Buck leaving bedding question.

[Tennhunter3]

I have a question about understanding bucks leaving wind specific bedding.

As I re read many old threads a huge puzzle of mine remains unanswered perhaps their is no perfect answer.

Example Situation below.

Lets say the wind is out of the west and that means that a mature buck is bedding on a east facing slope wind blowing over his back.

I read so many times about bucks using the thermal tunnel but also going wind to back leaving bedding. How does this effect occur in Hill country and what makes it change is it just random luck or is odds in favor one way or the other.

When that buck exits his bed if he goes south or north he is cutting the wind and is scenting the thermal tunnel smelling above and below. Which seems the safest option for his survival.

For the buck to be leaving his bed wind to back that would mean he can not use the thermal tunnel at all. Head most likely down in elivation and up the next west facing slope. Obviously that slope of If low light last hour thermals will be falling making a setup almost impossible in this situation scent would fall right down into the bottom and swirl most likely.

Setup here could only work with rising thermals. Is this worth sitting for such a short hunt?

I doubt the buck would leave his bed wind to nose because his rear would not be protected. Both Wind and Sight would be at his face which would make him much less secure.

For me I would setup thermal tunnel high on the east facing slope letting my wind blow over the thermal tunnel. North or South of bedding because of this. Is that correct of how you experienced beast would see the situation?

I get confused on setup's because of this question wind to back or face or thermal tunnel both very rarely if ever are in close proximity to one another in Hill Country.

Am i putting too much trust in thermal tunnel setup's?

I've read so many threads on here about how bucks move wind to back it makes me question thermal setup's.


Thanks all for reading and commenting.

[RidgeGhost]

I don't know that I qualify as an experienced beast but I'll give my opinion.

Most (>90%) of my setups are anticipating the buck moving back up the point towards the main ridge. This ultimately puts him travelling wind to nose or some quartering to wind. I don't think he moves that direction because of the wind but because that's where he wants to go. (Food, water, does, whatever destination)

Another thing to note is most of my turf is pretty dang steep and rocky. It's just easier for the buck to stay on the point and work back to the ridge rather than drop off the side away from the point.

I think in my area, wind has little to do with how or which way a buck will leave the bed. Bedding here is very wind specific, however.

There are several guys on here that will say they see the complete opposite most of the time, and they aren't wrong. It's just locations specific and partly what situation you are better at hunting.

[oldrank]

Double

[oldrank]

I agree with Ridgeghost. The buck is gonna go where he wants to go. The thermal n wind set up is protecting the bed itself. Think about how to set up to kill him when he leaves the bed. Where is he going?
Maybe first good browse, the first scrape nearest the bed, the nearest oak that's dropping. Think where that would be an set up accordingly. He will probably hang tight to a small area around that bed until close to dark.

[ghoasthunter]

I agree with Ridgeghost. The buck is gonna go where he wants to go. The thermal n wind set up is protecting the bed itself. Think about how to set up to kill him when he leaves the bed. Where is he going?
Maybe first good browse, the first scrape nearest the bed, the nearest oak that's dropping. Think where that would be an set up accordingly. He will probably hang tight to a small area around that bed until close to dark.

when you sit in his bed and look out his safety zone is as far as he can see a lot of times flag the bed and walk that line you will find rubs scrapes or some other sign in that zone a lot of times helping pinpoint direction of travel if its a rub pic ones facing his bed. same with scrapes look how the dirt is thrown.

[mheichelbech]

I found a well used bed that seems to be similar. The buck seems most likely to either go left, right or straight back up to the field. I plan to put a couple cams out and see what kind of intel I can over the course of this year. My plan is to pick them in September to see if I can establish a pattern based on wind and/or thermals.

[tgreeno]

IMO...buck leave their beds heading the direction they want to go. I think wind direction is irrelevant. Probably heading to food.

They'll leave with wind to their backs.

[dan]

The buck is leaving bedding in the direction he wants to go. Not relative to wind. Usually there is a trail and sign on the exit wrought. They tend to follow the thermal tunnel more during rut cruising. Not when going from bed to food. Wind direction vs buck travel direction does matter in the AM... In the PM there walking the heavy trail out of bedding regardless of the wind.

