How are CRP fields used by mature bucks ?

[Hawthorne]

If it's flat they bed like the marsh bucks video. Points of hardwoods coming out into them and islands of brush out in the crp. If it's hilly I've seen them bed on an elevation within the crp over looking an area.

[Hawthorne]

If it's flat they bed like the marsh bucks video. Points of hardwoods coming out into them and islands of brush out in the crp. If it's hilly I've seen them bed on an elevation within the crp over looking an area. Crp is really good if it has structure within it and a mixture of different weeds for them to feed on.The ones that are a monoculture of grass aren't that good

[Whitetailaddict]

I agree with Hawthorne. From the scouting I've done in CRP fields in KS in flat ground it definitely resembles Marsh bedding. I haven't seen random bedding in CRP and little elevations whether humps or ditches can hold deer. CRP is hard to hunt and most people overlook it because "there can't be deer in areas without trees and even if there were deer its impossible to kill them" is their thinking. However, I have watched people be successful in these areas (although failure is more common). Brushy fence lines and valleys/ditches are great places for deer to seek cover from the wind and get out of view. I also think deer will find the areas in these ditches which pull the surrounding scent stream down to them as an added safety measure. Most of these areas can't be seen on topo maps either and not every CRP field is created equal which is why they are frustrating to hunt. The rut is probably you're best chance with these because the bucks are more willing to expose themselves or earlier in the season if you can find a good nearby food or water source it could be very good.

[Tufrthnails]

If it's flat they bed like the marsh bucks video. Points of hardwoods coming out into them and islands of brush out in the crp. If it's hilly I've seen them bed on an elevation within the crp over looking an area.

The CRP I hunt regularly in KY is this way. I blew the place up one season and dug my way through all the deer trails to find the beds and 8 out of 12 of the single bed most likely buck beds where within 10ft elevation wise of each other. all the other bedding I found was groups of doe bedding and that was all over the place. It was really educational even though it jacked the hunting up in that spot for the rest of the year to crawl through all of that stuff and gps every one we found then sit back and look at the tendencies. and we are still using that info and adding too it when we see a buck to figure out which bed he is using most likely for that day/ wind.

[Stanley]

The thing with CRP is it generally not flat ground but moderately rolling hills. Finding the sweet spots in a CRP field can be challenging. look for bumps, holes, hills, any structural change can hold a buck bed.

[blueKYstream]

I hunt in Kentucky on a couple adjoining farms with CRP. I'm new to beast style of hunting, so my bedding knowledge is a work in process. Last year, I shot a couple does that bedded in CRP near ponds. I found bedding along a nearby fenceline in CRP that was somewhat short in length. I'm thinking that was night beds though. A camera didn't show any deer bedding there in a couple weeks time (it was a place I could check with binocs before grabbing the camera). I have also seen does bed near the crest of the hill by a telephone pole in the grass. I bumped a young buck one day going to a stand that was in CRP. I would not have thought a buck would ever bed there. It was on the bottom 1/3 of the hill on a small point near a lake. The view from there isn't far reaching. Maybe a doe was bedded nearby that he was keeping tabs on. Other than that, I can't recall seeing a mature buck bedded in the CRP a single time over the years. It might just be that the CRP is not in ideal locations or it might be that the CRP is mowed midsummer. That means there isn't many weeds/bushes and its only tall in late Spring and Fall thru Winter.

[DaveT1963]

The thing with CRP is it generally not flat ground but moderately rolling hills. Finding the sweet spots in a CRP field can be challenging. look for bumps, holes, hills, any structural change can hold a buck bed.

x2 and I will add elevation or visual advantage is usually key - when a buck stands up in CRP they typically want to be able to see for some distance to visually clear it of danger - they will almost certainly want good visual on the route they plan to take when they leave. They will often stand and scan it for long periods of time before they move out.

[Ridgerunner7]

Bummer don't know how to post pics now I guess. Low spots/ lowest spot in the field/ bowls are good bets. This buck (in picture/ bedded in that spot daily almost)..especially when accompanied with a westerly wind advantage which was on the down wind side of the CRP field. Clumps of cedars, high humps, clumps of other weed species that creates the structure of the field are utilized too(have some pics of this example ).

[hunter10]

I'm not sure how to post pictures either ridge runner but if you get it figured out, would be nice to see the examples

[mheichelbech]

One of my biggest bucks I set up between bedding and a pear tree that was absolutely torn up with scrapes. It was the best sign I've ever seen...food and heavy scraping in one spot. I sat in the tall weeds and stomped one path to shoot. He came through about 2 minutes before dark/legal shooting. On my first sit also. This was crp about 50-75 yards from the road and as noted, not hunted because no trees, too close to road, etc.

I also saw one of the biggest bucks I've ever seen...jumped him from a hole about 25 yards around and very thick the day after season closed while rabbit hunting. The hole was in crp also very close to a road. Like 10 yards from the road! You never know!!!