Winter Bedding/Feeding in the South

[HunterBob]

Something clicked for me last week as I was scouting out a new area. Through most of the season I have not seen much any sign of bucks in the pines here, which seem to be located mostly on the tops of ridges. However, that is where I found the most active sign last week, which got me to realize that when it is cold, the pines offer a great windbreak for deer to bed in. It is also great winter cover with the hardwood areas being exposed due to leaf fall.

Do you other southern hunters find the pines to be used for winter bedding? Also, what do you find they are feeding on this time of year? That is something I have yet to figure out.

[HunterBob]

Bump

[Lowcountry]

Here in lower SC (flatland) they love to bed in the younger thicker pines year round where available. One particular property I hunt has only mature open pines, marsh, and various hardwoods with scrub brush, they prefer the marsh mostly early and late season especially the secluded ones.

Shot a buck Saturday he was full of water oak acorns...

[dsayer]

I'm new to hunting in the South (just moved to Alabama in January) but I have found some good sheds in or on the edge of thick planted pines. The local biologist also recommended to focus on these areas for late season. I think the weather may be a factor but it could also be a function of hunting pressure or a combination of the two

[Bogle]

I haven't noticed a change in bedding due to weather. I find the does like to bed in the younger thicker pines and the bucks like to bed on the edge of them but I hunt S. GA., FL. The sign and buck sightings pick up dramatically around me in the pines during the rut which makes a lot of people think the bucks are bedding in the actual pines themselves.

[Bowmet]

The bedding definitely becomes more concentrated in and around thicker areas (young pines mostly) after the leaf fall. If there aren’t young pines in your area, look to whatever is thickest.

If there are still acorns on the ground, they will be feeding on them. Although I’m focusing more on bedding, I’ve found lots of feed sign near red oaks and water oaks recently (upstate sc). They will also be feeding heavily on browse that can be found in and around their bedding areas.

[HunterBob]

Thanks for the thoughts and experiences, hoping I can adjust for the late season, which I haven't had much success doing in the past.

[The Mediocre Hunter]

Thanks for the thoughts and experiences, hoping I can adjust for the late season, which I haven't had much success doing in the past.

If it helps any, the buck I shot the other day was full of acorns but the doe that was there was eating what looked like tall dry weeds. Wish I knew what the plant was.

[Twenty Up]

I read an article from MS Deer Lab where they had 2 different collared bucks run something like 24 and 36 miles and establish a winter home range.

My experience has been the deer will relocate after the rut to the hottest food sources. The does will bed very close to food and bucks won’t be far off, the bucks will bed for safety but in closer proximity to food.

A hot food source could be that alfalfa field 1 mile away on private, could be a privet hedge bottom, mountain laurel thickets, and it can be just woody browse. Its really location specific, but the deer will travel great distances if necessary to survive.

[HunterBob]

Thanks for the info. I have not been very good at getting onto deer food sources in the winter. Acorns still litter the ground from the Fall and that is almost impossible to predict. I am wondering what type of browse they may feed on since most everything is dead here by this time of year. Something I hope to grow in for this last month of the season.

[DaveT1963]

SHADE. We can get some hot days (upper 70s-90s) so when that happens during winter, look for nice cool shady spots as the bucks will try to avoid the heat with their thick winter coats. A major food source in winter is locust pods.

[HunterBob]

SHADE. We can get some hot days (upper 70s-90s) so when that happens during winter, look for nice cool shady spots as the bucks will try to avoid the heat with their thick winter coats. A major food source in winter is locust pods.

Hmm, that's very interesting I had not thought about them seeking shade on the hot day of winter. We don't get temps that high, but we may get an occasional day in the 60s to 70s infrequently. Thanks for the thought.

Also, I have found a few locust pod trees as they don't seem to be very populous in our area. Do you find them growing mostly near creeks/in river bottoms?

[The Mediocre Hunter]

Thanks for the info. I have not been very good at getting onto deer food sources in the winter. Acorns still litter the ground from the Fall and that is almost impossible to predict. I am wondering what type of browse they may feed on since most everything is dead here by this time of year. Something I hope to grow in for this last month of the season.

I agree. One of the difference that I noticed was that while I have been in the open woods of a WMA with acorns all over the place, this place was an island of acorns in the midst of different vegetation as in tall grass and thick small saplings. So if you can find acorns near a transition that might be the ticket.