How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his bed.

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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straitnarrow
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How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his bed.

Unread postby straitnarrow » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:34 pm

I found a bed under a loan willow tree on a high piece of ground maybe 5 yards by 5 yards wide in a public marsh. To the SE is a few hundred yards of marsh to the N, W, and NE is timber. From what I'm getting out of it he is using it on a NW wind for the most part. But is it possible that he is using it on other winds like a straight N wind or maybe a NE wind heck maybe even a W wind. I have found a few stands about 150 to 200 yards to the west that hunters access from the N and NW. Here is a photo of the bed and the surrounding points. The red dot is the bed and the top of the pic is N and so on. Maybe everyone/anyone can see something I'm missing. Oh and the dark strip to the E of the bed is a large drainage ditch that is fairly deep.

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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby Spysar » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:54 pm

Since the easiest approach form a human is from the west or northwest, I would think he would want to smell the wind from that direction. The least likely spot for danger to come would be the marsh to the east. That big trench is a barrier, and the marsh would be so noisy that the buck would hear any approach, so that is a barrier too. So I'd agree with you on the west/northwest being the right wind for the deer using the bed. He will be hard to set up on, on those winds.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby PredatorTC » Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:12 pm

Spysar wrote:Since the easiest approach form a human is from the west or northwest, I would think he would want to smell the wind from that direction. The least likely spot for danger to come would be the marsh to the east. That big trench is a barrier, and the marsh would be so noisy that the buck would hear any approach, so that is a barrier too. So I'd agree with you on the west/northwest being the right wind for the deer using the bed. He will be hard to set up on, on those winds.


Agreed!

How is it for trees around that bed on the north side of it. If there is a tree just to the north of it, I would enter from the nnw on a straight west wind.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby headgear » Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:12 pm

To be honest I could see a buck using that bed on many different winds, lots of security out there. No doubt he is going to want to wind the high ground to the West and North before he steps food on dry land. How close can you get to his bed?
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby Buckfever » Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:27 pm

I don't think wind has anything to do with it.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:08 pm

Buckfever wrote:I don't think wind has anything to do with it.

Elaborate please.

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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:32 pm

Image

The trails to the west are about 40 yards from the bed. The trail to the straight north is about 70 yards to the nearest huntable tree is on the point and the trail to the north east is around 90 yards away. There are no trees availabe in between points and the bed. To the east along the drainage ditch there are a couple trees I could set up in but I did not get the chance to walk any of those trails (ran out of time) and they do not look very well used.

This is a rub I found on the point to the north.
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These are the rubs I found in the bed.
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This is his bed wich is located on the south side of the willow tree.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:39 pm

headgear wrote:To be honest I could see a buck using that bed on many different winds, lots of security out there. No doubt he is going to want to wind the high ground to the West and North before he steps food on dry land. How close can you get to his bed?


40 yards to the west is the closest I can get.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:42 pm

PredatorTC wrote:How is it for trees around that bed on the north side of it. If there is a tree just to the north of it, I would enter from the nnw on a straight west wind.


On the point to the north there are some good trees that are about 10 yards into the point nothing I can get my LW on the edge though.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby KLEMZ » Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:17 am

Although lots of marsh bedding is any wind, I suspect this one is specific to a westerly component wind (close proximity of mainland)..at least that is how i would hunt it the first time. Specifically, I would wait for a SW wind and enter from the north, check that point trail for his tracks coming out of the swamp(without stepping in your shooting lane) and set up if you have fresh tracks or keep moving to his other trail exiting the swamp further south if you didn't see tracks. I would then just set up at this location and see what happens (even if I didnt see tracks). This location is closer to his bed (and the pefect wind for him) and more likely to have him reach the edge of the woods with daylight. I would be set up so I could shoot INTO the cattails because that is likely where he stages.

Another option would be to bring your buddy from your avatar and cover both of those trails the same evening.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:45 am

Klemz why do you think that most marsh bedding is not wind specific?

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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby jlh42581 » Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:17 am

I hope you have more to go on than those rubs, they are older than dirt
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby jlh42581 » Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:19 am

straitnarrow wrote:Klemz why do you think that most marsh bedding is not wind specific?

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Ill take a stab at this. Look at that massive network of trials. The fact, its pretty far out into the marsh tells me he can bail out any direction. I would agree, a west/northwest gives him the best advantage. However, its the LONE tree in that marsh, theres not any other dry options.
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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby straitnarrow » Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:06 am

Yes I realize that one is older than dirt and there are other rubs that were made this year in the bed and on the trails to the bed. That was just a unique one I found and took pictures of. It's unique because you can tell where the tips of his main beams and some tines were hitting the smaller saplings on the sides of the center rub.

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Re: How do you go about figuring what wind he is using his b

Unread postby addisonlee » Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:08 am

Nice find. GL on the buck. 8-)


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