March Buck Beds

[Singing Bridge]

With all the warm weather and green up we've had, I have really turned up the scouting and stand preparation for the upcoming season over the last couple of days. Here are a few of the buck beds I have located that have target bucks in them as we speak (and some extra's):

I located some old, 3/4" average length deer pellets that tipped me off that I may be in the area of a good buck:


A large, worn to the dirt buck bed just off of a point jutting in to a tagalder swamp... plenty of hair in the bed and one good rub within ten feet of it:


A big buck bed located under a pine tree - the bed is depressed a couple of inches and very large. One old rub lies adjacent to the bed itself. The white in the center of the pic is a large tuft of deer hair. The bucks are shedding here right now, helping to give away the location of the beds:


A good buck bed on a micro-island deep within the confines of a swamp. I had to cross pretty deep water to get there. There is a rub within five feet of the bed that is centered about 36 inches above the ground on a wrist sized tree. There is plenty of hair in the bed:


Hair right in the bed, this micro-island is about 50' x 30' and surrounded by deep water and muck.


A standing track right in the bed, 3 1/2 fingers in width:


Different area / buck: This buck bed is on a swamp "hump", and a very large buck spends a lot of time there- I really want a crack at this guy next fall. This bed is in one of those very remote areas surrounded by swamp and tons of water, with cover so thich you can't see twenty yards in most places.

[MattyG]

i was out walking today also and the hair is eveyware in the beds, they are getting rid of the winter coat for sure.

[Dewey]

Looks good Singing Bridge! I love finding micro-islands like you found. They get me really excited since over the years my experience has been that they are used by mature bucks due to the security they provide.

I hear ya. This early green up is really killing the scouting and it is starting to look like early to mid May already!!

[dan]

[Czabs]

NICE

[Singing Bridge]

I scouted out a couple of other buck beds the day before yesterday that were really "jackpot's" for me, but didn't have time for pics. I had scouted these different areas quite extensively in years past and knew there was good buck bedding in them, although I didn't know exactly where. When I found the big beds (two completely different areas) I couldn't help but to shake my fist and yell "jackpot!"

[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

Very cool SB

[Black Squirrel]

Nice work SB!

[Singing Bridge]

gonna be back at it tomorrow... more scouting, route planning, mapping... more time in buck beds. can't wait to get back at it.

[Stanley]

Sounds good.

[Czabs]

gonna be back at it tomorrow... more scouting, route planning, mapping... more time in buck beds. can't wait to get back at it.

I love your confidence! I have spots I doubt, but when I find a spot and I KNOW its going to be good that is always the best feeling. I need to get back out this weekend.

[Singing Bridge]

Good luck with your scouting this weekend, Czabs. Post a report if you are able...

I just finished 4 days of serious public land scouting... I spent a lot of time in 6 different primary buck beds (used year round) and they typically hold at least a 3.5 year old come fall. A couple of them may hold a Beast... 4 of the 6 are ready to go, with all runs in and out mapped, my setups logged with wind and weather considerations, etc. The other 2 are huntable, but I'd like to spend just a bit more time around them and tweak my set up a bit... if time allows.

One thing I did was put an expandable rod in the buck's bed with a bright orange glove on top of it right at the height of the head of a bedded buck... walking the runs and picking tree's it helped to be able to look back at that glove and see what I can get away with... these beds are in very thick cover.

The back and legs are shot for a few days, have to go back to work anyway.

[Dewey]

One thing I did was put an expandable rod in the buck's bed with a bright orange glove on top of it right at the height of the head of a bedded buck... walking the runs and picking tree's it helped to be able to look back at that glove and see what I can get away with... these beds are in very thick cover.
.

I really like your orange glove idea! So simple yet I never thought of it! You can bet I will be doing this in the future. Thanks SB for a great idea!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

Great tip S/B

[KLEMZ]

Briliant idea with the glove!
Thanks for documenting your scouting missions on the forum, it really helps me.