Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
Andr3wxmma
Posts: 290
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:39 am
Facebook: Andrew Mattison
Status: Offline

Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Andr3wxmma » Mon Sep 27, 2021 4:27 am

I've been getting a 9 point on a cell camera fairly regularly on the edge of a swamp, the problem is he shows up around 730pm and shooting light is over around 7pm. I scouted the area preseason and found a decent bed I think he could be in 120 yards away. Do I attempt to sneak another 50 yards closer or do I wait and see if he starts moving during daylight? I know 75 yards is ideal but does that last 30-40yards really take him 30 minutes? I hunted the area the opening day trying to catch him headed back but he got bumped off the dry land by another hunter before shooting hours and walked by my stand in the dark. Even then I wasn't getting evening pictures just dark ones.


User avatar
Dewey
Moderator
Posts: 36722
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Dewey » Mon Sep 27, 2021 4:39 am

Get agressive and move in closer especially if you have a good idea where bedding is. 50 yards closer can make a huge difference. Bucks tend to get up and stage for a bit before moving to main feeding in the evening. Getting in that staging area is key. Sometimes it’s within 30 yards of the bed and sometimes it a bit more. Depends if they have a food source close to the bed. If your not bumping them once in awhile your likely not even in the game.
User avatar
austin1990
500 Club
Posts: 578
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2018 2:15 pm
Location: Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby austin1990 » Mon Sep 27, 2021 4:48 am

Like Dewey said, 50 yards can make a huge difference! If theres a lot of browse around it could easily take him that long. I've seen feeding deer take an hour to move 100 yards. Time means nothing to a deer, he has no watch to go by. He just knows that he's hungry, thirsty, tired, or horny and will act accordingly.
User avatar
Andr3wxmma
Posts: 290
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:39 am
Facebook: Andrew Mattison
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Andr3wxmma » Mon Sep 27, 2021 6:18 am

Alright, looks like ill have to give it a try the next time I get a west wind.
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Mon Sep 27, 2021 6:25 am

He may be hanging up inside that short distance waiting on it start get dark.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
mauser06
500 Club
Posts: 2074
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:11 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby mauser06 » Mon Sep 27, 2021 2:35 pm

I watched a buck this winter in flintlock season get up from his bed in the evening. He was 30yds into a propagation area (absolutely off limits period)


He stood up and stood there several minutes. He took a few steps towards the line and stood on the edge of his clump of brush. He stood there....a WHILE. He'd throw his head scent checking and he surveyed the area all around. It was really something to watch. I think it was the first time I've watched a buck get up from his bed naturally.


His scenario is a little different. Winter had everything matted down except his little tree and clump of brush. Everything else was basically wide open. And he dang well knows where that line is. I'm actually writing that area off due to that large propagation area and watching him.

I covered about 2 miles in the snow that evening and it was a few days old. Only tracks were mature buck tracks. Corn was still standing about a mile away. I have little doubt all the does and young bucks migrated to the hundreds of acres of standing corn. The mature bucks continued to bed in the marsh...in the propagation area.



A deer in tighter cover I think may move a little more in daylight than he did. But it's situational. Maybe he heard or smelled something he found suspect throughout the day.


Always a fine line between too close and not close enough.

Another tactic....good moon day or the back side of a good early season cold front...or better yet..both lining up. Good moon phase for the last hour or 2 and a cold front. Early season cold front IMO are a magical thing.
bigredneck61088
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:11 pm
Location: OH/PA
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby bigredneck61088 » Mon Sep 27, 2021 3:49 pm

I’m with Dewey, a little extra is probably all you need!
User avatar
Brad
500 Club
Posts: 643
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 2:06 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Brad » Tue Sep 28, 2021 3:52 am

so, I'm not the beast hunting expert many are on here, but my thought is that if you are able to get closer wihtout blowing him out, then you should do it. Maybe it be on a windy or rainy day, or some way to cover up your sound as you get close. But... if you can't get in closer without blowing it, just set up as close as you can and be there during the best conditions for him to get moving, whether it be a cold front, moon phase, or whatever. but if the less aggressive approach doesn't work with the optimal conditions, you'll probably just have to get closer. I would think you'll probably only get a few sits in before he'll start to figure out someone is hanging around.
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6587
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:08 am

Why can’t you just move the cell cam 50-100 yards closer and find out? Guessing he will still be following the same edge. Now, If not a option I’m all for moving closer. Atleast moving closer will get you answers. I mean you blow him out and at least now you know. Hanging back and it never happening doesn’t answer any questions. Next year U would be in the exact same boat.

