How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
02-14-2009, 05:39 PM
#31
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Inverness, MS
Posts: 3,982
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
I found several beds today, some of which were buck beds.
I hunt hill country. I've taken a topo and marked all points on the entire 500 acres. My plan is scout each one of them in the next couple of weeks.
What I'm tring to put together is WHY they decide to bed on one point vs the next point over. One common factor I have found is they bed on the points that offer the greatest view of what is below them. Getting in close during the daylight will be next to impossible.
You need to spend some time on Dan Infalt's website. He is a master on big buck beds. Just google it, you won't be sorry.
I hunt hill country. I've taken a topo and marked all points on the entire 500 acres. My plan is scout each one of them in the next couple of weeks.
What I'm tring to put together is WHY they decide to bed on one point vs the next point over. One common factor I have found is they bed on the points that offer the greatest view of what is below them. Getting in close during the daylight will be next to impossible.
You need to spend some time on Dan Infalt's website. He is a master on big buck beds. Just google it, you won't be sorry.
02-14-2009, 06:08 PM
#32
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
ORIGINAL: hardcorehunter
lol..prerut= halloween through 1st week in nov(MY FAVORITE TIME) rut= 2nd week in Nov through part of 3rd (My least favorite part of the rut to hunt...bucks have does off somewhere in the middle of nowhere...activity slows way down...sucks pretty well Post rut= end of 3rd week in Nov through Thanksgiving.(Awesome time to be out in the woods...bucks are losing does and back on the prowl looking for chics. Rattling works well.
Our bow season opens Oct 1st and closes Jan 10th...so nope..doesnt cover the entire bow season.
ORIGINAL: MeanV2
Ithink that pretty much covers the Bow Season[8D]
Dan
Big mature bucks only drop their guard imo during the prerut, rut, post rut
Dan
Our bow season opens Oct 1st and closes Jan 10th...so nope..doesnt cover the entire bow season.
I would beg to differ
Dan
02-14-2009, 06:23 PM
#33
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: IOWA/25' UP
Posts: 7,145
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
ORIGINAL: MeanV2
For all it's worth that's your definition[8D]
I would beg to differ
Dan
ORIGINAL: hardcorehunter
lol..prerut= halloween through 1st week in nov(MY FAVORITE TIME) rut= 2nd week in Nov through part of 3rd (My least favorite part of the rut to hunt...bucks have does off somewhere in the middle of nowhere...activity slows way down...sucks pretty well Post rut= end of 3rd week in Nov through Thanksgiving.(Awesome time to be out in the woods...bucks are losing does and back on the prowl looking for chics. Rattling works well.
Our bow season opens Oct 1st and closes Jan 10th...so nope..doesnt cover the entire bow season.
ORIGINAL: MeanV2
Ithink that pretty much covers the Bow Season[8D]
Dan
Big mature bucks only drop their guard imo during the prerut, rut, post rut
Dan
Our bow season opens Oct 1st and closes Jan 10th...so nope..doesnt cover the entire bow season.
I would beg to differ
Dan
02-14-2009, 06:30 PM
#34
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
ORIGINAL: Double Creek
I found several beds today, some of which were buck beds.
I found several beds today, some of which were buck beds.
02-14-2009, 06:32 PM
#35
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Inverness, MS
Posts: 3,982
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
Here are a couple pics I took today with my camera phone, but you get the idea.
First is the bed, next is the view down below. It was classic point bed.
First is the bed, next is the view down below. It was classic point bed.
02-14-2009, 06:36 PM
#37
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Inverness, MS
Posts: 3,982
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
One other observation, in hill country you don't typically find the old worn out dirt bed that you may find in a swamp or other flat land. I believe the main reason for this is that in hill country, they bed in several different spots based on that days thermals.
I have been told they will bed with the wind blowing down the point to their back and they will face the open bottom below. Very tough to crack that nut!
I have been told they will bed with the wind blowing down the point to their back and they will face the open bottom below. Very tough to crack that nut!
02-14-2009, 06:40 PM
#38
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
Ok HCH and all his Buddies say the 3 Rut phases run Hallowen through Thanksgiving[8D]
A buck is ready, willing, and able to breed as long as he is carrying hard antlers.
I've found plenty of rubs, and scrapes 1st week of Oct. as well as the same being worked very Late Dec.
I've personally witnessed a Doe being bred mid Oct., and several the 1st half of Jan.
Interesting this could all happen since it is in No way duringany phase of the Rut according to you
This will be my last post on this matter as I learned by arguing with you about Trajectory it's like
Keep after itDon
Dan
A buck is ready, willing, and able to breed as long as he is carrying hard antlers.
I've found plenty of rubs, and scrapes 1st week of Oct. as well as the same being worked very Late Dec.
I've personally witnessed a Doe being bred mid Oct., and several the 1st half of Jan.
Interesting this could all happen since it is in No way duringany phase of the Rut according to you
This will be my last post on this matter as I learned by arguing with you about Trajectory it's like
Keep after itDon
Dan
02-14-2009, 06:52 PM
#40
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Burlington, IA
Posts: 367
RE: How do you guys know exactly where your big bucks are bedding?
Im just gonna throw this out there but I think of the prerut as when the bucks start establishing there territory and you start seeing signs like rub lines and scrapes. In different parts of the country it occurs at slightly different times but here in the midwest my deffinition would fall in the 2nd week of Oct. approximately and run until the end of Oct. I see young bucks starting to chase does that arent yet in cycle around Halloween. The rut falls into place approx late 1st week to 2nd week Nov. and lasts a week up to 2 weeks. Then the post rut runs up until the 2nd week of Dec.During our shotgun season the first week of Dec. most of the bucks we saw were with does and my dad witnessed some love in the air with the buck he got and a doe.