Another day of scouting for deer beds...

I agree 100%. The places they are bedding NOW are specific to the conditions (food, weather, etc...) NOW.

The early part of next season will likely have them bedding somewhere else. Maybe not far, but their needs and priorities will change slightly based on the change in conditions.

 

Brett,

Let me get this straight. You just bumped deer, you found fresh beds, you found big rubs and many scrapes ( made over the past "several" months) Whats that tell you?

Those deer like that area and are in their all through your season and even now. That's not agricultural ground correct? I'd bet there are several year around food source options i.e. browse type species or mast crops to hold those deer in the area. This is a big woods type area isnt it?

 

The closest agricultural ground to this area is probably 5-7 miles away. It is all big woods. There is more acorns/browse than the deer can eat. I am not allowed to put out game cameras on the military base as it is illegal. And there are no ag fields to scout prior to the season to see if bucks are coming into those fields. The only thing I can do is walk and scout in the off-season, make a plan based on the wind/time of season/entrance exit strategies/hunting pressure/my thoughts....that is it.

Those deer/bucks live in there year round.

 

After reading your description, seeing your pix and considering all the deer evidence you located, thats exactly what I figured Brett. Thats a bigwoods setting forsure. Those deer have everything they would ever want right there. The thing I have learned about bigwoods over the year is that you can easily just be 1 or 2 ridgelines away from a very "comfortable" zone that the deer use heavily. I bet if you take your maps and highlight every road in the area and draw a 1/2 mile to 1 mile buffer zone around those roads all the ground beyond that is going to hold some hvy deer sign. That is if there at least moderate hunting pressure in there. If not. the buffer will be smaller. Your ground and findings reminds me a lot of mine, cept mine is just steeper. I am almost shocked you didnt find any sheds in there. I bet if you go back into where you found that HVY buck sign and found those beds and really break that area down, especially if its a south... you will find a small little nook, say 1 to 3 acre areas where bucks are bedding and shedding. You should even run into older sheds if no one else hitting it. A great sign for you would be to find some old sheds and new.. meaning no one is really bothering the area too much as the bucks shed in their year to year. This can make for tough hunting though since these deer can randomly feed and wander in an "area" of their liking. Finding good natural structure like ridges, creek bottoms, ridges running together, saddles, benches etc.. will help in deciding where to hang a stand or two ... Good luck Brett. Thats really neat country.

 

That is some great information Troy...thank you. I will go back in there in the next two weeks and really scout hard for the sheds. I plan on scouting at least two times next week in that area. Information like your provided is very valuable. THANKS.