Finding Buck Beds
08-27-2011, 08:51 AM
#21
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
In answer tho the thread question, without being there, here a a few pointers on locating core areas, (where the animnal spend sthe majority of their day during daylight hours) and then theier bedding areas, (which may be anywhere within that core area. thsi holds true for deer, elk and moose, sometimes mule deer and caribou, partly with pronghorn, and with bear. This shoudl help anyone - anywhere.
North american antlered animlas:
!. because they are prey species, they are crepuscular, meaning they are most active within about two hours of dawn and dusk, and in secure areas most of the day (with whitetails often in a traditionsl but seasonal daytime core area), and active a bit in the middle of the night, often bedding in or near food sources at night, but in secure areas during the day (with whitetails this means their daytime traditional core areas).
1. core areas are usually in both secure (from humns), and weather protective cover (woods, heavy brush, cattails, cornfields, sometimes open fields). Makes sense. where they can get out of the prevailing wind, heat, cold, rain/hail or heavy snow) Makes sense.
2. they often bed in different areas on different days, based on the weather. they may bed in open area when it is hot and windy. in low ares or thick cover when it is windy, in areas with overhed cover if it is rainy or hailing, in ares out of the wind when it is cold, in areas in the sun when it is cold but ther is now wind, in areas where there it is open but there is shade when it is hot and no wind. Makes sense.
2,Whietail Buck beds are often on the downwind side of a hill, often in thick cover or with an open view downhill, where they can get out of the wind, but smell from behind them, and see and hear to the sides and in front of them. Makes sense.
With that being said, to actually locate a buck core area, follow a buck rub route as it leaves anighttinme food source, adn heas into cover, with the the rubs facing you. If the trail begins to go up hill, be alert, if it head into thick cover, be alert. it you begin to loose the trail, or it looks as if it ight lead off into seveal different directins, you areprobabliy in a bedding area, because the deer bedded inone aree based on the weather one day, and in another area based on the weather another day. If you see an abundance of rubs on 1 inch or smaller saplngs or sshrubs, - you are probably in a bedding area, or close to it. If you see a numbef of differnt beds, of the same size, you are probably in a buck bedding area, If you see a urine spray at the bakc of the bed,, or you see a large cylindircal deer dropping near a bed, you are probably in a buck bedding area. ther are a lot more techniques on how to lacate bucks, and hunt them on their rub routes, which is where you are most likely to see them traveling in the weeks before the rut.
Bucks rarely make scrapes in their daytime core areas.
SO - without even looking at a map, I cah say this, look for places humans would not usually go into, look for places out of the way, look for areas that offer protection from the weather at that time of the year. Look for places where a buck can see, hear ans smell most of the way around himself.
If you have questions - ask me here - or contact me at [email protected].
God bless,
T.R.
North american antlered animlas:
!. because they are prey species, they are crepuscular, meaning they are most active within about two hours of dawn and dusk, and in secure areas most of the day (with whitetails often in a traditionsl but seasonal daytime core area), and active a bit in the middle of the night, often bedding in or near food sources at night, but in secure areas during the day (with whitetails this means their daytime traditional core areas).
1. core areas are usually in both secure (from humns), and weather protective cover (woods, heavy brush, cattails, cornfields, sometimes open fields). Makes sense. where they can get out of the prevailing wind, heat, cold, rain/hail or heavy snow) Makes sense.
2. they often bed in different areas on different days, based on the weather. they may bed in open area when it is hot and windy. in low ares or thick cover when it is windy, in areas with overhed cover if it is rainy or hailing, in ares out of the wind when it is cold, in areas in the sun when it is cold but ther is now wind, in areas where there it is open but there is shade when it is hot and no wind. Makes sense.
2,Whietail Buck beds are often on the downwind side of a hill, often in thick cover or with an open view downhill, where they can get out of the wind, but smell from behind them, and see and hear to the sides and in front of them. Makes sense.
With that being said, to actually locate a buck core area, follow a buck rub route as it leaves anighttinme food source, adn heas into cover, with the the rubs facing you. If the trail begins to go up hill, be alert, if it head into thick cover, be alert. it you begin to loose the trail, or it looks as if it ight lead off into seveal different directins, you areprobabliy in a bedding area, because the deer bedded inone aree based on the weather one day, and in another area based on the weather another day. If you see an abundance of rubs on 1 inch or smaller saplngs or sshrubs, - you are probably in a bedding area, or close to it. If you see a numbef of differnt beds, of the same size, you are probably in a buck bedding area, If you see a urine spray at the bakc of the bed,, or you see a large cylindircal deer dropping near a bed, you are probably in a buck bedding area. ther are a lot more techniques on how to lacate bucks, and hunt them on their rub routes, which is where you are most likely to see them traveling in the weeks before the rut.
Bucks rarely make scrapes in their daytime core areas.
SO - without even looking at a map, I cah say this, look for places humans would not usually go into, look for places out of the way, look for areas that offer protection from the weather at that time of the year. Look for places where a buck can see, hear ans smell most of the way around himself.
If you have questions - ask me here - or contact me at [email protected].
God bless,
T.R.
08-29-2011, 06:25 AM
#23
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
I use mine in a tactical fashion, by starting out placing mine along trails trying to get a photo of him. Once I get a single photo I then move my camera farther back until I began to get more and more pics until im confident I found his core area. After awhile you can pattern him and know when and what day he is coming thru that particular area. If u try this take notes on wind direction because the wind will dictate which way he may approach from. Then u can hunt that area on the wind direction the buck prefers. Hope this makes since and helps!
I may have to go deeper into the woods as he may be using a trail further down the ridge towards the river.
