I've been hunting this property for about 10 years, and never paid much attention to beds, until finding this site. I've walked miles searching, but never find any that look like the ones in Dan's videos, no rubs or hair and don't look regularly used. I have decided I only want to shoot mature deer and haven't shot a buck in 5 years, and its bucks only this year, so I was hoping for a little help in the right direction. I know there's some nice bucks in the area I've had them on camera and a couple encounters with no luck. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for looking.
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help with beds
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Re: help with beds
Anyone?
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- Singing Bridge
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Re: help with beds
Potential bedding all over you hunting area... is it big woods? A very low deer population can make finding beds tough, but a lot of work will get you there.
In big woods it is important to break down the area to the smaller sections that are currently in use by the deer. Identify active feeding areas and then check the nearby potential bedding transition lines which will up your odds greatly. The edges of your hills that have sharp breaks to the lower elevations are one type of "edge" to check for bedding, especially points and knobs. A swamp edge near to your identified food source will also greatly increase your odds of finding what you are looking for.
Hunting areas like that take a lot of investment and work... no shortcuts.
In big woods it is important to break down the area to the smaller sections that are currently in use by the deer. Identify active feeding areas and then check the nearby potential bedding transition lines which will up your odds greatly. The edges of your hills that have sharp breaks to the lower elevations are one type of "edge" to check for bedding, especially points and knobs. A swamp edge near to your identified food source will also greatly increase your odds of finding what you are looking for.
Hunting areas like that take a lot of investment and work... no shortcuts.
- headgear
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Re: help with beds
Interesting area for sure, lots of swamp and terrain to work with. I circled the spots that interest me, all lowland stuff but they could be bedding on the high ground too. I sometimes find them on a point or a little knob in a mess of blow downs but you will have your work cut out for you to find a spot like that here with that topo. They can use lakes to pull scent to them in the evening, this doesn't mean they bed close to the water, just in an area to take advantage of the thermal.
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Re: help with beds
Yeah its big woods and low density for sure ive been trying to figure it out for years, but all the info im learning on here from you all and dans vids have got me excited again to go all out again, except with different tactics.The spot you circled just west of the small upper lake is where my cousin shot a 260 lb dressed 10 on opening at about 8 years ago with an hour or so left of light, so I've been thinking he must've been bedded close.
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- PK_
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Re: help with beds
I like the swampy looking areas around the small lake to the north and the south end of the big lake.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
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Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Re: help with beds
Im a hill country guy, but here is where I'd start looking for beds. That is a large area. Pic out a 500acre areaor so break it down scout it, find the 2-5 best spots in it, and move to the next area. Beds are red dots. Some are small may have to zoom in... Narrow these down based on access, pressure, and food sources..
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Re: help with beds
Thanks for the input. I've been studying every map I've found that people have asked help for and tried to pick out spots be fore scrolling down and seeing responses, so Ive been studying this map for awhile and had quite a few picked that bhc and headgear picked, but missed a few as well. I picked an area today that I normally just rifle hunt, and scouted it. I found a few beds in spots that looked likely on the map, but once again no hair in them or rubs by them. I'm wondering if they just have so many choices of beds and a rotating food source that their beds are always changing due to being big woods therefore aren't as used looking. One bed I found was about 40 yds from one of my existing permanent stands(20 ft in elevation)I wonder how many times he laughed at me from there as I was sitting there. Looks like a change of my approach to that stand will have to be made. Thanks for the input.
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- headgear
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Re: help with beds
You sometimes don't find as much sign in the bigwoods, there is just so much land and things can be really spread out. Also a lot of times I don't find specific beds but more bedding zones that the deer use and bed based on wind within that zone. However if a nice buck has used an area for bedding you should be able to find some rubs in there but you really have to look hard for them. Other times finding a good rub line on the high ground can lead to and from bedding, or you find a rub line on one side of the bedding area and few random rubs coming or going from the other end of the bedding area. Old sign is just as good as new sign as far as bedding goes so use that info as well.
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Re: help with beds
Research the predominant winds in your area and scout the leeward sides of those rises and look for beds on the points of the hills where the wind will be blowing from top of hill and off the point, doesnt take alot of elevation to have bedding like hill country.
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Re: help with beds
I hunt big expansive areas that are similar to big woods and low DPSM, it is very rare to find a single bed worn down with hair in it. Another problem you may be into right now is the deer may be bedding in other spots and a bit more 'nomadic', due to leaf cover and little pressure. I really rely on hunting pressure to get the deer concentrated into certain areas during season. During summer I can hardly find concentrations of deer. Fresh browse everywhere and no pressure anywhere, deer seem to spread out and sign becomes few and far between…
IDK, just some thoughts.
IDK, just some thoughts.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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