Bedding before during and after

[tkelite35]

Not new to beast style hunting but also not great at it. Numbers of deer in S. Ontario where I live seem very low so finding beds is tough. Public land is also sparse and tracts are small making the task even more challenging.

I have found some beds and had some success hunting them. My questions are:

1. When/what part of the year (typically) do bucks abandon their primary beds to go seeking and searching? Do they return to them during this phase each day?
2. Do bucks force does they are tending to use their common/usual buck bedding areas, or do they find other places more familiar to the does?
3. At what point after the rut do bucks return to their usual beds IF they leave them during the rut?
4. How are swamp and marsh beds affected by winter herding?

Lots of questions I know but I also konw this is the BEST place for good answers. Thanks in advance for any insughts you may have on this.
Tom

[funderburk]

Following. Great questions!

[tkelite35]

I have everyone stumped?
Tom

[AntlersAnonymous]

I can't answer everything, but I'll say this. Big bucks will breed what is closest first. They'll start traveling later in rut. I watched a doe that just went into heat literally walk straight into this big bucks bed that im chasing. So they will breed in their bed. Especially if they're big and smart.

[stash59]

Not new to beast style hunting but also not great at it. Numbers of deer in S. Ontario where I live seem very low so finding beds is tough. Public land is also sparse and tracts are small making the task even more challenging.

I have found some beds and had some success hunting them. My questions are:

1. When/what part of the year (typically) do bucks abandon their primary beds to go seeking and searching? Do they return to them during this phase each day?
2. Do bucks force does they are tending to use their common/usual buck bedding areas, or do they find other places more familiar to the does?
3. At what point after the rut do bucks return to their usual beds IF they leave them during the rut?
4. How are swamp and marsh beds affected by winter herding?

Lots of questions I know but I also konw this is the BEST place for good answers. Thanks in advance for any insughts you may have on this.
Tom

Don't believe there are any hard fast answers to any of these questions.

It will depend alot on deer numbers and proximity the primary bedding is to the preferred doe bedding used during each phase of the rut. Even in high density areas. Some primary buck bedding is well away from doe areas. Also depends on a bucks personality. If the bucks are really in the "mood". They'll bed in rut beds where they can keep track of the does easier.

I've on occasion seen a mature buck with a hot doe, bedded way out in wide open country, near a lone bush. Where you would normally never find one in daylight. But where they can see either other bucks or predators, from hundreds of yards away. But have also jumped pairs from the thick and nasty stuff.

In certain areas as the bucks seek does farther from their normal core area. They can actually start migrating towards winter grounds. And don't return to the primary beds in the core area for the other 3 seasons. Until spring. In areas where they live year round. It may depend on if does come back into heat near primary beds. Or those beds are closest to the best feed. If they've put on the feed bag.

Any areas where frozen ice allows predators easier access. Bedding can become abandoned or used some what irregularly. Depending on pressure from these predators, which includes hunting.

Kinda just have to figure what happens and when. In each area you hunt!!!

[tkelite35]

Ok, so everyone talks about "doe bedding" How is "doe bedding" identified vs. buckbedding? I have found buck beds on marsh edges near points confirmed when bucks appeared when set up on them.

Thanks,Tom