Looking for opinions on when you guys see activity in rut bed. Specifically are bucks bedding down in these area before light and staying bedded until mid morning and then are up for the rest of the day. Do they come back to rut bedding again later in the day after cruising to monitor does headed back to fields/feeding areas?
I found what I think is rut bedding on a ridge point that overlooks a valley with doe bedding across the adjacent ridge. Could tell there were beds there but not used currently with rubs on a trail coming in from the back and also out both sides. Also rubline headed straight down the hill to the bedding area that intersects a rubline along the edge of bedding. Thermals would pull up from the valley in the morning. There are trails exiting the bedding that could also be watched. Just trying to get an idea of what time of day is good to set up on this type of bed
Rut Bedding
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- Tribute80
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Re: Rut Bedding
I have never seeked out specific beds so wouldn't give a lot of weight to this example. The only for sure rut bedding I can recall the Buck was beeded against a thicket looking down into a bottom where does frequently feed. When the does would get into the bottom the buck would see them and come out to check them. The Does were bedding about 75 yards from where they were feeding. Through out the day other bucks would walk down wind of their bed. I never seen a really mature buck here. I sat it one time and passed what looked like a 3 year old maybe a healthy 2 and a buddy sat it like 8 times and there were bucks every sit but they were all 1 or 2 year old. Here is a map for an example and the buck I seen my first sit. This was November 2nd public land
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- trob_205
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Re: Rut Bedding
I hunt small woodlot, fence row, and ditch line broken farm country. What’s REALLY stuck out to me over the past few years is that mature bucks use their eyes as much as their nose. One spot in particular has little high spots on the inside edge of the timber that they stage/bed in during the rut and monitor the fields for does. The minute I made the correlation I could think back to many other rut and pre rut instances on past properties (pre-beast era me) where you would just be watching a small group of does in a field and it seemed like out of left field a good buck would step out to check on them. And from EVERY instance they all came from a higher elevation vantage point. Now I’m not talking hill country elevation. More like just enough of a elevation change to see the majority of the field or open patch timber. I used to mark those kind observations down as “random rut” things, but I’ve changed my thinking. Small parcel, broken farm country doesn’t always guarantee I have mature bucks bedded on my small plot of opportunity. Most years I have to lean on the rut and I have really started to be able to capitalize on little things like this. I have also come to realize the “random rut things”, definitely are not random and it almost pains me to hear that phrase now when I listen to podcast and watch videos. Another thing that will help you key in on each doe group is keeping track of when you see these bucks popping out like that on a yearly basis. We get so keyed in on mature buck movement and patterns that we overlook doe activity. Does have an estrus cycle damn near to the day every year. My theory is its a big reason why you might see the same deer visit a certain spot or property the same time for 3-5 days every year. For me being I tend to try to be in post 1-2 hrs before daylight to try to be sure I’m there before they are and you have to be very still. They are there to see movement and you can blow it in a hurry getting a little caged and cramped. It might not pertain exactly to your situation but I think the same principles can be used.
- Boogieman1
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Re: Rut Bedding
I’m a rut hunt junkie but will be the first to tell ya high odds predictions of a particular bucks bedding during the rut get tossed out the window. I’ve seen monster on public land laying in a open field 20 yards downwind of a doe.A guy could spend the rest of there life trying to capitalize on that and never see another deer.
What I see is what I specifically hunt for. A over looked spot that squeezes down deer movement. Imo a mature has learned how to find the honey without ever walking to the tree.Believe they start there pre rut setting up daylight traveling routes well after dark. When smelling human scent they loop a round and find safe travel. When timed right they are in for a world of hurt. This might be right by Safe bedding and it might not. All depends on how pressure is distributed and that bucks safely established route imho
What I see is what I specifically hunt for. A over looked spot that squeezes down deer movement. Imo a mature has learned how to find the honey without ever walking to the tree.Believe they start there pre rut setting up daylight traveling routes well after dark. When smelling human scent they loop a round and find safe travel. When timed right they are in for a world of hurt. This might be right by Safe bedding and it might not. All depends on how pressure is distributed and that bucks safely established route imho
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Re: Rut Bedding
ive bumped a couple bucks out of bedding during the rut, where they only seem to bed there during the rut, but its very inconsistent. Doe bedding is a lot more predictable.
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Re: Rut Bedding
I see alot of rut bedding here downwind of does during the first week of November.
Timing is so critical to hunt these and they are not obvious in summer or early fall to find.
I always looked at it as bucks cruise doe group to doe group. They can be at those rut beds anytime. If you wait too late the bucks are usually off tending a doe and stand setup is few days late. It's a very small window but probably fantastic hunting when in that spot at the right timeframe.
I've tried the last two years but I think I've been late to the party.
Timing is so critical to hunt these and they are not obvious in summer or early fall to find.
I always looked at it as bucks cruise doe group to doe group. They can be at those rut beds anytime. If you wait too late the bucks are usually off tending a doe and stand setup is few days late. It's a very small window but probably fantastic hunting when in that spot at the right timeframe.
I've tried the last two years but I think I've been late to the party.
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