Stage of bedding?

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
kwaldeier
500 Club
Posts: 968
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:30 am
Status: Offline

Stage of bedding?

Unread postby kwaldeier » Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:24 pm

I know it's still in season but I'm thinking ahead to next year scouting. After a good snow, when looking for beds, how are you able to tell which stage that buck is bedding for. If he is bedding closer to food than he does in spring/fall and he is in his winter pattern, how do you know? It's a tough question and I can't put it in to words.... But I want to find beds I'll be able to hunt next year and they won't just be beds used for food. Ugh I can't get the question to come out correctly.... :cry: :cry:


mheichelbech
500 Club
Posts: 4188
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
Location: Charlestown, IN
Status: Offline

Re: Stage of bedding?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:25 pm

If I️ understand your question correctly it would normally be by where the bed is located:

1) Summer/Food (spring, summer, early season) - closer to food (on agricultural)....field edges or just inside.

2) Rut - closer to or able to scent check doe beds and/or on thermal tunnel.

3) Security (winter)- on thermal tunnel in and/or near very thick stuff.

Mainly have determined by trail cams and observation. If you get a trail cam pic in the middle of the night you can surmise he isn’t near his bed. Near daylight, his is.

All bets off in the rut. Swamp areas, don’t know for sure.
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41590
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Stage of bedding?

Unread postby dan » Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:29 am

the amount of sign will tell you how much time bucks spent bedding there. How many exit trails from the bedding? how heavy are those trails? Do the rubs look like they were made at different times of the year? some december? some early season? How many beds? Do they cover all winds? After all that its still a guess. You get much better at guessing over time though.

The best time to find out if a bedding area is being used in season is to check in season. For those tagged out, or thgose still hunting or driving with a gun, take a look now. Especially if your done for the season.
User avatar
kwaldeier
500 Club
Posts: 968
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:30 am
Status: Offline

Re: Stage of bedding?

Unread postby kwaldeier » Mon Nov 13, 2017 8:57 am

I sadly have not tagged out and have no snow yet lol. I don't want to bump buck to other property cuz they will slaughter him.
ihookem
500 Club
Posts: 1124
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:18 pm
Location: Allenton , Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Stage of bedding?

Unread postby ihookem » Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:12 pm

I was thinking the same thing today. I went into an area today that I was pretty impressed with last fall. I went in cause there is no way to get in there quietly so I didn't hunt it . There is 1/2" ice all over the swamp. Sure enough, I kicked up a pretty good size buck. I walked over to where I think he got up and found a bed that was warm. No doubt he was there. I also found beds inside of 30 yds or so and a half dozen or so rubs. As I went in further I found more rubs and a few more beds. I marked them on the GPS. Here is what was different about the beds. There was no hair in them . I figure it may be a seasonal buck bed, or maybe the hair is already decomposed. I went back there last December , found one set of tracks and led to a single bed, surely a buck. In the spring and winter I could hardly find a track back there last winter. I think the reason was is cause the winter was so mild and so little snow they could move into the alfalfa fields easily at night and sometimes I did see them there. If they move easily, they can be anywhere and likely will stay close to food... I am sure there are several bucks in this area and come out at night to chase does in the farm fields. I For some reason it just seems like it is seasonal bedding. Does this make sense?
User avatar
Rob loper
500 Club
Posts: 1747
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:49 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heBuckPsych/
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Stage of bedding?

Unread postby Rob loper » Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:40 am

Cant be scared of bumping deer we do it all the time and dont realize it
Just go for it if there is fresh sign around or in proximity of beds then just go hunt it
Cant be nervous of bumping deer to neighbors property it most likley wont go there anyway until after dark
Because of the pressure matter of fact the beds u know of Are there for a reason and if u bump a deer from it thats probably good cause it will tell u the deer is confortable there so just try it good luck
Hope this helps


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 4 guests