Buck beds...Yes! Mature Buck beds?

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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dirt nap giver
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Re: Buck beds...Yes! Mature Buck beds?

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Mon Apr 30, 2018 1:07 am

tgreeno wrote:
dirt nap giver wrote:Here in SW Michigan I have yet to find a “primary” bed of a mature buck. There is an adaption that takes place as the season progresses. First up is early season beds, then hunters invade the woods about a month before the season starts. Then the pressured beds become active. After that the foliage begins to drop which forces another change in bedding. Up next is the rut which has them relocating more adjacent to does. As the season progresses, does are bread, gun season pressure and snow has them moving beds again based on available food sources.
I have started soaking cameras 10-12 feet up overlooking what appears to be an active bed. Since our hunting seasons start the end of September with early doe and youth hunts, I set these cameras over these beds in mid August and leave them for the entire season without checking them. As soon as all the seasons close, I pull the cameras, cross reference with weather underground and use the intel for the following season.

Since most hunters like to show what they have killed, I also check local forums to see what has been killed from my area if I’m not seeing the buck on any of those forms, I will then revisit the bedding location and prep accordingly.

Now going into next season, I have this intel:
1)size of buck
2)time of year being used
3)wind direct that is preferred
4)general idea of his exit route.

After a couple seasons of applying the principles of this site, I learned not every buck or every geographic location received the memo on these principles. After getting throughly ticked with not having my desired results, I chose to climb out of the stand and put boots on the ground in attempt to figure out “why”. Decisions such as when to creep known bedding areas is a big factor as well. Creeping those beds shouldn’t be done on the weekend when there are higher numbers of hunters in the woods. Mid day is also a given.... once again, less hunters which equals less chance for others to capitalize off my
Knowledge and actions.


So are you saying soaking the cameras on beds didn't work for you at all? No bucks at all, or just no shooter bucks? So did creeping beds get you better results? Still no bucks? Or just no mature bucks?


Not sure where I went wrong in that post.

Cameras on beds did work. It showed me the time frame of use, wind direction and if it was a buck I wanted To pursue.
Creeping the beds after becoming frustrated with the current season did work. Over the course of a couple week time span, I learned more about in season use, than what I learned by Spring scouting. Spring scouting shows you where to focus, cameras and in season observation (creeping beds, observation sits, big tracks, big sign etc) shows you the time frame in which the bed is being used.

To clarify, taking the principles taught here, adding cameras to beds, in season observation has drastically added mature bucks in the dirt and encounters.


hard work trumps talent, when talent fails to work hard
Tennhunter3
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Re: Buck beds...Yes! Mature Buck beds?

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:19 am

Divergent wrote:
Tennhunter3 wrote:Knowing whether a mature buck is in his bed is a guess what wind he is using it and time of year. Luck and noise going in play a role I've jumped my fair share.

I notice several things for the most part that let me know mature buck bed.

Bed size
Large rubs arm size or larger usually only 1-4 rubs - scrape upwind of the bed but within sight of the bed.

Most mature buck beds I find only have 1-2 beds usually at different elevations on the hillside so he always has the perfect wind while bedding.

Part is gut instinct sometimes must be trusted some spots just have a feel to them.

Good back cover is common with mature buck beds.

For the last 2 years this has been something I've been going through. A few buck bedding areas are questionable but most young buck bedding it's obvious it's immature bucks.

If it's a very overlooked spot with only minimal buck sign it's probably a 5 plus year olds bedding area. Those really old bucks leave very little sign.


Interesting. What’s your thoughts on this? I can’t say I’ve seen them upwind or understand why they’d be upwind of a buck bed.

I do see them at the heads of draws on top, low in elevation downwind of doe bedding, and a doe trail in a funneled area.



I've seen scrapes and big rubs in many of my areas upwind of a mature buck bed. This way the buck never needs to leave his bed to smell his scrape and signpost used by does.

Gives the buck a huge advantage of never needing to leave the bed in daylight unless a wind change to know exactly what's going on around him.

Most I've found are 30-50 yards from the bed. I hunt hill country so all that scent upwind is blowing right over that bucks back and into the thermal tunnel.
Never give up Freedom for imagined safety.


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