Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

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Missionshooter
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Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby Missionshooter » Sat Jun 13, 2015 4:43 pm

During my winter post season scouting I keep thinking about this doe bedding area on a ridge that I found 5 distinct doe beds. All had hair and one even was like a 90 degree personal shelf carved in the ridge looking into the bottom. There was patchy snow so I could made out the 5 beds clearly.

I was curious to know what other people think about possibly hunting this bedding area during the rut in hopes of catching a buck.


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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby dan » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:20 pm

If its a well used doe bedding area there should be buck sign off to one side or more indicating bucks checking for does, look for a funnel leading to the doe bedding area. If its a seasonal bedding area, they might not be there during rut.
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby hunter10 » Sat Jun 13, 2015 11:59 pm

I have a spot where it is really only good during the pre rut/rut phase as its a thick doe bedding area in a bottom. had some good encounters with chasing just couldnt whistle an arrow yet
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby whitetail4ever » Tue Jun 23, 2015 3:41 pm

hunter10 wrote:I have a spot where it is really only good during the pre rut/rut phase as its a thick doe bedding area in a bottom. had some good encounters with chasing just couldnt whistle an arrow yet


When are you trying to hunt this bottom? After thermals drop? Or in the morning while they rise? This is a tricky scenario due to wind-age. Anybody have any experience with this situation??
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Wed Jun 24, 2015 12:05 am

dan wrote:If its a well used doe bedding area there should be buck sign off to one side or more indicating bucks checking for does, look for a funnel leading to the doe bedding area. If its a seasonal bedding area, they might not be there during rut.


Just to clarify for some of the new guys, the side that's seeing the buck activity or markings is the side you can intercept bucks using to scent check and check doe bedding areas. I know to most it's the "we already knew that" but to some of the new guys it may not be.

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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:44 am

Something Ive noticed as well for buck cruising on one of the sides of doe bedding, they usually prefer to be downwind on the thick edge (if one edge is thicker than the others). It seems that every doe bedding has a preferred wind to come in a scent check them. Just my observations....
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby dan » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:20 am

I wouldn't get to hung up on the down wind side... I have seen a lot of examples where they cruise the up wind side when the does enter from that way checking there scent trail rather than the wind.
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:40 am

dan wrote:I wouldn't get to hung up on the down wind side... I have seen a lot of examples where they cruise the up wind side [glow=red]when the does enter from that way [/glow]checking there scent trail rather than the wind.


Dan made this point before, I just havent hunted this way. Im always downwind of the doe bedding so the buck comes between me and the doe group.

Dan-If the buck walks the upwind side, scent checking, arent you then upwind of the doe group, and pretty close too since the buck wont be walking too far from the actual doe bedding to scent check? Im just trying to apply this, and cant figure out how without getting busted.
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby dan » Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:17 am

johndeere506 wrote:
dan wrote:I wouldn't get to hung up on the down wind side... I have seen a lot of examples where they cruise the up wind side [glow=red]when the does enter from that way [/glow]checking there scent trail rather than the wind.


Dan made this point before, I just havent hunted this way. Im always downwind of the doe bedding so the buck comes between me and the doe group.

Dan-If the buck walks the upwind side, scent checking, arent you then upwind of the doe group, and pretty close too since the buck wont be walking too far from the actual doe bedding to scent check? Im just trying to apply this, and cant figure out how without getting busted.


I ONLY HUNT A SPOT LIKE THAT A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR AT MOST, so I really don't care if I spook the does out, I am only worried about the buck, and when he comes checking he don't know if they are there or not. However, I would much rather hunt a funnel leading up to a doe BEDDING AREA THEN TRUST HE IS GOING TO GO TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND NOT THRU THE MIDDLE. You can tell which side gets cruised by rub markings. The cruising bucks will mark the doe trails that are entering the bedding area. If the downwind side has the marked trails your golden, but if the rubs go on both sides you gotta make a choice.

(Sorry about the cap's I keep fat fingering the caps button.)
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby johndeere506 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:21 am

dan wrote:
johndeere506 wrote:
dan wrote:I wouldn't get to hung up on the down wind side... I have seen a lot of examples where they cruise the up wind side [glow=red]when the does enter from that way [/glow]checking there scent trail rather than the wind.


Dan made this point before, I just havent hunted this way. Im always downwind of the doe bedding so the buck comes between me and the doe group.

Dan-If the buck walks the upwind side, scent checking, arent you then upwind of the doe group, and pretty close too since the buck wont be walking too far from the actual doe bedding to scent check? Im just trying to apply this, and cant figure out how without getting busted.


I ONLY HUNT A SPOT LIKE THAT A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR AT MOST, so I really don't care if I spook the does out, I am only worried about the buck, and when he comes checking [glow=red]he don't know if they are there or not[/glow]. However, [glow=red]I would much rather hunt a funnel leading up to a doe BEDDING AREA THEN TRUST HE IS GOING TO GO TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER[/glow] AND NOT THRU THE MIDDLE. You can tell which side gets cruised by rub markings. The cruising bucks will mark the doe trails that are entering the bedding area. If the downwind side has the marked trails your golden, but if the rubs go on both sides you gotta make a choice.

(Sorry about the cap's I keep fat fingering the caps button.)


Missionshooter-I didnt mean to sidetrack, hopefully the comments are helping explain.

Dan-Thanks for clarifying, that makes more sense. At home my doe groups are NOTORIUS for coming out to investgate human scent, and then snorting/stomping/blowing out the entire woods, so it wouldnt work here. On public last year, every doe that caught a faint whiff of me didnt even think twice they just bolted...I prefer that.
Your idea of hunting the funnel pretty much takes care of both. I just had an "ah-ha" moment since I know where the funnel is but never thought of it as one. Not sure why.
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Re: Hunting Doe bedding areas during the Rut?

Unread postby hunter10 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:39 am

When are you trying to hunt this bottom? After thermals drop? Or in the morning while they rise? This is a tricky scenario due to wind-age. Anybody have any experience with this situation??


I have found my best bet for hunting ths bottom is in the morning due to thermals rising but also with a strong north wind so the amount of swirl is minimal. I placed the stand in he highest spot in the bowl so the wind has an easier chance of blowing out and over a field instead of hitting a wall and swirling (ridge behind the stand). Because of this my mornings sighting are greater than evening. Ive had one mature buck encounter during evening hunts here but I believe the falling thermals cause more harm than good in the long run for this setup


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