Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

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Babshaft
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Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:45 am

I was scouting a heavily pressured swamp near me. This swamp is roughly 28000 acres. It has ATV trails and hiking trails running throughout. It is very heavily pressured. After l got away from the suspected pressure and focused on the better terrain features I started to find beds. Then I bumped a bull moose and it really peaked my curiousity. The challenge I'm having is that there seems to be a lot of competition between moose and deer for these bedding areas.

For an example, here's what I found on a point heading out to the swamp (predominant wind blows down this point):

Towards the end of the point this moose bed:
Image

Feces and tracks in bed:
Image

Further up from the point, where I would've suspected subordinate buck bedding or satellite beds I started to find the buck bedding:
Image

There were multiple beds on either side of the point with a nice backstop, over looking the swamp.

Here's a track in one of those beds bed:
Image

Here's a rub closer towards the point where I found the moose bed:
Image

There were lots of rubs like this, a few cedar trees that had been ravaged and lots of older rubs.

Browsing on the dogwood, low and high so I'm guessing deer and moose:
Image


There aren't a lot of moose in this WMU. They only issue 100 tags (bull and cow) for this area and it's bow only. I'd bet all 100 guys are hunting this area however. Do moose look for the same features as deer for bedding? Will they push the bucks out of these areas? Will they share bedding? The areas I've scouted so far have a ton of moose sign compared to deer sign. Should I be looking at other areas when I encounter the heavy moose sign?

I did a search of the forum and found 1 thread that helped. I read the NE moose vs. deer thread and there was a little info in there but just wondering if anyone has anything specific to bedding to add.

Thanks!


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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:00 am

My first thought when I look at those pictures is that it is a buck bed. The moose pellets I see here are shaped more like dots candy and bigger than the pellets n your picture; unless you have the hands of Andre the Giant. Maybe it's just a difference in the browse available this time of year. IDK.

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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby SplitG2 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:11 am

I wish I had your problem. Being able to share the woods with deer and moose would be awesome. I ain't much help to you on this subject but I will say that elk and mule from what I have experienced and heard typically don't hangout together so I would assume moose and deer wouldn't either.

With that said tho, I would think that maybe due to survival instincts that, at times, they might have to tolerate each other's presence and be forced to overlap each other in a hard winter situation. How hard was the winter in your area this year?
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby headgear » Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:16 am

I've found a few moose beds over the years, plenty of poo and some rubs over your head. They like the same spots deer do, no doubt about that.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:17 am

SplitG2 wrote:I wish I had your problem. Being able to share the woods with deer and moose would be awesome. I ain't much help to you on this subject but I will say that elk and mule from what I have experienced and heard typically don't hangout together so I would assume moose and deer wouldn't either.

With that said tho, I would think that maybe due to survival instincts that, at times, they might have to tolerate each other's presence and be forced to overlap each other in a hard winter situation. How hard was the winter in your area this year?


Pretty average winter. The snow is actually waist deep (thank god for snow shoes lol). I don't know if they would bed together, but they definitely are bedding in the same areas. I have moose beds and buck/deer beds within yards of each other, but I don't think they're bedding there together.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:23 am

Horizontal Hunter wrote:My first thought when I look at those pictures is that it is a buck bed. The moose pellets I see here are shaped more like dots candy and bigger than the pellets n your picture; unless you have the hands of Andre the Giant. Maybe it's just a difference in the browse available this time of year. IDK.

Bob


Hahahaha definitely not Andre the giant hands, but I'm pretty certain it's moose poop. The pellets are 1.5" or so in length and close to an inch in diameter. The tracks look like they're from a horse.

I wonder if the moose just walked through the bed and in it? That's one of the smaller "moose" beds I found, and it was located right at the end of the point.

Thanks for the help Bob, it's much appreciated!
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:26 am

headgear wrote:I've found a few moose beds over the years, plenty of poo and some rubs over your head. They like the same spots deer do, no doubt about that.


Right on, thanks! Ya there's a ton of small trees snapped over at head height, lots of cambium pulled off the trees and a ton of tracks. I'm guessing this one particular area I've been scouting is a primary moose bedding location right now and the bucks aren't in there for the time being at least. Or they've been pushed out for the time being. I think once the snow melts I'll throw a camera up on what I suspect to be the main travel corridor and see who's poking around in there.

Thanks again for the help headgear.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Rob loper » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:05 am

Are those beds near proximity of any kinda food source?or water? Try to locate the closest acorns or mass trees. That will probably be the bucks first stop on way to his destination. Get between that and be no more than id say 75 yards from the beds closest to beds as you can without giving away the major 3. Sight hearing and most importantly smell. The beds that are deer sized on different sides of the point are definitely or sound like wind specific beds.are they real big beds? Are they singular beds? Is there close by beds almost protecting those point beds? That would probably does.
Maybe several in a circle? The point beds with structure are definately buck beds but also look for subordinate beds just before them and see how close you can get
Mark your spots or wind specific trees. Remember about thermals when picking trees dan and bigburner taught me you gotta consider right at dark those thermals being sucked back torwards that swamp. It will make or break ya Its gotta be just off wind. And make sure when you enter and exit they arent crossing an opening giving your position away Im not real sure how moose and deer inter act with each other. But that rub is a monster. Lol.
I hope this helps bro.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Rob loper » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:05 am

