Buck bed question

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Bonehead
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Buck bed question

Unread postby Bonehead » Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:39 am

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I found a couple buck beds (blue) with rubs toward the top of this draw. The buck could see along way and watch both sides of the draw coming up toward him while bedded. Is this a unusual location for a buck bed?


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brancher147
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 1:16 am

It's not unusual to me. If he is bedding there due to swirling wind it may be fairly consistent bedding.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Bonehead » Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:39 am

brancher147 wrote:It's not unusual to me. If he is bedding there due to swirling wind it may be fairly consistent bedding.

So what wind would he bed in that location...Southwest?
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:06 am

Southwest is the easy answer if you see a lot of leeward bedding in your area. But an E or SE or W wind would also be leeward. I see as much windward as leeward bedding so I don't want to say he is bedding there on leeward winds. He is also taking full advantage of thermals in that location, and is bedding in the thermal tunnel and military crest area. Plus he has either side of the draw to escape into or over the top of either ridge. He has all the angles covered there. But being in the head of a draw like that there may be a lot of swirling winds, making it a spot he could bed on almost any wind-which is why I said it could be a fairly consistent bedding spot. But those swirling winds will make it tough to hunt.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Ragingun » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:07 am

Bonehead wrote:So what wind would he bed in that location...Southwest?


Looking at the topo it appears that the ridge descends as you travel south. If this is correct then the buck should be facing south/south west and looking down the ridge with the wind coming over his back from the north/north east. Since you physically saw the beds they should also tell you which way he is facing since whatever structure is to the side of the bed is what he'll have his back to.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Bonehead » Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:56 am

Ragingun wrote:
Bonehead wrote:So what wind would he bed in that location...Southwest?


Looking at the topo it appears that the ridge descends as you travel south. If this is correct then the buck should be facing south/south west and looking down the ridge with the wind coming over his back from the north/north east. Since you physically saw the beds they should also tell you which way he is facing since whatever structure is to the side of the bed is what he'll have his back to.

It actually decends going north. His bed was facing the east north east. He could looK down the draw to the north and see along ways. That’s why I guessed a SW wind. I have found several beds in this section of land, but this is the only one wore to the dirt.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Ragingun » Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:00 am

Bonehead wrote:
Ragingun wrote:
Bonehead wrote:So what wind would he bed in that location...Southwest?


Looking at the topo it appears that the ridge descends as you travel south. If this is correct then the buck should be facing south/south west and looking down the ridge with the wind coming over his back from the north/north east. Since you physically saw the beds they should also tell you which way he is facing since whatever structure is to the side of the bed is what he'll have his back to.

It actually decends going north. His bed was facing the east north east. He could looK down the draw to the north and see along ways. That’s why I guessed a SW wind. I have found several beds in this section of land, but this is the only one wore to the dirt.


Then he should be using that bed on a SW wind. Was the bed facing that way?
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:20 am

Just from looking at your map, I would guess a SW wind. But being so far down in the draw, there may be other swirling effects happening. It also could be W or S depending on the cover.

I would try to get back in there on a SW wind, with some milkweed, and see what the currents look like.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Matt6506 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:24 am

I find that same scenario a lot where I hunt. It's almost impossible to come in from below and that's usually where the main access is. I usually access by making a big loop to the ridge above and dropping in to cover the exit trail I think the bucks will be using. It's tough, you have to try to do it on a slightly off wind and get in that small area where they stage. I would say he's bedding there on a south-southwest wind.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:27 pm

I see a lot of bedding like this. Often bedding rather low on the secondary points that jut off the main ridge and those little points often are not shown on the topo. When scouting last season I busted a buck up and he was fully mature from a spot that set up a lot like this. What was funny was the wind was coming completely opposite of where I would have suspected it just based on looking at the map. The wind was, based on your map ESE the day I kicked him up. When he busted up and out of there it really was surprised till I got on down in there. Winds swirled around pretty good and there was no getting in close even using the thick cover to my advantage. Most often it is leeward bedding but don’t write it off that he wouldn’t be there on some easterly wind either. The one I jumped up from a spot like this was Likly a 5 year old on high pressure land.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:59 pm

Bowhunter4life wrote:I see a lot of bedding like this. Often bedding rather low on the secondary points that jut off the main ridge and those little points often are not shown on the topo. When scouting last season I busted a buck up and he was fully mature from a spot that set up a lot like this. What was funny was the wind was coming completely opposite of where I would have suspected it just based on looking at the map. The wind was, based on your map ESE the day I kicked him up. When he busted up and out of there it really was surprised till I got on down in there. Winds swirled around pretty good and there was no getting in close even using the thick cover to my advantage. Most often it is leeward bedding but don’t write it off that he wouldn’t be there on some easterly wind either. The one I jumped up from a spot like this was Likly a 5 year old on high pressure land.


Yep. That's what I was saying. A buck can bed in an area like that on almost any wind.
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Re: Buck bed question

Unread postby Rob loper » Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:40 am

I think that buck might change his bedding from one side of the draw to the other according to the wind and where it swirls at. Did u check other side for beds too?


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