Finding beds where YOU hunt

[Wlog]

The last few years since joining this site and scouting for beds and bedding areas. It has been a learning experience to say the least. The different categories that are discussed like, marsh bedding, swamp bedding, farm bedding, etc. are important but I find that you have to look at each property you scout as an individual with its own unique characteristics. There are more places that I scout that are kind of a hodge podge of different terrains than ones that can fir into a cookie cutter of a certain category. I ask myself "how are the bucks using THIS property.

The groundwork has been laid by Dan and other contributors to the site but it's up to you to translate what is discussed here to the region you are in. I've always had the attitude that if someone else can figure it out then I can too. I think that in the beginning stages of bed hunting I was too worried about trying to make the places I hunt fit a certain mold so my mind wasn't open enough. I'm seeing things more clearly now and feeling more confident in my scouting than I have in the past.

I just wanted to post this incase anyone is feeling like the bed hunting thing isn't working out for them. Keep an open mind and you will keep learning.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[magicman54494]

This is so true. Most places are not cookie cutter. But the bedding concepts fit just the same. Typically bucks prefer certain bedding spots because of their survival instincts. Smart bucks don't survive by bedding in poor places.

The examples given in the videos and posts on this site are tools given to you to help understand how most bucks think. Its up to each one of us to use these tools to help us more quickly identify where bucks may bed. Our job is to APPLY these tools. Without spending a lot of time and energy in the field these tools aren't much good. At first it can be a struggle but if we stick to it eventually we will start understanding. This takes time and dedication. Its true with everything in life, you get out of it what you put in. Dan's system is not a one season fix all. It is a lifetime of dedication.

[Wlog]

Absolutely! This is exactly what I was trying to say Magic but you said it better, LOL.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

Agree. However, some areas are easier to scout. Snow helps a ton. Marsh grass and cattails is far easier to see beds. Swamps isolate high ground, crop fields are easy to locate large tracks,etc. I've been blessed to hunt a lot of different ground and many states and there are some places finding and seeing sign, especially beds is just easier. In the end, it is always up to the individual and the effort they put in, but don't kid yourself, all terrain is not equal when it comes to reading sign.

[ Post made via Android ]

[justdirtyfun]

Right now we are starting on green up. Bad for me,my scouting is not where I want it to be. Thanks to all the help here I'm really applying some thought to scouting.
Boots on the ground for ME is the highest priority. Another hour, another mile,another Ridge,whatever will add experience. After 3 years here I'm in a great place for future success.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Wlog]

The plans I make during scouting always seem great at the time. When the season comes though, circumstances can change. A change to the landscape or additional pressure as well as number of other factors come into play. When my plan doesn't work out I try to determine what changed or what I misinterpreted.

Some times the answer isn't clear right away but often it comes to you later while your thinking it over. I've even been sitting at home a couple days after a hunt or a scouting trip and the light bulb comes on. It's a never ending process. My mistakes on setups from 5-10 years ago are easy for me to recognize now but if I was a more casual Hunter I'd probably still be making the same mistakes.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Outdoor814]

I have been on here a very short time and it is absolutely awesome the support and help everyone on here is willing to give to each other.
my scouting and knowledge of scouting has improved dramatically and before even discovering
The Beast wouldn't bother looking for beds.
After purchasing the old marsh bucks DVD I have obsessively been scouting any public marsh/swamp I can find. I try not to limit myself to these areas but like others have said I to find them the easiest to hone my scouting skills.
my approach to this site and the gold mine of knowledge it holds is to take one piece at a time. again like others have said you won't get it overnight. It's a puzzle with many many pieces, take your time and it will eventually come together.
I'm fortunate to have a variety of terrain in my area to practice scouting these different scenarios and not burn myself out all together. I feel if I just keep taking baby steps and continue to understand the strategies I'm practising, I can only become a better outdoorsman and sportsman.
it's comical to think about my hunting tactics I practiced before joining and I'm greatful that there is such a great group of people on here that are willing to teach others there knowledge of the outdoors.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dirt nap giver]

