Found interesting bed

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naternate
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Found interesting bed

Unread postby naternate » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:40 pm

Found an interesting set of beds today. A week ago I went out to glass some fields and shine some spots on public. Got back to the truck just at last light and put my gear in the truck to go shine and noticed movement about 40 yrds across the road which is another pull-off to an alfalfa field on public. Grab the binos in time to see a wide racked buck looking at me and then take off. Looked to be a mature deer. Did some e-scouting that night to try to figure out where this buck was bedded. Pinned a few areas on Huntstand to check out.

Only 1 spot in the direction he ran looked worth checking out. The opposite direction had some more promising areas as it was thicker and the way the field sets up it probably funnels the hunters away from this area. A creek runs through this area and looked very thick. Also a couple spots I pinned along the creek were only 50-60 yrds from the road but 300 yrds from access. Went today to scout which was a treat with a high of 96deg (typical scouting weather for me LOL)

The field was cut since I was out there and ground sandy making finding any tracks along the edge about impossible. The one spot he ran toward didn't pan out. No buck sign whatsoever....lots of small tracks....no good bedding. Started scouting along the creek the opposite direction and deer sign was good but still minimal buck sign. The habitat was phenomenal. Found an oak ridge that dropped down to a creek crossing that had high banks for about 100 yrds each side. Tons of tracks and a few larger ones, so set a cam to see if he uses this area. Prob will check in a month or 2 and leave up through season. Continued to scout along the creek. Got to another pinned area and the high ground had a small point that dropped to the creek. Small rub there and a trail leading down. There is a clump of super dense brush and a few trees just into the swamp. I said to myself “there has to be bedding there”....one more step and I hear a big deer crash the brush and splash into the creek to the other side. Blew a few times at me and then gone. Got down there and this is what I found.

4F5A58D7-6BF5-48A4-8FD4-DB7BFBC90001.jpeg

Large bed backed up against a big blowdown. The deer was in this bed and went under the blowdown and out the back.

67B677AB-4C1A-4E4D-A56B-C9ECE9768911.jpeg

This bed was in the top of the blowdown

7713E01C-32BD-439D-9C36-E94F95C81FF1.jpeg

This one was on the backside of the blowdown that he escaped out. Upper left you can kind of see the opening to the creek

These beds are within 50-60 yrds of the road and about 500 yrds from the field I saw him. All 3 big beds facing different directions around this blowdown. Seemed too tight for doe with fawn but I don’t know. Didn't find any more rubs in the area. Followed a trail on a transition line of thick briars/swamp and timber out toward the field I saw him in and found a scape with licking branch. Set another cam on this trail. Will prob check in a month and if no buck then pull it.

These beds have me hopeful but also questioning if I really found his core. I never found any tracks I figure a buck his size would leave and minimal scrapes/rubs. But the beds scream buck bedding to me. Set up very well for all wind directions and likely overlooked. Maybe just started using this area? Overall on the public I hunt, there isn't a ton of big buck sign because they don’t make it long enough to get big LOL. Anyone else find bedding used by a mature buck without much sign? Hopefully the cams will tell....

Sorry about the long post. This is the first buck I have ever targeted specifically. Just hoping I can figure it out
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Bio1
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby Bio1 » Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:53 pm

He could very well just be there for the alfalfa while he is growing his rack which would account for lack of hard antlered buck sign. I see this regularly with bucks relocating to bean fields when they are bachelored up in the summer and then dispersing once hard antlered and the testosterone spikes. Never know, though - it will be interesting to see what your cameras tell you.

Good luck with him!

Bio1
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Hawthorne
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:27 pm

Tough call. I’ve seen some big deer on state land farm fields in the summer. Come oct1 they probably won’t be there in daylight with small game season starting sept15 and the youth season after that. Sometimes it takes 2-3 years to put the pieces together over the big picture. I’m on one I’ve seen the last two summers. This year haven’t seen him yet but his same big tracks are on the same trails has last summer. I think my best chances of getting him is about a mile away
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby dan » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:00 am

Its definitely a buck bedding area, buts its up to you to figure out when its used. Might go dead for a while after you have been in there. I obviously have to go by what you tell me and what the pics show, so take it with a grain of salt. Looks like a lot of green vegetation around the feds that is going to start to disappear in October which may make that spot less desirable at that time point. Lack of rubs may mean lack of bucks competing for this bedding area, but it might also mean that the buck is gone by mid October when rutting occurs. A lot of bedding areas have a specific time of the year use, so my opinion would be it is likely summer bedding, that might also run into early season. I would keep the cameras out of there, and watch from a secure distance to monitor if the buck is still there. One hard bump may have taught that buck to stay away from that spot... Coming in another time or two to get/check cameras may cement that.
naternate
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby naternate » Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:55 am

Bio1 wrote:He could very well just be there for the alfalfa while he is growing his rack which would account for lack of hard antlered buck sign. I see this regularly with bucks relocating to bean fields when they are bachelored up in the summer and then dispersing once hard antlered and the testosterone spikes. Never know, though - it will be interesting to see what your cameras tell you.

Good luck with him!

Bio1


I feel like this is probably the case. Probably early season bedding to hit the alfalfa. The fields across the road are surrounded by multiple clearcuts holding more does. I could see him spending more time over there later in the season Thanks for the insight!
naternate
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby naternate » Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:02 am

dan wrote:Its definitely a buck bedding area, buts its up to you to figure out when its used. Might go dead for a while after you have been in there. I obviously have to go by what you tell me and what the pics show, so take it with a grain of salt. Looks like a lot of green vegetation around the feds that is going to start to disappear in October which may make that spot less desirable at that time point. Lack of rubs may mean lack of bucks competing for this bedding area, but it might also mean that the buck is gone by mid October when rutting occurs. A lot of bedding areas have a specific time of the year use, so my opinion would be it is likely summer bedding, that might also run into early season. I would keep the cameras out of there, and watch from a secure distance to monitor if the buck is still there. One hard bump may have taught that buck to stay away from that spot... Coming in another time or two to get/check cameras may cement that.


I think it definitely will thin out as October goes on. I can see cover thinning out and pressure ramping up sending this buck to a more secure area. Maybe I will skip the camera check and just hunt it first week of October. The camera is about 200-250 yrds from the beds. Fairly confident that it is placed on the most likely way he travels to the field. I could check on the way in or after the hunt
dan
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Re: Found interesting bed

Unread postby dan » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:38 am

naternate wrote:
dan wrote:Its definitely a buck bedding area, buts its up to you to figure out when its used. Might go dead for a while after you have been in there. I obviously have to go by what you tell me and what the pics show, so take it with a grain of salt. Looks like a lot of green vegetation around the feds that is going to start to disappear in October which may make that spot less desirable at that time point. Lack of rubs may mean lack of bucks competing for this bedding area, but it might also mean that the buck is gone by mid October when rutting occurs. A lot of bedding areas have a specific time of the year use, so my opinion would be it is likely summer bedding, that might also run into early season. I would keep the cameras out of there, and watch from a secure distance to monitor if the buck is still there. One hard bump may have taught that buck to stay away from that spot... Coming in another time or two to get/check cameras may cement that.


I think it definitely will thin out as October goes on. I can see cover thinning out and pressure ramping up sending this buck to a more secure area. Maybe I will skip the camera check and just hunt it first week of October. The camera is about 200-250 yrds from the beds. Fairly confident that it is placed on the most likely way he travels to the field. I could check on the way in or after the hunt

Sounds like a good plan


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