Anyway to tell the difference between a night and day bed other than a trail camera? Are there things near or in the bed which might give a clue?
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Night beds vs day beds
- Milk Weed Seed
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
Milk Weed Seed wrote:Anyway to tell the difference between a night and day bed other than a trail camera? Are there things near or in the bed which might give a clue?
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I was always under the impression night beds would be very close to food sources?
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
I find night beds in the open fields next to food sources, right in the food source or just off the fields in more open woods etc. I would say an easy way to tell is ask yourself if it was light out would you bed in this spot with the protection security around.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
Usually close to edges of fields. If you find a bed just strolling out to the woods it's proably a night bed. If you broke a sweat in a tangle of garbage than proably a day bed.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
I agree with the majority. Most of the nightime beds I've found are large open grassy areas adjacent to fields or food sources.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
Bump
This is a great topic (I'm sure we've got multiple threads on it) and is a great one for discussion.
In farm country I find lots of night beds on the outside of groves, fencelines, shelter belts, etc. I'm assuming it is to keep an eye out for coyotes. They also love an open hillside that gives them a good view. Couple years ago I found an old shed on a small rolling hill of CRP. I know for a fact there is way too much commotion there for a deer to bed there during daylight hours, even after season.
Around here day beds are in the THICK.
This is a great topic (I'm sure we've got multiple threads on it) and is a great one for discussion.
In farm country I find lots of night beds on the outside of groves, fencelines, shelter belts, etc. I'm assuming it is to keep an eye out for coyotes. They also love an open hillside that gives them a good view. Couple years ago I found an old shed on a small rolling hill of CRP. I know for a fact there is way too much commotion there for a deer to bed there during daylight hours, even after season.
Around here day beds are in the THICK.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
Its pretty obvious when its kin open grass near activity. But, I want to add that in the last few years I learned that a lot of beds I thought were day beds, were in fact night beds. I learned this by looking at buck bed camera PICS. I noticed some beds that were wore out (i always thought night beds were more random) and that were in good secure locations, were only getting buck bedded pics at night. If you search thru old threads with buck bed pictures you will find what im talking about.
It made a lot of sense as to why a few beds I had found looked great, always had fresh sign around them, but never had a buck exit them when I hunted.
It made a lot of sense as to why a few beds I had found looked great, always had fresh sign around them, but never had a buck exit them when I hunted.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
I agree with Dan from my last few years observations. Best way I learned was to walk 'em up. When you jump bucks during daylight, during season, then you know what is what. I could show pics of some killer looking beds with giant rubs that never held bucks during the day as far as I could tell. Only a doe here and there. Maybe just used by does and bucks marked up the bedding when tending or maybe bucks used at night. Tough to say.
This stuff gets so complex if you let it.
My honest advice is to anyone starting out with 'bed hunting' is to get serious and aggressive with the learning curve. Run trail cams if you can (I don't, can't stand using them really) and don't be afraid to burn ground during season in order to learn it. It may not be the best way to kill a buck right now, but I promise if you place a higher value on figuring things out rather than simply killing a buck for a few seasons, in the long run it will pay off.
This stuff gets so complex if you let it.
My honest advice is to anyone starting out with 'bed hunting' is to get serious and aggressive with the learning curve. Run trail cams if you can (I don't, can't stand using them really) and don't be afraid to burn ground during season in order to learn it. It may not be the best way to kill a buck right now, but I promise if you place a higher value on figuring things out rather than simply killing a buck for a few seasons, in the long run it will pay off.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
PK_ wrote:I agree with Dan from my last few years observations. Best way I learned was to walk 'em up. When you jump bucks during daylight, during season, then you know what is what. I could show pics of some killer looking beds with giant rubs that never held bucks during the day as far as I could tell. Only a doe here and there. Maybe just used by does and bucks marked up the bedding when tending or maybe bucks used at night. Tough to say.
This stuff gets so complex if you let it.
My honest advice is to anyone starting out with 'bed hunting' is to get serious and aggressive with the learning curve. Run trail cams if you can (I don't, can't stand using them really) and don't be afraid to burn ground during season in order to learn it. It may not be the best way to kill a buck right now, but I promise if you place a higher value on figuring things out rather than simply killing a buck for a few seasons, in the long run it will pay off.
This seems like great advice. I'm new to bed hunting and I've only found a couple of beds. I'm very stressed out about not having enough good beds to hunt.
I think I'm just going to dive in and learn all I can even if it cost me in the short term.
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Re: Night beds vs day beds
This seems like great advice. I'm new to bed hunting and I've only found a couple of beds. I'm very stressed out about not having enough good beds to hunt.
I think I'm just going to dive in and learn all I can even if it cost me in the short term.
I go into areas where I have not scouted the bedding areas at all... From a map or on foot its not that hard to accuratly predict buck bedding areas. Not nearly as accurate as prescouting, but I have still killed a lot of bucks that way.
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