Bedding and fluctuating water levels

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

HB Store


blizzardhunter
500 Club
Posts: 666
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:23 pm
Location: Murray, KY
Status: Offline

Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby blizzardhunter » Fri Apr 15, 2016 5:41 am

The lakes around where I hunt are impounded rivers. From may to September the water level is at summer pool. Starting September first the water is drawn down to prepare for fall and winter water. The winter pool is 5ft lower than summer pool. Has anyone ever had much experience with bucks bedding in areas after the water drops. For me it would only open up isolated trees or pockets but might be worth a shot. The water level is always changing but they try to keep it as consistent as possible. Also, the area I'm looking at relieves a bunch of runoff from drainage. It can be almost impossible to walk thru because the mud is so deep and soft. I didn't know it that would deter deer since I think it would be hard on them too.

[ Post made via Android ] Image


tbunao
500 Club
Posts: 2526
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:54 am
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby tbunao » Fri Apr 15, 2016 7:27 am

Klemz has a good YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWyxXdPjItU

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
blizzardhunter
500 Club
Posts: 666
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:23 pm
Location: Murray, KY
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby blizzardhunter » Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:03 pm

A little different than what I'm looking at but helpful and interesting.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
dehart89
Posts: 277
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 2:38 pm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chad.dehart.89
Location: SW Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby dehart89 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:09 pm

I'm having a little trouble myself with the river still being so high. I've had a couple hours to go out, but really havn't b/c of the river. I might have to do a couple summer scouting sets. A high river defiantly makes it a little more difficult.
"If you consider an unsuccessful hunt to be a waste of time, then the true meaning of the chase eludes you all together" ~ Fred Bear

"Don't take anything for granted, because tomorrow is not promised to any of us." ~ Kirby Puckett
User avatar
Motivated
500 Club
Posts: 1882
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:41 am
Location: All over Indiana
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby Motivated » Sat Apr 16, 2016 4:27 am

The dam area I hunt drops 25 feet between Nov 1 and Nov 15th. Completely different ball game, to some extent. Walk-in access more prevalent, different tracking options available. Last summer was 65 feet higher than winter pool. That changed things for a while, but mostly back to normal afterward.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
Work hard, stay humble, be kind.
User avatar
msailor
Posts: 261
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:20 am
Location: NW Missouri
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby msailor » Sat Apr 16, 2016 5:08 am

From my experience, bedding in recently inundated areas isn't very prevalent. Too much destruction of terrestrial vegetation that is used for forage and cover. It all depends though, if the flooding produces lush wetland vegetation it probably has a lot of bedding.
User avatar
Hawthorne
500 Club
Posts: 6217
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: michigan
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sat Apr 16, 2016 9:58 am

tbunao wrote:Klemz has a good YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWyxXdPjItU

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Good video! This is spot on with what I have been finding this year scouting

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Apr 16, 2016 11:07 am

Hawthorne wrote:
tbunao wrote:Klemz has a good YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWyxXdPjItU

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


Good video! This is spot on with what I have been finding this year scouting

[ Post made via Android ] Image


I've got a spot that is a replica of the first aerial he went over. The beds in there are pretty worn.

Excellent video Klemz!

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
KLEMZ
Posts: 1705
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:28 am
Location: SE Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby KLEMZ » Sat Apr 16, 2016 11:50 am

Hawthorne wrote:Good video! This is spot on with what I have been finding this year scouting


Lockdown wrote:I've got a spot that is a replica of the first aerial he went over. The beds in there are pretty worn.

Excellent video Klemz!




Thanks guys. I made that a couple years ago and only now reposted it to youtube. I have used that information to zero in on other mature buck bedding since then.

As far as hunting an area that has impoundment type water level changes every season, all I can offer is that if there is a backwater marsh/swamp area (i.e. low,flat terrain) that gets flooded and has nice thick vegetation during low water times, look for the points of elevation that are surrounded by water at high level times as they are very often buck bedding even in low water times. I would expect to find larger trees/shrubs on these points as a clue. Also, these dry points should be evident on aerial pictures taken during high water times.

One possible source for these photos is
http://www.terraserver.com/

You enter your area into the finder and can then use the mapviewer to see multiple different views, hopefully some taken at high water time. You need to zoom in to 500 Km in order to see all the views of your area. Anyways, it is an addition view of your hunting area besides the common ones we all know. Possibly it could help.
blizzardhunter
500 Club
Posts: 666
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:23 pm
Location: Murray, KY
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby blizzardhunter » Sat Apr 16, 2016 12:21 pm

Thanks guys. Most areas I have around me have little vegetation once the water goes down. There is one spot I have in mind I might try to scout this fall. Buck brush is our most common vegetation in swampy areas and it will get so thick deer can't use it. I mainly hunt Hill country but am going to try some swampy River bottoms to change it up a bit.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
whitetailassasin
Posts: 3404
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:34 pm
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: Bedding and fluctuating water levels

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:14 am

I have a couple places I hunt that depending on the water levels is either really good buck bedding or its so flooded that the beds are covered up. Rain plays a huge part on whether I hunt this or I don't. I went to scout about 2 weeks ago and it was over waste high and beds were completely submerged. But water levels are dropping and it's time to go back in there. Summer months leading up to opener keep it dry for the most part and bucks bed there, but if it rains hard and the retention ponds over flood it will drive the deer to high ground and it goes vacant because it's submerged. What I have been doing is finding the nearest bedding that is higher up for the years this happens and for the years it doesn't I've got it pretty well nailed down. I shot 2014 archery buck standing in waist deep water on an isolated bed that was just high enough for dry bedding. To me when the water levels are just above normal but just below dry bedding it makes the mature bucks dangerously predictable because bedding is at a premium and very consistent and patternable.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 80 guests