I know it's basically where a deer sleeps, and that its usually a thick area but... -How do you KNOW that one particular area is a bedding area? -How do you know if its a buck or doe bedding area? -Other than the rut, do bucks ever bed with does or do bucks always bed alone?
I'm going to answer this based on the theory and advice provided to me from experienced hunters, not all from my own experience. I have yet to CONSISTENTLY locate mature bucks beds.....But, I am learning, with the help of guys like Gri22ly (just refer to his text message bill ) Old and new sign leading to and from that area. This is a true hunt. The few beds I have actually found, were found like this: I glassed a solid buck in the crop fields. I saw where he came out, a few times. I went to that area and looked for tracts. Once the velvet was off, I looked for rubs. I followed the rubs and tracts(as best I could), and started seeing things unfold, things he needed for survival and to elude. I noticed he was traveling a breakline, walking close to some mature oaks and crossing 2 water supplies. I eventually came across a thicket and bumped a deer out. Didnt know what it was, but, I assumed it was him. I looked more and more. Eventually found a bed tucked in and along a dead fall, with hair in it. That was, if i remember correctly, the first bed I ever found for a decent buck. I hunted the trail I followed and saw him a few times, never getting a shot there. I got a shot later in the year, but, messed it up(200yards from that trail, during the rut). So, sign lead me to his bed, after I had SOME info on where he was hanging on this land. If you walk in and bump a bunch of doe, a MATURE buck, is NOT bedding there. If you find a ton of rubs(especially close to the ground around a bed, good chance thats a buck only bed). You will probably only find a few beds in the area, belonging to 1 deer, but utilized for various wind directions. If you walk in and hear ONE deer run out the back, could be a bucks bedding area. I hunt doe beds, between doe beds and funnels leading to doe beds during the rut. I've only seen mature bucks bed WITH a doe if she is hot(locked down). I have, on numerous occasions, witnessed bucks come back to the area of a doe bed and bed down waiting for the does to come by, or return to their bed. Then, they get up, and enter the bedding area from down wind. This was seen in CRP fields. A buck is traveling during the rut and will bed in random areas. I asked Gri22ly this SAME question last week...And the answer is, sometimes he may return to his bed, but, generally, he is out and about in the girls areas.. I am NO expert, but, from what I've learned and what I have witnessed, your questions answered as accurately and honestly as I could, based on the above experiences/advice.
All sounds pretty accurate. Your bucks will typically bed in the thickest cover. Look for rubs in the area. If you can't actually see a buck moving out of a field, look for a rub line to follow starting from the field and leading through the woods.