Great post. I believe whole heartedly that the foundation has been laid, but the type of bricks used to build is dictated by the terrain and the animals that reside within the specific terrain we are hunting. Not many house are the same.
I view bed hunting like a filing cabinet. We have multiple tactics at our disposal, but not every tactic(file) fits in the space provided in the drawer. It is up to us to use the tactics drawer to remove the necessary files that are needed to fill the drawer of killing the next mature buck. Moving to a different property is like changing from one drawer to another, but still using the tactics drawer as our supply of files.
Makes sense in my mind anyway.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

Great post. I believe whole heartedly that the foundation has been laid, but the type of bricks used to build is dictated by the terrain and the animals that reside within the specific terrain we are hunting. Not many house are the same.
I view bed hunting like a filing cabinet. We have multiple tactics at our disposal, but not every tactic(file) fits in the space provided in the drawer. It is up to us to use the tactics drawer to remove the necessary files that are needed to fill the drawer of killing the next mature buck. Moving to a different property is like changing from one drawer to another, but still using the tactics drawer as our supply of files.
Makes sense in my mind anyway.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Well said and great analogy that goes along with what i have experienced over 30+ years. There are so many variables and while we all kind of wish we would stumble across the perfect cookie cutter that works in all cases, most of us realize it just doesn't exist. It's a match against two competitors. One has most of the sensory advantages and the other has cognitive advantage..... And to me, those that excel, in both cases, are the ones that use that advantage consistently.

[ Post made via Android ]

[mainebowhunter]

Great post. I believe whole heartedly that the foundation has been laid, but the type of bricks used to build is dictated by the terrain and the animals that reside within the specific terrain we are hunting. Not many house are the same.
I view bed hunting like a filing cabinet. We have multiple tactics at our disposal, but not every tactic(file) fits in the space provided in the drawer. It is up to us to use the tactics drawer to remove the necessary files that are needed to fill the drawer of killing the next mature buck. Moving to a different property is like changing from one drawer to another, but still using the tactics drawer as our supply of files.
Makes sense in my mind anyway.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I would agree...like the stuff you wrote about pressure beds....and moondude talked about hunting and killing that buck late season, about a late season food source with lower deer densities so as not to wipe out the food. Stuff that does not really apply to where I hunt. No late season hunting here and we don't have as much high pressure during October. I focus a lot on early season apple trees and how the bucks relate to them. Pretty sure other guys cannot relate to hunting & killing mature bucks around apple trees.

BUT what is key...you have got to know where the bedding is. No matter how you do it. No matter what tactic you use. Many guys I talk with around my areas, do not know where those bucks bed...not really any idea of the bedding areas. The bedding does not exist in their areas like that for them. And they struggle. None of them have been in the woods this winter, best winter scouting I have ever seen. Only one of my buddies took advantage of it.

[TNstalker]

I fell into that trap last year trying to look for certain things out of bedding areas or where a bed would be. Trying to make them fit this certain mold if it didn't fit then I would dismiss thinking it was doe bedding until a good friend of mine that got me into hunting beds reminded me that there are many variables to bedding. Some many be unseen at the time. So I started rethinking how I approached areas of interested an the way I started to look at things was how many directions does this buck have covered to make him feel safe at this spot. Whether it be thick brush, wind, thermals, water, open field, road or whatever else u may not see at first glance. Some place I found this year don't fit the certain mold you might think but when u step back an look at it the buck has multiple directions covered with his sense plus barriers. These has helped me a lot.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

Great thread and great posts.

I am also on my 3rd year of scouting. The biggest thing I overlooked starting out was the bed itself. I was relying on rubs to locate beds, and since then I have learned that the lower density and low buck to doe ratio means that in many cases there is no rub in the bed, and not all that many near it. I have traveled to some better areas and there is a big difference. The more competition there is for bedding, the more rubs I find. Also just because there are no big rubs in the area, that doesn't mean a big buck doesn't live there.

