Potential Bedding Area

[Twenty Up]

I'm posting this because I'm curious if deer would bed in something like this. It's in the South East so our temperatures stay much warmer than y'all up North. It's in a pine plantation but the undergrowth is amazing, can't see 5 yards ahead if you tried. This isn't exactly what I saw but it's very similar, next time I get out there I'll post up some more pictures. There's deer trails and droppings, plus some rubs leading to this area. I didn't bother walking through it because I figured it was a bedding area, but I would like some other opinions.



Okay so forget the center of the picture and focus on the edges, both Left and Right. That tall, brown grass is what I'm talking about. This spot is deep in the woods near a creek that has a heavily used trail leading towards the main food source.

Potential Bedding area or no? Should I press on through (roughly 300 yards L x 200 yards W) or leave it be?

[backstraps]

I have hunted pine strip like that. I have seen a lot of deer sign and bedding in these areas, but almost all of the sign I seen were doe sign.

I think you would need to be on a point or a higher elevation spot if the ground is level

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[mauser06]

I agree....I am new to the big buck beast style stuff...but I've been at it 2 seasons "beast style" and most times I'm not finding big buck beds IN thick stuff...

I'm finding thick stuff to their backs and open in front of them..they smell what they can't see and wanna watch the open..

Not ALWAYS the case...but often the case for my woods..

I am a bit familiar with coastal NC...I don't know where to find big buck beds down there...most of it is THICK...my guess is maybe on the edge of thick stuff overlooking clear cuts...(seems to be a lot of clear cuts down where I was). They would bed with the wind to their back watching the open cut...


Sometimes they do bed in thick stuff and use their nose and ears...


The thick stuff is usually doe bedding...you'll find rubs but its usually rutting rubs on the heavy doe trails and on the edges of the thick stuff...

Follow the rubs...see where they lead...if anywhere...

I've been finding good classic J hook rub lines leading to buck beds...often times you can see them going back years old if its a good buck bedding spot..

I've found most buck beds have rubs within a few feet of the bed...but not always...I know of one that has a classic J hook rub line going right to the bed and no rubs AT the bed..but its a well used and regularly used buck bed...he has heavy pines to his back and open woods below him...

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[headgear]

More than likely does, I see them bed in similar stuff once in a while. If you are looking for bucks I would check out the creek or other wet areas.

[Twenty Up]

The problem is, I think the bucks are bedding further up. This is what I'm dealing with..



Red- Funnel
White- Doe Trail
Green- Rubs
Blue- Projected Doe Bedding
Orange- Steel Ravine (cannot cross)
Purple- Creek
Maroon- Suspected Buck Bedding Sites

We have a prevailing wind out of the NW here, so the far right X looks promising if there is an escape route.
How does this look fundamentally?

[backstraps]

Can you post a topo

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[Twenty Up]

Here ya go

[dan]

Depends on the surrounding cover... I have seen them bed in stuff like that when its the best cover for miles... But, not if there is swamps, and hills, or hardwood slashings around.

[Twenty Up]

Depends on the surrounding cover... I have seen them bed in stuff like that when its the best cover for miles... But, not if there is swamps, and hills, or hardwood slashings around.

I gotcha, they're trying to survive so whatever works at that given time or place will be where they "hold" to. I've yet to find any hinge cut areas, it's relatively flat and there may be a swamp but it would be far back. How many "Core" bedding areas, for does, would you say there are within a 1 mile radius? Just a ballpark, I understand it's very site oriented.

[dan]

How many "Core" bedding areas, for does, would you say there are within a 1 mile radius? Just a ballpark, I understand it's very site oriented

I could not answer that.. It would depend greatly on the population of does within that mile. Some places there everywhere, others they are few and far between.

[Twenty Up]

How many "Core" bedding areas, for does, would you say there are within a 1 mile radius? Just a ballpark, I understand it's very site oriented

I could not answer that.. It would depend greatly on the population of does within that mile. Some places there everywhere, others they are few and far between.

10-4. Hopefully I can get some more time off and figure out where they're at. Do you think bucks would hang around does, or utilize a similar area? I feel like a mature buck would use a herd of does to his advantage, they could hear/see something before him and he would be out of there before they are. Any input on this?

[dan]

The only time I think does bed in relation to bucks is during rut... However, I do think they bed close to each other cause of the way bedding habitat lays out, and can be spooked when the does or younger bucks are jumped.