Ah, the dreaded human pressure topic. This is one that many fail to acknowledge, or even refuse to consider at times. Unfortunately, it’s a real thing and we must give it some thought as hunters. Doing things like hunting a bad wind, and having your target buck smell you from the bedding area can be a huge mistake in your success in a spot. Along with that, checking your trail cameras too often, or at the wrong times can also lead to pushing a target buck away from an area.
Some bucks are more sensitive to human pressure than others, but nonetheless deer are affected by human interactions. My suggestion to avoid this is to check your cameras less frequently, and do so at a time that you see the least deer movement on the camera. One can also purchase a cellular trail camera to avoid having to walk into your spot unless you’re hunting, or changing batteries.
As far as hunting pressure goes, choosing to hunt that spot on days with a good wind is crucial. I will argue that the number one way to ensure that your target buck does not show up is by hunting with an awful wind direction. I discussed this in a prior blog, you can read that here:Â 2 Ways To Become A Better Deer Hunter
If you believe that you or another person has pushed your target buck out of an area, start resorting to your other cameras if you have them to give you intel on where he has moved in at. I also like to use satellite maps to make educated guesses at where I think he may be hiding.