I hunt a piece of property which houses several really nice deer. The property is a total of 200+ acres, however there is a swamp located near a cutover which borders a rye field on the neighboring property which the deer feed in. It is a total of 150 or so yards that the deer walk from where they bed in the swamp/cutover and where they go eat until the acorns start dropping...even then, there is a massive oak ridge about 200 yards away, so the big boys never typically travel more than 400-500 yards at a time...and it doesn't increase much during the rut due to a high doe to buck ratio. My question is; how close will you intrude to a deers bedding area, given that the conditions are perfect, before you feel like you are too close?

Depends, if I know he's in there, and the conditions are great, I'd try to still hunt in for a shot. If You're thinking about just sitting and waiting, I'd stay as far from the bedding area as I can while still getting a shot opportunity in the daylight. So, if he's travelling for food, set up closer to the food then the bedding. It'd all depend on the conditions, the wind, and how bad I wanted him.
-JAke

Im actually just the opposite... if you know what routes the deer are takin to get to and from food you can get pretty close depending on the conditions... the perfect conditions to get close to a bed would be a day when the rain is coming down but not pouring, or if you can get a STRONG wind blowing away from the bedding area. these conditions will rele help cover ur sent and minimize your noise while entering... Hunting closer to the food source is great if you get a good amount of daytime activity but i feel like most mature bucks minimize their showing up around volnerable areas during daylight. I love getting in close to their beds and catching them on their way back in the mornings, you just have to be sure not to get to ur spot by walking through where u may spook them. It sounds like you will have plenty of room to do that though. I would say give it a shot closer to the food source first and see what u get but if that doesnt work i deffinately wouldnt be afraid to get up in there with em 50 to 100 yds out of the bedding area

The only problem with the main food source is that the path they travel is mostly out of the boundaries of my land...go figure. I think I may wait for the best conditions I can get and see if I can get one on his way back to the bedding area

definately worth a shot... Dont get to impatient though. like you said, make sure those conditions are 100 percent in your favor before you get in there. No need to bump him on a not so perfect day

As close as I have to. Got to use the wind coming in and out and while hunting. I was hunting close to a bedding area in the woods I was hunting and I had to circle waaaay around the woods (long walk too) from where I parked on a sw wind so I could enter the woods with the wind in my face and blowing harmlessly out into open cut crop fields and not into the area I was hunting.

I have regularly gone into their bedding area and shot them at 10 feet or less. One stood up stretched took a whiz and then became dinner. Keep track of the wind, move what you think is slow, and then cut that in half. It can be very productive.

The deer may feed in the rye field at night, but they'll be browsing in the clear cut during the day.