I have a spot where there are quite a few hardwoods, some thick stuff, and lots of beds and poop. I hunted it this morning and got there about 30 minutes before the first hint of light, i was about 75 yds from the bedding area in a kind of open spot, didnt see a single deer. Does anyone have reccomendations on what time of day to hunt and maybe how far to set up from the beds? Thanks
Help with bedding areas
- Thread starter MattR
- Start date
Here you go guys read this whole article. It will probably help ya'll out.
Understanding Morning Hunting...Bedding Areas To
Understanding Morning Hunting...Bedding Areas To
Josiah
Well-Known Member
Great article, I wish he would proofread it, but I loved the information. Thanks.
MattRitter said:
Could well be because it isn't a bedding area. Good chance it is a feeding area and was used at night. Deer don't bed and sleep as we do.
Josiah
Well-Known Member
I always thought of bedding areas as the super thick stuff that deer know humans don't want to walk in...briars, tall grass, etc...am I off in that assessment?
Yes. Deer often bed on open ridges and in open fields. It isn't all about hiding.
I have never saw, or found what I think is a bedding area. If there is such a thing, would it not be absolutely covered up with beds. What beds I have found, are like a few here and there, not mutiples like you would think. How many have been watching deer feed for a while, then just bed down in the same spot. I have, so at that time and point I guess I was hunting a bedding area, but I would not base my next hunt on them bedding there, but would base it on I saw deer there, and they had a food source.
Bucks will some times bed down in the exact same spot. I know this because of what I have seen in the field. So, say on public hunting land, its flat and not a whole lot of area, that they wont bed down almost day after day in the same area? Pretty sure that they know it is the safest area, plus it has food, thick, and water. This spot in east tn had literally over 50 rubs , and countless beds. They will also use the same spots every year for breeding sometimes, that is what the east tn spot was.
The way this spot is set up i feel like its for sure a day time thing. The article posted sounds exactly like this spot, there are scrapes and everything, there isnt enough food there for it to be a too desirable feeding area but i guess i could be wrong. I know i got there too late also
ClubHead
Well-Known Member
From what I have seen,Deer prefer ridgetops at night and thickets during the day.
Tomahawk
Well-Known Member
Very true. In fact for south eastern states in general, bedding areas really don't exist in the same way they are in northern or Midwest states. Deer in TN can and will bed in different spots all the time. To prove this just put a camera up on what you believe to be a bedding area. I highly doubt you get any deer bedding back in that spot/area. They simply had recently bed there and you happened to come across it. Camera won't miss lead you, simple test to do if you have a good camera. There are rare situations to this rule and can find some areas that will have consistent bedding areas but very small percentage per deer habitat in TN.bowriter said:
Matt-here are a couple things you are not considering. First that article may have been written about a place that does not even exist. He wrote an article. Needed an example so, he made one up. Happens all the time.
Second, if it does exist, consider where it is. It is not TN and that makes a huge difference.
However, if youbelieve that to be a midday bedding area, just go hunt it midday and find out.
It aint rocket surgery.
Second, if it does exist, consider where it is. It is not TN and that makes a huge difference.
However, if youbelieve that to be a midday bedding area, just go hunt it midday and find out.
It aint rocket surgery.
Your right bowriter, just was brainstorming. Deer do different things in different places, period. This is my first year hunting this area of tn, and it is completly different than east tn. You have general guidelines but even they may differ sometimes. I was worried about blowing the only decent place ive found so far.
