Ravine deer bedding and wind

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vovamir
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Ravine deer bedding and wind

Unread postby vovamir » Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:57 am

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From scouting I have found a very large well used bed near the bottom of a shallow ravine. It's extremely thick around the bed, but there is a fairly well defined trail leading up the ravine from the bed to the main deer trail that follows the clearing. Several rubs along the main trail but none on the trail connecting to the bed.

In which situation do you guys think deer would be most likely to use this bed?

I assume lying with their back to the creek/thick vegetation looking up the trail towards the top of the ravine. In the evening thermals would start to push scent down towards the bed and most likely swirl in the creek bottom. What I cant decide is what wind direction would be preferable for a buck, or if it would even matter in this case? My instinctive guess was a West or off West wind, but I'm fairly new to all this.

I'm planning to hang a camera near the junction of the trails and leave it up all season to see if I can find any kind of pattern.


dan
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Re: Ravine deer bedding and wind

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:52 am

If the bed does not show a specific way the deer lays, like shape of deer, or back to an opstical, its likely any wind. Ravine bedding in a lot of cases when its down low, is where air currents come in from every direction. Worst is dropping thermals... Hunt him a little farther back so your scent don't bust you. Remember that no matter what your not going to beat the dropping thermals. so you have to get to a point where that's not a factor. The shape of ravines often creates a wind / air current pull that a deer can detect with its nose, but we would have a hard time. I have ran into dozens of big bucks bedding like this over the years, can't recall ever getting one of them. But it is doable if you know whats going on.
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Mathewshooter
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Re: Ravine deer bedding and wind

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:22 am

dan wrote:If the bed does not show a specific way the deer lays, like shape of deer, or back to an opstical, its likely any wind. Ravine bedding in a lot of cases when its down low, is where air currents come in from every direction. Worst is dropping thermals... Hunt him a little farther back so your scent don't bust you. Remember that no matter what your not going to beat the dropping thermals. so you have to get to a point where that's not a factor. The shape of ravines often creates a wind / air current pull that a deer can detect with its nose, but we would have a hard time. I have ran into dozens of big bucks bedding like this over the years, can't recall ever getting one of them. But it is doable if you know whats going on.


I have always wondered why the deer bed down near the bottom of the ravines in some spots I hunt instead of bedding up near the top overlooking the ravine with wind at their back. Now it makes a little more sense.
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