So I have a stand behind my house about 120 yards In the woods that’s the backside of a pine thicket meeting hardwoods. The lines are mature and inside those pines is a briar thicket then to the side two ponds. I’ve had bucks cruise through over the years and cut through the thicket and around the pond dam. There’s also a fence on the pine/hardwood edge
Well today I had two does and a spike bed down 5-8 yards from my stand. my stand is on the backside of the fence and they bedded on the other side right next to it. They faced downwind looking slightly opposite of each other. The spike however was 10 yards behind the does looking at the upwind side. It was a very cool experience as I got to watch them for 3 hours.
I can’t figure out what he was doing with them. I’m thinking keeping an eye on them for breeding? Or do young bucks group up with does like that? One doe got up and fed for a while and when she did, he got up and looked at her, grunted and just stared at her eventually browsing.
I eventually had to pee really bad and they were so close I couldn’t move and stand up then let loos lol. Called my wife and had her come run them off. (Perfect marriage lol)
Observed bedding deer
- checkerfred
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Re: Observed bedding deer
Maybe the doe was his momma? I have seen some yearling bucks follow around does in a way that appears not at all rut related and suspect that is the case...just like humans some have a hard time leaving the nest
- checkerfred
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Re: Observed bedding deer
JoeRE wrote:Maybe the doe was his momma? I have seen some yearling bucks follow around does in a way that appears not at all rut related and suspect that is the case...just like humans some have a hard time leaving the nest
My father in law mentioned that too that maybe one was his momma. The one he was watching was the smaller doe though. Maybe sister? Lol. I wasn’t sure if bucks would bed with does other than rut or what you mentioned. It was cool to watch for that long nonetheless. Amazing what I could get away with in an urban environment too. My metal creaking stand didn’t phase them lol
- Stanley
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Re: Observed bedding deer
The doe was his momma more than likely.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Observed bedding deer
checkerfred wrote:JoeRE wrote:Maybe the doe was his momma? I have seen some yearling bucks follow around does in a way that appears not at all rut related and suspect that is the case...just like humans some have a hard time leaving the nest
My father in law mentioned that too that maybe one was his momma. The one he was watching was the smaller doe though. Maybe sister? Lol. I wasn’t sure if bucks would bed with does other than rut or what you mentioned. It was cool to watch for that long nonetheless. Amazing what I could get away with in an urban environment too. My metal creaking stand didn’t phase them lol
Yea good chance it was all one family group - mom, brother, sister. I think that behavior has been documented in research too.
You might have discovered the latest thing in urban cover noises! Some gadget that sounds like a squeeky swingset to cover any other noise!
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Re: Observed bedding deer
I have had a feeder at house for 10 years now. I see it all time. That was probably his family or adopted family. He will most likely move on by this coming fall. They have a tendency to stick together when its cold.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
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Re: Observed bedding deer
JoeRE wrote:checkerfred wrote:JoeRE wrote:Maybe the doe was his momma? I have seen some yearling bucks follow around does in a way that appears not at all rut related and suspect that is the case...just like humans some have a hard time leaving the nest
My father in law mentioned that too that maybe one was his momma. The one he was watching was the smaller doe though. Maybe sister? Lol. I wasn’t sure if bucks would bed with does other than rut or what you mentioned. It was cool to watch for that long nonetheless. Amazing what I could get away with in an urban environment too. My metal creaking stand didn’t phase them lol
Yea good chance it was all one family group - mom, brother, sister. I think that behavior has been documented in research too.
You might have discovered the latest thing in urban cover noises! Some gadget that sounds like a squeeky swingset to cover any other noise!
Haha maybe so. I could make a fortune lol. It was cool to see them bedding watching each other’s back. I think the fence line is their boundary lint too. I’ve been in there three days in a row but still seeing deer. Matter of fact more on the third day. Seeing them bedded on the upper side of the fence tells me that’s their safe place. They didn’t bust out until my wife got close to the fence line. I may back by stand off the line some next year.
Stanley wrote:The doe was his momma more than likely.
Someone needs to talk to her about that...she’s too young to be having babies. Kids nowadays ...oh wait you meant the bigger doe was the momma
Ghost Hunter wrote:I have had a feeder at house for 10 years now. I see it all time. That was probably his family or adopted family. He will most likely move on by this coming fall. They have a tendency to stick together when its cold.
It was definitely cold that day. I’ve never seen them bedded here, usually it’s up more in the thicket but it makes sense now. For several years in a row I crossed the fence and would automatically see an impact in how many deer I see while hunting. The first year I ever hunted it I didn’t cross the fence. So the past two years I don’t cross the fence and seems like my impact is much less.
I have got to observe one mature buck bedded and it was neat too. He got up and shifted much much more.
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