Found a buck bed

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
Mossberg90MN
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:18 am
Location: Minnesota
Status: Offline

Found a buck bed

Unread postby Mossberg90MN » Sat Feb 01, 2020 4:33 am

New to beast hunting... so this was my first post season bed scouting mission.

I walked out to a point at the end of a transition area in a marsh. I saw a lot of rubs in that transition area where it hits mainland. Couldn’t go during season because it’s very mucky and marshy, gonna have to find a way to get back there.

I’m the meantime, since everything is frozen right now I went ahead and walked back there with ease and scouted the area.

I found what I believe to be a buck bed right off the point. It’s about 10 yards into the marsh In brush and it had some rubs in it from this year.

The buck wasn’t using the bed at the moment, considering there was no depression in the snow. It looks like a deer has been walking through that brushy area but not exactly bedding in it.

My question is... is this a primary bed? Or just a rut bed? And do they always bed wind specific?

Or do they sometimes abandon primary beds during the winter?

Because that spot is impossible for a coyote to get to, and I’m sure it deters 90% of people. That is until it’s frozen over... then you can just walk back there.

It does have an exit route from the bed leading into the marsh which eventually leads to another island. It has some nice oak trees in what would be the deers staging area. There where no other beds in the area from what I could tell. Another thing I want to note is this bed would allow the buck to monitor a doe bedding area on the mainland. With the right wind I’m sure he could smell if there in estrous.

I did see a couple trees that look like someone maybe marked them. So I don’t know if I should abandon that spot. No telling exactly how old the tree markers where.


User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Found a buck bed

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Feb 01, 2020 6:52 am

Don’t get too caught up on whether it’s primary or not. After all, it’s just a name for a bedding area.

Also, don’t focus on the singular bed TOO much. Even Dan has deer bed where he doesn’t expect them to.

Just make your best guess as to why and when he’s there, and keep tabs on it. Don’t let the potential human sigh bother you... when you’re keeping an eye on that bedding, watch for human traffic as well.

Like Dan says, sign doesn’t lie. If you’re not good or confident reading hot sign, make it top priority to learn. It is the glue that holds all these “puzzle pieces” together.



It sounds like a great bedding area.
User avatar
Mossberg90MN
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:18 am
Location: Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Found a buck bed

Unread postby Mossberg90MN » Sun Feb 02, 2020 11:16 am

Lockdown wrote:Don’t get too caught up on whether it’s primary or not. After all, it’s just a name for a bedding area.

Also, don’t focus on the singular bed TOO much. Even Dan has deer bed where he doesn’t expect them to.

Just make your best guess as to why and when he’s there, and keep tabs on it. Don’t let the potential human sigh bother you... when you’re keeping an eye on that bedding, watch for human traffic as well.

Like Dan says, sign doesn’t lie. If you’re not good or confident reading hot sign, make it top priority to learn. It is the glue that holds all these “puzzle pieces” together.



It sounds like a great bedding area.



Thanks for the reply! Gonna keep looking for more beds.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests