I was driving to work this morning when I passed a bean field with two of the biggest bucks I've ever laid eyes on, just hanging around. I watched for a couple minutes and they made their way off towards the woods. It was around 630 am.
Would you think they were very close to bed, or this time of year could they still have some time and distance to travel to bed...especially through the wooded cover?
How close to bed?
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Re: How close to bed?
In the marshy areas that I hunt I've seen bucks on there feet up until 8:30-9 am in the morning this time of year, late July and August. Usually they are headed toward bedding but hard to say exactly how close.Since I don't run a lot of cameras and hunt mostly public this has become a great way to keep tabs on what bucks are around. Only thing is , come September when velvet sheds and food sources change they start breaking from those bachelor groups and disperse.
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Re: How close to bed?
For myself summer “velvet” bucks are a tough cookie to crack in regards to bedding. I see the majority of better stuff in grown up fields under the lone shade tree. I also see a lot on the slope of brushy ditches and shady creek banks with a breeze. All that changes In my area by Sept when fields are cut, bird hunters storm the gates, and velvet splits. Up to this point a buck has had it pretty good but survival instincts soon take over from the lazy dog days of summer.
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Re: How close to bed?
Summer bucks are generally bedding close to food and not so much in their pressure bedding areas. Several years ago I walked up on a good one bedded 30 yards from beans in a wide open woodlot mid-summer. That was a real eye opener. Until the food source changes and the pressure ramps up they will most likely be close to the food.
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Re: How close to bed?
Ack wrote:Summer bucks are generally bedding close to food and not so much in their pressure bedding areas. Several years ago I walked up on a good one bedded 30 yards from beans in a wide open woodlot mid-summer. That was a real eye opener. Until the food source changes and the pressure ramps up they will most likely be close to the food.
This is the same thing I see
Bedded close to food and/or water in summer velvet months
Pressure or increased testosterone after velvet sheds changes things fast
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Re: How close to bed?
backstraps wrote:Ack wrote:Summer bucks are generally bedding close to food and not so much in their pressure bedding areas. Several years ago I walked up on a good one bedded 30 yards from beans in a wide open woodlot mid-summer. That was a real eye opener. Until the food source changes and the pressure ramps up they will most likely be close to the food.
This is the same thing I see
Bedded close to food and/or water in summer velvet months
Pressure or increased testosterone after velvet sheds changes things fast
Ok, so as a follow up...these bucks were on a piece of private that butts up to, and is about half a mile from national forest (the closest I could possibly get). Beans here went in a lot later than what i would see in Michigan, so I'm guessing they will still be green well past the Kentucky opener.
How would you approach this situation? Scout the closest connecting spot...now?...when velvet shedding rubs start? Try to determine bedding (hill country) based on maps?
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
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Re: How close to bed?
Im sure each scenario would be different
I would first try and observe that field they are using
Try and see if there is any kind of patterns
Am and Pm
Seeing those bucks that close to daylight, Id assume they’re summer bedding close to that food source
Maybe get in the NF border closest to where you seen them
See if you can locate any travel routes, buck sign, and then try and relate it to the best bedding in the NF
Honestly, you just found them and I know opener is coming fast but really, what do you have to lose vs possibly what you could gain!?
Id scout it and scout it thoroughly, all in one day. Scent left and get out...try and come up with a plan
If the private holds good bedding, may be a little tough. Maybe try and locate some sight rut funnel for later on too
After you scout it, watch that field and see if the bucks change up any
I would first try and observe that field they are using
Try and see if there is any kind of patterns
Am and Pm
Seeing those bucks that close to daylight, Id assume they’re summer bedding close to that food source
Maybe get in the NF border closest to where you seen them
See if you can locate any travel routes, buck sign, and then try and relate it to the best bedding in the NF
Honestly, you just found them and I know opener is coming fast but really, what do you have to lose vs possibly what you could gain!?
Id scout it and scout it thoroughly, all in one day. Scent left and get out...try and come up with a plan
If the private holds good bedding, may be a little tough. Maybe try and locate some sight rut funnel for later on too
After you scout it, watch that field and see if the bucks change up any
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Re: How close to bed?
I struggle with this every year. I start to want to try and figure out where the deer I'm seeing on camera, while glassing, or while shining in july and august are living. Sometimes that will help come fall, but at the end of the day, I gotta remember my plan from the get go was to use summer to figure out what deer are around. I feel like I'm wasting my time trying to figure out their bedding and travel habits until mid september, cause it all changes around here about that time.
So his year I'm doing a much better job of sticking to my guns.
Summer beds and habits dont matter, its all just inventory. It's my job to refind the bucks I am after WHEN they switch to fall patterns in mid september and THEN put a plan of attack together.
So his year I'm doing a much better job of sticking to my guns.
Summer beds and habits dont matter, its all just inventory. It's my job to refind the bucks I am after WHEN they switch to fall patterns in mid september and THEN put a plan of attack together.
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Re: How close to bed?
I find their beds in the open under-story a lot when there is a tree line close to a been filed or corn. Maybe not too far off from where they would bed once their velvet is off. Or just on the transition edge inside the woods where they can visible see the field. I most often find the does much closer to the field edge but the bachelor group a little further back. They don't bed in the way we typically see them do normally. way more open and almost like a group of does when you find a bachelor group. But close to food. I think they stay out of the thick stuff bc of the velvet as well. I can tell you how many I've bumped though
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Re: How close to bed?
Have you asked for permission where you saw them?
I would think in a state with an early opener like Kentucky they might be feeding in the same area they are in now on the opener.
I would think in a state with an early opener like Kentucky they might be feeding in the same area they are in now on the opener.
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Re: How close to bed?
Thanks everyone for responding! Good stuff to think about.
No, but that is definitely something to consider. And yes, I do think our opener is possibly the 5th, so they should have green plants yet.
Jdw wrote:Have you asked for permission where you saw them?
I would think in a state with an early opener like Kentucky they might be feeding in the same area they are in now on the opener.
No, but that is definitely something to consider. And yes, I do think our opener is possibly the 5th, so they should have green plants yet.
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
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Re: How close to bed?
If bedding is secure they will continue to use that bedding when pressure hits. If it is not secure they will move to secure bedding. Bean fields can be fools gold.
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