Bedding question

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bigbucks1234
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Bedding question

Unread postby bigbucks1234 » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:02 pm

Just reading a different thread spurred this question on me. Do you bed hunters find a correlation in the condition of buck beds as far as say lightly pressured land, buck beds not being wore down to the dirt and having multiple beds in a small general area. Versus highly pressured land the buck beds being wore to the dirt with only 1 or 2 in a small general area. Theory on this being the bucks on highly pressured ground would have to have their bedding defined more so than bucks on lightly pressured ground.
Hope this makes sense, thanks.


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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby SidewayZ » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:28 pm

I think it depends on the perspective of what you are asking. I think "pressure" drives bucks to locations that are void of pressure or exposure and this would cause a well worn bed void of pressure, away from most interference.

If deer are surviving or bedding in an actual "pressure area" I would think the buck or even deer in general would be relocating a lot and the beds would not be well defined.

Pressure causes mature bucks to relocate (mostly) to an area or bed that is either void of pressure or to an area where they can see the pressure coming.

I dont think pressure has a direct effect on the condition of a bed as much as it has a direct effect on the location of a bed. Mature bucks want to be safe, not constantly bounced around.
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby dan » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:44 pm

Mature bucks bed like mature bucks. Pressure light, or pressure heavy,
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby UofLbowhunter » Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:56 pm

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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby SMS79 » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:23 am

Without much practical experience personally, but just thinking about this logically, I think your theory is pretty sound. I would assume increasing hunting pressure in an area would serve to reduce the number of spots and areas that a mature buck feels safe and secure. The fewer spots he feels safe enough to bed in, the more concentrated his usage of those particular spots would be, resulting in fewer, more heavily used beds.

That being said, I posted on a different thread a few minutes ago about finding my first ever big buck bed worn down to the dirt and having the appearance of multiple years of use. I found this bed yesterday afternoon. This property is a couple hundred acres of private land (low, rolling hills) with light hunting pressure. The bed is in an overlooked spot that has a perfect view of my access route to the property. I've been searching this property for 6 months and this is the first spot like that I've found. I've found tons of beds with lighter usage that are more spread out, which seems to align with your theory. Opportunities for bedding on leeward sides of hill, ridge points and fingers that don't get tainted with any human scent are seemingly endless, and pretty much every finger I've walked, I've found lightly used beds on the points. But, my finding yesterday pretty much proves what Dan said. Mature bucks are an entirely different creature from "deer" and are going to bed where they bed regardless of how high the pressure.
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:05 am

dan wrote:Mature bucks bed like mature bucks. Pressure light, or pressure heavy,

Can you elaborate a little more? Do you mean they're going to be in the best bed whether there's heavy pressure or light pressure? So if they are in the thickest nastiest stuff with little pressure they will be there with heavy pressure? They wouldn't just bet on the edge of the thick stuff while there's light pressure and then if the pressure picks up moving to the heavier stuff?
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby Killemquietly » Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:20 am

Eddiegomes83 wrote:
dan wrote:Mature bucks bed like mature bucks. Pressure light, or pressure heavy,

Can you elaborate a little more? Do you mean they're going to be in the best bed whether there's heavy pressure or light pressure? So if they are in the thickest nastiest stuff with little pressure they will be there with heavy pressure? They wouldn't just bet on the edge of the thick stuff while there's light pressure and then if the pressure picks up moving to the heavier stuff?

my thoughts exactly - waiting on some expertise. ...
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby dan » Sat Jul 22, 2017 4:14 am

Pressure certainly effects mature buck bedding to some degree... Mature bucks don't bed like other deer. They bed in specific spots for specific reasons... For example. I hunt an island in a marsh that receives little pressure. You see deer there any time you hunt it, but if you target that island a few days after a major pressure event like pheasant opener, or gun season opener You will see a lot more deer than say opening day of bow season... With that said, what you won't see is a difference in the amount of mature bucks. They bed like that all year...

Of coarse it ain't that simple... I do also have a spot in a different marsh that is an island that is in the middle of a a cattail marsh surrounded by pressure. Lots of good buck bedding areas get pressure on the pheasant opener and there fore I do see more big bucks on that island historically after the opener. Buyt one thing is for sure, the beds in both of those spots are worn to the earth year round.

