature ones are ghondi