Making buck beds

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

HB Store


Littleviking88
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 12:54 am
Location: Southeast Minnesota
Status: Offline

Making buck beds

Unread postby Littleviking88 » Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:07 pm

Has anyone tried hinge cutting to make buck bedding areas? On my in-laws 80 acres, the first bed is about 75 yards from a pond in timber. I took an old fallen tree and hinge cut some smaller trees around the old dead tree (also has a bunch of brush around it with trails within 5 yards. I made a bed on each side for both north and south winds. Before making this bed I scouted around and looked for doe bedding to make sure there weren't a lot around this area which there was not. I then proceeded to make another bed area on the south side of a large rock/fallen tree on the other side of the draw which the bed will overlook. The second bed area I have seen some good bucks come out of that area but haven't found specific beds in that spot; this attempted created bed area is about 80 yards from a microplot that I'm working on. Anyway, I'm not sure if these will end up being bedding areas but figured I'd try to create them and do so with the intention that, if used, some spots that I hunt will be within a relative good distance to the beds. Has anyone had success with creating beds?


Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Littleviking88
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 12:54 am
Location: Southeast Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby Littleviking88 » Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:19 pm

Screenshot_20210408-191705.png


Here's an outlay of the property and how things are currently set up. If anyone has recommendations on anything please feel free to make them :D
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
User avatar
<DK>
500 Club
Posts: 4484
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:02 am
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby <DK> » Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:57 am

Im curious what someone w exp will say. There was a post last season about a guy making beds in marsh land and it worked great, even killed a good buck out of it. I think that terrain would make it easier to assume the deer will use it due to lack of dry ground. Pics of the actual beds you made would help answer your questions.

Your spots look good, your descriptions sound good but field edge bedding can be a toss up though. If the field is low cut then its hard to say if it will be consistent or used at all. Maybe when that food source is best to eat or early season when things are thick. I find beds off field edges that I cant believe they use and I also dont find beds in spots id expect. The bed to the S looks really good bc that open area below it looks thick. Also he can see across the valley looking at your field edge. Could be really good for later season after leaf drop or anytime really.

I think the general consensus for the best way to make beds is creating a beadding area. A nice thick area in text book spots should produce bedding. If those hill sides are already thick or will be thick then id guess your created beds would work just fine. At the end of the day it comes down to the wind conditions and if they like it to survive. Younger deer might but mature ones may not. If you can get some young ones bedding there, then they will grow up feeling safe there. Thats tough to say which is why creating exact beds is tough to do.

Honestly I say hang some cams, take pics, keep track of the data and post what you come up w. Make a thread about it and we can all read.

I tend to agree w Don Higgins when he says the best big buck area you can create is a tall CRP field
User avatar
justdirtyfun
500 Club
Posts: 2973
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:10 pm
Location: Misery, previously Hellinois
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:46 am

I'm going to repeat something dan has mentioned.
A property will only hold big bucks if it has big buck bedding areas.
Since prime beds are harder to come by than food or does, it is worth putting some effort into adding them. Without bed hunting experience, placement would be random. And I imagine that is why most general population can't show success working with bedding.
You don't have to be the best, just do your best.
Littleviking88
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 12:54 am
Location: Southeast Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby Littleviking88 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:20 pm

Thanks fellas for your insight/input. It's been difficult the past few years with CWD regs put in place in SE MN. The big deer numbers have certainly dropped but yearly there are usually one or two really good bucks around. Trying to create a property where the bucks feel comfortable is our goal. I've noticed that we have a lot of doe on the property and I saw Whitetail Habitat Solutions where Jeff talks about high doe density limits bucks on a property outside the rut - still have a lot of work to do regarding how to draw bucks. I appreciate your time and input!
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Mopar1169
500 Club
Posts: 858
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:31 pm
Location: Michigan
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby Mopar1169 » Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:57 pm

I have made bedding areas on our place in MN. I use hinge cuts to break up solid stand timber to add some diversity and browse back into areas that are pretty much mono culture of cotton woods. I hinge out a pretty good size area 1/4 acre or sometimes bigger. Try to do it on high spots adjacent to food. Most of time will get doe groups using them then set up on rut for traveling bucks scent checking does. This is on unpressured private so we normally get decent daylight movement. I will also hinge out long lines of trees to make thick travel corridors to and from for security movement. We have had some pretty good success over the years. My biggest problem on our place is the stupid river everytime it floods big washes all my hinge cuts out and I gotta start all over.

