Babshaft wrote:Just had a great day scouting. I scouted a marsh and an isolated beaver pond.
Just like you described in your video. I believe this buck is actually using the pond as a barrier. It’s tough to see but the beaver hut is actually in the background of the photo!
sdonx wrote:Great stuff, Thanks Bridge
I have hunted Big woods Maine for years, I think this tidbit is going to put me in the zone.
So glad I stubbled into you guys!
Is it because the fresh needles cover it every year?.
I take it the tracks , exit trail , and droppings led you to his bed?.
Are the beaver ponds usually pretty deep and of a descent size for the buck to be attracted to it
Singing Bridge wrote:NorthwoodsWiscoHnter wrote:Do you find consistency in the buck bedding year after year in the bigwoods? Since there is fewer mature deer and less deer density in the bigwoods, do you find it very challenging to find a bedding pattern since they can be more spread out?
It is more challenging without a doubt, a pattern that has held for years can be eliminated by winterkill, habitat loss or alteration, hunting pressure, etc.
That being said, even in the big woods there are exploitable patterns for buck bedding. The consistency of finding them is much less, overall, because of the harshness of the environment.
For example, one of the better patterns to locate bucks in low population, big woods areas is water. Even more specific, beaver ponds are a rare micro-environment that can provide a buck with everything he needs. In a relatively small micro environment, beaver ponds will often (not always) contain food / water / cover / does all wrapped up in a relatively small little area.
It doesn't get much better than that. If you spot check beaver ponds in a number of big woods areas, you are going to locate bucks and buck bedding.
In areas with severe winterkill, it goes without saying that even these environments can be empty... but if you scout enough of them you will eventually find what you are looking for.
Beaver ponds are one good example of locating big woods buck bedding.
Natenlsn2 wrote:Singing Bridge wrote:NorthwoodsWiscoHnter wrote:Do you find consistency in the buck bedding year after year in the bigwoods? Since there is fewer mature deer and less deer density in the bigwoods, do you find it very challenging to find a bedding pattern since they can be more spread out?
It is more challenging without a doubt, a pattern that has held for years can be eliminated by winterkill, habitat loss or alteration, hunting pressure, etc.
That being said, even in the big woods there are exploitable patterns for buck bedding. The consistency of finding them is much less, overall, because of the harshness of the environment.
For example, one of the better patterns to locate bucks in low population, big woods areas is water. Even more specific, beaver ponds are a rare micro-environment that can provide a buck with everything he needs. In a relatively small micro environment, beaver ponds will often (not always) contain food / water / cover / does all wrapped up in a relatively small little area.
It doesn't get much better than that. If you spot check beaver ponds in a number of big woods areas, you are going to locate bucks and buck bedding.
In areas with severe winterkill, it goes without saying that even these environments can be empty... but if you scout enough of them you will eventually find what you are looking for.
Beaver ponds are one good example of locating big woods buck bedding.
A few weeks ago I found a major big woods buck bedding area on a point of timber jutting our into a dried up beaver pond! Such a cool spot! I found 20+ rubs within 20 yards of the bed, some of the trees were 6 inches in diameter. It was cool to see that the buck could slip that 6 in tree in between his brow tines!
Singing Bridge wrote:Is it because the fresh needles cover it every year?.
The video makes it a little more difficult to tell it is a buck bed... There is a slight dent in the ground which helps, but it is very subtle.I take it the tracks , exit trail , and droppings led you to his bed?.
Exactly, tracks, droppings and rubs put me on the trail. When he began hooking around the pond I knew we were headed to bedding. When he turned directly toward the pond with the prevailing wind at his back I knew there would be a bed up by the pond and slightly over to the side from my approach.
Another thing that this video Clearly demonstrates is that the buck bedded with the pine tree at his back... the prevailing wind protecting his backside... while the buck watched downwind across the beaver ponds. Buck beds like this one led me to a gun hunting tactic I developed (well before this video) that to my knowledge has never been duplicated / discussed / written about. I discuss it in a couple of podcasts I have done for the Big Buck Registry and here on the Beast.Are the beaver ponds usually pretty deep and of a descent size for the buck to be attracted to it
Most of them are deep enough for the buck to have to swim if he enters it, but not all. Some of these ponds are very large while most of them I hunt are very average or on the small side.
To demonstrate that it takes very little, I have guided hunters to hunt little potholes of water in farm country where they successfully killed good bucks. Yes, the bucks would drink out of the potholes but the thick cover next to the water was the best around and the big bucks bedded right there.
Babshaft wrote:I found a spot today that had a lot of beaver activity. I’ve got 5 dams in one particular area that are all at least 30 yards long. Because there are so many beavers trying to live in this area they’ve jammed up as much as they can. I counted 11 beaver huts and I’m sure I didn’t find them all. This area is deep within the swamp and sees little if any human pressure. The dams are all really well used crossings, I expect because the water is so deep.
Is there any value in leaving a camera on the least intrusive dam(s) for inventory? I’ve never hunted this area, but based on the bedding and buck sign I found today there are 3 primary bedding areas. I would plan to put it up soon and leave it until early October when I give that area it’s first sit. Is it worth it, or would it be better to try and inventory that area another way?
Net Guy wrote:
I'd put it out there. I have a beaver dam area that I plan to do the same thing (set up next month, check in October). Sounds like you found some good bedding area there. Any opportunity to put it a little further away from the bedding area on an access trail or no? If so, I'd try to put it there. I have a spot without a good access trail, so I plan to let it soak and use the Intel for next year. If I happen to get a really rainy day, I may push the limit and check the camera and hunt the spot.
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