Buck Bedding In Drought Period

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Forkhorn
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Buck Bedding In Drought Period

Unread postby Forkhorn » Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:08 am

So it’s no secret MN is hurting big time for rain this summer. I’ve been out scouting a bit and hanging cams and it’s making me wonder about bedding. Swamps that I had water over my boots last year are bone dry, like zero standing water. Is this going to cause more spread out bedding? Where do they go when this happens? High humps and dogwood islands in the swamps not as preferred?


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greenhorndave
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Re: Buck Bedding In Drought Period

Unread postby greenhorndave » Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:47 am

Subscribed. Same in WI. I’d guess the key would be to find the nearby clean, available water and think of that as a destination nutrient source.
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Dewey
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Re: Buck Bedding In Drought Period

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Jul 30, 2021 9:00 am

Known primary beds are still in the same spots unless water barriers are no longer there and expose them to danger. Secondary bedding is where it gets tricky since high water really concentrates those beds. When dry they can bed pretty much everywhere in swamps and marshes. Dry years I see a lot of bedding in the middle of a sea of cattails that are normally in deep water. Extremely difficult to pin-point specific beds in that case especially when you get a maze of trails that greatly complicate entry/exit routes. I much prefer wet years for predictable and much more consistent bedding
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Forkhorn
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Re: Buck Bedding In Drought Period

Unread postby Forkhorn » Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:08 am

Dewey wrote:Known primary beds are still in the same spots unless water barriers are no longer there and expose them to danger. Secondary bedding is where it gets tricky since high water really concentrates those beds. When dry they can bed pretty much everywhere in swamps and marshes. Dry years I see a lot of bedding in the middle of a sea of cattails that are normally in deep water. Extremely difficult to pin-point specific beds in that case especially when you get a maze of trails that greatly complicate entry/exit routes. I much prefer wet years for predictable and much more consistent bedding


So does a guy rely on food sources more in dry years then beings the deer have to feed? Like oak islands, they should still be active but may have deer coming from odd spots?
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Dewey
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Re: Buck Bedding In Drought Period

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:18 am

Forkhorn wrote:
Dewey wrote:Known primary beds are still in the same spots unless water barriers are no longer there and expose them to danger. Secondary bedding is where it gets tricky since high water really concentrates those beds. When dry they can bed pretty much everywhere in swamps and marshes. Dry years I see a lot of bedding in the middle of a sea of cattails that are normally in deep water. Extremely difficult to pin-point specific beds in that case especially when you get a maze of trails that greatly complicate entry/exit routes. I much prefer wet years for predictable and much more consistent bedding


So does a guy rely on food sources more in dry years then beings the deer have to feed? Like oak islands, they should still be active but may have deer coming from odd spots?

I would say very early in the season oak islands are a good bet especially if white oak. Even better is a single secluded white oak. If there’s quality bedding in the area every deer will visit that oak at some point.


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