Question about buck bedding?
- BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
Theres nothing wrong with keeping secrets Dewey! What state is this public land in? I've never heard of any shed rule like that before. How familiar are you with the bedding in that area? Maybe get aggressive and attack them in their bedding area and you'll either get a shot or push them out into the next best area. From what I've gathered it might be similar to Andre's "stacking" technique. In marsh bucks he said if he knows of 4 good areas he might push through 3 of them "stacking" the 4th one which he is familiar with and will hunt the deer in that area. Might be worth a shot. Go get um!
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- Dewey
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
The marsh I'm hunting is in Wisconsin. That's as specific as I want to get.
This shed rule only applies on Federal Refuge land. I am fairly familiar with the best bedding areas but they change throughout the season depending on water levels and when the water out in the cattails freezes up they can pretty much roam and bed anywhere. There are over 30,000 acres of cattails and water so stacking them might be kinda difficult. That's a great idea and I was just watching Andrae on Marsh Bucks again the other night talking about that but it probably works better on smaller tracks less than a few hundred acres.
I think tommorow I may do a long range observation sit with binoc's and see if they are still using the same travel pattern and base my next approach off that. If that doesn't pan out then I am going in after them when the weather turns real bad and kill one in his bed. Wouldn't that be cool?
This shed rule only applies on Federal Refuge land. I am fairly familiar with the best bedding areas but they change throughout the season depending on water levels and when the water out in the cattails freezes up they can pretty much roam and bed anywhere. There are over 30,000 acres of cattails and water so stacking them might be kinda difficult. That's a great idea and I was just watching Andrae on Marsh Bucks again the other night talking about that but it probably works better on smaller tracks less than a few hundred acres.
I think tommorow I may do a long range observation sit with binoc's and see if they are still using the same travel pattern and base my next approach off that. If that doesn't pan out then I am going in after them when the weather turns real bad and kill one in his bed. Wouldn't that be cool?
- BackWoodsHunter
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
That would be awesome best of luck to you sir! I am not looking for your "hotspots" by any means I was just simply curious because I've never heard of those rules. I hunt near some refuge land in the central part of the state but far as I'm aware its closed to hunting except during gun deer season.
"The history of the bow and arrow is the history of mankind." Fred Bear
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
Backwoods, if you e-mail them they should be able to give the rules and a map of the property.
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocato ... onsin.html
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocato ... onsin.html
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
The worse thing about the federal no shed rule is that all the sheds get picked up anyway so the rule makes it so only violators get the sheds.
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
I planned on hunting federal refuge land in MN. Never knew about the shed rule. That kind of sucks.
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
I think tommorow I may do a long range observation sit with binoc's and see if they are still using the same travel pattern and base my next approach off that.
Sounds like a good plan, keep us posted!!
- Dewey
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
Did some long range glassing this afternoon but did not see either buck move from where I thought they were bedding.
I started to doubt myself that this was really a primary bedding spot so I walked to the edge at dark to investigate. Big mistake!! I didn't chase anything up but I did find at least 15 huge beds and huge tracks that were 4 fingers wide! From the edges on the tracks and how warm it was today I assume a deer was there in the late morning possibly but nothing really fresh. From the number of beds they have probably been bedding there for some time and get up once in awhile to stretch and bed again thus making so many beds. It is the perfect spot because they are backed up to a ditch which is frozen with 4 miles of cattails behind that and in front of them is nothing but cattails as well so they can hear and smell anything coming at them. I think I pretty much ruined the area now but learned something very valuable for next season. I never knew about this bedding area before and found it by pure luck when I set up on a random spot Tuesday just from deer sign. I still have 5 more days I can actually hunt before the season is over so who knows??
Awhile back there was conversation about the size of deer poop and I noticed something very interesting around these beds. All of the pellets were about 1" diam and they were in clumps the same exact size and diameter as a 12 ounce soda can. I can't recall ever seeing this before but remember reading Dr. Ken Nordberg saying that pellets 3/4"-1" were a "world class animal" I guess in this case I would have to agree after seeing the deer that made them!!
I started to doubt myself that this was really a primary bedding spot so I walked to the edge at dark to investigate. Big mistake!! I didn't chase anything up but I did find at least 15 huge beds and huge tracks that were 4 fingers wide! From the edges on the tracks and how warm it was today I assume a deer was there in the late morning possibly but nothing really fresh. From the number of beds they have probably been bedding there for some time and get up once in awhile to stretch and bed again thus making so many beds. It is the perfect spot because they are backed up to a ditch which is frozen with 4 miles of cattails behind that and in front of them is nothing but cattails as well so they can hear and smell anything coming at them. I think I pretty much ruined the area now but learned something very valuable for next season. I never knew about this bedding area before and found it by pure luck when I set up on a random spot Tuesday just from deer sign. I still have 5 more days I can actually hunt before the season is over so who knows??
