I found deer beds, now what?!

[Hawthorne]

I was going to say, I shot a big buck in a similar scenario by climbing a tree right on the opposite side of the access trail with a muzzleloader. I waved to all the guys as they walked out for their afternoon hunt and shot the buck 5 mins before closing time, actually watched him stand there in the thick stuff and watch a group of early quitters walk down the trail back towards the parking area, I had to wait for them to turn the corner before I shot.

That's cool you were able to kill a buck out of a bed like that. I hear alot of guys talk about finding those beds but rarely any say they have killed a buck out of a bed next to a access trail. I know they are common because I have found a few.

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Same here Hawthorne.. I seem to find them alot now that I know to look for them. I find them where they stack there advantages.

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I found one in a field in a brush clump. It's about 30 yards in the v where a mowed access trail splits. It's on a hillside where they can watch in front of them. I have kicked two does and a nice buck out of this bed both in the off season on separate occasions. They have quick escape either to a swamp or private land. Not sure if they will bed there during season when hunter traffic will increase.

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[oldrank]

I have one I found just below a hill right next to a human trail. Everytime I walked in last year I checked it visually from the first spot I could see. I never spotted a thing until my vacation. I was hunting deep in during mid week n hit the woods early. I decided to hunt another woods for the evening hunt n came out about 1pm. I wasnt paying attention n sure as ever bumped him when I came out. I am pretty sure he was coming in to that bed in the mid morning after most hunters leave n watching guys coming in for their evening hunts n slipping into the river bottom when he sees them coming down the trail. I got a plan for him this yr.

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[rfickes87]

Do you guys think this deer (hopefully a monster buck) would only bed in these with a West wind? I believe so. With that said obviously I only hunt these beds on a West wind? how do I set up on him? I'm thinking i should almost go walk straight in between the 2 beds coming straight in from the field and set up very early in the mornings when i hunt. before he comes into bed. If I spend all morning walking a big circle and set up down low of the beds I feel I'll spook him out bc that's what he'll be doing. I would think he'll be coming in at first light to j hook his bed (circle around) in that thick timber to the east and come lay down. Surely he'd smell or hear me in there crashing around. Easiest way in would be from the parking lot thru the field and go straight in the woods and set up between those beds I think. Try and hunt him in the mornings. Any Dan Infalt podcast I listen to tells me to push the envelop and get set up close for and evening hunt but wow that is going to be tuff! If i'm not near bedding i'm not in the game. But i'm terrified to spook him. haha


Scouting is so fun and easy. but taking your intel that you gather and making a plan of attack is hard.

[dan]

I would think the buck is facing down hill and bedding there on a westerly wind... Only time will tell if he beds there later on. All you know for sure is that the beds were used a lot recently. While in there, I would of tried to determine the trail(s) he exits bedding on. Thats where I would sit. You will find a lot of spots like this, some will end up with great encounters, but a lot will peter out. I would give it one or two good hunts early knowing he is there now, and keep an eye on the area... I hunt a lot of spots like that successfully when buck sign starts showing up near them...

[rfickes87]

Thank you much Dan. I did hang cameras around the beds. Maybe a big mistake there? I noticed right next to the beds where the deer can enter and exit the beds But it's so dry out tracks were hard to see and I would lose the trails. I tried to find a tree to set up on. When I go back to get my cameras I will try and look again for trails. I hated poking around in there I was sorta quickly in and out once I saw it was beds. I'm still kinda at a loss on how to hunt it. I may knock weeds down so I can access from the field. Hunt between the 2 beds just inside the wood line. My thought is hunt morning and get there at least an hour before daylight so I can be setup before he comes to bed. Its just so thick I don't think I can crawl in there in the afternoon and get him before dark as he gets up from his bed. Unless I can find a trail that leads out somewhere and set up away from the bed where I know he'll come walking thru.

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[rfickes87]

Thank you much Dan. I did hang cameras around the beds. Maybe a big mistake there? I noticed right next to the beds where the deer can enter and exit the beds But it's so dry out tracks were hard to see and I would lose the trails. I tried to find a tree to set up on. When I go back to get my cameras I will try and look again for trails. I hated poking around in there I was sorta quickly in and out once I saw it was beds. I'm still kinda at a loss on how to hunt it. I may knock weeds down so I can access from the field. Hunt between the 2 beds just inside the wood line. My thought is hunt morning and get there at least an hour before daylight so I can be setup before he comes to bed. Its just so thick I don't think I can crawl in there in the afternoon and get him before dark as he gets up from his bed. Unless I can find a trail that leads out somewhere and set up away from the bed where I know he'll come walking thru.

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[rfickes87]

Just posting a follow up here with some of my findings on my hunting spot. But I have even more questions than answers, haha. In August I found these beds, I placed cameras on them all of September. Turns out a nice buck is using the one bed. But not as frequently as I imagined. I checked the weather with each of his sightings. He appeared 4 times over 30 days. Always on a SW wind. A week of an East wind would go by and nothing on camera and one day of SW and boom he was there. 9 days were a West wind in September and he appeared on camera 4 of those days. A smaller 9 with a split G2 is appearing there but not bedding there. This bed has about 6 rubs around it now. I have pictures of the split G2 9 pointer rubbing. But why would he when the bed belongs to the big boy? I also am seeing that the big buck only bedded here once and mainly just uses this spot as access to and from the field I believe. I hunted here yesterday about 30 yards N of the bed. It seemed to be the correct W wind but I saw nothing all day. Granted, he doesn't appear on camera every time it's a West wind but I thought my chances would have been good to at least lay eyes on him. Now that the season is in full swing could he have sensed some pressure and bailed out of there? I have pics of this big boy here last year So I'm convince he likes this area and would be hard pressed to leave it. I would think my odds are good to at least see him while hunting and maybe getashot if I keep at it. Just curious why he only bedded here once but shows up frequently? And also why would another buck rub around his bed? Is it a dominance thing? Should I maybe hang my stand further down in the deeper woods. Its very thick all around. I've tried looking for trails but there doesn't seem to be any beaten trails I think this big buck is taking several routs to access this spot thru the deep woods.

Also since having pics of him last year here and that he's an older buck... Is it safe to assume even with hunting pressure and the rut coming up next month that he'll stay in this core area of his? Or is it possible this spot/bed will peter out of time? I'm doing my best to keep out of here and leave him be and only hunt it on the ideal winds.















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[jwilkstn]

Really cool pics!
I say keep after him when you get the right wind

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