Buck jhooking their beds before entering

[Rob loper]

nice j hook video i made up today after scouting this morning and finding a perfect example of a j hook trail going into buck beds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP6YNcosloQ&feature=share

[Tim H]

Nice find!

[Jeff G]

Nice find. The term “j hook” is usually associated with buck beddding in hill country. Bucks travel up the spine of a hill turn at the bedding level and face down the trail they just walked up to watch for approaching danger. They leave only 1 ground trail to be picked up by predator.wind is at the back.

[SidewayZ]

Great find man. Which trail do you think is more of an exit? Any white oaks close to either trail?

[magicman54494]

Nice find. The term “j hook” is usually associated with buck beddding in hill country. Bucks travel up the spine of a hill turn at the bedding level and face down the trail they just walked up to watch for approaching danger. They leave only 1 ground trail to be picked up by predator.wind is at the back.

many of the bucks I track will j hook before bedding in swamps and hardwoods as well.

[Rob loper]

Great find man. Which trail do you think is more of an exit? Any white oaks close to either trail?

No oaks nearby. Fields and nearest major food source is about 3/4 mile away there is browse im sure that i dont realize is there i think he uses both trails to exit his bed i found 4 different spots with beds like this in this same area. It looks like it should be an awesome spot I think the same 2-3 bucks are using these beds depending on wind direction. Will mature bucks bed together in high pressured areas? Its right off a road but overlooked because of the lack of large trees. Its all brush ,cattails and tall bushes and really wet. Everywhere. Big rubs too there is doe beds all along the brush along the roads. Its gonna be a tough spot to get into but the cedar tree in the video is one of 3 trees i can hunt out of. But wiith the wind w nw or n The cedar would most likely be my only option. Im sure im gonna bump deer when entering but i gotta just do it.
And see what happens. The other 4 beds also had j hook trails going into them too from the se for our nw wind in fall and winter. Im just puzzled if its used all year or late year. Cause there is alot of pressure on these deer coming from the fields and woods to the west hmmmm

[Stanley]

Nice find. The term “j hook” is usually associated with buck beddding in hill country. Bucks travel up the spine of a hill turn at the bedding level and face down the trail they just walked up to watch for approaching danger. They leave only 1 ground trail to be picked up by predator.wind is at the back.

many of the bucks I track will j hook before bedding in swamps and hardwoods as well.

I agree with this also. A mature buck lives on because he survives in the environment he lives in. The j hook is merely a tactic of survival.

[mheichelbech]

What is the best way to locate a bucks J hook trail in hill country? Do you look for rubs outside of the bed or just his tracks when the ground is soft enough to see them or mainly through observation?

I have yet to identify while scouting any kind of trail that I could attribute to being a j hook.

[dan]

What is the best way to locate a bucks J hook trail in hill country? Do you look for rubs outside of the bed or just his tracks when the ground is soft enough to see them or mainly through observation?

I have yet to identify while scouting any kind of trail that I could attribute to being a j hook.

Whether or not its hill country, j-hook trails leading to bedding are difficult to find because they do so based on the wind that day. The exact wind can change day to day as can the bucks travel into the wind that day. I would recommend setting up either down wind of the bedding where the buck will start the approach or a little farther back where he is coming from.

[magicman54494]

i have seen all sorts of j hooks. big, small, even had them loop over their own track before bedding. I 've even seen them just lay down, no hook. but that is not the norm. another thing that i see a lot is they tend to want to rub a tree before they bed.
these beds are rut beds so im sure they act a bit different than the beds they use on a feed and bed pattern.

[Mathewshooter]

Good video. I really enjoy watching your vids. You can probably climb that pine tree without sticks, depending on how light you are.

[Rob loper]

Good video. I really enjoy watching your vids. You can probably climb that pine tree without sticks, depending on how light you are.

Thank you im trying to make them so people will learn stuuf that dan and you guys have taught me
think i can climb it too might have too trim a few branches wondering if i should do it now
Im a big boy 250. Lol. But i think it will hold me

[Tennhunter3]

Nice find.

Here I see almost every mature buck bed has a j hook going to it.

[Rob loper]

i think a long finger going way out into a swamp or marsh would negate a j hook. Unless there is nearby fingers going out in different directions for example i scouted a island yesterday. Video is up on it. Well its an island with two long fingers off each side and the top has a finger that t’s out in opposite directions into fingers. At the top of this finger i hope that makes sense lol
I think he would choose the bed off the tip with wind at back on tip while he looks out into marsh
Would u guys agree?

[dan]

i think a long finger going way out into a swamp or marsh would negate a j hook. Unless there is nearby fingers going out in different directions for example i scouted a island yesterday. Video is up on it. Well its an island with two long fingers off each side and the top has a finger that t’s out in opposite directions into fingers. At the top of this finger i hope that makes sense lol
I think he would choose the bed off the tip with wind at back on tip while he looks out into marsh
Would u guys agree?

Even on points I believe most of the time mature bucks circle down wind of there intended beds before laying down.