I had an encounter with a buck last year that I probably would have mounted, and he was wider than his ears. The biggest rub I've found in that entire side of the public is the size of the barrel of a baseball bat or a little bigger. Another thing I have learned to look past is lack of rubs in general. I started a thread about it but I am believing more and more that deer like to rub on certain species of trees. If there aren't many of their preferred rubbing trees in the area, I don't find as many rubs. On the other hand, I've got spots with young aspens and popples that have rubs everywhere you go.

I also had to learn what a worn bed looked like for my area. What I started out thinking was moderate use, for me is actually heavy use. What they are bedding on also plays a big part. A bed in cattails stands out like a sore thumb, where a bed on an open forest floor can be easily overlooked.

Another really tricky aspect is deciphering buck bedding from doe bedding. I've got a couple spots where the bucks leave lots of rubs and scrapes in the doe bedding during rut. At two of these spots I've never seen a single horn early season. Finding the beds is the easy part, knowing exactly what you're looking at, when they're there, and what trails are entry/exit... that's the hard part.

Most of the skill in marshes and swamps is locating key areas off of aerials. You can walk transition lines all day, but if you're hitting stuff that others hunt too, you're not going to find beds and rubs like you do in an out of the way pocket. For me it truly is about going the extra mile and doing what others don't want to do. Looking at an aerial if you think "That's really going to suck to get back there." that's where the buck beds are going to be. I'm still learning and have a long ways to go.

[seazofcheeze]

Great thread and great posts.

I am also on my 3rd year of scouting. The biggest thing I overlooked starting out was the bed itself. I was relying on rubs to locate beds, and since then I have learned that the lower density and low buck to doe ratio means that in many cases there is no rub in the bed, and not all that many near it. I have traveled to some better areas and there is a big difference. The more competition there is for bedding, the more rubs I find. Also just because there are no big rubs in the area, that doesn't mean a big buck doesn't live there.

I had an encounter with a buck last year that I probably would have mounted, and he was wider than his ears. The biggest rub I've found in that entire side of the public is the size of the barrel of a baseball bat or a little bigger. Another thing I have learned to look past is lack of rubs in general. I started a thread about it but I am believing more and more that deer like to rub on certain species of trees. If there aren't many of their preferred rubbing trees in the area, I don't find as many rubs. On the other hand, I've got spots with young aspens and popples that have rubs everywhere you go.

I also had to learn what a worn bed looked like for my area. What I started out thinking was moderate use, for me is actually heavy use. What they are bedding on also plays a big part. A bed in cattails stands out like a sore thumb, where a bed on an open forest floor can be easily overlooked.

Another really tricky aspect is deciphering buck bedding from doe bedding. I've got a couple spots where the bucks leave lots of rubs and scrapes in the doe bedding during rut. At two of these spots I've never seen a single horn early season. Finding the beds is the easy part, knowing exactly what you're looking at, when they're there, and what trails are entry/exit... that's the hard part.

Most of the skill in marshes and swamps is locating key areas off of aerials. You can walk transition lines all day, but if you're hitting stuff that others hunt too, you're not going to find beds and rubs like you do in an out of the way pocket. For me it truly is about going the extra mile and doing what others don't want to do. Looking at an aerial if you think "That's really going to suck to get back there." that's where the buck beds are going to be. I'm still learning and have a long ways to go.

Great post. A lot of the times the things you post remind me of my progression as a hunter. I think we are around the same point on the "beast evolution" spectrum where a lot of stuff is really starting to click. I agree with pretty much everything posted above. It's weird, we get so trained to focus on rut sign, but it seems quite often in my experience, the bucks are traveling in daylight in areas with relatively little or no rut sign. I'm also hunting areas with out of whack buck to doe ratios and poor age structure. My point is, I'm learning to trust my instincts more and if an area feels "bucky" and has bedding features, then I will throw a hunt at it even if the rut sign isn't there.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Lockdown]

Great thread and great posts.

