Farms with woods as well - bedding

[mheichelbech]

In farms with a fair amount of woods around as well, how often do you find that bucks are bedding on the field edges or points versus further back into the woods?

Does it make a difference in pressures vs unpressured?

I have hunted ag areas where it depends on the hunting season. I never saw bucks anywhere near the field edges in season but post season would often jump bucks from around field edges. I feel like hunters walking the field edges a lot would pressure them to move back.

[BryanD]

I do find bedding in tree lines. Most of the time it's doe bedding or satellite bedding. The bigger bucks will usually take over the better bedding in the woods when they become the more dominant buck. That's if there is sufficient cover or lack of pressure in that in that particular chunk of woods. But deer are individuals with different personalities. So less often I have found a buck will stay in the tree lines through a mature age. I think these bucks are the less aggressive bucks that find comfort in the edges instead of fighting for the more sought out bedding areas. As a result of this I've seen these bucks grow to be some of the biggest or oldest deer in my area. Because they usually find that untouched tree line on the opposite side of a field from where hunters access often. That's why changing access routs is a good practice. Or some good ol beast style scouting for hot sign. And/or working your way in from the front of the farm with observation sits. When scouting in the off season. If I find a large amount of rubs and or scraps in or near these treenline bedding areas I would definitely pay good attention to that spot come pre rut and throughout the rut. As bucks will be taking inventory or tending does in them time periods. This info comes from my observations of hunting a highly pressured, high deer density area.

[mheichelbech]

I jumped one of the largest bucks I’ve ever seen from a large sinkhole right by the road the day after gun season once. Never saw him there again and I don’t know why he was there when he was. My worry is they bed in spots like that or field edges during hunting season and I miss them because they vacate before I ever see them. This is why I now spend a fair amount of hunting time in observation posts.

[matt1336]

In my experiences with farms, you have to put a lot of thought into how you access. If there’s a good vantage point with escape cover nearby, it’s likely there’s a deer bedded there. Fencelines are golden because of this....a thick fenceline on a hill with a view of a two track lane and or the farm house....there very well could be a buck bedding there.