mid morning movement inside bedding areas

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JoeRE
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby JoeRE » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:25 pm

Buckshot20 wrote:
DaveT1963 wrote:
dan wrote:Yes... They seem to make shifts as the thermals and wind kick in as the sun rises up over the trees. I generally see some changes in milkweed flow about the time they move. I usually have a hard time getting close enough though.


X2 and I will add down south, they often will move late morning and sometimes in the afternoon to more shade


I have seen this as well. About mis morning there will be a shift from the palmettoe fields to something with canopy. I'm not sure if it's the cooler temps in the shade or changes in air currents. A lot of our canopy is wetlands( that's why there isn't a pine tree on it) so it could be for a variety of reasons but movement to that canopy seems to be mid to late morning.



I have seen late morning shift quite a bit from the stand. As I have gotten better at where to hang cameras inside bedding to observe movement over long periods of time I am getting a lot of photos mid to late morning and early to mid afternoon. How far a buck will feel comfortable moving in that time period relates a lot to how secure he feels. In tight areas with lots of hunting pressure they may only move a few yards but in other areas like big woods settings with lower pressure they it seems like they may move hundreds of yards. Its something I have been noticing both in northern WI and in IA.

Why they do this seems to be related to wind switches but also comfort just like Dave T said. That's not just in the south on hot days my cameras that are parked in the coolest bedding locations consistently get deer showing up in mid afternoon but little activity outside of that time. They bed nearby till it gets too warm then slip into the cooler spot.


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bowfreak8
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby bowfreak8 » Thu Jun 28, 2018 11:46 pm

Great topic and great info. I tend to see similar things but it's a challenge predicting the movement unless you know the exact bed.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Ahawk116 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 1:51 am

I see this a lot in South Carolina. I killed the buck I was hunting last year on October 23rd at 10:47 AM when he got up out of his bed to move. I attributed it to the day winds picking up and him shifting bedding locations.
He got up out of his bed about 1030 by my estimation checked the scrape I was sitting on that was inside of his comfort zone and between the two beds I had located on the points I was sitting between.

I can't think of another explanation, but would love to hear yall's thoughts about it. I didn't see another deer all morning, but I knew he had to be in there because the sign was too hot. I was literally whispering outloud to myself "its a cold front, late October, and I haven't seen a deer yet...oh there he is." talk about a mood shift!
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 2:03 am

Babshaft wrote:
Aaron1987 wrote:
No problem. We tend to setup when it's dark, well before grey light (30 minutes or so). In most cases the bucks are already bedded so we're not intercepting entry trails so much as hunting over bedding area scrapes or transition trails along the edge of the safe zone.


I see the mistake I was making now. I was trying to get in super early - before he was back bedded down. If I had of been there 30 minutes before grey light he'd be in the bedding area already.

Thanks for the help. Definitely going to change my entrance timing on my morning sits in late October and early November. Do you guys see a lot of mature buck movement in the early season (early to mid October) in the mornings?


Don’t have a huge sample size as we don’t hunt a ton of mornings during the early season. We’ve seen and killed a couple nice bucks early but no giants. Could still be good to get back before the bucks also. That works for many here so I wouldn’t throw that tactic out. This is just another way to look at a setup.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby BHunt » Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:17 am

Does anybody ever go in for a morning hunt in the early season right at daybreak/shooting light? Or does anybody ever go in mid-morning once the sun is up and thermals/wind become consistent? It seems like I go in earlier and earlier each year for early season, but have had very few mature buck sightings at daybreak. Assuming you know where the bedding is, I've wondered if waiting until after daybreak (when they "should" be in their bed already) would provide an advantage because you could sneak in and actually see what's going on around you, then approach and setup in a spot where you know they can't see you. Once set, try to catch them on their feet for a mid-morning stroll.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby headgear » Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:33 am

Babshaft wrote:Thanks for the help. Definitely going to change my entrance timing on my morning sits in late October and early November. Do you guys see a lot of mature buck movement in the early season (early to mid October) in the mornings?



Most of the time I have tried to get in super early and they have come back in the dark and eventually bust you. Kind of fun to hear a deer making all kinds of noise before dark until they get right next to you and smell you, then they seem to dissapear without a sound. :lol: The one time I did almost get an arrow in a monster was in the morning but I had the moon helping me on that one so I try and plan accordingly.
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headgear
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby headgear » Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:36 am

BHunt wrote:Does anybody ever go in for a morning hunt in the early season right at daybreak/shooting light?


I've seen enough big bucks shot in the am opening weekend by random hunters to know you can catch them by surprise, however once they sense that pressure I think the odds go way down after those first handful of days. I would try and setup early and catch them coming back in that first hour of shooting light.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Hawthorne » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:14 am

I’ve seen it a bunch of times in late oct and the first half of November. Usually 10am till noon. I always thought it was hormones from not having a doe. They lay in a rut bed then get to antsy and have to move due to testosterone. Over the years I’ve seen it on my trail cams in summer. It was always due to a wind shifts after looking at historical weather data.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby ScottSpitzley » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:15 am

Aaron1987 wrote:We've noticed when hunting bedding in the morning that bucks will occasionally get up and move within their safe zone. Most often during mid morning, several hours after daylight. Sometimes it's to drink, browse, shift beds, etc. See this throughout the early season and rut. More often in thickets in flat terrain (we don't hunt as many hills).

