Mid day strategic bedding

[oldrank]

I have a theory. Many times over the years I have seen buck movements mid day. I have a couple spots where I can basically set my watch to it. A buck will move through at noonish.

I first thought of this theory about 20 years ago when I would be walking in to my stand and bump right into a mid day cruiser walking down the human trail.

As years went on and this repeated over and over I began having success killing these mid day bucks. I also began to understand the bedding tactics Dan speaks of.

Here is my theory. I believe these bucks shift beds mid day to monitor human activity. I think they bed early morning in something very thick. Then as early noon hours come they shift to a bed where they can monitor the evening human intrusion. Usually this starts with them in a small marshy pothole and then they move to a hill style bed with visual view of human access and a wind advantage.

Any thoughts or people possibly seeing something similar?

[WV Bowhunter]

My observations on public and private in Ohio and WV hill country are very similar. If I’m not close enough to buck bedding to see movement at daylight, the majority of my big buck sightings are from 10-2. I always thought it was because bucks had been bedded for a few hours and were ready to move around some and to get a bite to eat and also to check out doe bedding when they figured the does would be back to their bedrooms.

[Ack]

What time of the season are you talking OR?

My thoughts go along with WV Bowhunter.....during pre-rut/rut the Bucks have been up all night with does, then they are in their beds before daylight, and by late morning they are ready to cruise again.

I've seen this pattern enough I have no problem sneaking in close to a bed in the AM, even after it gets light, and expect him to come out late morning.

[Boogieman1]

I see this quite a bit by all deer not just older bucks. In my area it appears they bed early morning with only safety on there mind, if they don't get disturbed they oftened move again midday. This time to watch where they plan on feeding in the evening.

I also have theory I call domino bedding. The mature buck is bedded in his hidey hole well b4 light, then he gets bumped. So he takes the next best bed and gives the subordinate buck the boot then the dominos start to fall and produce late morning buck sightings. It might be my imagination getting the best of me. But I have seen bucks kicking other bucks out of a bedding area and moving in many times from the stand.

I'm talking outside of the rut..

[jhpa]

My brother shot at a 4.5 year old last year around 9:30-10 in the morning in early October. Ended up getting him in early November. Anywho, once I started on the beast I put more thought into why he might have seen the deer so later prior to rut. We hunt hill country public that gets moderate pressure until rifle season hunters pack the woods. My theory is that the big bucks bed closer to the ag at the base of the hill in the morning and catch the thermal drop, and also avoid the morning hunters that have educated the deer that mid-morning is time to head out of the bush. Then, come mid-morning the thermals switch and the deer head to the leeward ridges.

We have some trail camera's out at the same elevation of his stand location that seem to show the same pattern. Most of our morning buck imagery has been between 7:30 and 9.

[DaveT1963]

I think there can be several reasons for it

1. During pre-rut the bucks bed temporarily to let the does come to bed then get up and cut across doe entry trails to scent check them - on the way to their prefered daytime bed
2. Changing temps and shade can get them up when it is hot
3. Changing thermals
4. Something startles them enough to get up and move - predator, man or even another deer blowing continuously

[tgreeno]

I saw my 2 best bucks last year at 11:30 in early November. Just outside of bedding areas.

[NYBackcountry]

I think there can be several reasons for it

1. During pre-rut the bucks bed temporarily to let the does come to bed then get up and cut across doe entry trails to scent check them - on the way to their prefered daytime bed
2. Changing temps and shade can get them up when it is hot
3. Changing thermals
4. Something startles them enough to get up and move - predator, man or even another deer blowing continuously

I've observed #1 many times, sometimes I think it's sight based too. In some of the cases i've seen it's the opposite of what is being discussed. What I mean is, Buck will bed high looking down into open timber, see does bed in cattails at the other edge of the timber. Later in the morning buck will get up and scent check those trails after observing them enter the beds. I think the sight aspect in the spot im thinking of is important because I can see when this doe group beds in this area, and when they dont come in the bedding area I rarely see a cruiser. It could be a thermal thing, but I'm fairly certain that when conditions are right the cattails hold enough water to stop the thermals from going up the ridge to the buck on most days. Wind is to his back or he wont bed up there.

