Average distance deer bed from feeding area?

[Raven13]

What have you seen or feel the average distance is in your area that bucks bed and doe bed from feed?
I know this varies. But what have you personally found is about the average. For each?

[NorthStar]

The scouting I have been doing at my local public spots has me believing that bucks are bedded very close to open ag fields. Most of the public pieces around me are 100 - 300 acres in size and are a mix of wetland and CRP grass. I am starting to find a consistent trend where I am locating buck bedding on the opposite end of the property from the parking lot. The beds seem to be located on a small piece of high ground that is surrounded by water(flooded grass). The beds I am finding are within 75 yards of the ag field and they seem to have a blown down tree or heavy cover at their back and an open view to the ag field in front of them.

The only open question I have at the moment is if these beds I am finding are wind specific? I am assuming they only bed in these spots when they have the wind at their back but not sure yet.

[MrT]

Where I hunt it's typically very thick where the bucks are bedded, and most of the buck bedding I've found has been in small pockets amongst the thickness with acorns and browse in their bed. So basically, these bucks don't have to go anywhere. They're bedded in their own individual food source.

Following their trails to the next closest food source usually has been around 100 yards give or take.

[Wlog]

I don’t think you can average it. Too many factors. Too many terrain and food variables. Every property is unique in where the primary bedding and food sources are. They will only go as far as they need to. Time of the year is a big factor too. How cold it is, how much food is available.

[Trout]

I don’t think you can average it. Too many factors. Too many terrain and food variables. Every property is unique in where the primary bedding and food sources are. They will only go as far as they need to. Time of the year is a big factor too. How cold it is, how much food is available.

I agree. I dont think deer think that way. They just want to lay down where they feel safe. If that's in the food source, that's where they will bed. If it's a mile away, that's where they will bed.

[stash59]

I don’t think you can average it. Too many factors. Too many terrain and food variables. Every property is unique in where the primary bedding and food sources are. They will only go as far as they need to. Time of the year is a big factor too. How cold it is, how much food is available.

I agree. I dont think deer think that way. They just want to lay down where they feel safe. If that's in the food source, that's where they will bed. If it's a mile away, that's where they will bed.

Or they will go as far as they "have" to!!! For bedding, security is key. If they have to travel 2 miles or more they will. If they put there mind to it. And feel safe doing it. They can cover 2 miles in a very short time span.

[strutnrut716]

Two spots I'm currently watching (glassing at dusk and shining 1-2 hours after dark) in ag fields is the deer actually bed together right out in the open ag field (food) under the cover of darkness. And sometimes 10+ deer bedding in a group. The area does have howling coyotes at dusk so I sometimes wonder if these deer do this as a security measure during the night. Most nearby marsh/swamp bedding is now frozen and easily accessible for the coyotes. I agree, wherever these deer feel "safe"....

[elk yinzer]

Here (W/Central PA) they are usually browsing or munching acorns within yards of bedding. Distance to destination food sources they'll hit at night can be miles.

[raisins]

Where I hunt it's typically very thick where the bucks are bedded, and most of the buck bedding I've found has been in small pockets amongst the thickness with acorns and browse in their bed. So basically, these bucks don't have to go anywhere. They're bedded in their own individual food source.

Following their trails to the next closest food source usually has been around 100 yards give or take.

Are you also finding what others report that if it is CRAZY thick that mature bucks won't bed inside it because they can't get their antlers through? I'll report that in areas where I had to crawl in/cut in (only possible way and no way I could get in with a stand on back) that I've not found rubs in there.

[austin1990]

Early season when they're browsing in fields a lot before acorns start dropping they generally bed within 100 yards of the field. After acorns start dropping theres some beds I've seen that had acorns dropping in them and the deer not have to move. Another area I hunt though theyll move 1/4-1/2 mile to feed on acorns if theres not any better bedding close by. That's in my local area, some of the public I hunt I have no doubt a buck will move a mile or more to get to good food,and have a safe secluded bed, especially in the mountains i hunt.

[Prairie Sasquatch]

I hunt open prairie ag and most of the deer bed between 50-400 yards from the ag food sources. In early season when it’s still green and the grass and cattails are tall it’s often very close especially if they are bedded within a soybean field. I’ve watched lots of deer get up an hour before sunset and move less than 100 yards. Since the cover is often sparse if they stand up you can see them. The big bucks seem to stay in terrain folds during daylight that are not visible from a road. They are browsing but not covering much ground until full darkness.

[Tennhunter3]

In my areas it's usually close.
I've seen bucks stand up in bedding and just eat right in bedding till dark.

I don't think your question can be answered because of different terrains and food sources.

[DaveT1963]

The question is tricky because when you ask for an average you are looking for a trend - which for immature bucks and does might not be bad. However, if mature bucks have taught me anything it is that they are far from average and not so trendy - I think the very fact that they are alive testifies to the fact that they do things against the grain to some degree. Of all the "beast rules" thoughts or theories the one that I think is the single biggest trump card is that mature bucks will be found anywhere they are not being pressured. Now that can mean a lot of different things/places - some of them can get pretty amusing and others are blatantly obvious - they are where you find them..... and that can be 5 foot from a food source or a mile or so away.

[Twenty Up]

Deer are browsers more than anything, especially down here in the South. They’ll browse on privet, jewelweed, American beauty berry, pokeweed, briars etc.. Don’t get fixated on just the fields for daylight action.

I’ve successfully backtracked three different mature bucks from fields to bedding in 2019, which is what I think you’re trying to do. Shortest distance was just under 350 yards, the other two were .62 to .7 miles as the crow flies. Habitat and human pressure are gonna dictate bedding.

Now if you’re trying to intercept a mature buck between fields/bedding, I’d start off with a strategically located trail camera off of a point, large draw, funnel etc that coincides with where you anticipate him to bed. Getting a morning picture of him outside of the pre-rut/rut around 1-2 hours before sunrise he’s not too far off. Easier done in hill country, but possible in farm country too.

I’ll add, to my knowledge none of the mature bucks hit the fields until dusk or after dark except for the months of July and August.

[MrT]

Where I hunt it's typically very thick where the bucks are bedded, and most of the buck bedding I've found has been in small pockets amongst the thickness with acorns and browse in their bed. So basically, these bucks don't have to go anywhere. They're bedded in their own individual food source.

Following their trails to the next closest food source usually has been around 100 yards give or take.

Are you also finding what others report that if it is CRAZY thick that mature bucks won't bed inside it because they can't get their antlers through? I'll report that in areas where I had to crawl in/cut in (only possible way and no way I could get in with a stand on back) that I've not found rubs in there.

Yeah I would say so. I have found pockets among CRAZY thickness, but if there were any rubs they were only on small trees/sapplings.