Awhile back there was conversation about the size of deer poop and I noticed something very interesting around these beds. All of the pellets were about 1" diam and they were in clumps the same exact size and diameter as a 12 ounce soda can. I can't recall ever seeing this before but remember reading Dr. Ken Nordberg saying that pellets 3/4"-1" were a "world class animal" I guess in this case I would have to agree after seeing the deer that made them!!
- PLB
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
You may think you have ruined the spot for this season but don't give up! Go for broke now the last few days! Stranger things have happened! And you're right, look what you have learned for 2011 I would be licking my chops to get in there late winter and early spring!!!
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
Those are the kind of spots I am searching for in my spring scouting... Sometimes you have to manage your scouting time because you have a certain window when there is no snow but there is still ice to travel across...
- Dewey
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
The thing is that this spot is definately not a primary bedding area earlier in the year because it is totally under water. The only reason they are there now is because of the ice. I know that a buck doesn't need much to bed on but this spot would be 2-3 feet of water and muck. I suppose if they pack the cattails down some it's possible.
I'm definately not giving up for the rest of this season and really looking forward to post season scouting to figure out exactly what is going on for next season.
I can't make it out today but plan on hunting the next 3 days. There are trails out of the bedding area with one headed about 3/4 of a mile east to a standing cornfield and one going about 1/2 mile north west headed to a decent size woods with probably only browse for them to eat. There are oaks but I don't see any evidence of scratching in the snow looking for what is left on the ground. Too play it safe I am going to hunt either of these trails depending on the wind. It's really hard accepting that I need to be this aggressive on one or two specific deer because I normally don't hunt like this and I'm sure I have been figured out by them being that I was near or in the bedding area. I guess at this point I would actually be shocked if I saw either buck again in the next week or so but I will keep at it and stay positive.
The thing I have always wondered is how some of these bucks in these huge marshs grow to be so big when some are living sometimes 5 miles from any kind of croplands and nutrition cannot be very good for them? I'm sure some of these islands provide everything they need but I am still amazed by some areas I have seen a buck living obviously quite well.
I'm definately not giving up for the rest of this season and really looking forward to post season scouting to figure out exactly what is going on for next season.
I can't make it out today but plan on hunting the next 3 days. There are trails out of the bedding area with one headed about 3/4 of a mile east to a standing cornfield and one going about 1/2 mile north west headed to a decent size woods with probably only browse for them to eat. There are oaks but I don't see any evidence of scratching in the snow looking for what is left on the ground. Too play it safe I am going to hunt either of these trails depending on the wind. It's really hard accepting that I need to be this aggressive on one or two specific deer because I normally don't hunt like this and I'm sure I have been figured out by them being that I was near or in the bedding area. I guess at this point I would actually be shocked if I saw either buck again in the next week or so but I will keep at it and stay positive.
The thing I have always wondered is how some of these bucks in these huge marshs grow to be so big when some are living sometimes 5 miles from any kind of croplands and nutrition cannot be very good for them? I'm sure some of these islands provide everything they need but I am still amazed by some areas I have seen a buck living obviously quite well.
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
The thing I have always wondered is how some of these bucks in these huge marshs grow to be so big when some are living sometimes 5 miles from any kind of croplands and nutrition cannot be very good for them? I'm sure some of these islands provide everything they need but I am still amazed by some areas I have seen a buck living obviously quite well.
1ST off the main ingrediant in rack size is age. And they are getting that in marshes. 2nd, marshes are usually surrounded by agraculture even if they have to walk a distance.
3rd, ypou would be amazed at all the food they have out in the marsh. Dogwood ( redbrush ) for example is a main food source in late season.
- Dewey
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
dan wrote:The thing I have always wondered is how some of these bucks in these huge marshs grow to be so big when some are living sometimes 5 miles from any kind of croplands and nutrition cannot be very good for them? I'm sure some of these islands provide everything they need but I am still amazed by some areas I have seen a buck living obviously quite well.
1ST off the main ingrediant in rack size is age. And they are getting that in marshes. 2nd, marshes are usually surrounded by agraculture even if they have to walk a distance.
3rd, ypou would be amazed at all the food they have out in the marsh. Dogwood ( redbrush ) for example is a main food source in late season.
I guess I never thought about the dogwood. As a matter of fact there is some very near to where they were bedded. Now I have another option for setting up them. It's possible that is where they headed the first night I moved in on them but didn't see anything.
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
Just curious Dewey, did you end up seeing them again? Is the season still in there?
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Re: Question about buck bedding?
pulling for ya dewey! give us an update!
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