Buck Bedding Setup Questions

[westmibow]

With this season winding down fast I've been thinking forward to next year. Which got me looking at ariels, topos and pictures from scouting trips I've been taking to Iowa. I hope to draw next year Ive got 3 points. Anyway, on my last trip I found a really promising spot and I wanted to see what you guys think of my plan of attack.

Below is an ariel of the spot. I marked the buck bed obviously which was in a small group of cedars and pines, on a point as you will see on the topo. The elevation change is not drastic but enough to make it a great little bedding area. I marked the bedding area with green. The blue line is a pond/flooded area that really helps to make a funnel area when you couple it with the elevation change. The red X is where I'd look to hang a stand and the arrows are the wind I'd expect him to bed there and be able to hunt him. Preferably I'd want a South wind, SW would be risky. Yellow dotted line would be my access.

Here is the topo you can see it really is a flat point or shelf where I found the bed. If you go West from the bedding area the ridge quickly gets steeper.



Here is a picture looking at the bedding area from the E. You can see im looking up hill a tad.

Here is the tree his bed was under. The bed is in the back ground


This is the other side of that tree.


So I think you will agree its a really good looking and promising area. It has the transition area changes, vegatative, elevation and physical(water) I guess I was wondering what you guys' opinions are on my "plan" and if you have any suggestions based on passed experiences, etc. Thanks in advance.

[dan]

Looks like a decent set up... The rub tree looks to have been used for generations, and appears to be a large buck rubbing it. I would be concerned with "when" he beds there... Does he use that spot all year? Or is it seasonal? or in relation with crops?
Other than that, I would also look at the funnel east of the bed where the to waters come close together and form a pinch. He could come thru that way too, especially in the morning when trying to scent check the bedding prior to arrival.

[westmibow]

Thanks Dan for the advice. I am not sure if its a seasonal bed or not. This past March when I scouted the area you can see all the snow well everything at the bottom of that ridge to the river was flooded. 2 years ago it wasn't so that does change I don't think that would be an issue in the fall after the summer. If I had to guess I'd say hes in there summer and fall. I'm going to go back again this coming spring and I will try to check that other pinch area if its not under water.
Thanks again.