mid morning movement inside bedding areas

[Aaron1987]

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?

[dan]

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.

[tbunao]

I have not hunted very many mornings outside of the end of October due to previous work schedule. After a change in jobs I will no longer have the opportunity to hunt evening during the week but if I can stay awake I can hunt every morning. I hope to learn more about morning sits and try to find a way to be successful then as well. One thought is to get in tight and wait for them to get up and meander towards a destination. Deer don’t just bed down and not move until they get up in the evening, they have to stretch, browse or drink. Evening time you have the same odds they will take the right trail or used that bedding area as you do in the am that they will use that bed and enter on that trail imo. Well minus the fact they maybe back well before light but there you can use weather to help up the odds just like in the evening.

[Twenty Up]

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.

Dan,
I know you’ve mentioned that thermals are less predictable in early season because of tree foliage blocking the forest understory. Do you think this could create pockets within thicker areas, assuming the area is completely flat.

So the hot air rises and pulls the air from thicker, shaded spots toward open areas, then up over the trees. This causes deer to shift their bedding as the thermals progress?

Just a lunch time thought

[<DK>]

Iv seen this as well. On a few occasions witnessed them pushing doe and even spar (early-pre rut). It has to be in that safe zone though

[Rich M]

I've seen this in one of the areas I hunt - it is extremely thick bedding cover and I usually see bucks 0930-1100 am. Usually pre-rut/late Oct, but that's the only time I hunt those stands.

[headgear]

I've seen plenty of this kind of movement in bedding, not specific to mornings either, plenty of movement throughout the rest of the day as well. It's not always something I can set my clock to but there is always opportunity when hunting near bedding.

[DaveT1963]

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

[Babshaft]

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've only observed it once and it was in a swamp setting, late pre rut. I think he wanted to start chasing some tail but wasn't leaving safety. My initial thought was there's no way I'm getting anywhere near him in the dark. He's going to hear me coming if I get there too late, and if I get setup too early there's a chance he hits my entrance and turns around and finds another bedding area.

I know you guys do a lot of morning hunts around bedding areas. Any advice on choosing your location to set up? How are you guys anticipating a bucks entrance to the bedding in the morning and possible movement within the bedding area?

And thanks for the recent content you guys have put out. Lots of good info there and it's been great having visuals to help me figure out a few issues.

[Buckshot20]

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.

[dan]

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.

Dan,
I know you’ve mentioned that thermals are less predictable in early season because of tree foliage blocking the forest understory. Do you think this could create pockets within thicker areas, assuming the area is completely flat.

So the hot air rises and pulls the air from thicker, shaded spots toward open areas, then up over the trees. This causes deer to shift their bedding as the thermals progress?

Just a lunch time thought

Thermals are complicated. In flat ground thermal rise does not mean all air goes up... It may mean warm air rises in the openings but cool air travels along the ground towards the openings. But it can sound great in theory but seem more like swirling and back and forth air currents... In my opinion, bucks choose a bed within there bedding area based a lot on air currents, which change every few hours which is why a lot of the time bucks switch beds frequently, which is another reason why I skoff at some guys building a buck bed. You really need a bunch of beds in a small area to have the best beds, and most humans I know can't smell air currents like a deer so there is a lack of understanding.

[Aaron1987]

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've only observed it once and it was in a swamp setting, late pre rut. I think he wanted to start chasing some tail but wasn't leaving safety. My initial thought was there's no way I'm getting anywhere near him in the dark. He's going to hear me coming if I get there too late, and if I get setup too early there's a chance he hits my entrance and turns around and finds another bedding area.

I know you guys do a lot of morning hunts around bedding areas. Any advice on choosing your location to set up? How are you guys anticipating a bucks entrance to the bedding in the morning and possible movement within the bedding area?

And thanks for the recent content you guys have put out. Lots of good info there and it's been great having visuals to help me figure out a few issues.

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.

[J Gilbert]

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've noticed the same thing in my clear cuts in south central Georgia and have been meaning to start a thread about that subject- outside of the water aspect, the palmetto areas I saw this spring in Green Swamp West during turkey season were very similar. Without knowing anything about thermals, I've always suspected it being the temperature in the open areas that drove deer to the canopied areas given the massive temperature swings (30 in the morning, up to 75 mid-afternoon) that were normally see in December

[Natenlsn2]

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've only observed it once and it was in a swamp setting, late pre rut. I think he wanted to start chasing some tail but wasn't leaving safety. My initial thought was there's no way I'm getting anywhere near him in the dark. He's going to hear me coming if I get there too late, and if I get setup too early there's a chance he hits my entrance and turns around and finds another bedding area.

I know you guys do a lot of morning hunts around bedding areas. Any advice on choosing your location to set up? How are you guys anticipating a bucks entrance to the bedding in the morning and possible movement within the bedding area?

And thanks for the recent content you guys have put out. Lots of good info there and it's been great having visuals to help me figure out a few issues.

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.

Most of my hunting opportunities are morning sits, I like that idea of just sneaking up to the edge of his safe zone like you said and hoping to catch him as his makes small movements. I shot my biggest buck this past year at 8:12am on the edge of his safe zone up milling around!

[Babshaft]

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?