Worlds worst deer bed hunter needs help...

This time of year is a good time to catch deer bedding on the southern facing slopes of hillsides catching some sun during the afternoon. If you can find some cedars or pines on a southern facing slope, I'd bet money you'd find beds there.

 

Bowbender--sorry, just got home after scouting. I left to drop my kids off for school and then went scouting before I just saw your message. I will reply on PM.

Well here is my scouting trip pics...I THINK I found a lone buck bed. If so, this would be my first lone buck bed ever found. I am not sure but I think even this idiot found a nut today.

Lots of deer tracks leading into this "bed". No poop in the bed itself yet poop surrounding the bed at about 10-15 feet away. Saw many strong rubs around this bed as well. This "bed" was on the top 1/3rd of a hill, right below a pine thicket. I actually saw a coyote about 20 yards to the north of this bed when I first spotted a nice scrape not more than 35 yards from the "bed". What do you all think, did this idiot (ME) find his first buck bed? If so, it would have only taken me 3 scouting trips or 7 hours. I am quick learn you know...yeah right.

BED







Indicative of the rubs surrounding the "bed". Found some larger rubs on cedar trees about 75 yards away as the pine forest transitioned into the hardwoods.



Scrape--had two twisted branches about 3-4 feet above it.




Come and get me, I can see you--his view!

 

That'd be a bed, and a buck bed to boot. I'd definitely mark that on a map and get a camera in there at some point in time next year. Good job.

 

I have a question. I don't wanna hijack the thread but I figured its as good a place to
ask as any. But how do you recognize a bed once the snow is gone?? I have found
doe beds before because the grass was laid over in round spots in fields, but nothing
that ever looked like a buck bed. So what are the signs of a good buck bed and how
do you find them when the snow is gone??

 

GC--you are not hijacking. I want to know this information as well.

 

Stole the words right out of my mouth. This is especially true in the midwest right now with the cold weather we are having.

Like others have said, the deer have bedding preferences, but they will bed in different places depending on a variety of factors. The best way to ask this question is where are they bedding NOW given your current conditions. (time of year, temp, wind, etc..)

 

Thanks Bowspec, good point. North winds have been blowing for weeks and it has been downright freezing for a good 10 days as well. I will note that on my topo.

 

How big was that "bed"? it looks small in the pictures with too many sticks in it and surrounding it. Not doubting you, pictures can be very deceiving.

 

Yeah, I had a hard time getting a good angle on the bed picture. I couldn't step out of the thick stuff to take the picture without risking getting a million limbs in the way. I would say the bed was 4 feet wide and maybe 3 feet long. And those sticks above it are around 3-4 feet high. Like I said, I really believe it is one. Look at the tracks in the first couple of pics that lead right into that bed. Then I followed those tracks out of the bed/thick stuff and ran right into the rubs and deer crap not 10-15 feet outside that bed. I am not worried about you doubting me. It may not even be a bed and I appreciate your honesty.

 

I have found that the best way to find buck beds is to creep around at night, when they're sleeping and find them.

 

I can just see it now Greg....

 

7B - there is a burned up area of pines....about midway thru the TA. There is somewhat of a trail from 7A that boxes off the area with the road on one side the trail parallel to it

it was full of bedding areas with high grass and tracks back in late Oct early Nov

I will take you there when we go out one day

 

Good one Greg!!

Dan

 

You may want to use the cough silencer with that mask, Brett. I'm sure the heavy breathing through that thing would surly alert them!

 

Greg I do agree Sir. I guess I will have to duct tape the silencer onto the mask!

Sean, I will take you up on that offer. I am off to scout 5A again tomorrow and will cover a lot more ground. I want to cover 2-3 miles tomorrow. I am feeling good!

 

Seem to always be trucks there at the C Demo road...like it gets hunted a lot.

I want to focus on the 11/12/16 TA's this year for scouting and hunting.

I really liked hunting in 3, that place is loaded with sign. Had a Gunny in my command get a 10 pt in there the 2nd week of Dec.

 

I hear you on wanting to get away from hunting pressure. I am not real worried about hunting pressure during the 6 week bow season prior to guns kicking off, especially during the work week. I like to have a lot of options on many parts of the base. If I can have 1 or 2 solid spots on 5A that I believe contains a shooter buck for me, that is all I need. I will then pick out 3-4 places to hunt around those spots based on the wind and set up. At least I will have an option if training areas are locked down. Too many times I have had prime spots unavailable because an area was shut down for training during a particular week or two. For example, I had a buck I was hunting in 2008 on 6B. The entire 2,700 acre or so area was shut down the majority of October and even early November. The first time I hunted the area I set up and saw that buck and he came within 20 yards of my stand, yet I could not get off a shot. After that day, the area was only opened up another couple of days in a 2 week period. You would be surprised at how many guys walk in 400-500 yards and set up during gun season. Even on heavily hunted areas, if you walk in 600-800 yards past most guys, things are still moving around, even during December.

 

What I love about this post is your approach VS.

You're taking the initative and working harder to take a buck thats maybe better than you ever have before.. your learning.. your doing it.. your out there.

That's MY favorite thing about bowhunting.. the preparation.. and it starts with boot leather.

Hard work is the secret to becoming a better deer hunter.

Very cool VS. Very cool.

 

When you guys say "buck beds"....are those bucks sleeping in that same exact bed more than once, twice, etc??? Or is it the general area or maybe both?

 

This is not helpful, but I'm bored so....

I had more deer bed down within eyesight of me this year than ever before. It was as if the deer were testing me to see how long I could stand still before I gave in and climbed down.
Anyhow, the one thing that I really noticed was that the deer... particularly the bucks would bed down with their backs to some downed trees. Often they'd jump into a blow down and lay in them. I'd be 35 yards away and could barely see them. Just an ear.. antler tip... nose and eyeball.

If you walked over and looked for some sign that a deer layed there, you wouldn't see any.