tealboy

One of the guys asked about hunting nocturnal bucks and everyone said hunt his bedding area. That's logical, but it seems to me, the hard part is finding the bedding area. What are some tips to find the bedding area?

buckeye

Deer in my area is all I can speak for. I am located in the flatlands, no hills to speak of.

With that in mind they seem to perfer to bed in smaller sized thickets. Usually 1/2 - 5 acres in size.

Open fields with uncut hay or over grown fields.

They also spend alot of time bedding in the corn fields.

High earth spots in shallow swamps is a favorite for them if they have access to a swamp.

During the summer it is nothing for them to bed right in the middle of the woods with no real cover any where to speak of.

Ate-Up

Look for the thick nasty areas close to feeding areas.

JZarr

You gotta get out in the woods and walk around. You're looking for thick areas that provide a lot of cover and security for the deer. The thicker the better. If you see a trail going into a group of briar bushes and think to yourself "there's no way in hell I'm walking into that stuff." that's what you're looking for. You should be able to identify beds and look for abundance of other sign like rubs, scrapes, etc.

TOBY V

The best answer to this riddle is to be found in late January and February. Especially if there is snow cover, track them in the snow till you start jumping deer. Look for specific tracks that would help you identify a large buck and follow them. You will find his home and it wont matter because by then most seasons are over. Even if there isn't any snow cover, the trails will tell the story. It will be more difficult without snow but the sign will remain. Start at the food source and back track. I will say that just because you see a monster buck on your hunting property during the rut does not mean he will be there pre or post rut. Some deer will travel great distances when the urge makes them crazy, but will live in a very limited area when they are not all consumed by the ultimate urge.

lou-lou

Number 1 I would look for the nastiest cover I could find. You know no way a deer would make it thru that stuff much less a rabbit. Food for thought: Set up one evening just to watch deer in the field , then go in mid day and follow the deer run, make sure that scent control is followed. I believe that it is still early enough that the deer won't be alarmed to bad. be carefull..Good hunting. P.S. It sounds wierd but try it during the rain , scent will be down and the woods are quiet.

adams

Scouting is the best way to find the good bedding cover. In my area the deer like good thick cover that is void of human presence. This will likely be the case all over. My local spots in the ever sprawling suburbs I find the deer in small tracts of land that offer cover, water and food. My hot spot is an overgrown creek bottom. It offers food, water shelter and many good exits.
Up north where I hunt the bigwoods, the bucks like the confines of what we call the pretty lands. Very thick conifers and green swamps that are boardered by hardwood ridges.This is what makes up the core area for bucks in this area I hunt.

Bottom line get out and find good cover that offers food, water and secure exits and you will likely find the deer.

RTA47

Scouting is the best way to find bedding area`s barr-none ! thick areas is the most common for deer to use in most landscape. However that is not the only place they will use as bedding area`s bigger and older age deer will find areas that most hunters over look such as hillsides facing into the wind with many escape routs, its very hard to hunt an area like this! he can sent you out before you ever get close he can also see any thing that moves in his direction biggerbuck will often find hillsides with high grassy sloops when you out scouting don`t overlook these type areas?

Tazman

Well you have gotten some excellent replies, but one thing that will make it easier to answer this question is where you are hunting and when? Depending on the terrain and time of year deer will bed in different areas, some areas the most important thing to a deer for bedding is to be out of the wind and to be able to see long distances, in other areas the most important thing is thick cover. Most of the places I hunt it is as others have said thick cover, the thicker the better, however that does not always hold true, this one big buck Ihave been trying to stick for several years now beds in the middle of a posted overgrown field, there is absolutley no way to get close enough to him during shooting hours to stick him!

wolfen68

Ridges, ridges, ridges...if no ridges then thick & nasty. Thick& nasty ridge lines are the ultimate...good luck killing that buck!