For those of you hunt bedding areas effectively, humble me. There is a particular late season bedding area I happened upon last year while shed hunting and I really want to hunt this thing the last two weeks of the season. Now, I have never hunted a bedding area before. I've hugged some bedding areas pretty tight, but this spot I want plop myself right down in the thick of things in this one. I can hang a set with the wind in my favor but there is 2 feet of snow on the ground here right now, thus question 1) Will the wet snow hold too much ground scent left from hanging the set? which begs question 2) How long should I let the area "cool down" after I hang the set. I thought I had more questions, but apparently I do not. I'm so lame. But seriously, I'd love everyones thoughts on hunting bedding areas.
I killed 2 of my does this year on sets within 15 yards of bedding areas. One was a doe returning to sleep in the morning, the other was a doe circling the bedding area at last light. Me and Isaac both had nice bucks cruise by in range from these setups, but no shots were taken because all were 2.5's. Hunting bedding areas is the best tactic for my properties because we dont have alot of food.
This is just me, but i never get within 100-200 yards of a bedding/ sanctuary, i will hunt trail leading to or from but never do i enter them, and i see that are other hunters stay out of them. i like to see a sanctuary of 3-5 acres that deer never smell human scent or have someone push them out of.there beds. on my 325 ac tract there are 3 of these sanctuary's that are set a side and the heaver the pressure around us the more deer they hold. just works for me. it's kind of like hunting right in a food source every time i hunt there i see less and less deer ,,yeah i may see the dumb one's ... but thats not the deer i am after. I just feel like you have to have a place on your ground that deer feel safe or they will end up on someones ground that you dont have access to. just my 2 cents.
That's one of the primary reasons I want to hunt this bedding area. Late season, food is hard to come by on our place. Ultramax- I understand what you are saying and agree with a lot of it. This bedding area, it not a "primary" bedding area. I wish I knew how to upload an aerial and topo (or had high speed for that matter) But to give a little reference, it is simply a small saddle ridge about 250 yards from two green fields the deer feed in in the afternoon. It is moderately thick but I believe the only reason the deer bed here is because the ridge faces the southeast so this enables the deer to bed all day and absorb the warm sunlight. But my point is, I'm not worried about bumping these deer off the place. Sure, this may prove to be a bonehead move, but I think it could pay off nicely with a nice late season doe or curious post rut buck. Then again, I have a tendency to try and make things harder for myself and this could just be another example of the such.
I'd hang the set and hunt it immediately, just hang it and hunt it. That way you don't have to worry about messing up the area and making a return trip.
Yep hang and hunt great advise!! I believe with snow it doesn't hold scent like ground, Here in Michigan I have deer actully walk my trails where I walk because it is easier for them. I don't think it transfers the scent as much..Walt
Absolutely try it, just keep in mind that the snow will hold your scent so be very careful how you enter the area to set it up. I know because I got busted by a doe with a fawn about 10 days ago, she crossed the trail I came in on and my night was over. IMO...set it up and hunt it the same day.....depending on your equipment, I can have my stuff up in 20-30 minutes. It has always worked for me to go in during the afternoon, set up, hunt, and come back the next morning. Hopefully if anything is bedded down when you go in, they spook out on noise before they ever identify you as a human threat. Then re-evaluate your set up based on what you see. The only problem I have had is that those old does know thier bedding areas very well and will notice something slightly out of place like a camoflaged chunk of something in a tree. Give yourself plenty of backdrop and change as little about the tree you use as possible.
I'm in agreeance with those above. The element of suprise is lost after you leave a location even a single time. Whether you bust deer or not, they know you were there. The one issue that you'll run into is when to hang and hunt. Depending on the area and what types of trees you have, hanging a stand in the dark in the morning may not be an option. Secondly, hanging a stand before the evening hunt will bust deer on the way in as they'll already be in their beds. If you have a tree, perfect. If not, something I would try is getting as close as possible to the area in the dark and taking either a climber or a small hang-on with sticks, (whichever you are quicker and quieter with) and as soon as there is enough light for you to see enough to hang your stand then go for it. This is the least likely time of the day that deer will actually be in the bedding area. You may bust deer, but even then chances are that they'll come back a little later in the day.