[Tennhunter3]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Seems setting up on wind to nose would be extremely difficult. It would require a off wind and rising thermals to be effective.

I know bucks go where they want to go it just seems much higher risk of burning a good buck bedding area. increased difficulty of setting up undetected since you can't enter from downwind only crosswind which would pull human scent into the thermal tunnel.

This setup sounds extremely aggressive with a tremendous amount of risk.

Do you guys sit a lot of these setup's that are only effective with rising thermals? Getting down and re setting up right when thermals fall.

[d_rek]

The buck is leaving bedding in the direction he wants to go. Not relative to wind. Usually there is a trail and sign on the exit wrought. They tend to follow the thermal tunnel more during rut cruising. Not when going from bed to food. Wind direction vs buck travel direction does matter in the AM... In the PM there walking the heavy trail out of bedding regardless of the wind.

Ok you answered one of the questions i had... but I had another one I have been thinking about: What do bucks do when the wind changes from preferred for the bed they are currently in?

Say it switches from wind to back to wind to nose, or some other off wind that is non preferred for the bed. Does that buck leave its bed when the wind changes? Or does it wait it out until either it's bumped or has to move for other reasons? Does it come back to that bed if the wind remains off? Or does it find a different bed?

[dan]

The buck is leaving bedding in the direction he wants to go. Not relative to wind. Usually there is a trail and sign on the exit wrought. They tend to follow the thermal tunnel more during rut cruising. Not when going from bed to food. Wind direction vs buck travel direction does matter in the AM... In the PM there walking the heavy trail out of bedding regardless of the wind.

Ok you answered one of the questions i had... but I had another one I have been thinking about: What do bucks do when the wind changes from preferred for the bed they are currently in?

Say it switches from wind to back to wind to nose, or some other off wind that is non preferred for the bed. Does that buck leave its bed when the wind changes? Or does it wait it out until either it's bumped or has to move for other reasons? Does it come back to that bed if the wind remains off? Or does it find a different bed?

Some move, some don't... I shot my biggest buck on a 180 wind shift by gambling he would stay put due to having to cross open terrain. I crawled up an shot him right in his bed. However, I have seen them do mid day bed shifts when the wind changes too.

Most the time mature bucks seem to prefer bedding areas where its a real short move for any common wind.

[dan]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Seems setting up on wind to nose would be extremely difficult. It would require a off wind and rising thermals to be effective.

I know bucks go where they want to go it just seems much higher risk of burning a good buck bedding area. increased difficulty of setting up undetected since you can't enter from downwind only crosswind which would pull human scent into the thermal tunnel.

This setup sounds extremely aggressive with a tremendous amount of risk.

Do you guys sit a lot of these setup's that are only effective with rising thermals? Getting down and re setting up right when thermals fall.

Not really... A lot of my hill country hunts are set up up hill / up wind of bedding. Seldom does the wind blow straight down the deer trail, it usually angles one way or the other so you set up on the side that works best and come in from that way. I also try to set up below the trail elevation wise cause calm time just before dark will have thermals dropping down the slope.

[harold]

I'm glad this was brought up.

In the case where there is no defined exit trail, are you guys just making an experienced guess as to where he wants to go so you'll know how he will leave the bed? Taking into account food, terrain, etc.? In a big woods scenario it seems like they could stand up and walk any direction. Is this just a situation you need to throw sits at?

[Tempy]

Good info. Had a big buck wind me due to dropping thermals mid October on a blind hunt at a presumed bed on a secondary point. He was checking the does that were below me an hour before and I was setup too high on the Leeward hillside.

Threw a second hunt at same bed 1.5 weeks later but lower on the hill and he instead he headed straight down the point, freshened a scrape, and went the opposite direction as last time. Same wind, different variables.

[dan]

I'm glad this was brought up.

In the case where there is no defined exit trail, are you guys just making an experienced guess as to where he wants to go so you'll know how he will leave the bed? Taking into account food, terrain, etc.? In a big woods scenario it seems like they could stand up and walk any direction. Is this just a situation you need to throw sits at?

In most cases, if its a bedding area worth sitting you can find the exit trails. Sometimes there are more than one. Look for rubs, old and new, and game trails. If for some reason you can't find it, yea, I guess you could throw a stand at it.