They don't move very far but if your tight to the bedding, 20 yards is sometimes all you need.

Has anyone else seen this? What was your experience?


I have seen this. One of the days on my Southern Ohio trip this last fall I had planned to do an all-day sit in a funnel between two bedding areas. I decided to climb down, stretch a bit thinking I was in the clear after not seeing any deer for a few hours, mind you this was around 1030-11am. After hitting the ground I heard a crash 30 yards from me, I knew then it was a bad idea. Luckily I lowered my bow with the arrow still on rest prepared for just that, grabbed it and tried stalking the deer as it did not know what I was yet. Once I got into position to get a shot at 30 yards after realizing it was a mature buck, he took off as I was about to release, it was quite the experience as I have never taken a deer on the ground before.

Around that time there was a wind change after looking at the weather when getting back to camp. I am almost positive that is what made him get up and move.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby dan » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:21 am

One thing you should get out of this post and reading about the encounters is if you are thinking about getting down and the wind direction is changing, you might want to wait a bit ;)
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby ScottSpitzley » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:23 am

dan wrote:One thing you should get out of this post and reading about the encounters is if you are thinking about getting down and the wind direction is changing, you might want to wait a bit ;)


Exactly, I learned the hard way.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Aaron1987 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:00 am

BHunt wrote:Does anybody ever go in for a morning hunt in the early season right at daybreak/shooting light? Or does anybody ever go in mid-morning once the sun is up and thermals/wind become consistent? It seems like I go in earlier and earlier each year for early season, but have had very few mature buck sightings at daybreak. Assuming you know where the bedding is, I've wondered if waiting until after daybreak (when they "should" be in their bed already) would provide an advantage because you could sneak in and actually see what's going on around you, then approach and setup in a spot where you know they can't see you. Once set, try to catch them on their feet for a mid-morning stroll.


We tend to get busted more often when going in at gray light. Last fall we tried going in after shooting light and while setting the stands had a mature buck come in to 20 yards. Would have killed him had we been setup. We get busted less when going in before light and creeping in slowly to our spot.

Many may disagree but in our experience bucks don't seem to spook as bad in the dark.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Babshaft » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:26 am

headgear wrote:
Babshaft wrote:Thanks for the help. Definitely going to change my entrance timing on my morning sits in late October and early November. Do you guys see a lot of mature buck movement in the early season (early to mid October) in the mornings?



Most of the time I have tried to get in super early and they have come back in the dark and eventually bust you. Kind of fun to hear a deer making all kinds of noise before dark until they get right next to you and smell you, then they seem to dissapear without a sound. :lol: The one time I did almost get an arrow in a monster was in the morning but I had the moon helping me on that one so I try and plan accordingly.


That's been my experience haha. Man am I noisy when I'm moving around in the dark too. Even when I do get setup quietly, by chance they take the one trail I used and start making a fuss over my stink.

This season I'm going to sleep in a lot more. I may get out opening morning, probably because I'm too excited not to. But after that I'll be waiting till late October before I do another morning hunt, unless I bump a buck or my intel tells me differently.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:33 am

Great replies that reinforce the power of the beast. I’m glad that wind, not just thermals has been brought up, a strong and steady wind will heavily impact bedding in all but the densest of cover, including a bedding shift during the day.

In cedar swamps you need to learn the flow of the air currents within, like water in a stream. Wind direction and thermals determine that flow. Taking careful notes and using milkweed are critical to that understanding over the course of several years... there isn’t anything easy about cedar swamps.
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Re: mid morning movement inside bedding areas

Unread postby J Gilbert » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:34 am

Aaron1987 wrote:
BHunt wrote:Does anybody ever go in for a morning hunt in the early season right at daybreak/shooting light? Or does anybody ever go in mid-morning once the sun is up and thermals/wind become consistent? It seems like I go in earlier and earlier each year for early season, but have had very few mature buck sightings at daybreak. Assuming you know where the bedding is, I've wondered if waiting until after daybreak (when they "should" be in their bed already) would provide an advantage because you could sneak in and actually see what's going on around you, then approach and setup in a spot where you know they can't see you. Once set, try to catch them on their feet for a mid-morning stroll.


We tend to get busted more often when going in at gray light. Last fall we tried going in after shooting light and while setting the stands had a mature buck come in to 20 yards. Would have killed him had we been setup. We get busted less when going in before light and creeping in slowly to our spot.

Many may disagree but in our experience bucks don't seem to spook as bad in the dark.


Oddly enough, I watched the hunt you're talking about today while eating lunch- that deer was a hoss and the hunt definitely has me questioning how I want to move forward with morning hunts in bedding areas this season


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