Downwind of doe bedding...how far??

[briar]

If you are setting up in the rut for a downwind of doe bedding I am assuming you are hoping the buck is traveling between you and the doe bedding so he can scent check, but not scent you. So my question is, now far should you be from the doe bedding....are we talking 20 yards, 50 yards, 100 yards?? Thanks Ron

[Wlog]

Often there will be a rub line along the trail they cruise. Some call it the parallel trail. If no sign is present I look for some kind of transition where the buck can travel without being out in the wide open.

Check out this thread-

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15803

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[Wlog]

That thread isn't talking about your exact question but the idea is the same whether it's the edge of doe bedding or doe bedding to feeding trails. I find rubs often right where the doe trails from bedding meet the edge of thick cover. My thought is the bucks are marking that.

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[briar]

My spot i am considering has such a transition, from open timber to cutover...i understand, thank you

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[JoeRE]

That thread isn't talking about your exact question but the idea is the same whether it's the edge of doe bedding or doe bedding to feeding trails. I find rubs often right where the doe trails from bedding meet the edge of thick cover. My thought is the bucks are marking that.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Yes - that is important to bring up. There really isn't an exact answer to your question Briar. Look it in terms of buck travel routes. They are going A to B to C in the rut looking for does. Often these follow transition lines and terrain features between and along bedding areas, sometimes it ends up on the downwind side of doe bedding, sometimes cutting across the doe trails into the bedding. Its nice when those line up to be the same but that's not always possible. Rubs and visual observations can help tell how bucks are moving through the area.

One thing I have started to do a lot is park trail cameras on suspected buck cruising routes and leave them all November. Buck cruising patterns often stay very similar year to year. I have gotten a ton of information from doing this the last several seasons. Gotta move my last couple cams into position in the next few days. I firmly believe this is probably the most powerful way to use trail cameras in the rut. Then I can spend all winter looking at pictures and trends with weather, wind, etc

[Joe68]

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Ok this is a piece of public I have scouted before and never hunted yet. I walked it last weekend just looking for soome fresh sign. Found nothing that got me excited, but I know they will be there judging by the old sign from last year. But I did bump into a group of does heading into the west doe bedding. The black line is a solid beat down trail rigth on the edge of the marsh. The blue line is a small saddle. I would think that you would want to hunt this with any kind of west wind. Where would be the best spot to setup on? I think close to the edge of the marsh just back from the saddle. I think this would be a great mid day spot for the rut. Feel free to comment on this. Looking for someone else's opinion.

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[Stanley]

I'm going to throw a number out on the conservative side. 100 yards from known bedding. Most inexperienced hunters don't have the stealth skills to get closer with out bumping the does. The glory of using a mobile set up you can move in closer if you have to. I use this technique all the time.

[Joe68]

Good point Stanley. We hunt mobile for a reason.

[briar]

I'm going to throw a number out on the conservative side. 100 yards from known bedding. Most inexperienced hunters don't have the stealth skills to get closer with out bumping the does. The glory of using a mobile set up you can move in closer if you have to. I use this technique all the time.

This is a good figure for me to keep in mind........the property I am thinking of is a long narrow strip of woods that runs N to S with standing corn on both sides. Like JoeRE said I have had a camera there in the past for all of November on the WEST side of the strip..and had decent activity its a strip of pines then a section of very open timber, that is probably 100 yards wide and then the thick bedding starts with the does bedding facing the open timber. The South side of the strip is useless as it is highly pressured (I found this out last week).

I was thinking we could set up in the pines and catch bucks maybe winding across that open timber with a solid west wind as they travel N to S. All that would be behind us is corn and nothing but field going in......I guess at some point you just try it and see.

Thanks for the help!!

[Edcyclopedia]

Depends what the terrain features look like or if there are any barriers like highways, cliffs, etc. I believe you could get hundreds of yards easily...

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