Opinions on topo

[Zap]

Thats probably true, but why dont they look recent?

marty

[MOBIGBUCKS]

Marty,

It is possible he got killed and never returned to his bed. Also, maybe this wasn't his core area and he switched bedding areas around.

[dan]

I have observed many bucks rub at the bedding site and all that I i have seen have done it standing. Usually right when they get up in the evening.... I have never seen, nor heard of a buck rubbing while lying down. I really think it would even be quite hard to physically do... Not saying it is not possible. Just saying I have never seen them rub lying down or seen evidence of that....
What I have observed though, is that 1 1/2 year old bucks rub very low to the ground approximately 12 to 16 inches give or take... 2 1/2 year olds 24 inches...
When you get waist high, well thats when your looking at a mature buck... I think height of a rub is far more important than diameter of the tree...
Getting back to Zap's concerns about the "bedding area" looking dried up, well it looks that way to me too... It don't look to active and my suspicions would be the main reason being that the area is to open, no thick cover, second I would say cause of the lack of south winds... I would move on and find a better bedding area.
But, it was certainly worth a glance based on the map, and it might be worth a sit during the rut when bucks cruise those ridges along that elevation drop if you get a south wind during rut...

[MOBIGBUCKS]

I have observed many bucks rub at the bedding site and all that I i have seen have done it standing. Usually right when they get up in the evening.... I have never seen, nor heard of a buck rubbing while lying down. I really think it would even be quite hard to physically do... Not saying it is not possible. Just saying I have never seen them rub lying down or seen evidence of that....
What I have observed though, is that 1 1/2 year old bucks rub very low to the ground approximately 12 to 16 inches give or take... 2 1/2 year olds 24 inches...
When you get waist high, well thats when your looking at a mature buck... I think height of a rub is far more important than diameter of the tree...
Getting back to Zap's concerns about the "bedding area" looking dried up, well it looks that way to me too... It don't look to active and my suspicions would be the main reason being that the area is to open, no thick cover, second I would say cause of the lack of south winds... I would move on and find a better bedding area.
But, it was certainly worth a glance based on the map, and it might be worth a sit during the rut when bucks cruise those ridges along that elevation drop if you get a south wind during rut...

Ok....I feel dumb! LOL

For some reason, I just thought they may do this. I found a bed where there is a pretty deep depression in the ground and it looked like he may have rubbed that tree from laying there. I never thought about different age classes rubbing different height. Thanks Dan. That will help me out in several locations.

[Zap]

I have seen good bucks coming out of those points in late summer, Im going back now to look around some more.
Leave no stone unturned.

marty

[dan]

Ok....I feel dumb! LOL

For some reason, I just thought they may do this. I found a bed where there is a pretty deep depression in the ground and it looked like he may have rubbed that tree from laying there. I never thought about different age classes rubbing different height. Thanks Dan. That will help me out in several locations.

MOBIGBUCKS

No reason to feel dumb... I can see exactly why you would think thats how they do it. There is often a rub tree right at the base of the bed. giving that impression. Combine that with low 1 1/2 year old rubs and I can certainly see coming up to that conclusion.

[Zap]

]Back out there today.
I found on bed site, all the droppings in that site were the same size (bigger). Just barley three finger size tracks going in/out. Right above the bed was broken branch (4.5" off the ground) with deer hair in it.
As usual Zap is in the bed for the pic.
The site was just off the top of one of the knobs, where the CRP meets cedars and timber, just off the inside corner of the CRP. The cedars continue on the knob and the timber drops downhill.













marty

[MOBIGBUCKS]

Very good find Marty! Did you take pics of the droppings? Are they clumpy? I don't know if there is anything to this but....In alot of the buck beds and trails i have found the droppings are bigger and more clumpy.

[Zap]

No poop pics, but they were big pellets. All within 15 yards in the cedars.
BTW the bed is 500 yards from a well used parking lot and the deer can see all the approaches from that lot while he beds there. Most of the hunters that use that lot go the other way::::::::: N/E and the bed is N/W.

marty

[Zap]

Very good find Marty! Did you take pics of the droppings? Are they clumpy? I don't know if there is anything to this but....In alot of the buck beds and trails i have found the droppings are bigger and more clumpy.

You mean like this?
AA battery.




marty

[MOBIGBUCKS]

Precisely!!

[Zap]

I checked another spot yesterday and today.








marty

[MOBIGBUCKS]

He looks like a good one! Did you find much hair in that bed Marty? It seems like the beds they use in the Fall, don't have as much hair as the ones they are still using or have used recently. I have found a couple just by using their tracks and subtle rubs in the beds themselves. I was wondering if you have found the same thing.

[Zap]

The track was about 100 yards from that knob.
Just a little hair, I had to take a good look for it.
Some old big poop, and some newer droppings. There were active trails coming from the north to that knob. The river is real close north, and there are a few more spots to check farther west. That spot is about 1.5 miles in and it will take me a few more trips to look everything over well.
The sumac bushes were well eaten down on the knob around the bed, I would imagine that the snow was mostly blown off by the N/W wind and the deer have come up on there to browse.
There was only one bed, not lotsa rubs, but a few going into the timber to the north.
I plan to check the rest of the area and mark the spots on my map that I think are key bedding areas. Another trip in a few months for another quick look.
There is a marsh N/W of that spot just a few hundred yards, some topographic changes, and farm area to the south. All in 2 square miles.
It makes it challenging, but I find it a really enjoyable way to spend a few hours each day. Zap gets some good exercise, but I have to find a way to keep the ticks off of her????????

Maybe Dans wife has some ideas, I need to post a ? about that.

I am mainly looking for South wind bedding as I want to kill my Kansas buck early.

Thanks for looking at what I have posted and commenting, and I hope you find some good stuff also.

marty

[MOBIGBUCKS]

I will keep you updated; I have been scouting a lot lately. I have been finding some good stuff as well and will post up with pics of my beds and rubs etc.