Looking for a little advice on a new spot...

[Cuzzinfish]

Since the website has been down, I thought I might give this page a shot. I'm looking at a piece of public to scout. I want to scout all of the likely areas but I'm cutting it in half first. The pic might not do it justice but this was an impromptu post. I was looking for some opinions on the likeliest areas to find Buck beds. The predominant wind is some form of westerly. The creek runs North-South and appears to have a couple shallower S-bends that may be crossable and the bottom is timbered as well as the terrain line with flat fields (some may be Ag) on top. From field to creek it appears to drop about 70 ft in elevation with 50-60 ft of that happening on the terrain line I added. My first thought is a buck would either bed back to creek and watch the skyline with wind to back or he would bed on the field edges up top with the wind at his back and watching for hunters accessing from the road to his East. Hill country bedding tactics, bedding while watching the creek bottom, don't seem to fit as well here because East winds aren't all that common. Am I on the right track here? Should I focus on the creek and westerly field edges? Thank in advance!

[Lockdown]

Your red squares along the creek would be more suited for Easterly winds. With a Westerly wind the oxbows on the West side would be best.

Keep in mind if one oxbow is better than the next they might go against the "wind rule" with oxbows (bedding with the wind blowing IN to the oxbow). My Dad and I hunted an oxbow like that years ago and had bucks using it with the wind in our favor, or away from the oxbow... going against the rule. Twice we had a 3.5 year old come out. Dad killed one, hit and never found the other.

And as far as those hill points, it sounds like they could be good bedding. Even if you rarely get Easterly winds, on the days it is those bucks will bed leeward. If the stars align and you have an easterly wind on a day you can hunt then get after em

[dan]

Im with lockdown, other side of the river for the oxbows. Or further back at a transition.

[Whitetailaddict]

I agree with Lockdown. Look for the oxbows that have the best cover. They're not all created equal. Same with those bedding points. I would say if you can find a thicker bedding point for an East wind with a nearby area that may work for more common wind that could be really good. I say this because if the wind switches the buck won't have to go as far to relocate and be less likely to expose himself.

[Cuzzinfish]

You guys are absolutely right on the oxbows. I had a couple of thoughts going on at the same time and I made a mistake explaining that.

Have you guys noticed a difference in how likey they are to bed in an oxbow if it's close to a creek crossing? Does it make for an easier potential escape so they prefer it? Or is it just another possible approach they have to watch and prefer to be further away? I assume it's mostly a matter of pressure, wind, and cover, but I know bucks like every advantage they can get.

[NorthStar]

Your red squares along the creek would be more suited for Easterly winds. With a Westerly wind the oxbows on the West side would be best.

Keep in mind if one oxbow is better than the next they might go against the "wind rule" with oxbows (bedding with the wind blowing IN to the oxbow). My Dad and I hunted an oxbow like that years ago and had bucks using it with the wind in our favor, or away from the oxbow... going against the rule. Twice we had a 3.5 year old come out. Dad killed one, hit and never found the other.

And as far as those hill points, it sounds like they could be good bedding. Even if you rarely get Easterly winds, on the days it is those bucks will bed leeward. If the stars align and you have an easterly wind on a day you can hunt then get after em

So for Oxbows, you want to look for thick cover on the point of the oxbow and you want the wind coming from the mainland and in the direction of the oxbow point? In other words, the deer prefer facing the river with the wind at their back?

[Lockdown]

Your red squares along the creek would be more suited for Easterly winds. With a Westerly wind the oxbows on the West side would be best.

Keep in mind if one oxbow is better than the next they might go against the "wind rule" with oxbows (bedding with the wind blowing IN to the oxbow). My Dad and I hunted an oxbow like that years ago and had bucks using it with the wind in our favor, or away from the oxbow... going against the rule. Twice we had a 3.5 year old come out. Dad killed one, hit and never found the other.

And as far as those hill points, it sounds like they could be good bedding. Even if you rarely get Easterly winds, on the days it is those bucks will bed leeward. If the stars align and you have an easterly wind on a day you can hunt then get after em

So for Oxbows, you want to look for thick cover on the point of the oxbow and you want the wind coming from the mainland and in the direction of the oxbow point? In other words, the deer prefer facing the river with the wind at their back?

Yes. Wind blowing down the oxbow toward the river.

Thick cover is crucial for buck bedding. From what I've seen they'd rather bed in a thick, less prominent oxbow than a nice tight bend with little cover. It doesn't even have to be a true peninsula style oxbow... sometimes a half moon bend is all it takes.

You have to think ESCAPE. They like the thick stuff because they can sneak away undetected. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if for every big buck I jump, there are 3 that sneak off without me ever knowing. It is most common for me to bump something and hear it but never lay eyes on it.

The best buck beds you'll find have awesome escape routes and are in the thick. Usually with a lot more thick to escape into...

[NorthStar]

Your red squares along the creek would be more suited for Easterly winds. With a Westerly wind the oxbows on the West side would be best.

Keep in mind if one oxbow is better than the next they might go against the "wind rule" with oxbows (bedding with the wind blowing IN to the oxbow). My Dad and I hunted an oxbow like that years ago and had bucks using it with the wind in our favor, or away from the oxbow... going against the rule. Twice we had a 3.5 year old come out. Dad killed one, hit and never found the other.

And as far as those hill points, it sounds like they could be good bedding. Even if you rarely get Easterly winds, on the days it is those bucks will bed leeward. If the stars align and you have an easterly wind on a day you can hunt then get after em

So for Oxbows, you want to look for thick cover on the point of the oxbow and you want the wind coming from the mainland and in the direction of the oxbow point? In other words, the deer prefer facing the river with the wind at their back?

Yes. Wind blowing down the oxbow toward the river.

Thick cover is crucial for buck bedding. From what I've seen they'd rather bed in a thick, less prominent oxbow than a nice tight bend with little cover. It doesn't even have to be a true peninsula style oxbow... sometimes a half moon bend is all it takes.

You have to think ESCAPE. They like the thick stuff because they can sneak away undetected. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if for every big buck I jump, there are 3 that sneak off without me ever knowing. It is most common for me to bump something and hear it but never lay eyes on it.

The best buck beds you'll find have awesome escape routes and are in the thick. Usually with a lot more thick to escape into...

As always.....excellent information, Lockdown!