Confusing weekend scout.. any takers?

[hunter10]

I scouted a farm today for buck beds and found 3 i believe but have no clue how to access or where to climb a tree. Ive read about burning the bridge but by how these beds sit i feel like my scent will be burning out the farm far faster than id like. If you guys have any advice or ideas feel free to carve up my aerial or suggest locations.

Over view of found beds

Beds 1 and 2:
- Bed 1 had a good amount of hair in the bed, fallen tree behind with the wind blowing from the south and buck watching over the deep ravine below
- Bed 2 is within 5 ft with a few hairs at the base of the tree base with suspected wind coming from the North with buck watching over field
- There is also a good size rub a few feet from these beds
Does it make sense that he would have 2 beds this close together on such opposite winds

Bed #1


Hair in bed #1


Rub at bed


Bed #2


Bed #3
- This bed was under a tree that really doesn't provide much of a behind barrier but it was filled with hair and deer crap on the North and East sides of the tree and the buck can watch most of the field and ravine finger to his West

Bed using South wind (I am on North side of bed)


Standing to the East of the bed

I feel like i didnt explain this overly well but if you have suggestions im all years. This farm will likely be sold in the next couple years so id like to give it my best shot while i have it

[mauser06]

I gotta ask....what is the land just west of the woodlot the beds are in??

Crops?? Hard to tell and stuff looks different...


Not uncommon for a buck to have beds for different winds at 1 location...I had one throw me off one year...so many beds in he snow you'd think it was doe bedding there...that was just him moving around a bit...


If its crops to the west of the woodlot....man...I have no idea how to deal with that...they can wake up right after dark and feed in the crops and that's that...

Any oaks etc in the woodlot???

I have no experience with deer bedding on the edge of crops like that...but even so they still may stage a little before dark and wander in the woodlot a bit and munch on acorns or browse...



I will say...if you are wanting to hunt buck beds you can't worry about the rest of the farm...you do...but you are hunting ONE buck bed..when everything tells you he should be there...and that is your only intentions and goals is to kill THAT buck from THAT bed...

Its a fine line and can be an aggressive form of hunting IMO...

When you hear "burning a bridge" that's simply because we went into his bedroom...the staging area...and hunted...if he's not there and comes there later..or slips out the back door etc..he is going to know we were there...that's why we consider it a burnt bridge..that spot and bed is likely burned for a while...depending on the spot and the buck...some may take the pressure...some may use it and never move during daylight...some may vanish...another buck may start using it a few days later and be none the wiser...you never know...

But start hunting a spot close to a bed a lot and that bedding area is likely to become abandoned...



Part of bed hunting is locating ALL the mature buck bedding areas in an area...when you burn one bridge theoretically you should be increasing the odds of putting him in the next bed...your presence in his bed the day before means he shouldn't be there...


Gotta remember mature bucks bed in areas where they can survive...places people don't usually go...and places that give them their advantages...I've found they take very little pressure there....field edges and such...they'll take a little pressure...they almost have to to survive..but those are places they are feeding at during the night...if they avoided all human scent etc they'd starve...between farmers and small game hunters etc...

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[hunter10]

If its crops to the west of the woodlot....man...I have no idea how to deal with that...they can wake up right after dark and feed in the crops and that's that...

Any oaks etc in the woodlot???

Thanks for your response. Whole property is in some way or another surrounded by crops (usually beans or corn). There are red and white oaks scattered throughout the property but nothing in a pattern that would promote a definite feed zone.

I agree with you on the difficulty to where these beds are.. I have scanned this map and walked the farm many times and i just dont have a clue. I agree that I will have to target 1 bed at a time etc but if the fields are short crop I dont think i have a chance.. even if i was to setup close i would bust any deer in the fields as i leave and if i was to setup close in the woods i would likely just watch the buck walk away towards the fields to feed..

Frustrating but interesting forsure