Bedding ?

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SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER
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Bedding ?

Unread postby SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:17 am

Did my first day of scouting today. I came across a trail leading into to a swamp today and followed it in. As soon as it got thick I found a rub and as I kept on there was atleast 10 rubs all over the place but I couldnt find any beds because it was full of water. There is no doubt a nice buck was bedding in here. My question is will the buck be heading into the swamp with the wind at his back so he can scent check for predators coming behind him? All of the sign I found today was around the slight transitions in the woods. Its nice to actually see the stuff Ive learned on the Beast about looking for the tranitions and actually seeing the sign! Do the bucks usually rub on the way into thier bed? When I came around to the backside of the swamp I saw trails but didnt see any rubs on the way in until I got into the middle of the swamp again.

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PK_
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Re: Bedding ?

Unread postby PK_ » Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:42 pm

Is it possible you missed a small hump of dry ground or even a down log where the buck was bedded just off the peripheral of that cluster of rubs??

I find bucks bedding in the interior of the swamp like that, wet and thick, don't care too much about wind direction for their entry/exit. They are pretty secure in those situations.
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SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER
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Re: Bedding ?

Unread postby SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:31 am

Hopefully the water level goes down a bit it was all the way up to the bases of the trees. I had to leap frog from tree to tree to get through it. I will post some pics next time I head in the woods we are going to get 5 to 9 inches inches of snow tomorrow!

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SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER
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Re: Bedding ?

Unread postby SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:34 am

Also the swamp was just in the woods just off of the high line. Perfect place to bed cause he could bust hunters as they head into the woods!

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Re: Bedding ?

Unread postby dan » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:12 am

SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER wrote: My question is will the buck be heading into the swamp with the wind at his back so he can scent check for predators coming behind him?

Do the bucks usually rub on the way into thier bed?

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The buck will head to the bed regardless of the wind. ( if its not wind specific bedding ) But when he gets close he will usually hook around and scent check the bed before entry. A lot of the time, to much to be coincidental, the hooking exposes anything tracking the buck to there sight before they get down wind.

Some bucks rub going to and from bedding. Some don't. Seems to be related to buck density and competition for the beds.
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Re: Bedding ?

Unread postby SOUTHJERSEYSLAYER » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:31 am

Thanks Dan and Palmetto ! Im having a blast putting all this together!

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