Early Season vs Rut Bedding in Farm Country

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SD_Bowhunter
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Early Season vs Rut Bedding in Farm Country

Unread postby SD_Bowhunter » Thu Jun 28, 2018 2:08 am

I have learned a lot about buck bedding in the last 12 months and I am looking forward to my first full season using Beast style tactics. Question for you more experienced beasts.
In farm country where you have small woodlots/shelter belts that hold most of the does, do you see mature bucks start actually bedding on the downwind edges of those woodlots during the rut? Or will mature bucks still stick to their more isolated early season beds and just travel more once they leave that bed?

In my scouting this spring I have found what I believe to be several early season bedding areas in isolated CRP fields, fence rows, etc. These areas are mostly 1/4 mile or so from the nearest doe bedding, which I am assuming during the rut is not a far distance for them to travel once they get up from their beds.


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Re: Early Season vs Rut Bedding in Farm Country

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:13 am

Summer time and early season I usually find my better bucks hiding out in isolated cover away from the herd. Abandoned farms, overgrown railroad tracks and along remote creek banks is usually a good place to start.

Once rut gets underway, I think early season pressure determined where they feel safe to set up shop for there rut beds. During there nightly travels if there constantly coming in contact with human odor in certain woodlots it's a no go for daylight activity. I find the oldest of bucks have learned how to check the doe traffic without having to expose themselves much at all. Quite the system!
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<DK>
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Re: Early Season vs Rut Bedding in Farm Country

Unread postby <DK> » Fri Jun 29, 2018 2:37 am

I think your question can be deer and property specific. Most bucks are going to have their "rut circuits" they like to run. There is always some type of pattern shift.

Two factors that are important are crop locations and amount of quality buck bedding on the property. Thats true w all deer bedding but with farm land having limited wooded areas and flatter terrain a deer can travel far. Most early season spots need to be hunted sooner than later. Between velvet shed and fields getting cut the buck has reasons to move. During pre rut he may be attracted to the closest, mature does first though. A homebody deer could stay in his favorite bedding area - vs - a rut buck will likely want to stick close to the does.

Two great things that helped me learn early season bedding are finding secluded water and cool temp areas. Take note of these spots. Even though I have been successful early season w/o confirming deer are there I still feel like its very important and farm land is great for that. Glassing or walking field edges to catch tracks is a excellent cherry on top if youve scouted the property in spring.
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Re: Early Season vs Rut Bedding in Farm Country

Unread postby SD_Bowhunter » Sat Jun 30, 2018 1:10 am

Darkknight54 wrote:I think your question can be deer and property specific. Most bucks are going to have their "rut circuits" they like to run. There is always some type of pattern shift.

Two factors that are important are crop locations and amount of quality buck bedding on the property. Thats true w all deer bedding but with farm land having limited wooded areas and flatter terrain a deer can travel far. Most early season spots need to be hunted sooner than later. Between velvet shed and fields getting cut the buck has reasons to move. During pre rut he may be attracted to the closest, mature does first though. A homebody deer could stay in his favorite bedding area - vs - a rut buck will likely want to stick close to the does.

Two great things that helped me learn early season bedding are finding secluded water and cool temp areas. Take note of these spots. Even though I have been successful early season w/o confirming deer are there I still feel like its very important and farm land is great for that. Glassing or walking field edges to catch tracks is a excellent cherry on top if youve scouted the property in spring.


Definitely agree with this. I have noticed in the past when I have shelter belts that have corn planted next to them with cattails or some isolated thick cover nearby I get more early season daylight pictures. I am hoping I can catch a buck on an early season pattern now that SD archery season opens September 1st. Seems like their home range shifts about the 10th or so of September. Since I will be hunting beds this season I am hoping I can physically observe how the bedding shifts as the rut approaches.


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