08-29-2011, 07:25 AM
#24
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
With that being said, to actually locate a buck core area, follow a buck rub route as it leaves anighttinme food source, adn heas into cover, with the the rubs facing you. If the trail begins to go up hill, be alert, if it head into thick cover, be alert. it you begin to loose the trail, or it looks as if it ight lead off into seveal different directins, you areprobabliy in a bedding area, because the deer bedded inone aree based on the weather one day, and in another area based on the weather another day. If you see an abundance of rubs on 1 inch or smaller saplngs or sshrubs, - you are probably in a bedding area, or close to it.
T.R.
T.R.
That being said I have been trying to find rub-routes since reading your book and have had a very tough time. The only rub route I found was a short one that went from that "dry slough" (as seen on page 1 of this thread) with all the rubs to the south field, cutting through that island of trees. When I scouted the ridge to the north I found very few rubs along trails as you can see from the map.
Secondly since there is that cluster of rubs in that dry slough would that mean it is near their bed, or are they just rubbing in doe-use areas? My camera shows a bachelor group cutting through that slough morning and evening (except for the big buck I have been trying to find).
08-29-2011, 08:36 AM
#25
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
Since there is no way a buck can travel more than about 1.5 miles in a night, before turning around and going back to it's core area, look for a core area withn 1.5 miles of an open food source. Which is where you will often find lots of rubs and scrapes, because does are feedign there, and other bucks are meeting them there.
Next, look for a lightly used trail with rubs on 1-2 inch trees - leading away from the food source, and follow it back - heading through different areas, but going toward a secure or wooded area.
Since a buck rub route is geneally only traveled in one direction, by only one deer, only one time a day, it is VERY lightly used, and may not even look like a traill, except for the rubs along it. You can often find a rub route leading away from an open area or agricultural field - at the corner, or in a gully or finger of brush or trees leading up to, or into, the field.
Hopefully you can follow this lightly used trail, by seeing rubs from as close as 5 feet to as far as 1/2 mile apart. If it has rained or there is snow on the grouned it makes it easier to see the trail. But, remember, it will lead AWAY frorm a food source.
Or you can follow a trail that leads to a food source, by waliking it backwards, with the rubs on the far side of the tree as you walk.
Do not expect to see scrapes within about 40 yards, or even more, of a bedding area.
I hope that helps.
God bless,
T.R.
This kind of turned into one of my intenet seminars didn't it?
Do you guys want me to run a few more??? If so on what topic?
Next, look for a lightly used trail with rubs on 1-2 inch trees - leading away from the food source, and follow it back - heading through different areas, but going toward a secure or wooded area.
Since a buck rub route is geneally only traveled in one direction, by only one deer, only one time a day, it is VERY lightly used, and may not even look like a traill, except for the rubs along it. You can often find a rub route leading away from an open area or agricultural field - at the corner, or in a gully or finger of brush or trees leading up to, or into, the field.
Hopefully you can follow this lightly used trail, by seeing rubs from as close as 5 feet to as far as 1/2 mile apart. If it has rained or there is snow on the grouned it makes it easier to see the trail. But, remember, it will lead AWAY frorm a food source.
Or you can follow a trail that leads to a food source, by waliking it backwards, with the rubs on the far side of the tree as you walk.
Do not expect to see scrapes within about 40 yards, or even more, of a bedding area.
I hope that helps.
God bless,
T.R.
This kind of turned into one of my intenet seminars didn't it?
Do you guys want me to run a few more??? If so on what topic?
Last edited by trmichels; 08-29-2011 at 08:41 AM.
08-29-2011, 08:49 AM
#26
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
I'd say that a buck could be bedded anywhere in those pine trees, and suing them as a daytime core area. Iit could bed anywhere in them, on any day. dobn't ezxpect to se sevferawl beds cloe to each other in an aread like tht . they coudl be sspred otu all over the palc, ladn it may not ahve a preferred site.
The importna thing to find out, is where the buck generally begins uising the saem rub route as it comes out of the core area, which is swher y9ou are most likely to see it in the late afternoon/earl;y evening s it heads out to feed in the evening. You really do not need to knwo exacltly where it bes, as long s you find the rub routes it uses - which are where you should setup. .
The importna thing to find out, is where the buck generally begins uising the saem rub route as it comes out of the core area, which is swher y9ou are most likely to see it in the late afternoon/earl;y evening s it heads out to feed in the evening. You really do not need to knwo exacltly where it bes, as long s you find the rub routes it uses - which are where you should setup. .
08-29-2011, 09:47 AM
#27
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
I'd say that a buck could be bedded anywhere in those pine trees, and suing them as a daytime core area. Iit could bed anywhere in them, on any day. dobn't ezxpect to se sevferawl beds cloe to each other in an aread like tht . they coudl be sspred otu all over the palc, ladn it may not ahve a preferred site. .
08-29-2011, 08:03 PM
#29
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 417
If that property is lessthan 1.45 miles wide and long, they maay not even bed on the property. Generally speaking, look for bedding areas on the downwind side of a hill or woods from prevailing winds, in a low lying area, in thick cover.
even if they are not on the propery look for trails coming onto the propery, and look for evening and morning food sources to hunt.
even if they are not on the propery look for trails coming onto the propery, and look for evening and morning food sources to hunt.
08-30-2011, 06:35 AM
#30
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 136
In this website the author claims that clusters of rubs and sign post rubs are often near a buck's bedding area. Could it be possible that a buck/bucks are bedded near where all that sign is in that central bush not too far from the house (note we don't actually live out there). Although the dry slough looks tempting I would think the river ridge would provide more security.