The Hunting Beast

There are quite a few impoundments near me that have points and inlets and I have seen deer heading to and from those areas, I would assume for bedding. Everything on low ground is thick so they really could bed anywhere but would a buck bed right on the edge of the water? I'm hoping to be able to use the shoreline to close in a little closer than I hunted last year. I was originally thinking on the points but then they are surrounded on 3 sides by water. My second thought would be on the inlets? Thoughts?


Thanks in advance

Yes they will bed along the shoreline if the cover is right. But not right at the edge of the water. They still need enough land for an escape route if the need arises.

Here's a good read!

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13346&p=160897#p160897

One of my favorite public areas is a lake. The swampy/brushy inlets absolutely hold deer and some buck beds. I would also check the inlets further upstream....more escape routes for a buck rather than being bedded against a lake. In fact the only primary buck bedding area (confirmed from several buck sightings at different times of year) I have found so far fits this description.

Josh_S wrote:One of my favorite public areas is a lake. The swampy/brushy inlets absolutely hold deer and some buck beds. I would also check the inlets further upstream....more escape routes for a buck rather than being bedded against a lake. In fact the only primary buck bedding area (confirmed from several buck sightings at different times of year) I have found so far fits this description.

Upstream (when there is a creek) has been the only place I have found beds but only in a few instances. I have an area that I know bucks are using but am having a hard time closing in on the beds to find them consistently in daylight. This season I will be putting in a few hunts near the inlets that have thick cover on them. So many possibilities and relatively little time to hunt!

tgreeno wrote:Yes they will bed along the shoreline if the cover is right. But not right at the edge of the water. They still need enough land for an escape route if the need arises.

Here's a good read!

http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopi ... 97#p160897

Exactly this, they like a little buffer in most cases so they can slip out the back side and circle around the pressure. The closes I have found a legit bed is maybe 50-70 yards away from the waters edge, that is closer that most but there is about 800 yards of big surrounding this little area of high-ish ground. Otherwise I see them more like 100-300 yards off the waters edge, of course it all depends on how far the best bedding locations are. Just make sure to watch those evening water thermals, the lake will have big pull to the center of the water so you have to get your scent off to the side of him.

I love hunting lakes, for ease of entry and being able to wait a buck out and repeatedly hunt the same stand. I sometimes build something like a duck blind, where I'm sitting in a foot or 2 of water. I find evenings have more movement towards the water. Points are easily identified and when lake level is low they can jump points through the dry brushy oxbows. Finger ridges branching off are often solid set ups as well. Also never overlook any side hills drainages, the start of this drainage funnels deer right to ya in some cases. Early season those lake points are really good as it allows em to catch the cool breeze of the water. But as already noted a back door is a must!