Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


monster6
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:01 am
Status: Offline

Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby monster6 » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:27 pm

My question is do deer (bucks or does) have different beds or bed differently during the fall and winter? I'm sure they probably will move closer to food during the winter months. Yesterday I went and scouted out some public land scouted what used to be a crp/marsh area but all of the crp is down due to the snow. I was wondering when does the deer come back and bed in those crp fields?? Is it when the grass is high enough for them to come back in and bed?


dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby dan » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:45 pm

They do shift some bedding... Some of the bedding, especially primary bedding, is the same all year.
I find deer bedding in CRP mid-summer thru november. A good snow fall will generally kill that.
One interesting observation I have made over the years is that areas of the field that produce a big buck will often have them bedding in the exact same area of the field the next year, or future years.
Probably cause there bedding there due to certain wind currents or other safety reasons.
User avatar
Dewey
Moderator
Posts: 36727
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:51 pm

In marshes during the winter I notice deer bed right in the cattails as long as there is ice to lay on and the rest of the year they bed on higher ground where it is dryer. Most of the beds I have been finding lately will be under two feet of water in about another month or so.
monster6
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:01 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby monster6 » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:54 pm

Thanks guys, as I was scouting yesterday I found some huge rubs on some cedars going into the downed crp. I'm hoping theres a big boy working that area come fall. this little crp is backed up to a lake and a creek so they have limited entrance and exits. I hope to catch something on my camera come summer!
User avatar
Indianahunter
500 Club
Posts: 1774
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:27 pm
Location: Greensburg Indiana
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby Indianahunter » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:51 pm

Around here I whole heartidly believe they do shift with the most abundant food source available. That is not to say they are not in preferred bedding, but in my scouting in our area it seems there is preferred bedding for the time of year. I found a hot bed that is only used when the crops are in because it provides perfect conver, but when the crops are out it is jusr dead.
I am sure it is different if you hunt hill country, and I am sure it is the same in marsh, but farm country woodlot bucks seems a little different.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
User avatar
cornfedkiller
500 Club
Posts: 2419
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:56 am
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby cornfedkiller » Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:40 am

Indianahunter wrote:Around here I whole heartidly believe they do shift with the most abundant food source available. That is not to say they are not in preferred bedding, but in my scouting in our area it seems there is preferred bedding for the time of year. I found a hot bed that is only used when the crops are in because it provides perfect conver, but when the crops are out it is jusr dead.
I am sure it is different if you hunt hill country, and I am sure it is the same in marsh, but farm country woodlot bucks seems a little different.


I have noticed pretty much the same thing in farm country..deer all over the place when in the summer and early fall, and as soon as the crops are harvested, they vanish. No trailcam pics, no tracks, no sightings while glassing or shining..

Not sure where the heck they go though..
User avatar
JRM6868
The Terminator
Posts: 1400
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 3:44 am
Location: S.E. Ohio
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby JRM6868 » Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:58 am

As stated...The bedding does change sometimes especially in farm country where there's an abundance of crops and then none.The crops come off and the deer will go to a secondary bedding area either in woodlots or brushy creek lines etc. any thing that provides safe cover with good wind for them. The switchgrass,crp fields will hold deer until the first heavy snow with a heavy wind which will knock it down not providing cover. Hill country will give pretty consistant beds because the terrain doesn't change much so a good bedding area is usually good year after year. One thing to consider with the bedding is the type of year your having. For instance what is a good bed this year might not be next because of a drought. The deer will bed closer to water. You can also reverse that by if the year your scouting is a drought and the next year your hunting isn't the bedding can change.
User avatar
Black Squirrel
500 Club
Posts: 4978
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:50 am
Location: NE WI
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:40 am

I agree with others, that it depends on the type of land you are hunting. With ag crops they seem to follow the food sources. Fall tillage can greatly affect where they bed. When the farm I hunt gets all of it's fall plowing done before the ground freezes, I see little deer action in winter. Most of the neighbors always have there plowing done, but my father in law, sometimes doesn't. If he is the only one with corn/soybean stubble, or even taller alfalfa, the deer will be there. In that situation I think they use the same beds, as they would in fall. I have seen in hill country, where the deer will move a couple of miles to a set up in an area with south facing slopes and a good food source nearby. It's nothing to see a 100 deer in the field in the evening if the food source is hot. And the neighbors find sheds from bucks that were living on our land all fall. I think Dewey nailed it with the marshes, at least that what I see as well.
User avatar
gjs4
500 Club
Posts: 1917
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:11 pm
Location: Western NY
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby gjs4 » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:04 am

great read- DIck Idols hunting the four stages (phases?) of the rut......learned a lot from Lapratt on this one too....bottom line- if theyre nto there; dont waste time trying to kill them there
Green and growing... Or red and rotting
User avatar
MOBIGBUCKS
Posts: 3027
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:21 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding in fall differ from winter??

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:56 pm

My bucks bedding definately shifts after the rut is over. I routinely find small buck sheds but never anything of size. I think the big older deer move on where the food is better. Once the greenup starts up, they start heading back into the my woods. I gotta get them early!


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Trout and 89 guests