Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

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Debo03
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Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Debo03 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:37 am

I tried searching the topic but didn't really have any luck so with the rut approaching I find myself asking this question.

Where do you guys usually find doe bedding in hill country?

The property I hunt is mostly rolling hills with big mature hardwoods. Not really any thickets or CRP. With the lack of cover I'm kind of stumped on where to locate bedded doe groups in order to hunt the downwind side for cruising bucks.

Any experience of how does will use terrain to bed the way bucks do using points when there is a lack of thick cover?


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Crazinamatese
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:48 am

From my observations, does tend to bed in groups on the inside and at the top of draws. Intersecting ridges too.
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Debo03
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Debo03 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:52 am

Crazinamatese wrote:From my observations, does tend to bed in groups on the inside and at the top of draws. Intersecting ridges too.


What do you mean by "draws"?
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justin84
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby justin84 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:07 am

This thread has been incredibly helpful for me:

http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19217
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BigHunt
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby BigHunt » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:14 am

From my experience they bed off the tip of points in real thick areas... occasionally you will see them on side hills but the best bedding I find are the points that aren't visible on a topo map... the little side points are the best
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:03 am

Image
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<DK>
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby <DK> » Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:20 am

If you can find some tall grassy areas on flat top of hills / ridges, they will be loaded w beds. Does are ignorant sometimes w their bedding, they always seem to be right on my access routes or next to my stand locations. usually too close for comfort...
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Wlfpckhuntr27 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:25 am

I hunt the same type of terrain and cover. I find that does don't care to bed in open woods on the edge of what I call finger ridges. Typically they have the wind to there back (blowing across the top of the ridge) and they are watching along the side and below (where they can't smell). I will find beds next to large trees or the fallen log. A good place to start looking is on benches of finger ridges.

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huntinsonovagun
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby huntinsonovagun » Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:28 pm

tag

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SaddleMaster
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby SaddleMaster » Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:30 pm

Quite often bucks and does will share a point. The does will bed on top in a circle and the bucks move around the tips of the point based on wind direction.

Image[/quote]
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:57 pm

I have seen the same saddlemaster. Good illustration.
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justin84
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby justin84 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 11:13 pm

The maps are helpful, thanks guys! I found those doe bedding areas on hilltops a lot this winter when I was scouting in the northwoods of Wisconsin

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checkerfred
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Re: Where do you find doe bedding in Hill country

Unread postby checkerfred » Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:09 am

I'm not great at finding buck beds, but I've found plenty of doe beds LOL..Places I see them bed are inside a draw like shown, sometimes 10 yards or so to one side or the other of that draw. I see them bed at the ends of long ridge points, especially if its grown up with weeds and brush. I've also seen them bed low on a ridge point going in early in the morning. In hilly farm land I've seen them bed on top way up on the flat areas if grown up. They bed in clear cuts just about anywhere too but usually closer to edges of some sort. I've also seen bedding on benches or on tops of hills in a semi circle like shown. OH I've seen them bedding low in hills in creek bottoms where they can jump to one side or the other.


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