I am also on my 3rd year of scouting. The biggest thing I overlooked starting out was the bed itself. I was relying on rubs to locate beds, and since then I have learned that the lower density and low buck to doe ratio means that in many cases there is no rub in the bed, and not all that many near it. I have traveled to some better areas and there is a big difference. The more competition there is for bedding, the more rubs I find. Also just because there are no big rubs in the area, that doesn't mean a big buck doesn't live there.

I had an encounter with a buck last year that I probably would have mounted, and he was wider than his ears. The biggest rub I've found in that entire side of the public is the size of the barrel of a baseball bat or a little bigger. Another thing I have learned to look past is lack of rubs in general. I started a thread about it but I am believing more and more that deer like to rub on certain species of trees. If there aren't many of their preferred rubbing trees in the area, I don't find as many rubs. On the other hand, I've got spots with young aspens and popples that have rubs everywhere you go.

I also had to learn what a worn bed looked like for my area. What I started out thinking was moderate use, for me is actually heavy use. What they are bedding on also plays a big part. A bed in cattails stands out like a sore thumb, where a bed on an open forest floor can be easily overlooked.

Another really tricky aspect is deciphering buck bedding from doe bedding. I've got a couple spots where the bucks leave lots of rubs and scrapes in the doe bedding during rut. At two of these spots I've never seen a single horn early season. Finding the beds is the easy part, knowing exactly what you're looking at, when they're there, and what trails are entry/exit... that's the hard part.

Most of the skill in marshes and swamps is locating key areas off of aerials. You can walk transition lines all day, but if you're hitting stuff that others hunt too, you're not going to find beds and rubs like you do in an out of the way pocket. For me it truly is about going the extra mile and doing what others don't want to do. Looking at an aerial if you think "That's really going to suck to get back there." that's where the buck beds are going to be. I'm still learning and have a long ways to go.

Great post. A lot of the times the things you post remind me of my progression as a hunter. I think we are around the same point on the "beast evolution" spectrum where a lot of stuff is really starting to click. I agree with pretty much everything posted above. It's weird, we get so trained to focus on rut sign, but it seems quite often in my experience, the bucks are traveling in daylight in areas with relatively little or no rut sign. I'm also hunting areas with out of whack buck to doe ratios and poor age structure. My point is, I'm learning to trust my instincts more and if an area feels "bucky" and has bedding features, then I will throw a hunt at it even if the rut sign isn't there.

[ Post made via Android ]

Seaz this is getting weird dude. Same here and I'm heading out to hang a stand in a spot that is the exact description you just mentioned. Minimal buck sign and not many beds either, but it's an out of the way spot, got a couple unique features for this piece and it's got a "bucky" look to it.

Trimming a set here on a hunch.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[headgear]

The last few years since joining this site and scouting for beds and bedding areas. It has been a learning experience to say the least. The different categories that are discussed like, marsh bedding, swamp bedding, farm bedding, etc. are important but I find that you have to look at each property you scout as an individual with its own unique characteristics. There are more places that I scout that are kind of a hodge podge of different terrains than ones that can fir into a cookie cutter of a certain category. I ask myself "how are the bucks using THIS property.

The groundwork has been laid by Dan and other contributors to the site but it's up to you to translate what is discussed here to the region you are in. I've always had the attitude that if someone else can figure it out then I can too. I think that in the beginning stages of bed hunting I was too worried about trying to make the places I hunt fit a certain mold so my mind wasn't open enough. I'm seeing things more clearly now and feeling more confident in my scouting than I have in the past.

I just wanted to post this incase anyone is feeling like the bed hunting thing isn't working out for them. Keep an open mind and you will keep learning.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Exactly, you have to apply the principals to the land you hunt. My bigwoods swamps and high ground have almost nothing as far as cattails goes, and nothing like the elevation changes you see in the hill country video. However you take those tactics and bedding tendencies and you apply them to the woods you hunt. There is a lot of trial and error and you learn as you go but the more you scout the more intel you gain, the easier it is to find them.