Bed question

[SoILBowhunter]

Last weekend while I was checking cameras I came across a bed close to where I've been picking up pictures of a mature 8 pointer. It was about 40 yards off of the road & right by the access. The bed was wore down to the dirt & loaded with hair. I also found 3 or 4 satellite beds right around the main one but they weren't near as worn & didn't have any hair in them. I followed the exit trail right out to the road leading across to standing corn & found 2 piles of buck poop within 20 yards of the bed.

My question is whether or not the bed is still active or if the buck may have moved into his fall range & stopped using it? The main thing that makes me think he may not be using it anymore is that I didn't find any rubs near it. By now in Southern Illinois most bucks we've been seeing are hard horned.

What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the insight.

[trob_205]

Dan always said there might not be any rubs if he’s truly the dominant buck and nothing around him is contesting him. I can’t remember which buck but I know he’s shot one of his biggest out of a bed that had no rubs in it whatsoever.

If you found fresh drippings I see no reason why it wouldn’t still be an active bedding area. Alter you access and throw a sit at it to see what you find.

[stash59]

Any way to see it from the road/parking area? Might be able to keep tabs on it that way. Otherwise keep checking the trail for tracks at/near the road.