Buck bedding behavior

[BSK]

There are several popular hunting channels on YouTube that talk about different topics concerning deer hunting. It never ceases to amaze me how these influencers will make statements about deer doing this or that and say it as if it applies to everyones deer hunting.

In Iowa for example, a relatively small part of most deer public hunting land in several of the more popular Zones are forested at all. A STARK contrast to the South.

It would be a completely different story to hunt a "parking lot" with a patch of cover in the middle than a thicket the size of a Tennessee County!!!

Well said 102. Deer adapt to their environment. Deer follow very different patterns in the wide-open big-ag regions of the Midwest than they do in the hills and hollers of TN, or the swamps of the Deep South. It doesn't take them long to figure out what patterns increase their safety the most in each terrain and habitat situation.

Whenever someone is complaining that trail-cameras (especially cell cameras) give hunters too much of advantage, I say that deer don't move predictably enough to determine clock-work timing hunters could easily take advantage of. But is that always true? No, I've seen situations where cover is extremely limited (just fence rows surround 1,000+ acre fields) where deer can be very predictable in their timing/movements. But in most situation, they do not follow predictable, clock-work movements. Each situation is unique because deer adapt sometimes completely different travel patterns based on the local situation.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Great post. I used to think that I was missing a huge picture of understanding deer, when I would hear someone say " I know where a big buck is bedding". Once I realized this was total BS it made me feel better, but knowing this didn't help me kill a deer! To me, bucks are most predictable in the summer time, especially around bean fields. This is one of the reasons why I am not a fan of the velvet hunt.

 

[BSK]

Great post. I used to think that I was missing a huge picture of understanding deer, when I would hear someone say " I know where a big buck is bedding". Once I realized this was total BS it made me feel better...

Sadly, much about what is taught on YouTube and in hunting magazines about deer behavior is BS. Deer are somewhat creatures of habitat, but constantly changing their routes/behaviors is also a defense mechanism. The more predictable they are, the easier they fall to predators, so it is built into them to have a lot of variation in their travels.

To me, bucks are most predictable in the summer time, especially around bean fields. This is one of the reasons why I am not a fan of the velvet hunt.

I agree. I am NOT a fan of the velvet hunts. Mature bucks are too easily killed in late summer as they access ag fields.

 

[348Winchester]

I hunt two different areas. One is in southern Scott County on the western edge of the Cumberland Mountains. This area is old reclaimed strip mines. The other area is 10 miles west as the crow flies in northern Morgan County a couple of miles east of the southern end of The BIg South Fork of the Cumberland River. It is a softly rolling mixture of medium to large sized woods interspersed with fields and meadows.

The deer in the mountains tend to bed at higher elevations and seem to prefer benches and points of ridges or points of spur ridges. They also seem to prefer the leeward sides of the ridges for their beds. It seems like they want to be able to spring from their beds and in a bound or two be heading down a hollow.

The deer in the rolling terrain around my home appear to bed moer randomly but still like to be on the higher areas as a general rule.

 

[BSK]

The deer in the mountains tend to bed at higher elevations and seem to prefer benches and points of ridges or points of spur ridges.

This is VERY true of the ridge-and-hollow hardwood areas of the Highland Rim where I do most of my research. In fact, these "points of spur ridges" - which I call 'secondary points' - are THE places to look for big signpost rubs, usually on cedar trees.

 

[348Winchester]

This is VERY true of the ridge-and-hollow hardwood areas of the Highland Rim where I do most of my research. In fact, these "points of spur ridges" - which I call 'secondary points' - are THE places to look for big signpost rubs, usually on cedar trees.

I have noticed that if a spur ridge has a laurel thicket on one side, most often the southern side, bucks will favor bedding there much of the time unless it's unseasonably warm then they'll favor the northern face.

 

[TheLBLman]

I'd guess that, other than 7 or 8 acres of food plots, our entire farm has potential as a "deer bedding area" . . . .

Actually, mature bucks will sometimes bed right in the middle of a food plot or field, but usually at night. Same goes for open mature hardwoods with little "cover".

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Actually, mature bucks will sometimes bed right in the middle of a food plot or field, but usually at night. Same goes for open mature hardwoods with little "cover".

Absolutely, I have many pictures of mature bucks bedding at night in food plots.

 

[BSK]

Absolutely, I have many pictures of mature bucks bedding at night in food plots.

