The Hunting Beast

Bump for any more input.

Another piece to the puzzle:

In the map I provided, you can see a "buck" icon. This is a buck bed I stumbled upon while doing a hang and hunt on 11/16. The "stand" icon is where I hunted on a south wind assuming the deer were bedding to the south close to the creek on the transition line. The bed is in the middle of a clear cut just off of a trail. You could see two trails going in and out of the bed-one going to the north -and one to the south. There were no rubs in the bed but a turd was in it. It looked to be at least a week old. After getting down in the bed I assumed it was a north wind-based bed, but after thinking about it, it might be a primary bed. There are several decent rubs north of this bed about 100-115 yards away. Could this be his staging area?
It's literally impossible to sneak through the clear cut undetected and I have no doubt that if he was bedded there on my hunt on 11/16 that I bumped him. Do you think this bed is worth hunting?

Elite wrote:That's not a bad idea. It just makes me nervous bumping him out but according to Dan it takes repeated bumping for a buck to relocate.

Yes, I've heard that and also that some bucks are more easily annoyed. It really depends on each bucks individual tolerance level I assume. But I think like many have said, that they're there because they feel secure. Specially if it's a mature buck. Another thing to note, is that alot of these guys get bucks that others don't because they're more aggressive than your average hunter. It becomes a matter of deciding if you have a better chance at him by staying back or if your only bet is to hunt him down. I don't have the answer just merely giving some info I've read on here. Hope that makes sense.

Elite wrote:Another piece to the puzzle:

In the map I provided, you can see a "buck" icon. This is a buck bed I stumbled upon while doing a hang and hunt on 11/16. The "stand" icon is where I hunted on a south wind assuming the deer were bedding to the south close to the creek on the transition line. The bed is in the middle of a clear cut just off of a trail. You could see two trails going in and out of the bed-one going to the north -and one to the south. There were no rubs in the bed but a turd was in it. It looked to be at least a week old. After getting down in the bed I assumed it was a north wind-based bed, but after thinking about it, it might be a primary bed. There are several decent rubs north of this bed about 100-115 yards away. Could this be his staging area?
It's literally impossible to sneak through the clear cut undetected and I have no doubt that if he was bedded there on my hunt on 11/16 that I bumped him. Do you think this bed is worth hunting?

I haven't found a ton of beds but I think I tell myself I need to decipher what way the deer are facing on the beds. I look for the shape of it as it will curve to one way. And I try to see which side of the bed there is poop in. I use that to think of the position of the buck and then try to think what wind or advantage would cause them to use it. In this picture of a bed I found I assume from the shape of the indention and the pile of scat in the bottom center of of picture that he lays with his head to the right of the picture. But that's just my interpretation of it.


As far as the rubs in question it probably is his staying area. Do you have any cams in that area? Or let me ask you a different way, have you seen any OTHER bucks in any of your cameras?

The bed was more oval shaped, with the scat being on the north side of the bed. My assumption is that would put his head to the south, and he's looking east.with
He is the biggest and most mature buck in the area this year. Walking the fringes this fall revealed several waist to torso high rubs.There were several 4 and 5 year olds during the summer and early fall but they left.
If this is indeed his bed, the safest and closest I can get to it is about 100 yards. An observation sit would confirm my next move...

Elite wrote:The bed was more oval shaped, with the scat being on the north side of the bed. My assumption is that would put his head to the south, and he's looking east.with
He is the biggest and most mature buck in the area this year. Walking the fringes this fall revealed several waist to torso high rubs.There were several 4 and 5 year olds during the summer and early fall but they left.
If this is indeed his bed, the safest and closest I can get to it is about 100 yards. An observation sit would confirm my next move...

Cool man. Keep us posted on it. Would Love to hear how it goes.

Thanks a lot for the help