Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

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Landonk
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Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:12 am

Can someone give me an example of when a whitetail would bed on the upwind side of a hill or ridge? How about on a lake point that is pointing into the lake in the upwind direction or marsh into the wind?
I am trying to think of areas to cover scouting that I may be overlooking and was wondering if anyone can provide examples.
Thanks.


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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby dan » Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:54 am

I am not understanding your question?
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:23 pm

Sorry for the confusion.
Most of what I have seen here indicates that the buck beds are often on the downwind side of the hill or ridge, often on points, and about 1/3 of the way down the hill.
I am trying to determine what, if any, scenarios would dictate a buck bed on the upwind side of the hill or ridge point.

Same thing for points that may be sticking out into a lake or swamp. Would a buck ever bed on a point that is pointed directly into the wind so that the wind hitting the bed would be from off of the lake?

Hope that helps clear up the question.
Thanks
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby PK_ » Mon Jun 23, 2014 1:27 pm

Yes I have seen bucks bed with back to swamp/pond/lake watching the mainland and wind checking the water barrier. I don't know how this would work in hill country without a water barrier.

In the scenarios you are asking about sight and sound come into play big time.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:11 am

Could you give an example of a scenario where the buck was as you say watching the land with the wind coming off the water and why you think he was there?

I have two areas with large lakes that I am scouting next week and trying to narrow down my scouting areas.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby dan » Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:34 am

For mature bucks to feel safe, they must have an escape... I have seen them bed on the wrong side of a ridge, but thats not the norm. In marshes and swamps I see them bed on flatter points going into the cattails or swamp with wind backwards but they have the swamp to escape into and approaching danger almost always comes right up the point in the viewing window.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:50 am

Thanks. I guess one thing to consider in that is, assuming the wind is backwards and blowing to the bed from the swamp/marsh, that should make stand placement a bit easier with regard to wind since it would be working much more in my favor.
Time to see scout and see if I can put this idea to work.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:28 am

I don't know how to post aerials on my mac. Here is someone else's thread:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25177&hilit=bed+encounter


I spent a lot of time still-hunting around many miles of marshes/ponds/sloughs this past season and I can tell you I ran into lots of deer bedded in this fashion, they all bailed out the back door through the water to escape. I take that back, two different yearlings did decide it a better idea to run within 5 ft of me instead of getting their feet wet...
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:59 pm

Thanks.
The scenario you linked to is exactly what I was looking for.
One of the areas I hunt has pretty much the same setup with both clear cut overgrowth from several years ago and tons of downed timber from an ice storm years ago.
I am going to try and get in there and scout, if possible. It's so much of a jungle right now I am more likely to find a gator than a bed!
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Jun 26, 2014 3:15 pm

NP, good luck with it and let us know what you find!
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:03 am

Image

Here is a screen shot of one of the areas I am looking at. There are a lot of downed trees and a large area of the timber that was clear cut a few years ago.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Jun 27, 2014 3:24 am

Oh that looks like fun.

Keep in mind along that transition where the canopy breaks even if it seems like the 'wrong' wind for the deer. The wind will likely tumble right there much like the thermal tunnel in hill country. Also keep in mind the pond pulling thermals...

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby Landonk » Fri Jun 27, 2014 4:00 am

The fun part is that the green blob in the photo is a pine thicket.

The pond pulling thermals is something I never considered. I guess that could also be a good reason for a buck to feel secure in that setting.
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby cdeam » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:09 am

I asked a similar question back in March. I hunt hill country and found an obvious bed that was very well used. But it was in the wrong spot! NE winds are to rare where I am to give a buck enough opportunities to wear a bed down like that. Answers to my question indicated it probably was not a mature animal. However, I'm not convinced because of the size of the nearby tracks and droppings. Sitting in the bed revealed the deer could watch the main logging road as it wound through a saddle and across a converging hub toward his point. Common winds would bring scent from approaching hunters to the bed. He could bail easily enough off the point, circle the end of the ridge and be on the leeward side before a hunter could even start to make a play. The only question left, in my mind, is how that bed allows him protection from predators which may approach from downwind. They would be within 80 yards before he saw them. Is that enough distance?

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
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Re: Upwind Hill Point Bedding?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:56 am

Got a topo of this area?


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