Same.

The craziest ones are the pictures/videos I have of bucks lying down and falling asleep right in the middle of big traditional scrapes!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Same.

The craziest ones are the pictures/videos I have of bucks lying down and falling asleep right in the middle of big traditional scrapes!

Same

 

[TheLBLman]

Absolutely, I have many pictures of mature bucks bedding at night in food plots.

Which is one of the reasons it can be counter-productive to hunt food plots on morning hunts, as you can easily spook them when you set up near the plot/field.

 

[Ski]

Which is one of the reasons it can be counter-productive to hunt food plots on morning hunts, as you can easily spook them when you set up near the plot/field.

IMO the only way to hunt a food plot is from long distance with a rifle. Primarily being a bow hunter my plots are off limits to hunting. I don't want anyone near them, including myself.

 

[Rackseeker]

I know the thread was mainly about buck bedding behavior but, I think deer bedding in general is different depending on the terrain. The places I tend to set up year after year is near bedding, which where I hunt is usually in steep, rocky areas. Where they have a good vantage point to see danger coming and also where they can smell danger coming. I have found bucks like to cruise above these bedding areas wind checking for does during the rut. Often busting them out of bedding areas chasing during the rut. As far as buck bedding I think they just travel around never bedding in the same place very often. Unless they are locked on a hot doe. The key where I hunt is not to pressure the does, once they figure you out they avoid that area. I have hunted the same property for 42 years and I learn something new every year that I think helps me see more mature bucks.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Bedding areas are a myth. They bed where they want and most of the time is random. They don't go somewhere to bed, they bed where the notion strikes them.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I agree with most everything that's been said here. There are a few areas I know bucks tend to bed year after year. Not a specific bed - that's ridiculous in our environment, but certain areas do tend to be repeat offenders in November/December. 3 areas stick out to me that I set up on occasionally. All are ones I've capitalized a few times in the mornings as they're headed there, but can't get close to in the evenings - have heard them get up and leave but I'm 100+ yards away and never see them due to darkness.

But again, these aren't specific beds or even 1-2 acre blocks. They are areas around 3–5 acres, so the same principle applies. They use general areas to bed, but it never gets anything close to "granular" like some think (and predict on hunting shows).

I will say finding as many buck beds that you can throughout your hunting career can help identify HOW they like to bed. But as far as consistency, they are a random species and will lay when they feel like laying, no matter the scenario

 

[BSK]

Bedding areas are a myth. They bed where they want and most of the time is random. They don't go somewhere to bed, they bed where the notion strikes them.

This is generally what I have seen from GPS collar data. However, as bucks age, I do believe they tend towards thicker cover to bed. That said, even when thick cover is nearby, I've watched them bed in open hardwoods.

 

[Ski]

Bedding areas are a myth. They bed where they want and most of the time is random. They don't go somewhere to bed, they bed where the notion strikes them.

For dark hours bedding I'd say that's accurate. But for daylight bedding I disagree. I know far too many spots where more often than not if I approach them in daylight hours I'll bump a buck up. It may not be the same buck every time and probably isn't, but it's a spot bucks like to bed during daylight. It's like a good fishing spot. You can get them there year after year, decade after decade. They range in size from a small shelf below a hogback ridge to a couple acre woodlot in big ag. I believe a coincidence is two or three times. More than that is a pattern. And the pattern I see is there are a few certain spots I can bump up a bedded buck on the regular and a whole lot of ground where I can't, so to me that indicates there's a preference for that spot.

 

[Ski]

This is generally what I have seen from GPS collar data. However, as bucks age, I do believe they tend towards thicker cover to bed. That said, even when thick cover is nearby, I've watched them bed in open hardwoods.

I've only seen that occasionally and almost every time it's because he's tending a doe or watching/waiting over a doe trail. I have seen them bed on points, shelves, or just below the crest of hogback ridges in open timber but there was an obvious terrain advantage. I don't assume that's what you meant. Otherwise the only exception I've seen is summer or night. In summer they lay down right in the open so long as there's shade. I assume because of uninhibited breeze to keep them cool. Or at night they seem to bed down anywhere like they let their guard down completely. But during fall if I see one bedding without vegetation or terrain cover it's pretty much because of a doe.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

When we think of thick cover, we imagine a 3-5 acre thicket you can't walk through. Bedding Cover can be a single blown down tree top.