buck bed example

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magicman54494
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buck bed example

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sat Apr 16, 2016 1:02 pm

This is a bedding area I found the other day. I took some video and will post a marked up aerial.
The red line is the main trail linking two blocks of woods (this is the main trail shown in the first video). This is key because it is an easy way for deer to cross which makes the bedding area less likely to be a pass thru island. Bucks don't seem to like bedding where there is traffic. They prefer dead end areas. The white lines show an edge with very little cover. It is highly unlikely that you will find buck bedding on these open edges. The Green lines circle the thick brushy areas that bucks love to bed in. This is the area I expected to find a buck bed by studying aerials. the yellow dots are rubs shown on the videos. The two on the left are from the first video. The Gray dots are rubs not shown on video. The pink dots are beds shown in the videos. The pink dot on the left is from the first video. The white line on the left is where I walked in the first video. The light blue line is the faint trail shown on the first video. The dark blue lines are trails coming out of the bedding area. If this were a pass thru island I would have found a heavy trail going all the way thru. this was not the case. The one thing I left off the photo was where I would set up on this spot.
Where would you place a stand(s)? and why? My usually wind is west - north. access to this spot is 1/2 mile north (top of map)
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[bbvideo=425,350]https://youtu.be/yBFbhk1O9YI[/bbvideo]
[bbvideo=425,350]https://youtu.be/VmIc6B9AXps[/bbvideo]


mainebowhunter
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Apr 16, 2016 1:29 pm

I don't usually jump on these threads...but..here we go. My first question would be...where are the deer headed when they leave the bed? Is there a food source they are headed for? Direction of travel is important. Does the map top north and bottom south? I am guessing with the blue line trails that gives a direction of travel.
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magicman54494
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sat Apr 16, 2016 1:53 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:I don't usually jump on these threads...but..here we go. My first question would be...where are the deer headed when they leave the bed? Is there a food source they are headed for? Direction of travel is important. Does the map top north and bottom south? I am guessing with the blue line trails that gives a direction of travel.

that's the tough guess on this spot. they really can go left or right. The woods are about the same and even if you guess the right direction which trail do you cover. top north.
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Apr 16, 2016 1:54 pm

8-)
HUNT LIKE A BEAST
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:03 pm

Good stuff. Thanks for posting. I would setup on the edge in the east woods near a hot acorn tree in the middle of the blue lines. Just a guess not sure

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Last edited by Hawthorne on Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:06 pm

To start off...I have no idea of the distances or scale. So not really sure if I am 50yds from the beds or 75 yds from the beds. Or 100 yds from the beds.
I also have no idea of the amount of cover to get up a tree without being spotted.

1. You hunt this on a due WEST wind. Buck can move with a cross wind, wind in his face if he travels east.

2. I would hunt this side if there was any type of NW wind. With the gray rubs, I would this is where I would put my set. Seems to be the most amount of cover with this run. Also could hunt any one of those runs with a NW wind, shooting buck before he gets down wind. However, if immature bucks are bedded and you are above the runs, will bust you if they are in the lead.

3. If you have a straight NORTH wind, I could also come in and walk EAST of the bed and hook into it with the wind in my face. But if there is any WEST feel to the wind, very well could get busted on the access .

I would guess that a buck would prefer to walk into the wind rather than with his back to the wind if there is no preference for a food source direction. If the wind blows Northwest at all and does not stay true North, really cannot hunt the west bed with a NW wind.

Boots on the ground probably would change my mind about these choices.

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I am sure if I put more brain power into this I could come up with a more ideas...but I am tired and going to bed.
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magicman54494
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sat Apr 16, 2016 3:45 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:To start off...I have no idea of the distances or scale. So not really sure if I am 50yds from the beds or 75 yds from the beds. Or 100 yds from the beds.
I also have no idea of the amount of cover to get up a tree without being spotted.

