If you have ever witnessed a buck bed in the morning, please give me your account. If you can remember the wind and how he approached, how far up/down the hillside he bedded, how he positioned himself in terms of his vision, how he bedded in regards to the wind....the list could go on but you get my point. Thanks guys. Brett
I watched two bed down together, this year. They were both 1.5yr olds, though. I watched them go down the ridge (ridge faces E/W) from the E and bed almost at the breakline (where the hardwoods turn to cutover). They went down about 1/3 way and nestledon the downwind side of a blowdown. Wind was from the N. Only thing that perplexed me about their vantage point was.....they couldn't see down the ridge, for the blowdown (I don't think they could). But, they could sure smell anything coming from that direction. I jumped the same two bucks one afternoon, heading up (I know....dumb). I've had a few bed down around me in the AM's. But they usually (OK, all the time) get up and move in, deeper, pretty quickly after light.
A few years ago, a large 9 point bedded with a doe about 100 yards away. He was on a point over looking a large field. The wind was at their back, and they were looking over the field. I think this was more of where that doe wanted to bed, and the buck attempting to lock her down. This year a good 3-4 year old buck bedded around 9 A.M. in a small point that ran into a cut corn field. The wind was out of the S. He was bedded looking directly N. Both of these experiences were during the heat of the rut.
Thank you Jeff and Scott for your descriptions. Those types of explanations really help me out. So Scott, in both instances you saw bedded bucks, they had the wind to their back and were overlooking open areas? And Jeff, what about you, the ridge was running E/W and the wind was from the North. Were the bucks bedded on the south or north side of the ridge?
Yeah and I sat there and watched him with my butt wedged in a tree for about 7 hours lol. He crossed a creek heading from east to west coming off an open field into the creek bottom. He bedded actually UNDER a blow down about 5 yards on the other side of the creek. The wind was out of the north. I later in the week caught up with him.... general bedroom area....
November 9th I had a nice buck with a doe working their way off a standing corn field into the woods I was hunting. Wind was from the NW and they were headed North to South. They got about 60 yards from me and then headed W down a small finger and beaded near the bottom of the ravine. Both deer were facing pretty well SE, with the wind blowing at their backs. The buck chose a spot directly beneath a large blowdown, where from the upper vantage point on the ridge you'd never see him in a million years. After watching them for about 2 hrs I climbed down and attempted a stalk. I got to within 30 yards, but about 5 yds before I had a clear shot the doe busted me and took off. The buck stayed for another 2-3 minutes before getting up and walking off, never presenting a shot. 30 minutes later I was able to doe bleat him back down the ravine, but when he got to the bottom he literally plopped his butt down smack in the washed out bottom, right in the mud. Same scenario, facing SE with the wind on his back. One thing to note though: we had extremely warm temps for November and I believe the reason this buck was in the bottom of that ravine was to take advantage of the cooler temps. When he bedded down right in the mud there was no doubt in my mind what he was doing.
I had only one instance last year and it was a 1.5 old buck. IMO, that doesn't hold the same merrit as a mature buck, but I will lay it out for you. I was in a stand that is smack dab in a middle of a thicket that lays about 50 yards inside the woods. An agriculture field surrounds the woods. Last year it was in corn. The buck actually came in a little before 9 am from the corner of the corn field from behind me. I found this odd that a deer was feeding this late in the a.m. in an open field. I don't run into a lot of that in my areas. Usually evening feeding only in open fields. Anyways.... the buck came in and did a complete circle of the thicket and then came back in to my tree and bedded down 30 yrds from me. The wind was from the south and he laid down facing north looking out across the field. I set there till 1pm until he finally got up and headed south into the timber.
Exactly. It doesn't make "perfect" sense. But, he could see up the ridge for a really good ways. There's actually a ravine that separates the ridge....and he may have been closer to 1/2 way down (from the actual "peak"). He had other things in his favor (they did), though. The leaves were really crunchy. They were actually on a point, with a ravine cutting through the bottom of the point. They would have smelled anything coming up.....seen/heard anything coming down.....and I think they know the cutover well enough to know there isn't anything human going to be coming from that direction. Yotes, though? Yeah....They were susceptible from the E (cutover). They were probably 175yds from the meadow, below. If I was a deer, the 1st thing I'd do is run a yote into the open. Whether they know this or not.....I don't know. But I've never seen a yote on a deer's trail in the open. It's a GREAT spot to bed, regardless of the wind. I'm guessing they may have chosen the other side of the blowdown, in a S wind, though (guess).
From what I've experienced, when bucks break up from their bachelor groups, they tend to bed in more remote locations by themselves. During the rut they seem to bed where the does are, usually not where they'd normally bed. One time, I knew that a good buck was bedding in a small catail swamp that was part of a fence row between crop fields. He bedded on a small, dry hummock in the middle of it. I had never seen him enter or leave the bed during daylight. Finally, on Oct. 20th, I saw him leave his bed. He was getting antsy as the does were getting closer to estrus. This was all on flat ground. I have much to learn on my new place which is hilly terrain but from what I've seen, they seem to favor certain brushy points, slightly down from the top of the ridge.
