Last year during season I was hunting off a large soybean field. There was a large goldenrod field next to it but they were separated by a patch of woods maybe 15-20 yards wide.
I was mostly focused on deer moving threw the patch of woods to the soybeans. While I was on stand I noticed about 50-60 yards away from me in the goldenrod field a set of antlers. I watched them for close to an hour then it got dark.
I never saw that buck again that season. This year scout a different location I jumped another buck that was bedding smack dab I. The middle of a field.
My question is: do you think these bucks bed here routinely, or do they just stop for a nap? Has anyone ever encountered bucks doing this same behavior?
Bucks bedding in fields
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
Most tall grass situations I hope to find some type of base or back cover or island of trees bc then id feel confident its a consistent bed. Cant say they never with deer...
This probably varies by terrains - I have found them of the edges, many times just inside the woodline and that is a tough deer to encroach on. During velvet months youll see them in all kinds of crazy places... some even right on the edge of a field under the overhanging branches in the shade. Twice in pre/early season iv witnessed them arrive at fields way before prime time, bed down in a night bed on the edge until dark. Colder months might be a little different id think bc then they may want some sun light for heat. Pressure or food though, is usually the reason they reside where they do.
As far as your field scenario goes, my issue w it right now is the warm temps and sunlight directly on the deer while bedded there. Maybe replay the situations try to figure out times of year, times of day and winds these experiences happened. Then reference your map. Maybe that first experience you were very close to his lair but he left the area bc of pressure or the rut? My
This probably varies by terrains - I have found them of the edges, many times just inside the woodline and that is a tough deer to encroach on. During velvet months youll see them in all kinds of crazy places... some even right on the edge of a field under the overhanging branches in the shade. Twice in pre/early season iv witnessed them arrive at fields way before prime time, bed down in a night bed on the edge until dark. Colder months might be a little different id think bc then they may want some sun light for heat. Pressure or food though, is usually the reason they reside where they do.
As far as your field scenario goes, my issue w it right now is the warm temps and sunlight directly on the deer while bedded there. Maybe replay the situations try to figure out times of year, times of day and winds these experiences happened. Then reference your map. Maybe that first experience you were very close to his lair but he left the area bc of pressure or the rut? My
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
Outdoor814 wrote:Last year during season I was hunting off a large soybean field. There was a large goldenrod field next to it but they were separated by a patch of woods maybe 15-20 yards wide.
I was mostly focused on deer moving threw the patch of woods to the soybeans. While I was on stand I noticed about 50-60 yards away from me in the goldenrod field a set of antlers. I watched them for close to an hour then it got dark.
I never saw that buck again that season. This year scout a different location I jumped another buck that was bedding smack dab I. The middle of a field.
My question is: do you think these bucks bed here routinely, or do they just stop for a nap? Has anyone ever encountered bucks doing this same behavior?
In farm country especially in early season I’ve watched mature bucks bed in waste high grass fields more than once, but it usually wasn’t random…there was either a single briar patch, small group of trees, or something there to make them pick that spot, and usually nobody ever walked these areas for some reason. I’ve also witnessed bucks bed right on the transition where the goldenrod meets the hardwoods looking out into the woods, but those were mostly immature deer.
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
I have been wondering about bucks bedding in standing corn...I know we talk about buck bedding but am curious how they bed in corn... Again field bedding
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
To the original question I have noticed bucks bedded in crp with a thermal advantage and back cover...I hunt a tallcrp field the Young bucks come in and out all over... The mature 4yr old bucks use very specific entry in low spots and bed with the beast tactics brush or even single cedar to back with wind coming from back facing entry.. Hard to get a crack at because there are few trees so I am trying some hunts from the ground this fall
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
The buck I saw during season last year I definitely would have shot, and he to was bedded next to spine sort of shrub. I'm just curious because I think it would be fun to put the sneak on one.
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
yungbuck wrote:I have been wondering about bucks bedding in standing corn...I know we talk about buck bedding but am curious how they bed in corn... Again field bedding
The general analysis is that pressure puts them there when preferred bedding areas are hunted. There are some good thread discussion on here about it.
This is on of my favorite hunting videos, hope this helps you.
Toad Smith Hunting Bedded Bucks in Standing Corn - https://youtu.be/g1iTtqgnOeQ
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
I hunt a farm with a lot of overgrown CRP fields and the deer live in them most of the year. Mature bucks included. The woods are almost like a ghost town as the deer feel much safer in these fields. They are very difficult to hunt or even get close to with a bow. They either see you or smell you before you can get close. During gun season we hunt them like rabbits. We've shot 3 nice bucks during gun season in the last 2 years.
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
I saw a buck on sunday bedded in the middle of a bean field, I have always assume when they do this in the summer it's to escape misquitos in the woods. In the fall the only time I've seen it was during the rut, either with a doe nearby or waiting to intercept a hot doe. I'm talking pretty open fields not overgrown CRP. Yungbuck is spot on, I hunt a lot of ground similar to what he described and my observations are the same-generally a thermal advantage and something at their back. One tip for getting on mature bucks in this habitat is to look at aerials for cruising trails 50-100 yards out from the surrounding timber.
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
Darkknight54 wrote:yungbuck wrote:I have been wondering about bucks bedding in standing corn...I know we talk about buck bedding but am curious how they bed in corn... Again field bedding
The general analysis is that pressure puts them there when preferred bedding areas are hunted. There are some good thread discussion on here about it.
This is on of my favorite hunting videos, hope this helps you.
Toad Smith Hunting Bedded Bucks in Standing Corn - https://youtu.be/g1iTtqgnOeQ
I just watched that video this week and it got me wondering if beast hunters have other insights on how they bed.... Video was great for hunting the field but wondering if anyone noticed patterns in bedding locations...
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
Redman232 wrote:I saw a buck on sunday bedded in the middle of a bean field, I have always assume when they do this in the summer it's to escape misquitos in the woods. In the fall the only time I've seen it was during the rut, either with a doe nearby or waiting to intercept a hot doe. I'm talking pretty open fields not overgrown CRP. Yungbuck is spot on, I hunt a lot of ground similar to what he described and my observations are the same-generally a thermal advantage and something at their back. One tip for getting on mature bucks in this habitat is to look at aerials for cruising trails 50-100 yards out from the surrounding timber.
I have also seen bucks bed in bean fields. I think they do this more than a guy thinks. Several years ago (before I had thermacell and before I would use mosquito spray) i got chased off stand at the drainage property. I reached the end of the finger where the beans start and there was a 2 y.o. buck 100 yards out in the field making his way to the finger of trees I was in. Believe me when I say there was nothing to bed by. Nothing but wide open bean field.
Last year I came across a good sized bed in a standing bean field with hair and decent track in it. It was bedded downwind of the standing corn edge (travel corridor) about 70 yards away.
I agree with yungbuck and redman's comments about CRP. From what I have seen if there is no structure in the CRP, they'll be in the lowest spot. Low spots get the most run off and grass is thickest and tallest there.
Keep in mind big weed patches mean transition/structure in an open grass field. The two bucks I shined by Oscar's a few weeks ago were bedded by a thick patch of 6' tall weeds in a CRP field.
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Re: Bucks bedding in fields
I've been glassing hayfields all summer and don't see deer very often. Recently I saw a 6 point and a fawn bed down together in 6" of grass, for less than 5 minutes.
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