Could use some help locating bedding

[jhpa]

Hi all.
New to the Beast and just trying to confirm my theories. The pic I posted is of a small (3-4 acre) swamp on a hardwood flat. There is a road that splits it and a hardwood swamp/several year old clear cut to the east. To the North is just several miles of flat -- mixed hardwood and old mine strippings. To the West is a creek drainage/swamp heading SW. To the South-SW there are large grassy fields. The closest ridge of the mt is a few miles West and the fields to the South extend about 3 miles to the southern ridge.

I scouted it recently and found a lot of sign in the small swamp/creek drainage that extend off the main swamp to the W SW. I searched for bedding but didn't find anything in that area.

I did find a bed where the drainage meets the main swamp (in the NW corner of the main swamp), but it wasn't used overly hard.

Any thoughts on places I should focus for bedding? Or, any ideas on how to approach a hunt?

Most of the hunters in the area avoid swamps. They think the game doesn't like to get wet. Judging by the sign, they were wrong.

But, I'd rather not blow the spot on my first attempt. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks!

[tgreeno]

Here's my suggestions:

On the east side of the road, there is a nice transition that is right next to the road and runs all the way to the northern most point. The east corner has a nice looking bowl with some promising looking lone trees. On the west side of the road, there's a bowl to the north, and a couple of soft points. I also like the look of that open area to the SW. Looks like it could be wet too.

[matt1336]

Good start. Look for those elevation changes and transitions. The beds are there. You may have walked past them. I do it all the time. Don’t worry about messing up cuz you’re going to, that’s how we learn, emphasis on learn. Deer don’t do much by mistake so watch what they do in your swamp there and try to decipher that behavior. If you’re like me, it’ll take a few years to get a good idea to understand what the deer are doing and then countless years to fine tune those theories....and get them proven totally wrong. It never stops

[jhpa]

Here's my suggestions:

On the east side of the road, there is a nice transition that is right next to the road and runs all the way to the northern most point. The east corner has a nice looking bowl with some promising looking lone trees. On the west side of the road, there's a bowl to the north, and a couple of soft points. I also like the look of that open area to the SW. Looks like it could be wet too.

Great, thanks for the suggestions. The eastern corner did have a few nice trails, but if there was bedding, I missed it.
The bed I did find was on one of the soft points to the north, but I'm not sure if it was a buck or doe and it was not heavily used.
The open area to the SW also had a lot of sign, but I failed to locate bedding in that area, too. Oh well, failure with practice is the path to improvement.

I will keep the input in mind the next time I get out in that area. Thanks again.

[PK_]

You are on the right track. They will be in there.

I would say walk the very interior edge again and check near every large bush or small tree. You might not see a worn bed but you will come across areas maybe about the size of a truck where all the grass and shrubs and whatnot is browsed down more than anywhere else, that is a bed or there is a bed real close.

[jhpa]

You are on the right track. They will be in there.

I would say walk the very interior edge again and check near every large bush or small tree. You might not see a worn bed but you will come across areas maybe about the size of a truck where all the grass and shrubs and whatnot is browsed down more than anywhere else, that is a bed or there is a bed real close.

Awesome. Thanks.

[rfickes87]

I would be very surprised to see bedding in those areas marked being that close to the road. I'm from PA too and I watched my brother shoot a mature buck alongside the road but still would be very surprised. If you find bedding there great job in advance but those areas are 150 yards or less from the road. Our season doesn't start till October. You might find bedding there in summer but I just highly doubt that would hold up come hunting season. Feel free to scout it and prove me wrong.

If it were me I would walk that red line and look for deer sign. You can clearly see a transition between mature hardwoods and thick. My guess is it was clear cut at one point in that area? I promise you, you will see sign on that transition and you can follow the sign from there to lead you to bedding.

I'm just guessing but that blue line I drew, is that a hollow? It just kind of looks like one. I'm totally guessing by looking at an aerial, I would need to see a topo map. If I is though... I guarantee there is bedding where I drew the 2 read dots. Being a PA boy, I've see that scenario a bunch of times now. Common west winds will have bedding right there "IF" that drops off down into a hollow. Thick on top, wind to back open down below is perfect for bedding. But again just guessing about a possible elevation drop to the east of those 2 red dots.

[jhpa]

I would be very surprised to see bedding in those areas marked being that close to the road. I'm from PA too and I watched my brother shoot a mature buck alongside the road but still would be very surprised. If you find bedding there great job in advance but those areas are 150 yards or less from the road. Our season doesn't start till October. You might find bedding there in summer but I just highly doubt that would hold up come hunting season. Feel free to scout it and prove me wrong.

If it were me I would walk that red line and look for deer sign. You can clearly see a transition between mature hardwoods and thick. My guess is it was clear cut at one point in that area? I promise you, you will see sign on that transition and you can follow the sign from there to lead you to bedding.

I'm just guessing but that blue line I drew, is that a hollow? It just kind of looks like one. I'm totally guessing by looking at an aerial, I would need to see a topo map. If I is though... I guarantee there is bedding where I drew the 2 read dots. Being a PA boy, I've see that scenario a bunch of times now. Common west winds will have bedding right there "IF" that drops off down into a hollow. Thick on top, wind to back open down below is perfect for bedding. But again just guessing about a possible elevation drop to the east of those 2 red dots.

Thanks. It is an old clear cut and also pretty wet. I did scout the roadside swamp prior to posting this thread, and did see plenty of sign but did not locate any bedding. Awesome catch on the hollow. I missed that prior to my first scouting trip. I'll be checking that edge hard next time I can get out to that area.

Thanks for the advice.

[rfickes87]

I would be very surprised to see bedding in those areas marked being that close to the road. I'm from PA too and I watched my brother shoot a mature buck alongside the road but still would be very surprised. If you find bedding there great job in advance but those areas are 150 yards or less from the road. Our season doesn't start till October. You might find bedding there in summer but I just highly doubt that would hold up come hunting season. Feel free to scout it and prove me wrong.

If it were me I would walk that red line and look for deer sign. You can clearly see a transition between mature hardwoods and thick. My guess is it was clear cut at one point in that area? I promise you, you will see sign on that transition and you can follow the sign from there to lead you to bedding.

I'm just guessing but that blue line I drew, is that a hollow? It just kind of looks like one. I'm totally guessing by looking at an aerial, I would need to see a topo map. If I is though... I guarantee there is bedding where I drew the 2 read dots. Being a PA boy, I've see that scenario a bunch of times now. Common west winds will have bedding right there "IF" that drops off down into a hollow. Thick on top, wind to back open down below is perfect for bedding. But again just guessing about a possible elevation drop to the east of those 2 red dots.

Thanks. It is an old clear cut and also pretty wet. I did scout the roadside swamp prior to posting this thread, and did see plenty of sign but did not locate any bedding. Awesome catch on the hollow. I missed that prior to my first scouting trip. I'll be checking that edge hard next time I can get out to that area.

Thanks for the advice.

Good luck buddy!
Let me know what you find!