The big 8pt I killed here in Michigan in 2005 was bedding in the am down by a river that I had to cross. He was about 60 yards off the river with his back to the river so he could hear anything coming in behind him in the water and bedding right in the middle of three blow downs and he had his face to the wind SW most of the time. I got him because I watched him go there 3 times and kept moving in closer until he showed about 1/2 hour later than normal, It was late October so I figured he was out playing a little later than he wanted to.. Walt
I only watched a buck bed down in the morning one time. In '06 I was hunting in Alberta during the rut, and watched a nice (to me) 8pt coming towards me. He was still 70yrds out when he stopped, then started pawing at the ground. I'm thinking why is he making a scrape in the snow (12") this time of the season? He then lays down in the depression he made! I watched him lay there with the wind to his back, just looking around. I believe he was just taking a break from chasing does around the Canadian countryside. His neck was thicker than anything I'd ever seen. I prayed he would continue the same course when he got back up. About 15 minutes later he got up and started coming my way again. He came to around 19 yrds and stopped briefly. Put my Muzzy throught his heart and watched him go down after his 60yrd death run! It was awesome. Here's where he bedded.
Back in the late 90's or so. First or second week of Nov. I was gun hunting in the back of a clearcut that was about 4 yrs old. I have a tower stand on the north side of one of the slopes and a food plot in the bottom which is also surrounded by a swamp. About 8:00 a nice 2 yr old 7pt with an 18" outside spread came in from the NW corner of the plot. The wind was from the N. He fed about 70 yds in front of me for about 20 min. then walked in front of me from rt. to left still using the crosswind. He bedded about 30-40 yds from me on the same side of the slope as me (N). Because of all the growth I could not see his body but by his antlers I am sure he was facing the wind. Bedded with backend or side facing crest of slope ( about 3/4 of the way up) and looking down the slope with the wind pretty much in his face. Visibility for him at ground level would have been about 2-3 ft. so I guess he was using the wind and thermals for front approaching predators and maybe just the sheer amount of noise it would make for a human or something large to approach from behind?? At 9:00 I had to get down to go in to work so I have no idea how long he stayed.
I am lucky enough to see multiple bucks/year bed withing 40-50 yards of me. First off I'll say 60% are 1.5, 35% are 2.5, and only 5% are 3.5 or older. I must also add that nearly all of this occurs mid-Oct to Late-Nov...RUT Time (and yes 95% of my hunting is AM during this time of season). But to classify the "typical" set up, I have never witnessed this near food source. I hunt primarly large timber with VERY steep ravines and ridge tops. Bucks tend to bed on a somewhat south facing slope, on the hillside between 1/2 and 3/4 of the way up, wind generally at their back, with them looking/surveying the area below them. They also do an amazing job blending in with the slightest of blowdowns, etc. I always enjoy hunts where any deer bed close to me - always seem to learn something or just pick up on how "aware" they are...only bad thing is that I cannot get a Snickers out of my pack when they're that close...
Two that come to mind. The first was Jan 2nd 2000. I was set up on a trail crossing a dry creek. The wind was out of the North. The creek ran West to East. The buck cam walking up the dry creek from W to E and bedded down in the creek next to a dead log around 7:30. He bedded for an hour then walked up the creek some more and I killed him at 15 yards. My biggest buck to date 165 gross. The other was a 2.5 yaer old that came in about 3 years ago with the wind on the side of a ridge. He bedded just over the top of the ridge with the wind cutting across the point of the ridge at 9:00. He had a great view of the hollow below him. He was so comfortable there, I couldn't get him to leave at 11:00 by moving and talking to him. I almost had to do jumping jacks in my stand to get him to leave.
Man guys, this is some great information you all are giving me. This is how I learn the best, from real stories with breakdowns that I can understand. Many of you guys are describing scenarios where bucks walk in from the field side and bed down with the wind at their backs while facing out surveying the open country. Anothe scenario that is extremely intersting to me is from you Walt, since I hunt a lot around lakes and large creeks. The desire for bucks to use the lake/large body of water to their advantage, to actually eliminate one part of their 360 degree protection. Then they have the wind coming from in front of them blowing out over the water. They then smell in front of them and can hear from behind them in the water. I talked to Gri22ly the other day about this very scenario and how I might be able to use that to my advantage this year. THANK you guys.
What I really found amazing was that buck literally bedded in front of my face (as I was walking out from my stand). I decided to hunker down and wait him out. Even seeing where he bedded and knowing exactly where he was, at times it was still very hard to make him out where he was bedded even though he was very close to me and I saw where he plopped down. I thought there were times where he slipped away without me noticing, but then would catch a glimpse of his rack or face. Amazing creatures.
ive seen them bed down countless times and watched them bed down anywhere and everywhere. wind or no wind. hill or no hill. these open country mulies are tough to hunt in open country
