The importance of macro bedding areas to micro beds.

[mainebowhunter]

One of my spots, it has a very large alder thicket that butts up against a hardwood softwood mix. I always made the assumption, that was where the deer were coming from as it was a bedding area. I have not really hunted this exact spot all that much...but have run a lot of cameras. I knew were certain beds were...but figure there must be more.

I spent a good bunch of time in January looking for more beds in this thicket. I only found more around the ones I all ready knew about. But NONE in the areas where I thought they were. I scoured the area more than once...thorns, briars...nasty. But no beds. I have been through a lot of these alders looking for beds in the past without much luck.

This past winter, found a buck dead that I was hoping would have made it to next season. What I noticed? He looked like he died in a bed. And found runs that left the alder thicket and headed in this directions. Today I went right back to that area and started really looking hard. I marked 25 beds on my GPS. Trails, rubs and ground scrapes marked in vicinity of the beds. Some of the beds looked like birds nest.



Here is what the terrain looked like. Its not all that thick. In fact, pretty open. No surprise, most of the beds related to the swampy wet, low spots. Nearly good hump had evidence that it had been bedded.




By finding individual beds, it means I will hunt this area with a wind that is totally opposite or at least a shift from what normally would have hunted it with. It also is going to change my access. I am going to give up the thicket. I have been round and round looking solid bedding...but I was looking for more "traditional" alder thicket...thick stuff. But in reality, the nasty muck part of the woods that I was giving up and walking right past...that is the best bedding I have found on this property to date.

I know a lot of guys here don't hunt this type of terrain. Thought maybe it might give some guys in big woods type settings some ideas in relation to bedding.

[dan]

A lot of the time reality and perception clash... Which is why its important to scout the beds even if you think you know whats going on... One thing I see a lot scouting for others that might or might not relate to what you found is that guys have the perception that bucks bed in really, really thick nasty areas, when in reality they often bed on the edge and use the thick as an escape.

[mainebowhunter]

A lot of the time reality and perception clash... Which is why its important to scout the beds even if you think you know whats going on... One thing I see a lot scouting for others that might or might not relate to what you found is that guys have the perception that bucks bed in really, really thick nasty areas, when in reality they often bed on the edge and use the thick as an escape.

This area, they bed in both. BUT only in a small section of the alders, not in the big section as a whole. AND the section they are in is not super thick. Its where thicket turns boggy and the deer are bedded on the dry hummocks.

By figuring this out, I can give up a lot the alders as "nothing" and use it to access my sets. In the end, I have not hunted this section a ton...mainly because it just did not have the number of mature bucks living here as others spots I had last year.

A lot of the beds I found were doe beds. But with the dead buck I found there and the rubs and scrapes, bucks are using the area also. Its definitely an area that I will not be hunting IN as its too open and there really is no way you could hunt in it. I will be hunting the fringes. It also shows how tough it can be when the acorns fall...one bed as 60yds from an oak tree that was dropping this past season.

Never hunted this farm at all last season but scouted it a ton. But post season scouting and camera pulls showed this farm should have 3 or 4 bucks 3.5yrs old and older on it this coming season. In 2013, there were some slammers living here.

I don't share this stuff because I think I am some kind of genius or expert on the matter. I share this stuff because I am passionate up about it.

[wickedbruiser]

A lot of the time reality and perception clash... Which is why its important to scout the beds even if you think you know whats going on... One thing I see a lot scouting for others that might or might not relate to what you found is that guys have the perception that bucks bed in really, really thick nasty areas, when in reality they often bed on the edge and use the thick as an escape.

This right here was my thought process before really putting the hours in scouting. I always put it in my head that bucks will be bedding in the thickest nastiest terrain and wasted a ton of time looking for that one bed when majority of these beds I find are on the edges using the thick for escape just like Dan mentioned.

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[DaveT1963]

I have seen it both ways

[mainebowhunter]

I have seen it both ways

I have 2. But what I am finding this year, in many pieces, there deer are preferring to bed in open wet places, choosing to bed on the dry spots rather than the thick nasty places that are hard to walk through. Alder patches without a lot of briars are very thick but easier to move through. I find bedding in these on a regular basis.

The areas I have been spending this spring in are all pretty flatland woods. Which means lots and lots of wet areas, no place for the water to drain. Deer seem to prefer these areas for bedding just as much as the tag alders.

[stash59]

Cool stuff!! Thanx Maine and Dan!!

[mainebowhunter]

Went back today...for another 4+hrs and marked more beds. I cannot believe the amount of beds there are in this piece. Again, cannot stress enough. You need to KNOW where the bedding is not just guess. Many times, when I am hunting in a different state and time is short...sometimes its an educated guess. Sometimes when you come across really hot sign or you see something that you are going to setup on RIGHT NOW, you have to take an educated guess on bedding. I talk with guys on a regular basis that tell me "I just don't know where the bedding is" and they keep hunting...and they keep struggling.

Just want to encourage guys who are struggling to find it. Don't stop looking. Sometimes, it might be right under you nose.