Still not finding beds - frustrated

[DaveT1963]

I have went out scouting three times now looking for buck beds. Where I hunt it really isn't cattails but just very thick nasty weeds, cattails and brush (over grown dry lake bed). Anyways, I purposely have tried to walk through the woods and jump deer to see where they bed - trouble is I never see or hear them. I know they are there but it is so thick that I think they hear me long before I get close enough to see them. I walked the edge of a great area this weekend and did not find one single bed. What is making it hard is that the dam pigs are bedding in all the spots most bucks would bed at (points, clearings, etc.) Really could use some help to come up with a method of scouting. We cannot use night lights or night vision and we never get snow. I know there are good bucks in there and I am thinking about just popping up observation stands and trying to glass the areas this summer. That will put me in general area but the actual beds I have no idea how to find under these conditions. The one patch of brush and weeds is probably 3/4 miles from nearest wheat field and is about 2 miles square. There are lots of breaks with the middle of that area (clearings, changes in habitat, etc...) it is extremely dry here so I could concentrate on water holes but everyone I can find has tow or three stands already on them. Open to any and all suggestions. Willing to do whatever it takes as I don't want to have to wait until summer to get started.

[PK_]

I have the same problem in some areas I hunt. Too many bedding options and larger bedding areas keep the beds from getting real worn and noticeable or even discernible, low deer density will further magnify the problem...

[Twenty Up]

I'm in the same boat as you so you're definitely not alone. From what I've noticed it seems we have some odds stacked against us being in the deep South, from the lack of snow to the thickets where hogs push deer out. It gets discouraging at times but once things start adding up everything begins to make sense, similar to riding a bike. Once you get the hang of things it is relatively smooth sailing.

I've been scouting a swamp just off the Flint River for several days now have made significant progress in my last trip because I have been following one rule. That has been to follow the Edge. Whether it's a thicket off hardwoods or hardwoods meeting pines I've learned a lot from such small areas. Generally the bucks will bed in here or very close to it. Another thing to consider is any natural bends in the stream, lake, swamp ect.. These areas are utilized by bucks and matching an area like this with an "edge" going through or near it will most likely hold a decent buck.

That is how I found my first buck at least, I managed to bump him when I was 60-70 yards away and after searching for 30 minutes and running out of day light I was still unable to locate his bed.

[cbigbear]

Most places I hunt if you head to the thickest nastiest stuff, somewhere no other people will venture you are guaranteed to find a serious hog spot. I've found it possible to out walk most, get into places most don't because it's too thick, out climb people, & wade deeper than a lot are comfortable going, but you CAN NOT out do a herd of hogs. I haven't figured it all out yet, but my finding & guessing points to the hogs pressure the bucks in a similar way to hunting pressure. If you find good buck sign that has went stale & fresh hog sign move to the next closest likely buck bedding spot & hope the hogs aren't there.

Look for intertransitions changes in thickness, changes in tree type, high water marks, just the slight stuff that doesn't show on the map. It takes a lot of pounding it out real slow to find the buck beds. Many times you'll pass one several times before spotting it.

As for the actual buck bed I find here they like to bed with back cover (mainly blow downs) & something over the top as well. Not total top cover just vines or hanging limbs.

As far as a game plan just keep grinding. What about running cams?

[Swampbuck]

similar issues here. I find bedding to be very unobvious unless you are really looking for it. You almost have to know the buck is there to really pound it out. I think the low density of the population is the culprit of that for my area.

But pigs add another major factor

Running cams is what I've resorted to figure it out

[Twenty Up]

Since all of us are located in the South, have y'all noticed a lack of defined beds? Meaning a bed that has no rubs around it and the leaves are just pushed down, not bare dirt?

I'm getting a feeling that they are a lot more mobile down here, due to hunting pressure, hog pressure and changing food sources. They may prefer a certain area, but especially in the swamp I don't think they bed in the exact same spots.

This is my observation though, and I would like to hear y'alls input

[Jphunter]

I am in the south also and I think the lower deer densities per large amounts of available bedding areas make it harder to find beds at least in some of the areas that I hunt. When I do find beds they are exactly where they should be but I think in some of the areas I hunt they have a lot of bedding areas to choose from so they move around a lot. I have found defined beds but most of the ones I find don't look to be used over and over.

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[checkerfred]

I'm in the south and I have a hard time as well. Especially in Hill country. I've even jumped deer and not found the beds.

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[Thermals]

Can you post a map maybe we can narrow down some spots.

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[TN Whitetail Freak]

im glad i do not have your guys problems......my first 5 beast scouting trips have turned up 5 beds and close to 100 rubs the majority in the 3-5" range with a few 6-8" ranges....im scouting in the cypress swamps of West TN....I common occurence ive notice is that that the beds are in very close proximity to where i park the truck with the exception of 2 which where still up front of the state land where i doubt many hunt. WISH I COULD POST THE VID I MADE TODAY

[Twenty Up]

im glad i do not have your guys problems......my first 5 beast scouting trips have turned up 5 beds and close to 100 rubs the majority in the 3-5" range with a few 6-8" ranges....im scouting in the cypress swamps of West TN....I common occurence ive notice is that that the beds are in very close proximity to where i park the truck with the exception of 2 which where still up front of the state land where i doubt many hunt. WISH I COULD POST THE VID I MADE TODAY

When you say close proximity to your truck is this a parking area or just off the road?
Also roughly how far? 100 yards, 1/4 mile?

After reading your post I realized that I walked right past several promising areas figuring the deer would be farther in the woods when they might be right under my nose.

[TN Whitetail Freak]

today I found a bed 100 yds from the truck and 250 yds from the truck i found 2....yesterday I found a bed roughly 200-250 yds from where we parked. My brother also told me he jumped a bigger buck about 200 yds from the truck on the opposite side of the road. then my furthest beds were 600 yds from the truck

[TN Whitetail Freak]

today I found a bed 100 yds from the truck and 250 yds from the truck i found 2....yesterday I found a bed roughly 200-250 yds from where we parked. My brother also told me he jumped a bigger buck about 200 yds from the truck on the opposite side of the road. then my furthest beds were 600 yds from the truck

[tmarbut]

DaveT: keep plugging & look for places that may be under your nose. It took me a year befire I started finding beds. Had to think about sightings & where the deer started from.

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[DaveT1963]

I added pictures a while ago and Dan gave me some great advice. I hit those spots and damn if the pigs hadn't tore the whole areas up. I think they like to bed in similar places as deer??? My problem is I can never find distinct beds. I can usually find rubs but never a concentration in an one area. I really believe the bucks wander through this are and do not have permanent beds per se.... bedding areas yes. I am going to crack this nut one way or another. The areas I hunt have open woods (but they are far more dense then northern woods) and lots of really thick brush, thorns thickets that you can barely walk through. I know deer like to travel through easier places - just not sure where they are bedding. I always get them traveling through my areas, and I see a few nice ones, but I never see them bed. Perhaps I need to move closer to the downwind edges to set stands?

The part that really gets me is that I cannot even jump deer. I think they hear me crashing through all this junk and simply circle me? I never see them but I KNOW they are there. I am going to run about 10 cameras this year but I don't want to screw up my area with too much intrusion.

OK I am listening, any advice is readily accepted. Like I said I am going to crack this nut and when I do I will share everything I learn here. I'll try to get some pics of the terrain this weekend and will also try to post more aerial photos. I hunt ten different areas but I know that if I can figure them out at one spot (at least big buck preferences) I should be able to apply that across my hunting areas. Thanks guys for all your time and advice - I am listening.