How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

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Thesouthpaw
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How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:46 pm

I have a unique situation where I think I can slip in the back door, and setup literally over top of a bed, without spooking deer. I have been planning on probably getting in there around two hours before light. This particular bed is only 100 yards from a corn field (private land). My question is, how early would you guys get in? Obviously a run and gun setup.


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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby elk yinzer » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:23 pm

Personally I feel anything more than about a half hour before shooting light is overkill. That's when I aim to be totally setup, so I always strive to be at the base of my tree an hour before shooting time and work backward from there. Gives a little margin for error but it isn't crazyland.

I climb quiet enough and without light it's just like an afternoon bed setup. And as the rut ramps up, I see more bucks after 9 AM than I do super early. They tend to stay out pretty late from here out.

As with anything, specific intel could change that, but as a general rule I think going in extreme early is overthinking things and inefficient hunting.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby hunter10 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:03 pm

I used to think half hour before first light was plenty until one morning hunt I finished setting up near a buck bedding area just over an hour before first light ( I didn’t mean to be this early, I thought sunrise was earlier) about 45 mins before even a hint of light was upon me I had a deer trying to enter the bedding. He busted me likely by scent and I never had a clue if it was a fork horn or a 150” slob. I’d rather be too early than just on time
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:38 pm

Hour-45 mins before grey light. Gives me a 15 min buffer, and less time for thermals to pool my scent. Been busted a lot trying 2+ hours, twice over 300 yards on no wind mornings.

In my experience, setting up within shooting distance of an a.m. bed is a low odds/ high bust % game. I’ve had more success setting up for the j-hook, based on a.m. thermals and terrain. If you’ve got a scrape downhill, within 100 yards, that really helps narrow down the hook.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:18 pm

No easy answer here. Lots of guys have shot bucks coming in just at or after grey light, many others have arrived 1 or 2 hours before daylight and bumped the buck out of the bed.

If I was sitting directly over a bed I would want to be setup and quiet 2 hours before daylight.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:36 pm

Think pressure is a big player in this type situation. If your talking private property where the deer are not aware there is a deer season u have a lot greater chance. On heavily hunted ground I don't feel a buck gets years on him by being a fool. My cameras show an average time of returning to bed 45 min b4 shooting light. During rut things change as well as bedding in my particular situation. But in any case sitting directly over a bed seems like a recipe for disaster IMO. Pre dawn winds and thermals are unpredictable and varies the bucks approach from what I've seen. Personally would back off a tad bit to where u still have a crack but A more dependable approach
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Chuck B » Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:01 pm

2 hours would be the number if you have the opportunity. Especially on your first sit....who caress if you leave that early?
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Twenty Up » Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:19 pm

Totally varies on the buck, pressure etc...

BUT I missed my would-be biggest buck ever dogging a doe late October at 10:15 AM. They were over 1/4 mile from the main bedding area.
Nov 12th Also got trail camera pictures of a 150+” beast heading back to the bedding area during grey light, but he was more than 1/4 mile away... Another hunter bagged him later that season

Different bucks, 3 years apart, same draw all going to the same bedding area. I personally thing late October morning sits are underrated. Good chance they slip through later than normal
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby bowfreak8 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:07 pm

I don't think there is a correct answer to this question. Sometimes the buck may be back to bed an hour before daylight and sometimes he may come strolling in after day break. I try to be set up 20-30 minutes before grey light but I'm sure there's plenty of times the bucks are already back in their bed.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:20 pm

Evanszach7 wrote:Hour-45 mins before grey light. Gives me a 15 min buffer, and less time for thermals to pool my scent. Been busted a lot trying 2+ hours, twice over 300 yards on no wind mornings.

In my experience, setting up within shooting distance of an a.m. bed is a low odds/ high bust % game. I’ve had more success setting up for the j-hook, based on a.m. thermals and terrain. If you’ve got a scrape downhill, within 100 yards, that really helps narrow down the hook.


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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:13 am

It is not always about how early to get in on an AM hunt - it is more about how effectively you can do so. Earliness does not always overcome sloppiness in approach (sometimes it does) and it certainly does not overcome changing thermals, winds, or walking into feeding deer. But with the right thinking and planning - I believe it is the best time to kill a mature buck for a lot of reasons. AM and PM hunts take two totally different mindsets.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:34 am

Thesouthpaw wrote:
Evanszach7 wrote:Hour-45 mins before grey light. Gives me a 15 min buffer, and less time for thermals to pool my scent. Been busted a lot trying 2+ hours, twice over 300 yards on no wind mornings.

In my experience, setting up within shooting distance of an a.m. bed is a low odds/ high bust % game. I’ve had more success setting up for the j-hook, based on a.m. thermals and terrain. If you’ve got a scrape downhill, within 100 yards, that really helps narrow down the hook.


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Image

Here’s a set I’m hitting Sunday morning. Primary bedding for any wind on this point. The south side of the hill has the best historical sign, so I’ve held out for this specific NW wind. Due to the cover/ transitions lines and historical scrape line (where the black line is), I’m expecting my target buck to approach from east (I’d be ok if he came from the west), scent check/work scrapes and hook into one of the black circled bedding areas. I’m hanging my set at the blue x stand.

My access is wading a river from the SW (yellow line), then following a ditch uphill to this bench. Thermals will pull my scent to my access path. Trail cam spot I’m gonna cross and check is historically an evening exit trail. Hung it in April; this’ll be the first pull. 90% of the time on my morning sits I’m using and setting up close to a ditch to help control my thermals.
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Re: How Early to Beat Bucks Back to Bed?

Unread postby Nelson87 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:42 am

Evanszach7 wrote:
Thesouthpaw wrote:
Evanszach7 wrote:Hour-45 mins before grey light. Gives me a 15 min buffer, and less time for thermals to pool my scent. Been busted a lot trying 2+ hours, twice over 300 yards on no wind mornings.

In my experience, setting up within shooting distance of an a.m. bed is a low odds/ high bust % game. I’ve had more success setting up for the j-hook, based on a.m. thermals and terrain. If you’ve got a scrape downhill, within 100 yards, that really helps narrow down the hook.


I like this a lot. Tell me more...


Image

Here’s a set I’m hitting Sunday morning. Primary bedding for any wind on this point. The south side of the hill has the best historical sign, so I’ve held out for this specific NW wind. Due to the cover/ transitions lines and historical scrape line (where the black line is), I’m expecting my target buck to approach from east (I’d be ok if he came from the west), scent check/work scrapes and hook into one of the black circled bedding areas. I’m hanging my set at the blue x stand.

My access is wading a river from the SW (yellow line), then following a ditch uphill to this bench. Thermals will pull my scent to my access path. Trail cam spot I’m gonna cross and check is historically an evening exit trail. Hung it in April; this’ll be the first pull. 90% of the time on my morning sits I’m using and setting up close to a ditch to help control my thermals.


Great info, very helpful to me.


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