Within a hunting area there are beds all over the place. 90% don't matter. Big bucks seek out isolated spots where few go. Yes, if pressure gets to them they move, but most of the time they are in spots that very seldom get pressure all year... You gotta seek out the over looked and forgotten areas...
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby GoInLight » Sun Jul 23, 2017 1:55 am

dan wrote:Pressure certainly effects mature buck bedding to some degree... Mature bucks don't bed like other deer. They bed in specific spots for specific reasons... For example. I hunt an island in a marsh that receives little pressure. You see deer there any time you hunt it, but if you target that island a few days after a major pressure event like pheasant opener, or gun season opener You will see a lot more deer than say opening day of bow season... With that said, what you won't see is a difference in the amount of mature bucks. They bed like that all year...

Of coarse it ain't that simple... I do also have a spot in a different marsh that is an island that is in the middle of a a cattail marsh surrounded by pressure. Lots of good buck bedding areas get pressure on the pheasant opener and there fore I do see more big bucks on that island historically after the opener. Buyt one thing is for sure, the beds in both of those spots are worn to the earth year round.

Within a hunting area there are beds all over the place. 90% don't matter. Big bucks seek out isolated spots where few go. Yes, if pressure gets to them they move, but most of the time they are in spots that very seldom get pressure all year... You gotta seek out the over looked and forgotten areas...


Do mature bucks change bedding during the rut? So like will a big buck pick another bullet proof spot, but have it in an area where he check downwind doe bedding or be in a spot where does normally funnel through? Seems like he'd have to use less energy and he'd pick up the first hot does without exposing himself. I know I've heard the term rut bed before, so I'm assuming this is what you mean??
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby dan » Sun Jul 23, 2017 2:22 am

GoInLight wrote:
dan wrote:Pressure certainly effects mature buck bedding to some degree... Mature bucks don't bed like other deer. They bed in specific spots for specific reasons... For example. I hunt an island in a marsh that receives little pressure. You see deer there any time you hunt it, but if you target that island a few days after a major pressure event like pheasant opener, or gun season opener You will see a lot more deer than say opening day of bow season... With that said, what you won't see is a difference in the amount of mature bucks. They bed like that all year...

Of coarse it ain't that simple... I do also have a spot in a different marsh that is an island that is in the middle of a a cattail marsh surrounded by pressure. Lots of good buck bedding areas get pressure on the pheasant opener and there fore I do see more big bucks on that island historically after the opener. Buyt one thing is for sure, the beds in both of those spots are worn to the earth year round.

Within a hunting area there are beds all over the place. 90% don't matter. Big bucks seek out isolated spots where few go. Yes, if pressure gets to them they move, but most of the time they are in spots that very seldom get pressure all year... You gotta seek out the over looked and forgotten areas...


Do mature bucks change bedding during the rut? So like will a big buck pick another bullet proof spot, but have it in an area where he check downwind doe bedding or be in a spot where does normally funnel through? Seems like he'd have to use less energy and he'd pick up the first hot does without exposing himself. I know I've heard the term rut bed before, so I'm assuming this is what you mean??

Yep.. Its what we call rut bedding.
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Re: Bedding question

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Jul 23, 2017 3:06 am

Well. On the same piece of ground if there is less pressure, there will be more bucks and more secure bedding spots(lacking human intrusion).

I have noticed on heavy pressure ground that bucks will Bed during summer in more frontal habitat almost like lookout or sentry beds watching for the hunters to return to the woods. Once you bump them out of these beds they retreat deeper into the property and do not Bed there again until next summer. These beds are different than those bulletproof beds they use to montior hunters during season. So if the pressure never picks up, perhaps these beds would get more use all year?

Also I see guys on here say that bucks will Bed on the edge of a thicket. I find that in some cases, but I can tell you for certain that some areas I have hunted with extreme pressure, not just still hunters, but dogs, swamp buggies and airboats running all season. The bucks that survive don't Bed on the 'edge' of anything. They find the thickest patch of crap they can and tunnel into it almost like a den or burrow.
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