Rut bed breakdown and input needed

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may21581
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Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby may21581 » Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:05 am

So every year on a property I hunt there is one bed on a ridge that seems to be a magnet for the biggest buck in town. This bed sits under a pine tree that has beds wore into the dirt and this pine annually has rubs chest high on it. The logging roads that run above it are littered with scrapes and this area concistantly is loaded with big sign year after year.
So from a topo point of view what sticks out the most to you hill country guys? Is there something that really stands out? I have my ideas but would like to hear everyone else's to see if I'm on the same page. Lets hear what winds you think are best and how he would use it.
This bed is in open timber, overlooking a bottom. Logging road runs above about 10 yards that is always loaded with scrapes.
The ridges are full of oaks and several of the leeward ridges are thick and nasty.
A buck i shot several years ago was using this bed by the shavings I found on his antler and the rub characteristics. I shot him about 500 yards from this bed in November.
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MichiganMike
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby MichiganMike » Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:53 am

Im not a hill expert and I dont hunt them too often, but I would think if there is historic buck/rut beds there and sign, there are does bedding in that bottom and hes monitoring them. I would think the wind is to his back (leeward) toward the does. He's smelling from above and watching them below. Have you scouted or found doe bedding down in there? Scouting for doe bedding (in my opinion) is as important if not MORE important than buck bedding as it gets closer to rut and during rut. good to know where the buck bed is- but that doe bedding is key too.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby PublicLand » Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:06 am

Swirling mess
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby <DK> » Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:30 am

NE or SW wind. I would imagine there is kick back bc the ridges are so tight, along with that bowl/cut. I like a morning hunt for this spot on a NE wind and the saddle the the right. Maybe even on the far E side to account for eve thermals and avoid that swirly looking cut. A lot depends on which way I think he is heading in the eve, how much cover there is to get close and checking with milkweed while accessing. If I was to setup downwind for a eve hunt then I would back off to the S or setup to the W.

Every spot seems to be pushing the envelope. Thats good! Great spot, good luck.

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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby MichiganMike » Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:18 am

<DK> wrote:NE or SW wind. I would imagine there is kick back bc the ridges are so tight, along with that bowl/cut. I like a morning hunt for this spot on a NE wind and the saddle the the right. Maybe even on the far E side to account for eve thermals and avoid that swirly looking cut. A lot depends on which way I think he is heading in the eve, how much cover there is to get close and checking with milkweed while accessing. If I was to setup downwind for a eve hunt then I would back off to the S or setup to the W.

Every spot seems to be pushing the envelope. Thats good! Great spot, good luck.

Image

I agree DK. I like the morning on here too. I Like to set up on a flat somewhere up top in morning to keep your scent from swirling. Seems like the wind currents and thermals etc. are more manageable in the mornings up there. Those draws and valleys in the hills are tough to set up in and I just stay out of them. You can catch does coming in from night feeding on the flats before they hit those draws to their bedding below- and usually the buck (or bucks) aren't far behind.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby may21581 » Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:06 pm

MichiganMike wrote:Im not a hill expert and I dont hunt them too often, but I would think if there is historic buck/rut beds there and sign, there are does bedding in that bottom and hes monitoring them. I would think the wind is to his back (leeward) toward the does. He's smelling from above and watching them below. Have you scouted or found doe bedding down in there? Scouting for doe bedding (in my opinion) is as important if not MORE important than buck bedding as it gets closer to rut and during rut. good to know where the buck bed is- but that doe bedding is key too.


The doe bedding is on the ridges and this is a major travel hub between them.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby may21581 » Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:07 pm

PublicLand wrote:Swirling mess


X2 absolutely
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby may21581 » Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:29 pm

<DK> wrote:NE or SW wind. I would imagine there is kick back bc the ridges are so tight, along with that bowl/cut. I like a morning hunt for this spot on a NE wind and the saddle the the right. Maybe even on the far E side to account for eve thermals and avoid that swirly looking cut. A lot depends on which way I think he is heading in the eve, how much cover there is to get close and checking with milkweed while accessing. If I was to setup downwind for a eve hunt then I would back off to the S or setup to the W.

Every spot seems to be pushing the envelope. Thats good! Great spot, good luck.

Image


Predominant winds are generally to the north east.
Where all the points come together is a major travel hub for does. Kick back and swirl effect are very much in play here.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Fri Dec 04, 2020 2:50 pm

Good thread can you break down where the scrapes and doe bedding are on the map, also buck travel that you shot, I have never hunted hills and would like to learn more. If you can without giving too much info.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby MichiganMike » Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:48 pm

may21581 wrote:
MichiganMike wrote:Im not a hill expert and I dont hunt them too often, but I would think if there is historic buck/rut beds there and sign, there are does bedding in that bottom and hes monitoring them. I would think the wind is to his back (leeward) toward the does. He's smelling from above and watching them below. Have you scouted or found doe bedding down in there? Scouting for doe bedding (in my opinion) is as important if not MORE important than buck bedding as it gets closer to rut and during rut. good to know where the buck bed is- but that doe bedding is key too.


The doe bedding is on the ridges and this is a major travel hub between them.

Ok, that’s interesting. Heckuva spot, lot going on there. Definitely a challenge!
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby may21581 » Sun Dec 06, 2020 3:20 am

mipubbucks24 wrote:Good thread can you break down where the scrapes and doe bedding are on the map, also buck travel that you shot, I have never hunted hills and would like to learn more. If you can without giving too much info.


The pin drop is the big buck bed. The red dots are "major" doe bedding areas annually. These beds are generally very thick on top and have a very good view of the valley floor and access from below. Again the doe bedding and buck bedding can be tight and close together. The black is an old strip mine that is full of water and some high walls. The long line the runs along the ridge is historically littered with scrapes along a logging road. This area is far enough back in where most hunters don't want to put forth the effort to go.
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Re: Rut bed breakdown and input needed

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:52 pm

In my area I refer to rut beds as ambush beds. Common denominator is they are usually in high traffic areas. Believe older bucks in the hills have learned how to check a lot of doe without exposing themselves running around. What I witness is shifts throughout the day.

On average what I witness most goes like this... An hour or so b4 daylight they set up shop pretty close to a feeding area. Shortly b4 or after just at daylight they move again just inside the timber still utilizing the dropping thermal. Once the sun rises and wind decides on a direction they again shift to high ground now using wind and rising thermal. Around 11:30 if nothing interesting comes by another shift is made somewhere downwind of doe bedding or a hot scrape. Sometimes the shift finds another buck in his spot. If he’s more dominant than he kicks them out. I believe these are a lot of the bucks seen by hunters as they scurry to find another spot. Conditions that cause air not to rise will keep them in lower ground. In a lot of cases all these shifts really don’t move him 100 yards all day. I have my best luck setting up on his shift.But it’s tough to set up on cause he always has the air on his side. The air does slightly different things everyday so his exact approach isn’t predictable Atleast at getting super close. Just my opinion on what I witness. And if he finds a hot doe all bets are off.
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