1. You hunt this on a due WEST wind. Buck can move with a cross wind, wind in his face if he travels east.

2. I would hunt this side if there was any type of NW wind. With the gray rubs, I would this is where I would put my set. Seems to be the most amount of cover with this run. Also could hunt any one of those runs with a NW wind, shooting buck before he gets down wind. However, if immature bucks are bedded and you are above the runs, will bust you if they are in the lead.

3. If you have a straight NORTH wind, I could also come in and walk EAST of the bed and hook into it with the wind in my face. But if there is any WEST feel to the wind, very well could get busted on the access .

I would guess that a buck would prefer to walk into the wind rather than with his back to the wind if there is no preference for a food source direction. If the wind blows Northwest at all and does not stay true North, really cannot hunt the west bed with a NW wind.

Boots on the ground probably would change my mind about these choices.

Image

I am sure if I put more brain power into this I could come up with a more ideas...but I am tired and going to bed.

don't strain your brain. lol nice write up! for scale my red line it about 120 yds long. I thought about a lot of the things you pointed out and decided to do something different. FYI it is thick enough that if he beds in the middle (which seems to be his favorite spot) he won't see eithor edge.
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Sat Apr 16, 2016 11:40 pm

I'm not at home so can't mark. I hunk i would come in down the East edge and set up on one of the two trees on the east side of island near the exit trains heading East near the bowl with the two grey dots.... If it is thick enough

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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:28 pm

J-hooking your stands :D I actually have one of my best spots that I do this with. On a North wind, I drive down narrow access road with my truck. Buck bedding is 70-80yds from this road. Walking it on a NW or N wind, deer would wind you and move. So I drive my truck all the way in and "J-Hook" to the other side of the bedding area. So when I access my stand, wind is in my face.
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magicman54494
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sun Apr 17, 2016 2:25 pm

i'm not sure why. I guess it's more of a gut feeling but I decided to hunt the east edge of the bigger trees on that island. There is hard ground there and a mix of popple and oak. It's risky because I will be very close. maybe 50 yards from his best bed. He has many exit options but I'm hoping he will stage there and mill around until dark before heading out. my choice of wind would be NE. Because I'm hunting so close I will go in early. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get up and mill around that island often during the day.
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:15 am

So with a north entrance on a northeast wind are you entering on east side and hooking around to the east side? How do you plan on entering?. Curious.

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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby stash59 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 3:13 am

Magic your truly going above and beyond this spring!

Thanx for all the info!!
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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby magicman54494 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 3:21 am

mainebowhunter wrote:So with a north entrance on a northeast wind are you entering on east side and hooking around to the east side? How do you plan on entering?. Curious.

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I'll slide far enough east so he won't wind me. Then I'll head straight south until I'm directly east of my tree then head straight west to my tree.

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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:52 am

magicman54494 wrote:i'm not sure why. I guess it's more of a gut feeling but I decided to hunt the east edge of the bigger trees on that island. There is hard ground there and a mix of popple and oak. It's risky because I will be very close. maybe 50 yards from his best bed. He has many exit options but I'm hoping he will stage there and mill around until dark before heading out. my choice of wind would be NE. Because I'm hunting so close I will go in early. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get up and mill around that island often during the day.


So I am thinking I was close in my selection above? I s looking at the two trees just eat of his bed. of coursr there is no real way of determining that's where I would set up without boots on the ground to confirm the initial suspicions.

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Re: buck bed example

Unread postby Tcarlson » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:15 am

My thought is to hunt the eastern edge of the bedding area also but on a westerly wind. My thinking is the cooler air in the understory surrounding the bedding area will be pulled towards the beds. This gives the buck the opportunity to leave his bedding area with the wind to his back or cross and a thermal current in his face. That may be why you see more trails leading in and out on the eastern side of the bedding. The day of the hunt I would walk the hard transition line to the east to find his tracks coming out and follow him in. If you don't find his tracks sneak around to the other side. Be interesting to see a topo of this area and if it would help. Just taking a stab at it. What are thoughts on my logic Magic?

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