bed to staging area?

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ah110
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bed to staging area?

Unread postby ah110 » Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:28 pm

Hey guys, wondering if you can help me understand the distance relationship between a bucks bed and his staging area. Just have a couple questions for you guys. I remember the graphic from the video with the bucks bed and the spheres around it but just wanted some further clarification.

How far will a buck travel and stage from his bed in the afternoon on average? and does a buck utilize the same travel area/staging area to get back to bed in the morning?

Does it depend on the terrain of the bed? or wind direction? moon phase
Are the similarities that most staging areas have? (thick cover, oak trees, screening cover, etc.)
Are staging areas less certain during the different phases of the rut when bucks are on the move?

Thanks in advance guys!
-adam


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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby RaisedByWolves » Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:53 pm

ah110 wrote:
How far will a buck travel and stage from his bed in the afternoon on average? and does a buck utilize the same travel area/staging area to get back to bed in the morning?

I would say that the staging area is generally within 40 yards of his bed. I think early season when the pressure is low and they feel safe, they are apt to move further during daylight, maybe 100's of yards. But in pressure situations they may only move 30 yards.
I would say his morning route back to bed in the morning is somewhat different.


Does it depend on the terrain of the bed? or wind direction? moon phase
I would say all of the above

Are the similarities that most staging areas have? (thick cover, oak trees, screening cover, etc.)
Most beds I find in thick cover have the rubs on mostly smaller trees right in or near the bed, with maybe a few large ones on the way in or out...usually the staging I find near a food source or other transitional area are marked with multiple larger rubs

Are staging areas less certain during the different phases of the rut when bucks are on the move?
I wouldn't say his staging would change alot, just his destinations after he leaves his bed. I think then he will start to rub near doe bedding but I don't consider that staging.

Hope the others chime in!
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby Indianahunter » Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:39 pm

ah110 wrote:Hey guys, wondering if you can help me understand the distance relationship between a bucks bed and his staging area. Just have a couple questions for you guys. I remember the graphic from the video with the bucks bed and the spheres around it but just wanted some further clarification.

How far will a buck travel and stage from his bed in the afternoon on average?

I have seen deer go as much as 100 yards. I am sure it has to do with the areas ability to provide everything he needs to utilize his senses.

and does a buck utilize the same travel area/staging area to get back to bed in the morning?

Some may have a different experience but my experience is....no not exactly. When spring scouting I have noticed what Dan has said to be true that they will try and approach the bed from downwind and they seem to leave quartering in to the wind and often with the wind to their backs.

Does it depend on the terrain of the bed? or wind direction? moon phase

I assume all of the above as well.

Are the similarities that most staging areas have? (thick cover, oak trees, screening cover, etc.)

I agree pressure plays a role in where a buck will bed and how much staging area he will utilize. If the pressure is high he may not stage at all during daylight hours. The only thing that I see that it constant on every terrain is it is in the least intrusive areas from pressure.

Are staging areas less certain during the different phases of the rut when bucks are on the move?

I say absolutely less certain. Once the hormones kick in they may wander off to the neighboring property and abandon that particular bed altogether. Once the rut starts firing up I start concentrating on doe bedding and being down wind of that.

Thanks in advance guys!
-adam
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby dan » Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:25 pm

Hey guys, wondering if you can help me understand the distance relationship between a bucks bed and his staging area. Just have a couple questions for you guys. I remember the graphic from the video with the bucks bed and the spheres around it but just wanted some further clarification.


My definition of a "staging area" and the definition most people give are different...
My experiance tells me a buck beds where he feels safe. There is an area around his bed that he feels if something bad is happening he will smell, hear, or see it... I call this the safe zone.
The safe zone might be 100 to 300 yards in circumfrence. From his bed to the edge of the safe zone in the direction he is heading Is what I would call his staging area. Most of the time this is where he freely moves in daylight. Thats not to say he does not get further than that on some days based on moon, weather, or other factors.

How far will a buck travel and stage from his bed in the afternoon on average?

I think 100 yards is a good average. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

and does a buck utilize the same travel area/staging area to get back to bed in the morning?
No... I don't think bucks really stage in the morning. Sometimes they mill about, but not stage. Often they go straight to there bed and flop down, and often this is well before daylight.
I feel that bucks generally use wind at there back to head to there bedding area, so they can smell predators following there track. So I dissagree based on my observations that they travel downwind of the bed before entering as some people believe. My observations have been the opisate.
Leaving there bed, I see no corilation with wind except that they tend to move earlier when the wind is in there favor.


Does it depend on the terrain of the bed? or wind direction? moon phase

Terrain will factor in on how far they stage cause again its based on how far they can smell, hear, and see... Moon and wind have no bearing on staging area size, but my have an effect on how far a buck moves in daylight beyond his staging area.
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby Indianahunter » Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:09 pm

Sorry Dandidn't mean to mis-quote you....I was going off the Hill Country DVD and my trail cam pics of deer entering and exiting a bedding area along with historical weather data. I have not made the same observation, but I probably haven't witnessed as many deer bedding as you have. :D
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby Brandon » Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:55 am

the last 1 i bumped came back to his bed with the wind at his back, would circle to smell his bed then come lay down with the wind at his back and he could see below. he was on a step point. its a pretty fool prof spot for him.
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby dan » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:26 am

Indianahunter wrote:Sorry Dandidn't mean to mis-quote you....I was going off the Hill Country DVD and my trail cam pics of deer entering and exiting a bedding area along with historical weather data. I have not made the same observation, but I probably haven't witnessed as many deer bedding as you have. :D


Its not full proof Bob.... Im just going by what I see most of the time. And the older the buck, the more often I see them enter beds wind to back.
I have seen bucks circle or semi circle a bed from a distance in order to come in with wind to back.
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Re: bed to staging area?

Unread postby kenn1320 » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:34 am

Its not full proof Bob.... Im just going by what I see most of the time. And the older the buck, the more often I see them enter beds wind to back.
I have seen bucks circle or semi circle a bed from a distance in order to come in with wind to back.


Interesting Dan, so if you beat a buck to his bed on flat ground, he will not likely smell you are there.
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