Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

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fishlips
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Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

Unread postby fishlips » Fri Oct 12, 2012 5:17 am

Last fall I was out scouting the area that I gun hunt in. I hunt in a state park that is kind of in a northwoods setting. There isn't much for agricultural land in the area and most of hte land is mature forest. There is an area of cedar swamp that is very thick and is usually wet. This year however it is fairly dry down there. I did find a bedding area that I suspect is a buck bedding area (I kicked the deer out of its bed last fall, but never got a luck at the head). The bedding area is smallish high spot in an area that is normally wet. There are rubs around the bed so that also leads me to believe that it is a buck bedding area. After looking at it more closely this year, I have found a trail that leads out to a farm field (not currently planted with anything), and the trail would take the deer out to the closest crop field, which is probably about one mile from the bedding area. I also found the escape route that the deer took when I kicked him out of his bed.

My question is when you guys hunt during the gun season, do you still set up on beds like this? If so, how early do you get in? If I was able to hunt it during bow season, I probably wouldn't even bother to hunt this spot in the morning just because it is pretty thick getting in there and I think that the best path to make the least amount of noise would take me pretty much on the trail that I would expect the deer to take back to his bed. I feel like with an afternoon set up I would be quieter because I could see better and could set up where I could pick him off while he is leaving the bed...not going back to it.

Is hunting a different area in the AM and then going to this spot in the afternoon a better idea? I just hate being on the move during the gun season. I just feel like I am kicking deer up to other people.


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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:18 am

fishlips wrote:

My question is when you guys hunt during the gun season, do you still set up on beds like this? If so, how early do you get in? If I was able to hunt it during bow season, I probably wouldn't even bother to hunt this spot in the morning just because it is pretty thick getting in there and I think that the best path to make the least amount of noise would take me pretty much on the trail that I would expect the deer to take back to his bed. I feel like with an afternoon set up I would be quieter because I could see better and could set up where I could pick him off while he is leaving the bed...not going back to it.

Is hunting a different area in the AM and then going to this spot in the afternoon a better idea? I just hate being on the move during the gun season. I just feel like I am kicking deer up to other people.


I absolutely set up on bedding areas during the gun season. I usually wait until daybreak to make my final, quiet approach to my stand. In areas with really heavy hunting pressure the bucks with a couple or more birthdays behind them often hole up in their security zone / bedding area before daylight. Here is part of one of my previous posts:

If you know where the buck you are after may be bedded, try moving in at first light with your treestand and muzzleloader (or hunt the ground) so that you make as little noise as possible. Set up downwind or crosswind from the typically small bedding area, within sight of its edge. Stay on stand and glass and/or watch that edge for the buck getting up and moving over a ways, to relieve himself or browse a bit before he beds back down. Stay alert and let him have it at the first good opportunity. I’ve shot a buck as he stood up in his bed, and I’ve shot a buck that moved 18 feet from his bed before I put him down hard, amongst others. Stay alert while hunting, and watch for birds flying out when he stands up, or a blue jay screaming at his movement, or a red squirrel alarm chattering…. You get the idea. My number one signal is hearing a twig snap in the bedding area if the wind isn’t blowing too hard for me to hear it. It takes excellent woodsman ship to approach a buck that close when you set up. If you don’t know where the bucks are bedding, study aerials and topo’s and scout for the rubs/tracks/droppings in the area while avoiding suspected bedding areas. Then make your play with the knowledge your scouting has given you, I’ve shot a buck when he stood up that I knew was in there somewhere just from the aforementioned scouting.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:28 am

Excellent post Singing Bridge!

I was going to say that I too have set up on bedding areas on the opening morning of gun season. Usually these are bedding areas that aren't used much during early season, but once the army of orange comes in the woods the deer will quickly move to them.

I would typically set up an hour before shooting light and wait. Sometimes I would hear deer coming in before light, but most often I was deep enough that they would come in after light. Take in consideration though, that this tactic has been extremely successful for me with does, but I've never tried it over a big buck bedding area. I've always wanted to try though. After reading SB's post I would reconsider, unless I wanted to try setting up LONG before shooting light.
fishlips
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

Unread postby fishlips » Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:45 am

Thanks for the input.

Have you noticed that they move very far from their bedding areas without being pushed? Only reason I mention that is that I probably cannot set up any closer than 50 -60 yards away and I won't be able to see into the bedding area.

And another question I have is related to where to set up. There are two spots that I have scoped out around this bedding area. One of the spots I am considering hunting is what appears to be an escape route, so I would assume that probably only gets used if the deer was to try to get away. There is another spot that heads toward the only ag field within many miles and I would think that would be a trail he would use early AM and later in the day.
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Re: Hunting Bedding Areas during Gun Season

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:00 am

fishlips wrote:
Have you noticed that they move very far from their bedding areas without being pushed? Only reason I mention that is that I probably cannot set up any closer than 50 -60 yards away and I won't be able to see into the bedding area.

And another question I have is related to where to set up. There are two spots that I have scoped out around this bedding area. One of the spots I am considering hunting is what appears to be an escape route, so I would assume that probably only gets used if the deer was to try to get away. There is another spot that heads toward the only ag field within many miles and I would think that would be a trail he would use early AM and later in the day.


Often the bucks will be on their feet an hour or so before dark. They mill around quite a bit, but don't go far before dark "most of the time." They usually hold within a hundred yards of the bed, give or take. I usually can't see well into the bedding area either, and often it consists of conifer trees in my swamps... even so, watching that edge has produced.

I agree with you that he will likely stage toward the ag field if it is still holding food.


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