Hunting same bed year after year

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Stanley
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:25 am

dan wrote:I have been doing it this way my whole life, and I never stop learning. I think this website is a great tool where we can all learn together...

What a lot of the younger guys and new to this style guys are going to find out is its not the instant success in most cases that they expect. It can take years of scouting and hunting to really get good at this.

When it comes to primary buck bedding areas I have about 20 in the area near my home that I hunt, I have thousands of beds that are used for certain reasons, but only about 20 bedding areas I would call primary... So, more often than not, Im not hunting a primary, but even so, the over all majority of my bucks are shot coming out of primary beds... You see so many guys get really excited when they find there 1st bed or two... But a lot of these spots don't pay off. And you loose a lot over the years for one reason or another. You need to keep scouting, keep hunting, and keep adding the spots to the list. If you put a good amount of time into a spot and it don't pay off, try some new spots and drop the unproductive.


Great point. Guys see you do it and you make it look much easier than it really is. You did not start out with a wall full of bucks, guys must understand this.


You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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headgear
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby headgear » Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:38 am

There is for sure a learning curve to hunting beds, even if you kill a few deer there are always things to learn, each bed is different and you have to learn the ins and outs of that bed/area to really get a full understanding of what is going on. I know I hunted a lot of average bedding areas my first few years, but that helps you learn a lot as well. Now I just try and focus on the primary beds that get used every year, re-scouting beds year after year kind of tells me how good of a bed it is. Now a days I'm down right picky about where I hunt, I really feel that gives me the best odds to tag a buck on public land.
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PK_
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby PK_ » Mon Jun 02, 2014 1:56 pm

dan wrote:You see so many guys get really excited when they find there 1st bed or two... But a lot of these spots don't pay off. And you loose a lot over the years for one reason or another. You need to keep scouting, keep hunting, and keep adding the spots to the list. If you put a good amount of time into a spot and it don't pay off, try some new spots and drop the unproductive.

This really is a good job of explaining the mindset and work ethic you must adopt to find success with this type of hunting.

Stanley wrote:. In my honest opinion the beds are easier to find in the hills. But I think killing a buck out of a hill bed is way tougher. I don't think it is even close in comparison to difficulty.


So true.
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:07 am

Stanley wrote:
BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
Stanley wrote:
dan wrote:Stan, you absolutely correct... But so is the original poster... They do move around, but when they are in a certain area they use the primary beds in that location.

I have a bunch of great bedding spots that produce big bucks on a regular basis. One spot has produced sightings of probably 15 different mature bucks in the last 10 years with me taking a few of them.

Yes indeed the best spots get used year after year.


100% understand. This is why I like to tell the younger hunters to never put all their eggs into one basket. Another thing I could have mentioned reservoirs are usually a more constant than rivers for bedding purposes. The water levels can be/are regulated on reservoirs compared to most small rivers & streams that have no flood control.

If you find a good bed keep looking for more. Most guys don't have the experience skill set to determine primary beds (this is a developmental skill). I also think finding those areas with primary bedding is important. Once the hunter develops those skills I think everything becomes easier.

I think the main point I was trying to get across if a buck is in a bed and the temps get into the 90s I have seen bucks change beds to a cooler location. I don't necessarily think it is a primary bed either. Just a bed in that bedding area (safe zone). Danger trumps all when it comes to big bucks. That also must be kept in mind. If the bed you are hunting has predators in that area, that bed will more than likely be empty primary or not. I have seen yotes and dogs keep not only bucks, but all deer out of an area.

This also is a good a reason to have options. Just some food for thought. Great topic.


I see your point Stan and actually you are more right than I am. First of all, getting a second or third chance on a bed is rare. So that would mean I better have a bunch of beds to work with. Like you said the variables play a big role. If he doesn't feel safe why would he bed there?

Also I'm a hill country farmland hunter. I'm used to looking for beds on points that usually lead to a ravine or crops. Put me in bigwoods with flat terrain and I'm lost.



I would not say I am more right, I just like to point out variables (hunting is game of variables). I hunt hill country/farmland as well as flat farmland ground. In my honest opinion the beds are easier to find in the hills. But I think killing a buck out of a hill bed is way tougher. I don't think it is even close in comparison to difficulty. I agree with you 100% on a buck must feel safe to bed a certain bed. Danger trumps all, as I've said before.


The thing I had to learn in hill country was about thermals. Say I'm hunting a ridgetop, i could have a buck bedded on a point that shoots north and a north wind. I could be to the south of him ans still be smelled. Once evening arrives thermals drop and my scent would fall down to him. That's why I hunt on the edges or side of the bed, basically at an angle and look for a valley for my scent to drop into. Yeah it's tough and that's just one concern. Lol
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:55 am

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
The thing I had to learn in hill country was about thermals. Say I'm hunting a ridgetop, i could have a buck bedded on a point that shoots north and a north wind. I could be to the south of him ans still be smelled. Once evening arrives thermals drop and my scent would fall down to him. That's why I hunt on the edges or side of the bed, basically at an angle and look for a valley for my scent to drop into. Yeah it's tough and that's just one concern. Lol


I think a lot of the so called hunting pros would flounder in the hills.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:11 am

Stanley wrote:
BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
The thing I had to learn in hill country was about thermals. Say I'm hunting a ridgetop, i could have a buck bedded on a point that shoots north and a north wind. I could be to the south of him ans still be smelled. Once evening arrives thermals drop and my scent would fall down to him. That's why I hunt on the edges or side of the bed, basically at an angle and look for a valley for my scent to drop into. Yeah it's tough and that's just one concern. Lol


I think a lot of the so called hunting pros would flounder in the hills.


They would make us look like pros. ;) :lol:
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BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:15 am

Stanley wrote:
BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
The thing I had to learn in hill country was about thermals. Say I'm hunting a ridgetop, i could have a buck bedded on a point that shoots north and a north wind. I could be to the south of him ans still be smelled. Once evening arrives thermals drop and my scent would fall down to him. That's why I hunt on the edges or side of the bed, basically at an angle and look for a valley for my scent to drop into. Yeah it's tough and that's just one concern. Lol


I think a lot of the so called hunting pros would flounder in the hills.


Don't the pros have a scout go out and do the homework for them at least on outfitters? It just seems like I could up with 10 names from this site that know more and would do better than pros , when you just throw them on a 500 acre piece that's public, and say ok let's see what ya got.
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby TallTines » Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:26 am

BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
Stanley wrote:
BigHills BuckHunter wrote:
The thing I had to learn in hill country was about thermals. Say I'm hunting a ridgetop, i could have a buck bedded on a point that shoots north and a north wind. I could be to the south of him ans still be smelled. Once evening arrives thermals drop and my scent would fall down to him. That's why I hunt on the edges or side of the bed, basically at an angle and look for a valley for my scent to drop into. Yeah it's tough and that's just one concern. Lol


I think a lot of the so called hunting pros would flounder in the hills.


Don't the pros have a scout go out and do the homework for them at least on outfitters? It just seems like I could up with 10 names from this site that know more and would do better than pros , when you just throw them on a 500 acre piece that's public, and say ok let's see what ya got.


I'm sure the outfitters do all the home work for them They want to make a great hunting show
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Re: Hunting same bed year after year

Unread postby yungbuck » Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:04 pm

Mirroring dans comment I just found my first bed and who leery excited I realize hopefully now ican find many more overthe seasons to come

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