[oldrank]

What time of the season are you talking OR?

My thoughts go along with WV Bowhunter.....during pre-rut/rut the Bucks have been up all night with does, then they are in their beds before daylight, and by late morning they are ready to cruise again.

I've seen this pattern enough I have no problem sneaking in close to a bed in the AM, even after it gets light, and expect him to come out late morning.

Usually pre rut / rut... But that is when I do my all day sits. I understand the cruising factor. My thoughts though get spun around when I find these hill beds in heavy hunted areas. I find they are littered with rubs and sign and beds are always active. That buck would get killed if he was moving during peak hunting hours. The setups are to easy to pattern.

I think we had this discussion a little bit at the Michigan workshop. I told you about a buck in one of these beds. I knew right where his bed was setup by the human trail. I would always try and glass that bed coming in during the evening. Due to my work schedule I usually had another hunter beat me to the parking area. The bed was always empty.

One morning I had the day off and moved in shortly after daylight. The bed was empty. I hunted till about 1 and the wind shifted. I decided to move...and bumped him out of that bed coming out. He was set to watch hunters enter, not exit. That really got me thinking about this.

The rubs on these beds show up year after year so they are not some fluke bed. That also means they get used during season.... They just really make my head spin. Why and how are they using these??????

[oldrank]

I see this quite a bit by all deer not just older bucks. In my area it appears they bed early morning with only safety on there mind, if they don't get disturbed they oftened move again midday. This time to watch where they plan on feeding in the evening.

I also have theory I call domino bedding. The mature buck is bedded in his hidey hole well b4 light, then he gets bumped. So he takes the next best bed and gives the subordinate buck the boot then the dominos start to fall and produce late morning buck sightings. It might be my imagination getting the best of me. But I have seen bucks kicking other bucks out of a bedding area and moving in many times from the stand.

I'm talking outside of the rut..

Good thoughts

[oldrank]

My brother shot at a 4.5 year old last year around 9:30-10 in the morning in early October. Ended up getting him in early November. Anywho, once I started on the beast I put more thought into why he might have seen the deer so later prior to rut. We hunt hill country public that gets moderate pressure until rifle season hunters pack the woods. My theory is that the big bucks bed closer to the ag at the base of the hill in the morning and catch the thermal drop, and also avoid the morning hunters that have educated the deer that mid-morning is time to head out of the bush. Then, come mid-morning the thermals switch and the deer head to the leeward ridges.

We have some trail camera's out at the same elevation of his stand location that seem to show the same pattern. Most of our morning buck imagery has been between 7:30 and 9.

The thermal switch has been on my mind too... It is a good explanation of bedding low early and high at noonish

[Ack]

What time of the season are you talking OR?

My thoughts go along with WV Bowhunter.....during pre-rut/rut the Bucks have been up all night with does, then they are in their beds before daylight, and by late morning they are ready to cruise again.

I've seen this pattern enough I have no problem sneaking in close to a bed in the AM, even after it gets light, and expect him to come out late morning.

Usually pre rut / rut... But that is when I do my all day sits. I understand the cruising factor. My thoughts though get spun around when I find these hill beds in heavy hunted areas. I find they are littered with rubs and sign and beds are always active. That buck would get killed if he was moving during peak hunting hours. The setups are to easy to pattern.

I think we had this discussion a little bit at the Michigan workshop. I told you about a buck in one of these beds. I knew right where his bed was setup by the human trail. I would always try and glass that bed coming in during the evening. Due to my work schedule I usually had another hunter beat me to the parking area. The bed was always empty.

One morning I had the day off and moved in shortly after daylight. The bed was empty. I hunted till about 1 and the wind shifted. I decided to move...and bumped him out of that bed coming out. He was set to watch hunters enter, not exit. That really got me thinking about this.

The rubs on these beds show up year after year so they are not some fluke bed. That also means they get used during season.... They just really make my head spin. Why and how are they using these??????

Soak a camera in there for the season.......might give you everything you want to know.