All that said… I’m not a believer in the theory that all old bucks leave their honey comb b4 complete darkness. In my area I would estimate based off both cams and stand time that a buck 4.5 or older very seldom leaves the thicket b4 well after dark. And I’m talking bout private I have to myself. I’ve seen dozens and dozens stand up just inside the thicket and stand like a statue right on the edge peering out until complete darkness. Takes something pulling them to get them moving early around here. Will say 2.5 year olds move dang near everyday and 3.5 do about 50% of the time. But those old monarchs don’t, they have a patience second to none.

Only people I’ve seen pull it off around here on older bucks are hunting private and strategically planted food plots close to the bedding. In such cases the buck beds watching the food source. He sees other deer in the field and presumes it’s safe.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
A5BLASTER
500 Club
Posts: 945
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Tue Sep 28, 2021 8:36 am

Andr3wxmma wrote:I've been getting a 9 point on a cell camera fairly regularly on the edge of a swamp, the problem is he shows up around 730pm and shooting light is over around 7pm. I scouted the area preseason and found a decent bed I think he could be in 120 yards away. Do I attempt to sneak another 50 yards closer or do I wait and see if he starts moving during daylight? I know 75 yards is ideal but does that last 30-40yards really take him 30 minutes? I hunted the area the opening day trying to catch him headed back but he got bumped off the dry land by another hunter before shooting hours and walked by my stand in the dark. Even then I wasn't getting evening pictures just dark ones.


No such thing as a nockturnal deer.

Your just outside of his legal hunting light bubble, got to move in closer and get inside his bubble.

Now you can play it safe and just move the camera are you can go for the gusto and move in for the kill.

If you blow it, he will be bigger next year and back in that bed in or around this same time frame.

Situations like this is why I long soak my cameras. When I get night time pics of a buck, I start moving the camera down his trail, till I start getting daylight pics of him.
User avatar
Trout
500 Club
Posts: 1493
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
Location: Big Woods MI
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Trout » Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:39 am

I was watching a couple bucks on cell cam earlier this summer. I had a camera around 125yds from where I am 95% sure they were bedding. Earlier in the summer I would get them 1 to 2 hours before civil twilight, as september was been approaching, they really didn't change the time they came past the camera much but it was getting dark earlier a little every day and I would get them close and closer to dark, until about mid September when they would come through more and more after dark. I believe this has a lot to do with where the camera is, it's kind of in the open and human pressure has steadily been more and more frequent. I just don't think they feel safe being in the open by that camera in daylight anymore and are hanging back closer their beds in the thicker cover until it's safer to move through the open under cover of darkness.

That's a long-winded way of saying, if your camera isn't in the cover, a conservative first move might be to get to at least the edge of security cover.
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6587
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:10 am

A5BLASTER wrote:
Andr3wxmma wrote:I've been getting a 9 point on a cell camera fairly regularly on the edge of a swamp, the problem is he shows up around 730pm and shooting light is over around 7pm. I scouted the area preseason and found a decent bed I think he could be in 120 yards away. Do I attempt to sneak another 50 yards closer or do I wait and see if he starts moving during daylight? I know 75 yards is ideal but does that last 30-40yards really take him 30 minutes? I hunted the area the opening day trying to catch him headed back but he got bumped off the dry land by another hunter before shooting hours and walked by my stand in the dark. Even then I wasn't getting evening pictures just dark ones.


No such thing as a nockturnal deer.

Your just outside of his legal hunting light bubble, got to move in closer and get inside his bubble.

