Buck beds part II

[Black Squirrel]

One other thing I noticed in additon to the tree next to the bed was, that a good percentage of beds are closer to the edge of cover rather than deep in the thick nasty stuff. I have jumped two big bucks that were bedded within 15 yards of the edge of cover. One time, the buck was bedded in a thin (20 yards wide) patch of cover along a drainage ditch. The buck was bedded on the other side of the property line that I was not allowed to hunt. I never knew he was there, if i hadn't stopped to adjust some equipment I am sure he would have never gotten up.
Here is a map of the first buck. Bed is in red, my entrance is in yellow, I stopped at the orange X. The buck jumped up an ran along the green line.

The second setting. I walked the red path fromSouth to North to put up a ground blind. After putting up the blind I walked the same path back. That's when the buck who was bedded at the yellow dot jumped up and ran in the direction og the green line. This buck also let me get pretty close and didn't jump up until the second time I came pass.

These are two example that I have seen the buck leave his bed. Both were mature bucks bedded in farmland. I seem to find more beds on the edge now that I am looking there more. What have been everyone elses thoughts/experinces?

[Southern Man]

I have noticed the same thing in the farm country I've hunted, unless there are hills back in the cover. A hill country area we scouted this spring didn't show the same bedding tho. It was all about the sides of the ridgetops.

[PLB]

Great post!! Just like Dave's farm at the workshop. Bucks bed just off the edge for visibility across the field and wind at their back to scent check what's behind them.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

Transition lines (edge)

A lot of people get confused and frustrated when they look at a large swamp, or woods, however, the best bedding is at the edges (transition) even when you do find bedding within the middle, its usually at some sort of interior transition.

[Sweet Shot 7]

Check out Chantz's farmland scouting for beds. Great post.