Bedding areas are essentially safe areas where the deer feel comfortable and protected from both nature and prey. However as mentioned these change with landscape, seasons, pressure, etc. Basically the thought is always place yourself between a safe area (bedding) and where they ulitimately are going (food or water). This is otherwise known as a transition area. The reason being as the days shorten and the breading habits appear deer in general change their movements but bucks even more so. So it is considered more productive to find a location that deer fell safe travelling during daylight to get to their destination. WhatI look for is natural fall lines that will help force deer to a ceratin mass when transitioning from bed to food or water. Such land masses would be a funnel, draw, saddle, ridgelines, ravines, etcthey are areas where feeder trails channel to one area and then may branch again to the final destinations. The deeper in transition the better from my perspective. This doesn't always mean I am well into the bush but rather areas that offer deer a safe travel way to get to their destinations. So while many food sources have a draw or areas that channel deer movements into them, they are still close to where the deer have to expose themselves...therefor I look for these areas further back in the transition (aka journey). For example one area I hunt is surrounded on three side by bush, it is a large alfalfa field that offers very few spots deer can hide from the road. In this location the deer actually come from 3 different direction to a lone saddle in the north west corner and filter on cutter trails to different points of the field to eventuallyfeed. While it would be closer for those deer to spit straight out of the bush to the field they don't unless it is dark. This saddle is basically a200 longby 100 yard wide low spot that has some small brushbut mostly made up ofgrass, between the wooded areas. I have never seen a deer bed in this area, but they pass through all day long. When I sit on the ridgeline I can not see the field or road...so the deer feel very safe moving here during the daylight.

The best way is via scouting knowing where the deer like to rest and where they like to eat and drink. Once you have this component covered look for areas between these location that offer safety while moving and then check sign to determine the best locations. I always take in account wind direction and find spots that will allow me to hunt on each wind that might be presented. Only when the wind is right do I hunt the spot.