I don't try to make buck beds because we already have alot of good buck bedding on the property but I do try to concentrate the does to make cruising more predictable. Helps cut down on blowing too many does around too if you can concentrate them to areas.

Here is a pic of one of my old hinge cuts, travel corridor and then plot pic. The hinge cuts are off to the sides of the plot and travel corridors parallel plot between hinges and plot.
Screenshot_20210417-030358.png
Screenshot_20210417-031235.png
Screenshot_20210417-031429.png
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
hounddog409
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:29 am
Facebook: Tod Simpkins
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby hounddog409 » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:30 pm

Littleviking88 wrote:Has anyone tried hinge cutting to make buck bedding areas? On my in-laws 80 acres, the first bed is about 75 yards from a pond in timber. I took an old fallen tree and hinge cut some smaller trees around the old dead tree (also has a bunch of brush around it with trails within 5 yards. I made a bed on each side for both north and south winds. Before making this bed I scouted around and looked for doe bedding to make sure there weren't a lot around this area which there was not. I then proceeded to make another bed area on the south side of a large rock/fallen tree on the other side of the draw which the bed will overlook. The second bed area I have seen some good bucks come out of that area but haven't found specific beds in that spot; this attempted created bed area is about 80 yards from a microplot that I'm working on. Anyway, I'm not sure if these will end up being bedding areas but figured I'd try to create them and do so with the intention that, if used, some spots that I hunt will be within a relative good distance to the beds. Has anyone had success with creating beds?


Hinge cuts can create bedding areas. Just follow simple rules.

No head high hinges. Wast of time amd trees. Regrowth has to be deer height. So waist high cuts.
Hinge the right trees. Hinging a hickory is a waste of both. Soft maple is good. Do not hinge popular. Cut these down. They regenerate from roots, not trunk. Good to open canopy and let the shoots grow.

Also Make sure the hinged tree gets plenty of sun. Hinging in shade is a waste of time and tree.

Making a specific bed? Waste of time. Create bedding areas. Not beds. Sunlight. Regeneration. Can plant some conifer around hinge tree top...protects them so they can grow.

Just think side cover and regeneration. Small areas. 1/2 or 1/4 Acre here....there.
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby headgear » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:24 am

I make them on public and private, dropped 40 trees around my little swamp this year, plus another ten along a field edge where some bucks like to bed early season. Even making them on the neighbors land when they let me. :lol:

Doesn't really matter if its hill country or a swamp point, pile up some brush and make a few locations for multiple winds. I just place them in spots they like to bed anyway and try and make the area better.
Littleviking88
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 12:54 am
Location: Southeast Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Making buck beds

Unread postby Littleviking88 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:04 am

I should probably go back in and cut a little more in the areas - I didn't do a lot of cutting because those areas where I did cut are quite thick during the early season and then the bed to the north I figured would give a good vantage point when the wind is predominately out of the north in the late season. It's interesting because there is so much state land around the area which get a ridiculous amount of pressure from squirrel/deer hunters in the early season and yet bucks seem to, or at least in my experience so far, bed on a small private property that's about 20 acres and extremely thick, as well as another small parcel that's approximately 10 acres. The 20 acre parcel is owned by a family in iowa that no one hunts and the 10 acre parcel I am not too sure about. This past fall I shot my buck in the draw as he was crossing from one part of the valley to the next.

I like the hinge cut in the photo - looks nice and thick with plenty of areas to bed. I'll say that with all of the scouting videos from HB and insight through the forum it has really helped regarding what to look for and how to set up; I have a great deal of appreciation for the sharing of information and the insights you all have provided! I am definitely trying to be more versatile in my approach and wanted to get at least one of the small plots created to as an additional food source outside of the usual corn crop that is planted on the property.

One of the neighboring farmers, he is actually renting out the crop field, noted seeing a giant 10 near the property throughout the year in 2020 and I am guessing he is bedding on the 10 acre parcel - hence the food plot to the north - with hopes of drawing him in. Ideally, I'd love for my father-in-law to get a crack at that buck as it's been nearly 10 years since he's shot a buck (his last buck was a 163 and wants to best that). I am excited to see how things develop, whether the beds get utilized or not, I think the efforts in the journey will be fruitful as I can always take something away from the experience.

Thanks fellas!
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Hunt1997 and 77 guests