thermal bedding in mountains

[ghoasthunter]

after scouting yesterday and hunting threw the season i noticed a lot of deer are bedding using thermals in the mountains when there are cliffs and impassable terrain features. the bucks and does bed in windward sides on light wind days they approach from down wind and lay facing there back track. they normally put there back up too large boulders and cliff faces and big blow down trees. when they do this its always in areas where they get strong thermal pulls. then they exit the beds once the thermals start too drop. the bigger bucks do this too but tend too focus on drainage so they get a broader range of wind. when the deer get jumped they normally cut left or right or go right strait down like a goat.

[tbunao]

I’ve been battling windward bedding for a few seasons now. Not only have I seen what you have mentioned but they also tend to use it on more straight on winds as well. Thermals pulling up and wind coming down the length of the ridge. The wind pulling whatever scent the thermals pull up from the bottom to them from a good length if that makes sense to you. Glad to see someone else trying to tackle this. I’ve posted several times about it but now response. I know I could do myself a favor and hunt some of the more favorable situations and set ups but am determined to find a way to make it work.

[ghoasthunter]

I’ve been battling windward bedding for a few seasons now. Not only have I seen what you have mentioned but they also tend to use it on more straight on winds as well. Thermals pulling up and wind coming down the length of the ridge. The wind pulling whatever scent the thermals pull up from the bottom to them from a good length if that makes sense to you. Glad to see someone else trying to tackle this. I’ve posted several times about it but now response. I know I could do myself a favor and hunt some of the more favorable situations and set ups but am determined to find a way to make it work.

ive found some real big bucks bedding like this if you can find a setup where you can get on a cliff above them you can sneak over and peek i missed a big buck like that last year i cut the angle wrong and shot 3 inches over his back. i shoot a lot of does like that too just with the old smoke pole. sometimes i think your better off going right at the deer instead of waiting and having the wind change. i honestly think ive killed more deer walking in mountains. thermals in the mountains can get super heavy some days too the point when your on a cliff edge and drop milk weed it just shoots straight up and over the trees. it also makes some crazy buck bedding situations.

[ghoasthunter]

im going too start collecting photos of some of these bedding setups as i find them they are some really difficult beds too hunt.

[ghoasthunter]

I’ve been battling windward bedding for a few seasons now. Not only have I seen what you have mentioned but they also tend to use it on more straight on winds as well. Thermals pulling up and wind coming down the length of the ridge. The wind pulling whatever scent the thermals pull up from the bottom to them from a good length if that makes sense to you. Glad to see someone else trying to tackle this. I’ve posted several times about it but now response. I know I could do myself a favor and hunt some of the more favorable situations and set ups but am determined to find a way to make it work.

ive found some real big bucks bedding like this if you can find a setup where you can get on a cliff above them you can sneak over and peek i missed a big buck like that last year i cut the angle wrong and shot 3 inches over his back. i shoot a lot of does like that too just with the old smoke pole. sometimes i think your better off going right at the deer instead of waiting and having the wind change. i honestly think ive killed more deer walking in mountains. thermals in the mountains can get super heavy some days too the point when your on a cliff edge and drop milk weed it just shoots straight up and over the trees. it also makes some crazy buck bedding situations.

im pretty sure this bed next too the big tree is a thermal bed just out of frame too right is a major rock face cliff its on a ledge that down hill walking into the bed. i think the buck walks wind too back all the way in then turns around and watches his back track. the bed is solid dirt and full of hair if he only used it on the east wind it requires for a traditional lay i dont think there would be as much sign of activity on it. east is pretty rare in this spot only once or twice in a month if that the predominant wind is more western during the time frame its used so the buck has too be doing the complete apposite of what one would normally think. its like hes cornering himself then using dropping thermals and primary wind on exit. the deers line of sight down the ledge is close too 200 yards.
this is what is beyond the bed about 60 yards on the same ledge. after the season im going too run a trail cam on it and see if this is actually what is going on. if it is the only real way too get in on this deer is too try and sneak in from the cliffs above and kill him that way mid day on a heavy thermal day. or wait till i get a east wind switch mid day and try and get him when hes walking out blind.

[Divergent]

after scouting yesterday and hunting threw the season i noticed a lot of deer are bedding using thermals in the mountains when there are cliffs and impassable terrain features. the bucks and does bed in windward sides on light wind days they approach from down wind and lay facing there back track. they normally put there back up too large boulders and cliff faces and big blow down trees. when they do this its always in areas where they get strong thermal pulls. then they exit the beds once the thermals start too drop. the bigger bucks do this too but tend too focus on drainage so they get a broader range of wind. when the deer get jumped they normally cut left or right or go right strait down like a goat.

It’s hard to say what the driving force behind this bedding pattern is, but I’ve seen similar stuff. I feel like some of the more secure bedding locations get used with atypical winds. A buddy of mine also mentioned that he thought they wouldn’t bed on the high side of a bluff unless there was a drainage close by so the buck could make a quick escape. I’ve seen the same pattern since I’ve been paying attention.

[Wild public]

I hunt in similar terrain and have witnessed everything being discussed here. I too rarely find them on the high side of a bluff unless there is a drainage close for them to escape . Dan says briefly in one of his videos that in bluff country they will bed with back to bluff even though there not getting wind tunnel effect. There protected from back and still have thermal effect in front .. I’ve definitely seen does bedded this way. It’s an interesting terrain to hunt.

[ghoasthunter]

after scouting yesterday and hunting threw the season i noticed a lot of deer are bedding using thermals in the mountains when there are cliffs and impassable terrain features. the bucks and does bed in windward sides on light wind days they approach from down wind and lay facing there back track. they normally put there back up too large boulders and cliff faces and big blow down trees. when they do this its always in areas where they get strong thermal pulls. then they exit the beds once the thermals start too drop. the bigger bucks do this too but tend too focus on drainage so they get a broader range of wind. when the deer get jumped they normally cut left or right or go right strait down like a goat.

It’s hard to say what the driving force behind this bedding pattern is, but I’ve seen similar stuff. I feel like some of the more secure bedding locations get used with atypical winds. A buddy of mine also mentioned that he thought they wouldn’t bed on the high side of a bluff unless there was a drainage close by so the buck could make a quick escape. I’ve seen the same pattern since I’ve been paying attention.

same hear almost every good mountain that really hold a mature buck that ive found has a drainage

[ghoasthunter]

after scouting yesterday and hunting threw the season i noticed a lot of deer are bedding using thermals in the mountains when there are cliffs and impassable terrain features. the bucks and does bed in windward sides on light wind days they approach from down wind and lay facing there back track. they normally put there back up too large boulders and cliff faces and big blow down trees. when they do this its always in areas where they get strong thermal pulls. then they exit the beds once the thermals start too drop. the bigger bucks do this too but tend too focus on drainage so they get a broader range of wind. when the deer get jumped they normally cut left or right or go right strait down like a goat.

It’s hard to say what the driving force behind this bedding pattern is, but I’ve seen similar stuff. I feel like some of the more secure bedding locations get used with atypical winds. A buddy of mine also mentioned that he thought they wouldn’t bed on the high side of a bluff unless there was a drainage close by so the buck could make a quick escape. I’ve seen the same pattern since I’ve been paying attention.

same hear almost every good mountain that really hold a mature buck that ive found has a drainage

mountain bed i ment