Bedding, how far from food ?

[AlexisQc]

Hey guys just a general question, when finding a preferred food source in the late season, how far should I look for bedding around that food source ? I know it depends a lot on the amount of cover available and etc... But my question is should I look for the best bedding area that might be farther from the food or should I look closer to the food for an area with maybe a little less cover ? Where I hunt in Ohio, there is a lot of cover available so I kinda have to choose between a lot of potential bedding areas around a food source.

[brancher147]

It depends on a lot of things, pressure, terrain, cover as you mentioned, what the food source is, or I should say what the food sources are as there are usually multiple options. If there is only one good food source it is easier to figure out, just follow the trails backwards until you come to bedding. If there are multiple food sources it is tougher. Where I hunt there are a lot of acorns this year, and where there is no pressure, I find beds right in the food source (acorns) even with an open understory/no cover. Mature bucks will probably bed where they have some wind/terrain advantage no matter what/where the food source. In your situation, I would start with the closest bedding and hunt that, then work farther away. Bucks (and does) may be very close to food late season especially with these colder temps the rest of the week, as they need to feed after the long rut.

[Lockdown]

^^^^ Yep start hunting the closest suspected bedding and work back from there.

The CRP field I have permission on has more deer in it late season than any other time. They (bucks and does both) travel over a mile to the neighbor's standing corn that he leaves up all winter. I've seen them do this the last couple years when I really started paying attention. I'm sure he's got deer bedding in his treeline right next to it that basically stand up and feed, and they also travel long distance, so just because you bump some nearby doesn't mean they're all bedding nearby. Especially mature bucks.

[tgreeno]

Not to highjack your thread. But do you guys think in areas with no close food sources, the deer just feed on browse in the cedar swamps?

I have no has great luck finding good sign in food sources. Much better sign in the swamps.

[AlexisQc]

Good question ! Yeah I have found small clear cuts with browse have been good for me in the late season... a clear cut or small open field with browse with thick bedding nearby should be good when there are no other food sources