My bedding Study

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

My bedding Study

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:06 pm

I did a small bedding camera study this year and thought I would show my findings. It’s just a small sample so I don’t put much into but it did confirm afew of my thoughts.

I ran 3 diff cameras over 3 diff beds. All beds were eithier points or knobs. I placed cameras high in the air angled down to cover as much of the point as possible. Cameras were put out Jul 20 and taken down Oct 18. No human intrusion during that time. Also, these were relitively low pressure spots once hunting season started oct 1.
Findings:
Confirmed pics of 13 diff bucks
4 what I thought to be mature
None of the 13 were young spikes, forkies or basket rack so guessing all 13 to be over 2.
Also a lot of pics I couldn’t make out or tell if it was a diff buck or not so I didn’t count it.
1st pic captured was on Aug 12 roughly 3 weeks after I disturbed the area. After that pics were pretty steady as all beds were for Southernly winds and that’s what I had.
Did not get a single pic of a buck reaching his bed after daylight, avg time for buck to bed 45 min b4 light. Earliest was 3 hours b4 light.
Movement while in the bed was hard to make out, looked like a lot of standing then slightly moving or disappearing for 20 min then coming back.
There was a period were a group of 4 younger bucks all bedded on the same point 3 days in a row. Other than that the bedding was pretty random and spread out by each buck
Evening movement:
Younger bucks departed bedding anywhere from a hour and a half b4 dark until well after shooting light. I would say last 45 minutes was the most common.
Mature bucks not so good! Had one case of where a mature buck left bedding b4 dark and didn’t return. It was 2 in the afternoon however 3 min later I had a black lab getting a photo shoot. From what I gathered the mature bucks rise about 30 to 45 min b4 dark and do a lot of watching and standing around until darkness.
Would have liked to left cameras up longer I pulled em Oct 18th cause I needed them for other uses.
These deer were all hill country farm deer on small acreage with scattered farmhouses,fields and wood lots. You can take the info any way u want, and compare to anything u suspect. These are just my observations translated to the best of my abilities take em any way u like!

How did these findings match my suspicions:
1) in every case I was on a bed! Which until that time I’ve never even looked for one. All this made possible by simply reading the info here on the beast!
2.) Hunting mornings early season for bucks in my area is a waste of time and does more harm than good.
3) my deer are travelers constantly moving around.

I did find it odd I never got a single pic of a doe.


Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
Dewey
Moderator
Posts: 36727
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:17 pm

Good observations. I really enjoy info taken from cams on beds. So much can be learned from them. 8-)
User avatar
JakeB
500 Club
Posts: 993
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:33 pm
Location: Louisiana
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby JakeB » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:56 pm

Love these post.

Did every other deer besides the one with the lab stay in that bad from daylight until dark? Seems my deer like to swap around beds, possibly they are only moving over 20 yds just outside of my camera range though.

In my limited amount of bed cams I’ve actually never had a deer stay the entire day.
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jan 05, 2018 8:21 pm

JakeB wrote:Love these post.

Did every other deer besides the one with the lab stay in that bad from daylight until dark? Seems my deer like to swap around beds, possibly they are only moving over 20 yds just outside of my camera range though.

In my limited amount of bed cams I’ve actually never had a deer stay the entire day.


They didn’t stay in the exact bed, I had my cam placed high we’re I could see the majority of the point. They moved quite a bit through out the day ( meaning getting up, standing, moving to the right or left or disappearing for afew then coming back and bedding down again. Had no instances where the deer left and didn’t return in a timely manner other than the dog. And all matures where in the field of view until well after shooting light on the days in question. This was also during a time of high temps if that matters. My cams aren’t the best and I often would have just part of the deer in frame but putting the pieces together best I could it’s what I came up with.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
DaveT1963
500 Club
Posts: 5196
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:27 am
Location: South
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:01 pm

I'm curious how often the sane deer bedded on the sane point day after day. I noted you said one group of three did it 4 days in a row. Did you get any consistent reuse of bed from mature bucks? Were these camera set on time lapse?
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:22 pm

DaveT1963 wrote:I'm curious how often the sane deer bedded on the sane point day after day. I noted you said one group of three did it 4 days in a row. Did you get any consistent reuse of bed from mature bucks? Were these camera set on time lapse?

I wrote down all my notes and findings back in October which is what I did this post off of. I’m almost positive only one of the mature bucks used the bed more than just one occasion. And it was pretty random. Cameras were not set on time lapse. Should also say what I called bed was the actual whole point they didn’t have an exact spot. All the points extended out into the fields. Southernly winds blew straight down the point. Also the spots were limited with timber, mostly just the areas not farmable which might also contribute to lack of movement not sure.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
huntinsonovagun
Posts: 375
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:03 pm
Location: NE Oklahoma
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby huntinsonovagun » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:37 pm

Very interesting info for sure!
mainebowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 3448
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:45 am
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jan 06, 2018 12:59 am

Seems to be the common theme with mature bucks in bedding areas with bed cams. Either cams are missing a lot or bucks just are not using the beds with any kind of consistency.

I think it's probably a combo of both. Bucks could be just different part of bedding area.
mspaci
Posts: 466
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 3:38 pm
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby mspaci » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:11 am

Thanks for sharing
User avatar
flinginairos
500 Club
Posts: 931
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:11 am
Location: WV
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby flinginairos » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:13 am

Very cool!
User avatar
wolverinebuckman
500 Club
Posts: 2764
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2017 11:55 am
Location: S Kentucky
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:21 am

Good info! I have a couple small private farms I hunt. Was there anything else remarkable about the landscape that tipped you off that it was bedding (lots of laydowns, super thick, etc.)? What was the size of the areas, the points and knobs?
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
User avatar
elk yinzer
500 Club
Posts: 1229
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2017 5:39 am
Location: Central PA
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby elk yinzer » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:23 am

What was the doe activity like?

How many rubs and scrapes showed up in the area?
Treasurer, United Bowhunters of PA
https://ubofpa.org/membership-3
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:32 am

wolverinebuckman wrote:Good info! I have a couple small private farms I hunt. Was there anything else remarkable about the landscape that tipped you off that it was bedding (lots of laydowns, super thick, etc.)? What was the size of the areas, the points and knobs?

Well this one was kind of a no brainer basically the only spot on the property that offered any bedding. Long brushy point that extended out into a hayfield, which they watched from the bedding and then exited into. All Just a early season spots I’ve hunted all of these places many times in the past when cover starts getting lean the relocate.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:35 am

elk yinzer wrote:What was the doe activity like?

How many rubs and scrapes showed up in the area?

In past I’ve seen many doe groups while hunting however this year I didn’t get any on cams in the bedding and I didn’t hunt none of them so I really don’t no. Numerous smaller sized rubs in the bedding and around point. No rub lines or scrapes noticed
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: My bedding Study

Unread postby headgear » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:37 am

Great info Boogie, love stuff like this. As you mentions the hardest this is catching those big bucks moving early, I think its why many of us focus on the weather and moon (and of course the rut/pre-rut)to get them on their feet a little earlier than normal.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: adrenalin, Brulerivervalley31, TrendictionBot and 86 guests