Now you can play it safe and just move the camera are you can go for the gusto and move in for the kill.

If you blow it, he will be bigger next year and back in that bed in or around this same time frame.

Situations like this is why I long soak my cameras. When I get night time pics of a buck, I start moving the camera down his trail, till I start getting daylight pics of him.

What do you consider nocturnal? I mean I don’t conclude deer are comatose at all hours of daylight. But it’s a fact they are a twilight critter. The older they get the less they move. The higher the pressure the even more they dig in. Now they might move around all day within that 1/4 acre patch of cover that’s unapproachable but I don’t believe a buck over 4.5 will step out of it til after dark under typical situations. I refer to that as nocturnal. Cause it’s different than the rut or late season feeding where they are being forced to move for survival of the species
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
A5BLASTER
500 Club
Posts: 945
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Nocturnal or bedded farther than I think?

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:28 am

Boogieman1 wrote:
A5BLASTER wrote:
Andr3wxmma wrote:I've been getting a 9 point on a cell camera fairly regularly on the edge of a swamp, the problem is he shows up around 730pm and shooting light is over around 7pm. I scouted the area preseason and found a decent bed I think he could be in 120 yards away. Do I attempt to sneak another 50 yards closer or do I wait and see if he starts moving during daylight? I know 75 yards is ideal but does that last 30-40yards really take him 30 minutes? I hunted the area the opening day trying to catch him headed back but he got bumped off the dry land by another hunter before shooting hours and walked by my stand in the dark. Even then I wasn't getting evening pictures just dark ones.


No such thing as a nockturnal deer.

Your just outside of his legal hunting light bubble, got to move in closer and get inside his bubble.

Now you can play it safe and just move the camera are you can go for the gusto and move in for the kill.

If you blow it, he will be bigger next year and back in that bed in or around this same time frame.

Situations like this is why I long soak my cameras. When I get night time pics of a buck, I start moving the camera down his trail, till I start getting daylight pics of him.

What do you consider nocturnal? I mean I don’t conclude deer are comatose at all hours of daylight. But it’s a fact they are a twilight critter. The older they get the less they move. The higher the pressure the even more they dig in. Now they might move around all day within that 1/4 acre patch of cover that’s unapproachable but I don’t believe a buck over 4.5 will step out of it til after dark under typical situations. I refer to that as nocturnal. Cause it’s different than the rut or late season feeding where they are being forced to move for survival of the species


I consider nockturnal just as the word implies. A deer that doesnt get out of its bed till after end of legal shooting light.

I feel and fear that word is being vastly over used when it comes to talking about deer in general and most folks are assuming it to mean it doesnt move during legal shooting light.

From what I have seen outside of the rut, over the years with the mature bucks I have killed 4 to 7 1/2 years old. They will get up and move but they have a bubble and if your not inside that bubble your not going to get a shot at him.

All the bucks 4 and older that I have killed or had a chance at killing. I had to be inside 75 yards of them in their bed(some have been closer some a bit further away maybe closer to 100).

But if you ask 100 hunters my age(40) what nockturnal means I would bet 90% will say it's a deer that does not get on its feet before end of shooting light.

If you asked 100 hunters half my age(20) what nockturnal meant. I would bet 99.5% would say it's a deer that doesnt get out its bed during legal shooting light.

My own life experiences say the phrase nockturnal deer is a urban myth.

Lets break down why a mature buck feels safe in that bed. Number one reason is safty. He has learned that that bed is safe for him to be there all day. But he cant live there all day without water and feed. So sometime during the day he will get up and stretch, get a drink maybe a quick snack and then back to bed.

But he is still going to stay in his safty bubble. Now his bright daylight safty bubble most likely will be smaller then the bubble he feels safe in during the last say 30 to 45 mints of light as he is moving off to feed for the night. But he is still moving somewhere and at some tie during the day in that bubble.

That's why I say that there is no such thing as a nockturnal deer. Based off what my experiences have shown me.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: AhrefsBot and 66 guests