Wind based bedding...

[dan]

I saw one of your clips from an old tv show where you talk about deer quartering into the wind. I see this more often than not sometimes, they just dont care, gene wensel said "some deer just never learn to use the wind" and I believe that to be true. Probably explains a lot of the LUCK we all saw early in our hunting career. Obviously if they were masters of the wind always, we wouldnt ever kill them but comes back to how consistent are you on mature bucks. Where I live, for every 5000 deer there might be 1-3 that are 3.5 or older but even a 3.5 here would be considered mature in my eyes.

I am not sure what I said on the TV show your reffering too. But as of now, I am convinced that most of the time outside of the rut that deer travel with little regard to the wind unless they feel they are in danger. There are some exceptions to that. But I see deer leave bedding in every direction, however, when the wind is in there favor, it seems you get a little earlier movment.
The biggest trend I see with deer moving in regards to the wind (again outside of the rut ) is when approaching a bedding spot. They seem to like to approach with wind to face. They sometimes J-hook to walk around to the downwind side then move in to the bed.

Dan just to clarify, I think it was on the Traditional Bowhunter Podcast I believe you mentioned that when there is a clear trail in / out of the bedding area that the trail will certainly be the trail the buck will use to exit and that with regard to entry of the bedding area the buck could enter from any direction.

So I guess the specific question is, "If there is a hard trail from bedding" this is the main route of exit (unless danger exists)? Or will the buck exit any direction?

I will have to relisten to that as well. Maybe I am confusing Wind based and most likely Hilly terrain bedding with Marsh or Swamp bedding?

Bucks enter bedding by smelling it 1st most of the time... They come in from down wind. Leaving they just go from point a, to point b... Usually they stage out of bedding the same each time in a pretty predictable manner based on the exit trails. Sometimes there is just one exit, and that works great for the hunter, but often they have 2 or more... Even that can be predictable. They might leave one direction because of oaks dropping acorns (early season) another based on rut, or another food source. But yes. I set up on the exit trails that show use.

[H2archer]

Another killer thread. tons of good info in here.

[pilgrimhunter]

So many good threads on here. I found this forum after our season ended and have been scouting any chance I get. In the hills here I to have been finding some of my best beds on uphill sides of trees. I am continually amazed at how much sign I have overlooked in the past and am sure I am missing too much still. So much to learn. Am really excited about putting some of this to practice next year.

[MIBowman]

So this is my first spring scouting for beds and hunting beast style so I am soaking up all of the awesome info on the forum here. My question is in a marsh bedding scenario where you have a point going into the marsh if the wind is blowing down the point will the buck still keep the wind over his back or will he bed in a different area in that case? I would think that since there are cattails on 3 sides that he could both watch and smell what is coming down the point rather than watch a cattail edge 10 yards away that is 5ft tall?

[dan]

So this is my first spring scouting for beds and hunting beast style so I am soaking up all of the awesome info on the forum here. My question is in a marsh bedding scenario where you have a point going into the marsh if the wind is blowing down the point will the buck still keep the wind over his back or will he bed in a different area in that case? I would think that since there are cattails on 3 sides that he could both watch and smell what is coming down the point rather than watch a cattail edge 10 yards away that is 5ft tall?

In the picture you posted, the bowl with cattails and brush mixed above the marked bed looks like a great area ... However, to answer the question, I find bucks bedding on marsh points with both winds, but not in all spots. Sometimes they bed just inside the cats watching the woods finger and smelling the cats. But most often they like the wind coming down the point, and bed out farther into the cats when its the opposite wind, but not all that far... Scouting and looking close at the beds should tell you which way they were facing, and they almost always bed wind to back.

[BamaLonewolf24!]

tree obstacle upwind of bed


Heavy brush obstacle behind and up wind. Opening is down wind

Why can't I see the pics you post? It says I need to update my account. How do I do that?

[BamaLonewolf24!]

tree obstacle upwind of bed


Heavy brush obstacle behind and up wind. Opening is down wind

Why can't I see the pics you post? It says I need to update my account. How do I do that?

