Highway bedded deer

[oldrank]

I had to take a trip down to the city today to take a project management class for work. On the way down there I seen some bedded deer that were laying about 50 yrds off the highway in a small woodlot behind some condos. The deer had their backs to the highway and were facing west towards the condos with the wind coming out of the south east. Will does usually bed with the wind at their backs too ? I figured they were not concerned with predators coming from the highway so they kinda left that side unprotected while catching wind from the south and visually checking the condos to the north and west. Kinda funny how I would have never even thought about the details a few months ago but as soon as I saw them this time I analyzed the whole situation. Heres a quick diagram of how they were bedded. Not the best info ever but maybe it might help someone in a similar situation.

[Stanley]

I had to take a trip down to the city today to take a project management class for work. On the way down there I seen some bedded deer that were laying about 50 yrds off the highway in a small woodlot behind some condos. The deer had their backs to the highway and were facing west towards the condos with the wind coming out of the south east. Will does usually bed with the wind at their backs too ? I figured they were not concerned with predators coming from the highway so they kinda left that side unprotected while catching wind from the south and visually checking the condos to the north and west. Kinda funny how I would have never even thought about the details a few months ago but as soon as I saw them this time I analyzed the whole situation. Heres a quick diagram of how they were bedded. Not the best info ever but maybe it might help someone in a similar situation.

A lot of times deer will bed with wind at their backs to stay warmer. This is common with horses and cattle also.

[dan]

Does bed different than bucks, they generally bed in groups with each facing a different direction. When they do bed alone, they usually tend to bed somewhat like a buck "wind to back" so they can smell where they can't see.

They don't "always" follow the rules, but they usually do... As haunters we go by odds and percentages. Sometimes whats going on is different than we perceive too... With the use of milkweed I have learned a lot about bedded deer and wind currents. A slight change in the terrain like a dip or a hill, or the placement of trees and openings can change wind current direction at a particular spot. This is why exact spots get bedded at rather than random locations.

The deer you saw could of been group bedded and you did not see them all.

They could of been taking advantage of a current that came from behind.

Or, they could of just not bedded in a safe manor in this instance.

[Mibowhunter91]

Interesting last day of gun season I was following a group of does around when they came very close to a major highway I came up on a small bedded buck he was bedded wind at his back facing the highway almost like he was just watching cars go by.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Edcyclopedia]

These spots usually make GREAT pinch-points come rut!

[Dewey]

I have a spot on my drive to work where I see a deer (many times a buck) bedded right off the freeway on the top 1/3 of a ridge right in the thermal tunnel.

Too bad it's private land I cannot hunt but still cool to monitor it every day. This time of the year with snow the deer is very easy to see.

[ Post made via iPhone ]