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A bedding question..?

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by WesternMdHardwoods, Oct 26, 2009.

  1. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    I am a bit confused looking for help...? I went to Ohio yesterday and put 10+ miles on my feet on public land trying to find some decent spots to hunt next week. I did not jump a single deer the whole time, and there was little sign?

    The question I have though is, will deer make a "home" bedding area in the open woods? I may have covered 2000acres of the 10000acre plot but I found no sign of bedding areas? I stumbled upon one deer bed that was in about a 50yrd circumference of 1ft high green briars but there really is not any thick areas in the whole public land? I know I only covered so much of the area but from looking at the Topos and Google Earth of the rest that I was unable to get too, it all looks the same??

    So in turn I dont know how far these deer would travel to get to a "good bedding area"?

    I may have wasted a whole day looking in the Wrong area, but I cant believe it the area looked good just no sign?? Im talking no Scrapes, Rubs, Deer, and hardly many trails??
     
  2. Hooter56

    Hooter56 Weekend Warrior

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    Kind of looks like you've answered your own question. I've hunted a large area before that I didn't get a chance to scout ahead of time. There was absolutely no sign to be found, (except for some very old, cold tracks) and I found no deer. In your case, I hope I'm wrong. Ask my wife, it happens ALL the time.
     
  3. 130Woodman

    130Woodman Grizzled Veteran

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    You try Google Earth? Deer can bed in weird areas. You might have scouted a winter area but if your looking for right now CRP in the area or corn or do what somebody with 20 pope & youg said is keep looking until you find the sign you want then set up on it. If you were coming to Wisconsin I could hook you up but Ohio I only know 1 person :D
     
  4. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Yeah I hope I am wrong as well! I am not looking forward too much to my trip that I have been waiting for the past couple months!!

    I will be staring at Google Earth and Mytopo for the next week trying to figure something out that I may have missed?
     
  5. Germ

    Germ Legendary Woodsman

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    Bedding areas are thick, if you can walk through it, it's not a bedding area;)
     
  6. Deerslayer7

    Deerslayer7 Weekend Warrior

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    What part of Ohio were you looking at ?..im here Ohio...
     
  7. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Yes "ideally" that is a bedding area to me as well. I found nothing that even looked remotely close to a bedding area, hence the reasoning asking about deer bedding up in the open.
     
  8. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Deerslayer~~ I was on the Hocking/Athens county lines near Murray City. It is SE of Columbus.
    Where are you at?
     
  9. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    That is the approach I am taking, I will be set-up on a bench above where basically 5-6 ridges come into one, they all funnel into an old pond that leads to an old strip mine field. I can see forever on all of these ridges, I will sit it for a day or two in hopes to get a better idea of how they are traveling!!
     
  10. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    The first day we are planning on getting set-up at camp and being on stand around 12-1pm? I imagine if I am understanding what you are saying I would bump everything out that afternoon getting set up? I planned on hunting the following morning as well to see whats up, possibly all day sits if they are coming through.

    I guess that first evening I could set-up along the bottom of everyhting near the strip mines, and if everything goes "as planned" I should start to see the deer funnel down all the way into the bottoms??

    I will ponder on that thought for a bit!!
     
  11. Germ

    Germ Legendary Woodsman

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    On public land it's where they are not bothered. Eberhart writes in his books about crawling to his spots on public land.
     
  12. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Gmmat~~ I am setting up where the red dots are, I cant remember which one but its in the vacinity of them two. If this gives you any idea of what I am talking about...... OOOps it is supposed to be zoomed in better, let me see what I can do?
     

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    Last edited: Oct 27, 2009
  13. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Yeah Germ I understand what you mean. In the areas I hunt here at home, I know exactly when I run into a bedding area here. I was saying that on the land that I walked the other day, There was NO areas that i would have had to even think about walking around let alone crawl through?

    Trust me I love bowhunting transition areas between a nice thick bedding area and a feeding area, most times probably too close to the bedding areas, but I couldnt find nothing like that on the land in Ohio? I was/am dumbfounded?
     
  14. Double Creek

    Double Creek Weekend Warrior

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    If you are hunting hill country GMMAT nailed it, they will be bedding on points or ridges to take advantage of the thermal and increased visibility.

    I jumped a big cage last weekend on small point that you would never think held a deer. There was a tree top on it. I went over to investigate and the buck had a well worn bed right in the center of the top.

    Also, most of the buck beds I have found on my hill property are not the thickest areas around. Most are what I would consider wide open. However, he as excellent visibility and with a couple hops can be gone over the ridgetop or down the bottom.

    In flat areas I agree they seek out the nastiest cover around, but not necessarily in hill country.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2009
  15. Josh/OH

    Josh/OH Die Hard Bowhunter

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    This doesn't sound natural. I hunt both big woods and farmland, here in OH. Imagine your a deer, would run around in the open on public land? Look for the heavy stuff. If you cannot locate any, consider visiting Bluerock State Forrest in Muskingum county. It's a shorter drive and I know that what you're looking for, lives there ;)
     
  16. WesternMdHardwoods

    WesternMdHardwoods Weekend Warrior

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    Thanks for the tips Josh. This trip was thrown together a couple months ago by a few buddies and they asked me if I wanted to go. They basically already had everything planned out. I will keep that in mind for the next time possibly?!?

    Ohh by the way I believe the cabin I will be staying at is located approximately 50minutes from your home town?
     

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