[dan]

tree obstacle upwind of bed


Heavy brush obstacle behind and up wind. Opening is down wind

Why can't I see the pics you post? It says I need to update my account. How do I do that?

Its not you... Photobucket started charging for photosharing. Im not about to pay them $400 a year. We now have a photosharing site right here on the beast, in the index.

[BamaLonewolf24!]

tree obstacle upwind of bed


Heavy brush obstacle behind and up wind. Opening is down wind

Why can't I see the pics you post? It says I need to update my account. How do I do that?

Its not you... Photobucket started charging for photosharing. Im not about to pay them $400 a year. We now have a photosharing site right here on the beast, in the index.

So when some one post a picture on the beast I have to go to the photo gallery and look up the persons name and look at the pic?

[dan]

tree obstacle upwind of bed


Heavy brush obstacle behind and up wind. Opening is down wind

Why can't I see the pics you post? It says I need to update my account. How do I do that?

Its not you... Photobucket started charging for photosharing. Im not about to pay them $400 a year. We now have a photosharing site right here on the beast, in the index.

So when some one post a picture on the beast I have to go to the photo gallery and look up the persons name and look at the pic?

Those are old pics. Photo-bucket has started charging $400 a year, per person, to allow picture posting of pic's hosted on there site, on a forum or other 3rd party place. You can still post pics here, just can't use photo-buck anymore unless you want to pay $400 a year. We have a ne photo hosting free site on the beast you can find it on the home page.

[NYBackcountry]

Bump

I think I got this right but I want to be sure. When bucks bed in oxbows they typically have wind coming into the oxbow at their back and look out over the creek/river? I know this can vary based on cover, but in general am I interpreting this correctly?

[dan]

Bump

I think I got this right but I want to be sure. When bucks bed in oxbows they typically have wind coming into the oxbow at their back and look out over the creek/river? I know this can vary based on cover, but in general am I interpreting this correctly?

correct.

[NYBackcountry]

Bump

I think I got this right but I want to be sure. When bucks bed in oxbows they typically have wind coming into the oxbow at their back and look out over the creek/river? I know this can vary based on cover, but in general am I interpreting this correctly?

correct.

Thanks Dan

[jhpa]

Checked an overlooked point the other night near a hunter/hiker parking lot. The leeward ridges did have some beds, but it is pretty open.

On top of the point about 20-30 yards back from the crest I found a large circular bed within a tangle of branches of a huge fallen oak. So my questions are,
1) with the lack of cover on the ridge, would a buck bed in the good cover with decent visibility and lose the thermal advantage?
2) or maybe bed in this tangle on all winds but the mostly south wind that makes the point leeward?
3) or is it likely just a well used doe bed?

Some context: There were a few small rubs at the base of the ridge heading to a DNR planted wildlife field and there are oaks and locust trees everywhere on these ridges. So food is nearby, and according to the podcasts, when deer density is low mature bucks don't necessarily leave a lot of sign. The point is out of sight of the parking area, but is on the next ridge west and is overlooking a major highway. The area is a huge hiker destination, but I am almost sure this point gets overlooked. In the hollow between the point and parking, at the base of a long narrow field and 40 yards from the highway, there is a thick patch loaded with doe bedding. Adjacent to the doe bedding I also found a large scrape that looks to have been pounded last season.

[Rob loper]

ive done a ton of scouting this off season and have noticed this bedding behavior in not just oxbows ive noticed it along small creeks ,along thickets that finger out into the open woods especially if its a soft transition .thick spice bush patches nasty wet swamps fingers surrounded by three sides with water . alot of this in the big woods . which imo from what ive found bedding is more wind specific and random throughout the season . the mature animals seem to loveor have a habit or trait to have thick at their backs backstop of course wind going over back into semi open areas . they love to look out into somekind of semi open area hardwoods swamps meadows etc . but big woods flat land is imo opinon same as swamps or meadows big woods just have giant mature trees . ive said it before and it helps me alot . i take all the mature trees away in my mind of course and look at the woods like a swamp or meadow thicket transtions water transitions thick patches of vegetation transitions . look at the points of these and even in the bowls of these spots . it really starts to make sense after awhile . then your not wondering all over the woods aimlessly .