Are those beds near proximity of any kinda food source?or water? Try to locate the closest acorns or mass trees. That will probably be the bucks first stop on way to his destination. Get between that and be no more than id say 75 yards from the beds closest to beds as you can without giving away the major 3. Sight hearing and most importantly smell. The beds that are deer sized on different sides of the point are definitely or sound like wind specific beds.are they real big beds? Are they singular beds? Is there close by beds almost protecting those point beds? That would probably does.
Maybe several in a circle? The point beds with structure are definately buck beds but also look for subordinate beds just before them and see how close you can get
Mark your spots or wind specific trees. Remember about thermals when picking trees dan and bigburner taught me you gotta consider right at dark those thermals being sucked back torwards that swamp. It will make or break ya Its gotta be just off wind. And make sure when you enter and exit they arent crossing an opening giving your position away Im not real sure how moose and deer inter act with each other. But that rub is a monster. Lol.
I hope this helps bro.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:41 am

moose making trails in deep snow have saved a lot of deer over the years I don't think the deer will be affected much they are not a threat to them they may force a mature buck from the best bed periodically but that about all that's going to happen in my opinion. you are lucky to get to see moose i wish i could see them while hunting.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:56 pm

Babshaft wrote:
Hahahaha definitely not Andre the giant hands, but I'm pretty certain it's moose poop. The pellets are 1.5" or so in length and close to an inch in diameter. The tracks look like they're from a horse.

I wonder if the moose just walked through the bed and in it? That's one of the smaller "moose" beds I found, and it was located right at the end of the point.

Thanks for the help Bob, it's much appreciated!


It is so hard to tell from pics sometimes. That big its moose. I see the snapped off trees in the fall as they are strengthing their necks for the rut.

We have a small but growing population here. The winter ticks are doing a serious number on them here.

It's amazing how big they are.

Bob
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:01 am

Lopedog699 wrote:Are those beds near proximity of any kinda food source?or water? Try to locate the closest acorns or mass trees. That will probably be the bucks first stop on way to his destination. Get between that and be no more than id say 75 yards from the beds closest to beds as you can without giving away the major 3. Sight hearing and most importantly smell. The beds that are deer sized on different sides of the point are definitely or sound like wind specific beds.are they real big beds? Are they singular beds? Is there close by beds almost protecting those point beds? That would probably does.
Maybe several in a circle? The point beds with structure are definately buck beds but also look for subordinate beds just before them and see how close you can get
Mark your spots or wind specific trees. Remember about thermals when picking trees dan and bigburner taught me you gotta consider right at dark those thermals being sucked back torwards that swamp. It will make or break ya Its gotta be just off wind. And make sure when you enter and exit they arent crossing an opening giving your position away Im not real sure how moose and deer inter act with each other. But that rub is a monster. Lol.
I hope this helps bro.


- Closest food source is a fresh clear cut 700m away. Maybe a few scattered small white oaks but not a lot. I expect that source to be gone before the October 1st opener.
-beds on the sides of the point are well towards the ends of it and are large beds. They're all roughly the same size, and the deer tracks in there are all the same large size tracks.
- I didn't find any doe beds or doe sized tracks near them.

I'll wait for the snow to leave and go back there to do a better job scouting. Probably after the workshop in March. I'll take some better pictures so we can figure it out and work on setups.

Thanks again for all your help buddy. Really appreciated!
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:04 am

ghoasthunter wrote:moose making trails in deep snow have saved a lot of deer over the years I don't think the deer will be affected much they are not a threat to them they may force a mature buck from the best bed periodically but that about all that's going to happen in my opinion. you are lucky to get to see moose i wish i could see them while hunting.


Ya man I'm blessed to be here. If you ever get the hankering to hunt moose up here let me know and I'll figure out the non resident tag for you, or you can hunt off of my tag.

I'm definitely starting to think that the moose will push a mature buck out of the best bedding. I need to find more good bedding spots and figure out where the moose prefer to be and where the deer prefer to be. They definitely help each other out. They use the same trails and the same bedding locations. Hopefully I can get some pics of some moose this season!

Thanks for the help ghoast!
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Babshaft » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:07 am

Horizontal Hunter wrote:
Babshaft wrote:
Hahahaha definitely not Andre the giant hands, but I'm pretty certain it's moose poop. The pellets are 1.5" or so in length and close to an inch in diameter. The tracks look like they're from a horse.

I wonder if the moose just walked through the bed and in it? That's one of the smaller "moose" beds I found, and it was located right at the end of the point.

Thanks for the help Bob, it's much appreciated!


It is so hard to tell from pics sometimes. That big its moose. I see the snapped off trees in the fall as they are strengthing their necks for the rut.

We have a small but growing population here. The winter ticks are doing a serious number on them here.

It's amazing how big they are.

Bob


Ya man, I need to bring a camera with me to take better pics. Tons of snapped trees just like you're talking about. Glad to hear your moose pop is growing. Ours is doing well in my area, but suffering further north. Tax cuts to the MNR have reduced the number of biologists managing the moose program and the population is suffering as a result. Hopefully they figure some solutions out for both of us.
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Re: Moose Vs. Deer Bedding Competition

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:21 am

The title of your thread got my blood pressure up... :lol:

When you have a world class whitetail buck bedding area you have discovered (7 X 7 typical with a 26" inside spread) and an even bigger buck using it...

Followed by some stupid, big bull moose moving in and taking it over... it really ticked me off!

I physically chased that moose out...

ignited fireworks around him...

shot him with a paintball gun...

and the stupid thing kept coming back- now that's frustration!!


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