More growth as a Beast, help understanding bedding area use.

[Mossberg90MN]

I believe this is another growing moment for me as a Beast hunter… with that said I need help deciphering what I’m seeing.

This was the first time In about 4 years of “Beast” hunting that I started to hunt right on the transition lines. I will hunt the transition line and try to get a visual into the bedding area, to hopefully see what I would like and make a move then.

First bedding area I had 2 does come in.

2nd bedding area, nothing.

3rd bedding area, nothing.

Im also glassing across the marsh at other bedding areas while on the transition. Not seeing any action.

Now I have heard Dan mention that certain bedding areas or only used for anywhere from 1-3 weeks.

I would like to clarify that these have been larger bedding areas in a cat tail bowl. There’s about 3 of them.

I’ve been doing observation sits hoping to see a buck moving around in there.

So here is what my theory is.

The reason the bedding areas are void is because these would maybe traditionally be more so Doe bedding areas. Due to the pressure the deer get on this parcel, I believe a good amount of deer move onto the surrounding private or less hunted spots the first week or so of the season. No large Doe groups means those spots are probably not getting used like they were before the pressure was put on.

No Does in those bedding areas, means no bucks cruising these bedding areas because the Does aren’t there.

I notice a lot of the fewer remaining deer in this spot utilize buck beds or single bedding areas, or high stem count spots that are too thick for a decent buck.

Which in essence makes for harder hunting because the traditional marsh bedding areas aren’t being utilized, rather scattered, random single beds. Which I think makes it harder to pinpoint a buck cruising doe bedding areas.

I ask this question because, is my theory more then likely correct? And I need to scratch this location and move on to another spot?

Or maybe just nothing came out that day?

Never really found much for big buck sign. Lots of 2 year old sign (not this year though, seems to be dried up of bucks-this alone is pushing me to move to another location)

I walked to the very bed I got my buck last year and it was empty with no rubs or scrapes nearby. Checked all the typical areas where scrapes and rubs would show up, and nothing.