You "think" you scouted the area

[headgear]

Those younger deer kind of bed at random, which pretty much explains why the average hunter will see a lot of 1 and 2 year old bucks and does all fall and only run into a mature buck during the rut. As Dan says the large bucks never do anything at random, there is a reason for everything. It might just be that this property doesn't have any good mature buck bedding, or that you haven't found it yet.

[dan]

Looks to me like the bed by the bean field is typical of a wind based bed. Buck would bed there facing the field with the wind to his back. The very highest bed marked looks like it might be wind based too...
The two beds by the wheat / oat field could be wind based beds too on those rare East winds. Small bucks might use them any time... I would have to look at each bed to be sure in flat terrain which I assume this is?
Once you study beds for a while it should become apparent why a buck would put his bed in the location you discovered.
You need to go right to the bed and see if the deer can see out of the bed, what and where he can see, how the vwind would effect him, etc..
A bed nestled in the middle of a large thick patch not near an edge is likely not wind based... A bed on the edge of cover looking out over an opening generally gets used by mature bucks when the wind blows from the woods to the opening...
Some deer don't read the posts hear at the H/B forum and don't follow the rules... We need to go by what deer do most of the time, or what THE deer your hunting does...

[kenn1320]

Another bed I found is on the north side of a big bush/tangle where he cannot see south. This bed is located inside the woods towards the north. Would you assume then that he generally sits there on a rare south wind? There is another bed due west of that one that about 50yds and due to the vegetation he can only see out a small lane about 5yds wide to the S/E and that is where he enters/exits that bed. Lets say both beds are used by the same buck, just depends on what wind as to what bed he uses. Would it be beneficial for me to build 3 more beds on that first bed so it works for any wind? Then I could ruin the other bed and be confident what bed he is using so I don't bump him, or sit too far away? I understand the idea of sneaking in so he doesn't see you, but as long as I know the wind and assume which side he is bedded on, I should be able to get in. Well that assumes 2 bucks don't bed there. Speaking of that, do you ever find bachelor groups bedded early season? Do they bed in different areas, as the beds you scouted in the spring are likely the bed of only one buck?

[dan]

Another bed I found is on the north side of a big bush/tangle where he cannot see south. This bed is located inside the woods towards the north. Would you assume then that he generally sits there on a rare south wind?

Most likely.

There is another bed due west of that one that about 50yds and due to the vegetation he can only see out a small lane about 5yds wide to the S/E and that is where he enters/exits that bed.

Keep in mind mature bucks often prefer to have the wind at there back when entering a bed. Not always, but enough to make a guy think about that when he sees a bed like you just described. If its thick all the way around the bed which I am assuming if he only enters and exits one way, he is likely leaving his back side vulnerable for a morning ambush by facing and smelling the entrance lane...

[dan]

. Lets say both beds are used by the same buck, just depends on what wind as to what bed he uses. Would it be beneficial for me to build 3 more beds on that first bed so it works for any wind? Then I could ruin the other bed and be confident what bed he is using so I don't bump him, or sit too far away?

Building a bed can be hit or miss... You really have to understand what makes a buck pick an exact spot. Generally it takes making major changes too... I wouldn't recommend trying unless you get professional input or are really confidant in your abilities. And I certainly wouldn't want to destroy buck bedding. The more buck bedding your land has the more bucks it can support.

Speaking of that, do you ever find bachelor groups bedded early season? Do they bed in different areas, as the beds you scouted in the spring are likely the bed of only one buck?

They seem to bed the major buck bedding areas together, but have random beds near the primary. I have observed some group buck bedding but not a lot... Generally by season they are broken up most of the time.

[Autumn Ninja]

Some deer don't read the posts hear at the H/B forum and don't follow the rules.

This is an awesome quote!!! I was just reading along and.....BAM, you made me spit pop on my keyboard..

[kenn1320]

Building a bed can be hit or miss... You really have to understand what makes a buck pick an exact spot. Generally it takes making major changes too... I wouldn't recommend trying unless you get professional input or are really confidant in your abilities. And I certainly wouldn't want to destroy buck bedding. The more buck bedding your land has the more bucks it can support.

I attended Tony Lapratts boot camp this spring. While I don't know everything, I did learn what a buck bed looks like and where they tend to bed. I can now walk a woods and find beds, where up until his class I couldn't find one unless there was snow on the ground. I have built a bunch of beds this year and modified a few existing beds as well. I cant wait till spring to see how many were actually taken over. Something else I noticed at the camp was he has bucks bedding in the same beds daily and they don't change beds based on wind direction. Now this could be due to many things I suppose, but its obviously contradictory to your belief Dan. I find it hard to believe deer will go way out of their way to find a bed that suits the wind that day, I don't have any field experience to know for sure. You hear story's of a guy saying he saw this certain buck do the same thing X number of times and that's how he was able to shoot it. Was the wind blowing the same way all those days, or did that buck have several beds that suited the wind within that small area? In flat farm land things have to be a certain way or a buck is not going to bed there. Hill country maybe the deer feels safe having the visibility and scent with the thermals to feel safe enough to not have the rest of the things. In marsh he has little to no visibility and generally is "out in the marsh" which gives him another advantage that might make him feel safe and that's acceptable to him. I'm still learning Dan and this site is a huge jump up the learning curve.

[dan]

Ken I know for a fact that some beds are wind based... Its more common in some terrains vs others. The main factor in bucks bedding based on wind is vulnerability. If a certain wind direction leaves a vulnerable way for the buck to be easily killed. He likely won't put up with it...
Hill country is very wind dependant, farm land somewhat, and marsh or swamp a little wind dependant. Buck age and conditioning is also a factor on wind dependant bedding.

I have heard some of Tonys teachings and I don't agree with everything he does or says. I don't want to turn this into a slam on him cause a lot of what he teaches is benaficial.
I plan on doing a lot more get togethers that teach people how to look at beds and bedding... If we can get enough interest, Andrae might even help, as well as some of the other people on this site.