Wind based bedding...

[dan]

There seems to be some confusion in posts lately about "wind based buck bedding" so I though we could dedicate a thread to that specifically and discuss it here...

Here are some specific examples where I see mature bucks bed in a spot only on certain winds.

1) Hill country. When bucks bed along ridges and off points they tend to like to have the wind blowing from the top over the valley while they bed overlooking the valley catching the thermal from below, and the wind from behind at the elevation where they both meet. I want to add, it don't take much of a hill to have this effect.



2) Open areas. When bucks bed along the edge of thick areas where they can see out of the thick, and smell or hear what comes from the thick stuff behind them



3) Access watching beds. When bucks bed in a specific position to watch or smell an access trail that is often used by hunters to access a certain hunting area.

[Singing Bridge]

Whenever Dan starts to expound like this, I get ready to copy and paste...

I'm going to start off with open areas... many of the swamps / marshes I hunt, the bucks not only like to bed with an opening on the downwind side- the opening also doubles as a barrier. Some of the barriers / openings I have found downwind of buck beds include beaver ponds, blueberry bogs, streams, impassible muck areas... you get the idea.

In these two pics I am kneeling near the bucks bed facing downwind. Those areas are relatively open, and contain muck and water that you could sink a buffalo in and never see him again...

In the first buck bed / pic, the cedar island in the top right part of the picture contains perennial doe bedding.

[BCam]

How big do the hills have to be or in other words, how much of an elevation change does there need to be before you start seeing bucks bedding like they do in hill country? Do you notice this style of bedding in relatively flat farm land with a few rolling hills here and there?

[straitnarrow]

I have read articles that say thermals rise as the temp goes up and sink as the temp goes down. How true is this? Are the thermals always rising even if the temp differs?

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[dan]

How big do the hills have to be or in other words, how much of an elevation change does there need to be before you start seeing bucks bedding like they do in hill country? Do you notice this style of bedding in relatively flat farm land with a few rolling hills here and there?

Any hill that is big enough to have a sheltered area from the wind... The farm I did the last scouting workshop on is relatively flat, but a couple small ridges of about 15 / 20 feet in elevation create enough "hill" to have the bucks bedding on the leeward side predictably.

[dan]

I have read articles that say thermals rise as the temp goes up and sink as the temp goes down. How true is this? Are the thermals always rising even if the temp differs?

[ Post made via BlackBerry Curve ]

Most of the time when the sun is shining on the valley floor the thermals rise. When a shadow of a hill, or the sun goes over the horizon the valley cools and the thermals change directions.

[straitnarrow]

I have read articles that say thermals rise as the temp goes up and sink as the temp goes down. How true is this? Are the thermals always rising even if the temp differs?

[ Post made via BlackBerry Curve ]

Most of the time when the sun is shining on the valley floor the thermals rise. When a shadow of a hill, or the sun goes over the horizon the valley cools and the thermals change directions.

Thanks. Dan

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[Brad]

Dan, will this be covered in the scouting workshop on saturday? I think this is something I almost need to see in person to make sense. Sometimes it is hard for me to picture the scenario you speak of, I don't know if its a learning disability or what, but I struggle with this sort of thing unless I see it in person or have it explained to me. So if you are hunting a buck bedded in the marsh on a high ground by a tree, he is most likely not bedding there on a certain wind?

[BCam]

How big do the hills have to be or in other words, how much of an elevation change does there need to be before you start seeing bucks bedding like they do in hill country? Do you notice this style of bedding in relatively flat farm land with a few rolling hills here and there?

Any hill that is big enough to have a sheltered area from the wind... The farm I did the last scouting workshop on is relatively flat, but a couple small ridges of about 15 / 20 feet in elevation create enough "hill" to have the bucks bedding on the leeward side predictably.

Thanks Dan.... Never really thought the hills around here were big enough but it sounds like they may be..... This makes me wish i would have put more thought into some unsuccessful encounters during previous years, think i may have been looking at them from the wrong perspective..

[gjs4]

Dan,
do you find that they will move as the wind changes...like in your isalnd picture example he would move form the left to the right with a windshift?

I have seen it happen, and i have seen them just sit tight...cant add the rhyme or reason...

thanks

[PLB]

Dan, will this be covered in the scouting workshop on saturday? I think this is something I almost need to see in person to make sense. Sometimes it is hard for me to picture the scenario you speak of, I don't know if its a learning disability or what, but I struggle with this sort of thing unless I see it in person or have it explained to me. So if you are hunting a buck bedded in the marsh on a high ground by a tree, he is most likely not bedding there on a certain wind?

Brad, that will be covered sat as you will see a specific example at the farm. You are right, most marsh bedding is not wind specific.

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[dan]

Dan,
do you find that they will move as the wind changes...like in your isalnd picture example he would move form the left to the right with a windshift?

I have seen it happen, and i have seen them just sit tight...cant add the rhyme or reason...

thanks

Yes.. They will move. But not always.

[dan]

Dan, will this be covered in the scouting workshop on saturday? I think this is something I almost need to see in person to make sense. Sometimes it is hard for me to picture the scenario you speak of, I don't know if its a learning disability or what, but I struggle with this sort of thing unless I see it in person or have it explained to me. So if you are hunting a buck bedded in the marsh on a high ground by a tree, he is most likely not bedding there on a certain wind?

Brad, that will be covered sat as you will see a specific example at the farm. You are right, most marsh bedding is not wind specific.

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We will be covering it Saturday. A lot of marsh land bedding is not wind specific. You will see examples of both Saturday.

[jlh42581]

I think one thing someone could easily overlook when thinking about these scenerios and not just getting close enough to the bed is the second piece to the puzzle. Where is he wanting to go when he leaves. I firmly believe that most of us are probably still moving way too fast to get as close as you do. Without having that immediate shot, youre going to need to setup between that bed and destination still. Pick the wrong trail for that day, he goes the other way, you never see him, think you failed to get on it.

I saw one of your clips from an old tv show where you talk about deer quartering into the wind. I see this more often than not sometimes, they just dont care, gene wensel said "some deer just never learn to use the wind" and I believe that to be true. Probably explains a lot of the LUCK we all saw early in our hunting career. Obviously if they were masters of the wind always, we wouldnt ever kill them but comes back to how consistent are you on mature bucks. Where I live, for every 5000 deer there might be 1-3 that are 3.5 or older but even a 3.5 here would be considered mature in my eyes.

[headgear]

Dan just curious what you think of this, I agree marsh/swamp bedding is less wind specific but I do seem to notice some of the marsh/swamp beds are more likely to be used on days when the wind is coming from a favorable direction.