Exit from the bed

[tbunao]

Say you were to do some internet scouting and pick out a prime looking spot for a bed on a specific wind. When you go in to set up on that bed how do you choose the direction you think a buck may exit? Direction of feed? Terrain features?

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[sunset samurai]

Exits in direction of something he wants, i.e. feed, does (rut)
Alot of times pinpointing it easier said than done.

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[hunter10]

Sat near a bed last night. Didn't get in as close as I would of liked but also made the mistake of not thinking through the most likely direction he would leave (toward the beans) becuase of this, I didn't see him but he very likely could of left the bed towards food and I wouldn't have been close enough to see

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[tbunao]

That's what I always figured as well. Especially during early season. How about wind direction? Say the assumed beds are good for a N wind and the bed is N of the only field. Means he would have to travel with the wind at his back. I know they have no rules but I've always thought of them to keep it in their face.

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[DaveT1963]

Where I hunt, if it is hot out which it is 90% of the time, the first thing a buck will do is head towards his favorite water hole. I set up on water holes much like guys sets up on ag fields. I get as close to the bedding area and set up on the trail leading to the nearest isolated water. I can check the water hole itself for tracks and then go set up when I know he is using it:)

[dan]

Swamps and marshes its usually obvious, but hill country, farm, or woods can be tough unless you walk a perimeter around it looking for exiting sign, and then set up. And, even the ones that look obvious, sometimes they surprise you.

[mag1]

Ok, I have a ? on this as well. I have one spot, never hunted yet, but scouted. Lots of acorns/crop fields to the NW of bedding area, Creek is to the S and SE, and more crop fields to the S. typical wind is NW. Would you try to be just out of the air stream, but to the N of a NW direction from the Bed?

[Bowhunter4life]

That's what I always figured as well. Especially during early season. How about wind direction? Say the assumed beds are good for a N wind and the bed is N of the only field. Means he would have to travel with the wind at his back. I know they have no rules but I've always thought of them to keep it in their face.

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I have killed multiple bucks leaving their beds in the evening with the wind to their backside. I would say 80 percent of them I have shot in close to their beds have left that way. The one I just killed this year had the wind right to his backside. I believe it is just a matter of where the deer is going that evening when he leaves his bed, wind doesn't play a factor in that at all IMHO.

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[Divergent]

That's what I always figured as well. Especially during early season. How about wind direction? Say the assumed beds are good for a N wind and the bed is N of the only field. Means he would have to travel with the wind at his back. I know they have no rules but I've always thought of them to keep it in their face.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I have killed multiple bucks leaving their beds in the evening with the wind to their backside. I would say 80 percent of them I have shot in close to their beds have left that way. The one I just killed this year had the wind right to his backside. I believe it is just a matter of where the deer is going that evening when he leaves his bed, wind doesn't play a factor in that at all IMHO.

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This is what i've experienced too. I have one particular area in early season where the bucks bed on a SE slope when the wind is out of the NW. The bucks will wait til the shadows cover half of the hillside and then they'll ALWAYS get up and travel SE with the wind at their backs to a staging area about 50 yds away. This staging area is in more open timber along the edge of a 10-15 yr old clear cut. They'll feed there for about 20-30 minutes on acorns and then one by one the bucks will enter the NW corner of a food plot. The food plot is located on a large power line. They feed down to the bottom/center part of the plot which usually takes about 30 minutes and then will exit to the east of the food plot.

I think they use the wind more when they reach a destination...whether it's a bed or a food source.

[whitetailassasin]

Opening night I hunted a buck bed I've hunted 3 times, 3 times I've watched a buck rise from it and 2 kills. Hunt number 4 produced a buck rising 45 mins before dark and he was with a doe, he walked straight across the swamp in front of me at 70 yds and never came toward my direction. I hunted this bed from this location once before and had picked the wrong tree but the buck came toward me. The previous 2 it was windy and I stalked up to the bed and shot the buck as he rose in his bed. So for my 4th try I watched him pass another kill tree i can get into. I'm not sure if it was the doe that lead him there or food source, because there is food in both directions. Next time wind is right for that stand I will sneak in and hunt the other kill tree. If he does go towards the other tree I think I will still have a shot because I've closed the distance. And if he come by the new tree it will be close range. In both times I saw bucks leaving this bed wind was always to his back or just off wind. Not once has it been in his face. I do believe this bed is a non wind specific bed because of its location and how the buck can see as well as hear anything approaching . There is also a bed about 60 yds from it that very often holds another buck. I've seen two bed there at the same time and both good bucks. Looking forward to going in there again to try especially since the rain washed away scent and I know he is in there as I saw him stand up. Sometimes it's nice to sit back a safe distance and observe how the deer moves and where. And when the situations are the same, move in for the kill. He's not my biggest deer, but a for sure 3.5 old and goes 110-120". I know there is a buck using the area that was a booner last season. But if I hunt his bed I burn the whole area. I've also seen him bed in this particular bed. But I've also saw him use 2 others all within 200 yds. Since I get two buck tags in Michigan, I'll be looking to take the first mature buck out of the fringes of this area until the signs lead me to know the big boy is for sure bedded in the back side of this area. I'm being careful, but there will be a time when I just have to make my move and go after him. I've not seen a hunter in this area in 3 seasons because of how hard and far of a walk it is to get here.

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[dan]

Ok, I have a ? on this as well. I have one spot, never hunted yet, but scouted. Lots of acorns/crop fields to the NW of bedding area, Creek is to the S and SE, and more crop fields to the S. typical wind is NW. Would you try to be just out of the air stream, but to the N of a NW direction from the Bed?

If they are going that direction, yes... However, my observations tell me they head towards the food they desire rather than "into the wind"... Even if the food sources "seem" equal, there not. I have seen deer go way out of there way to feed on one oak tree, or one spot in a field... Either pre-determine direction, or hunt both directions consecutively. Or better yet, if possible observe from a distance 1st.

[IkemanTx]

Where I hunt, if it is hot out which it is 90% of the time, the first thing a buck will do is head towards his favorite water hole. I set up on water holes much like guys sets up on ag fields. I get as close to the bedding area and set up on the trail leading to the nearest isolated water. I can check the water hole itself for tracks and then go set up when I know he is using it:)

What town you in? I'm in Denton. That 88 & 89 degree days tuesday and wednesday nearly killed me when I was stupid enough to try to blaze a trail nearly a mile to set up... I keep forgetting that shtuff is for winter!

[tbunao]

Thinking about it makes sense for them to go any direction. At their back the can smell a predator that may have caught their scent trail following while being on their feet they can use their eyes and ears. Of course with the wind at their face they can scent check in front and its scent stream would be overlapping its trail much like the purpose of a j-hook. I'm assuming that the food source that they would be headed to they would eventually get into a position to scent check it before entering ex. A field

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