Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

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grydsrt
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Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby grydsrt » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:15 am

If you are hunting a bottom with all sharp rocks, check the soft dirt area(s) first for bedding.

In one location I hunt, deer bed on the only section dirt in the entire bottom because the remainder of the bottom was sharp rock. I am posting to give you an additional data point for your ‘ol deer killing calculator. This surprised me because this directly contravened my original theory upon observing them bedding there that they were bedding on an oxbow because of the security it provided. I know common beast thought is in farm country deer bed in river/creek oxbows, here they did as but that oxbow also had the only soft dirt to lay on in the entire valley. Therefore, were they bedded there because of the security the oxbow provided or because it was soft to lay on?

I only learned about them bedding on the dirt vs. the rocks because, as luck or not would have it, this particular river bed recently flooded. Corps of Engineers came in and then bulldozed out all the remaining vegetation leaving basically like a rock covered parking lot. Gosh only knows how many tons of cactus washed downstream in that flood because this same area was COVERED in cacti! Consequently, walking around this former weed/cactus jungle with no vegetation was interesting until I walked up to the dirt-covered oxbow. At that point it became downright "post-worthy." I thought I would post here to give y’all beasties one more data point to drop in that ‘ol deer killing calculator.

Conclusion, if it’s a bottom with all sharp rocks, check the soft dirt area(s) for likely bedding.


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Boogieman1
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:35 pm

Interesting... In my area most the rock is farther down in the valley. Erosion, rain etc.. Wash the rock off the hillsides where they tumble into the valley drainage and flooding collects everything in the oxbow of the drainage. Find most my bedding takes place at a higher elevation.

But no two places are exactly the same so u could have very well stumbled onto something for your area. Believe if given the choice and all things being equal. Mainly air currents and visual they would choose the comfy spot. But I've seen many bed down right in a cactus thicket cause that's where they needed to be
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grydsrt
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby grydsrt » Wed Jun 26, 2019 2:05 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Interesting... In my area most the rock is farther down in the valley. Erosion, rain etc.. Wash the rock off the hillsides where they tumble into the valley drainage and flooding collects everything in the oxbow of the drainage. Find most my bedding takes place at a higher elevation.

But no two places are exactly the same so u could have very well stumbled onto something for your area. Believe if given the choice and all things being equal. Mainly air currents and visual they would choose the comfy spot. But I've seen many bed down right in a cactus thicket cause that's where they needed to be


AXIS.jpeg
canoe.jpg


All good points ^^^. The first pic is of the area before the flood, the second after.
The white rocks are all that is left where all that veg you see in the first pic. One individual buck was bedding in some of the rocks on the immediate bank of an inlet in the most inaccessible part of the gravel bar.
However, beyond a few of the axis you see in the first pic who bedded in the rocks, the whitetail bedded only on that one dirt-covered oxbow, with the remainder bedding on the elevation adjacent to the 1/2 mile square (approximately) gravel bar.
I only noticed the distinction in terrain recently because that dirt covered oxbow was the only part of the bottom/gravel bar in which I observed whitetails bedding and the remainder of the bottom was entirely white rock. So much white rock in fact, it really had the appearance of someone having intentionally dumped gravel uniformly all over it. You could seriously have a Jason Aldean concert in there now, there is a road and everything. lol
In conclusion, the only whitetail group bedding was directly on top of the dirt oxbow which, coincidentally or not, was the the only dirt in the bottom. Otherwise they bedded up higher. You are correct, the oxbow was the most inaccessible and highest point of the entire bottom as well.
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Lockdown
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:04 pm

Deer love to bed in dirt. Especially early season when it’s warm, I think they like the cool, black dirt. I’ve found hair in more than one ground blind that I’ve made after scraping and pulling all the grass out so I could move quietly. Quite certain it’s not a coincidence.
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby grydsrt » Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:40 am

Aftermath of an unfortunate canoe / tree stand collision. As well as more of the same area, pre-flood. And a Kudu.
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A5AE5FCA-1D41-44BF-8A31-0D6E352BAD28.jpeg
36127E0A-36BE-4602-9F2B-3658E965993E.jpeg
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Boogieman1
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jun 28, 2019 5:17 pm

Bit off topic but curious if u have ever found any arrowheads down in that oxbow? If there were Indians in the area there's no telling what u could find down in there. It's not my fav kind of head hunting due to so much rock to distract u and go through. But I've found some real dandys in that type stuff.
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grydsrt
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Re: Interesting Observation re Bedding on Dirt in Otherwise Rocky Terrain:

Unread postby grydsrt » Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:43 am

Boogieman1 wrote:Bit off topic but curious if u have ever found any arrowheads down in that oxbow? If there were Indians in the area there's no telling what u could find down in there. It's not my fav kind of head hunting due to so much rock to distract u and go through. But I've found some real dandys in that type stuff.


Good question and no, I haven’t found any arrowheads in there. Then again, I haven’t really looked? I wonder whether there are any caves in the miles of cliff that border that particular river that might have been lived in? All these really huge raven-sized birds live in those cliffs and they make significant noise flying over you all day. However, because it’s public access, peeps come by on the water there in the summer yelling and making lots of noise too. Thanks for the heads up, I will remember to look for arrowheads and whether there were any Indians there.


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