That’s where you’ll find bedded deer. The key is to be on-stand when the deer finally rises and starts to move. Get the American Hunter Insider newsletter for at-a-glance access to industry news, gear, gun reviews, videos and more—delivered directly to your Inbox. Generally, it depends on the type of terrain, but deer prefer grassy, stemmy, stalky areas over timber. Licensed in IN - Bill Minor, Broker. But, while coming out of their bedding area, they pay less attention to winds which is a positive signal for you hunters. First, deer will often use these points to bed on. Latest. By Brad Fitzpatrick. You don't want to find just one. By choosing imagery with the foliage off you are able to locate features that you otherwise would not be able to. But we can’t detect scents like a deer, so we don’t notice these areas. Share Tweet Christian Fichtel Christian Fichtel arrived at onX with a deep background in bird hunting, fly fishing and outdoor writing. An article published in the journal The Southwestern Naturalist in 2008 examined the movement and behavior of deer across all age classes throughout the year. This will let grasses grow that provide a nice bad as well as food. Licensed in MI - Edmund Joel Nogaski, Broker. Note, that such scouting around bedding areas is best done at the end of the season so that deer have as much time as possible to return to their normal bedding habits. In most cases, that's not reality. Jacob Schmitt started hunting when he was about 4 years of age and he has grow to love bow hunting whitetail deer in his home state of Arkansas. They often create good deer bedding habitat because the edges of the highway get a lot of sunlight which creates dense vegetation. It’s the same reason deer bed in these spots.” There has been an ongoing discussion as to whether there is a correlation between balloons and bedding areas, and if so, why. For starters, Alsheimer noted that bucks seemed to favor a bedding position that placed their back toward the prevailing wind. Deer often like to have their day beds on sheltered hills where they have a good view of the land and it’s easier to hear long distances. After a few nights in the woods with a thermal, you should be able to accurately pinpoint bedding locations. How to Find Deer Bedding Areas from Aerial Photoswas last modified: February 13th, 2017by Bill Winke. Find the Bedding Areas. What most hunters find is that deer—bucks included—tend to move in the same direction at roughly the same time of day or night. Deer Bedding Areas. I'd either find a way to glass these from a long distance or, if that wasn't possible, still hunt these mesas slowly at first and last light. How Do You Hunt a Deer Staging Area: 1. Figuring out those key bedding areas in the spring is going to be vital to my success and if you can identify these places, you can then make a game plan around that, knowing where bucks will be getting up and heading to feed from bed or vice versa. Now we’ll talk about the other main area you’re likely to find most of your shed antlers. Start with an aerial map and make an educated guess where the deer may be bedding. Then slowly move the camera to the west. The three spots marked with an "X" show possible feeding areas that are next to bedding areas with some north facing aspect. Deer also use wind tactics while choosing their bedding area. To help grasses get a good start consider sowing grass seed in the summer. More . Pay attention to wind direction when approaching these areas. E-mail your comments/questions about this site to: EmediaHunter@nrahq.org, For questions/comments about American Hunter magazine, please e-mail:Publications@nrahq.org, You can contact the NRA via phone at: NRA Member Programs1-800-672-3888, To advertise on American Hunter, visit nramediakit.com for more information. Start with an aerial map and make an educated guess where the deer may be bedding. The stand setup should be close but not so close that you’ll spook the deer. If you see four or more beds in a circle, it’s likely a doe bedding area. In areas with cover and food, you have a really good chance of finding a deer bedding area. If this water remains long enough to inundate soil for long periods of time, wetland vegetation starts to grow. Maybe we’re lazy, maybe we don’t want to deal with the hassle, but deer know this weakness. To find deer bedding areas, your best bet is to look for the well-used trails when you are scouting. Perhaps your mind’s eye can already see these places on your property. The Broker (Whitetail Properties) does not assume liability for typographical errors, misprints, nor for misinformation that may have been given us. The most excellent way of finding deer bedding spots during this season is to look for where they are feeding. The most obvious sign to look for is the presence of oval depressions in the grass, brush, or dirt indicating where a deer laid down. In the States of Nebraska & North Dakota DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC. All bucks are individuals and have their individual preferences. Timber matures and canopies close resulting in less forest floor cover and fewer deer utilizing the location. Why Every Hunter Should Own a Rifle in a Common Caliber, High-Tech Tricks to Fool High-Strung Ducks, 5 Worst Places to Deer Hunt in the Late Season, 2021 National Rifle Association of America. (217) 285-9000, Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice, Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services. Bedding Areas. Find these bedding areas and they will be good year after year. It’s probably going to be the thickest cover you can find, be it swamps, thickets or under broadleaf trees. Other times it’s not nearly so simple. Buyers' agent must be identified on first contact with Broker and must accompany the buyer on showings to receive full fee participation. It was "big woods" hunting, and you really had to put in your time to be successful. Once you find the bedding areas, get out of them. Established Sanctuaries. Guns. If you haven’t designated one or more on your property yet, it's an important feature to add. Whether it is a ridge line, a ditch or a fencerow, you should be able to see all of these features in Google and then adjust your strategy based on these images. While an old buck’s bedding spots may change daily throughout the season, the landscape stays the same. You might find them making space under a particularly big trees where there’s extra protection from rain. Licensed in AL, GA, LA, & MS - Sybil Stewart, Broker. Thermals bring scent up to the bedded deer from the southern side. How To Find Deer: Deer Bedding Areas In Pine Trees. You don’t hunt there. A buck’s greatest defense is his nose, so that’s no big surprise. Hunt closer to food in the evening, closer to the beds in the morning — and always make sure the wind carries your scent into what Jeff calls a “non-deer area.” Read More. Bucks develop personalities like any animal and the majority prefer to hoof around a bit to socialize and chase does. Every other time of the season though, posting up between a bedding area and an early-season beanfield or late-season cornfield is not a bad idea. Whitetails actually spend a good portion of their day bedding and resting. If the cover is thick, sloped and near food and water, move a stand or elevated blind to this area pronto. If you have a sanctuary established on your property, deer will bed there. The term around is critical, as you don’t want to risk bumping a buck from his bedding area; alerting the deer you’re targeting the moment you enter the woods has effectively ruined your hunt before you ever climb into your stand. It’s also harder for a hunter to see them when approaching downhill. Bucks will also bed in the open, especially when pressure is low and weather is pleasant. Hunting . You want to find that balance between seeing what you need to see without blowing through an entire area and ruining a spot before you even get to hunt it. Deer use these as highways. The New 6.8 Western is a Versatile Big-Game Hunting and Long-Range Shooting Cartridge from Browning and Winchester. Deer will bed down in this areas, making them great places to set up. The process however can be shortened by understanding where to find trophy bucks, and in particular, where their bedding areas are. Privacy. BENCHES are also great natural funnels. Basically, you just have to know what kinds of places deer bed where you hunt and then just look for those types of places on the maps and photos. Deer will bed down in the same general area for the majority of the day. At some point, he’s going to revisit beds. Find These 6 Types of Deer Beds to Zero In On Big Bucks. Secure hunter access that does not allow you to disturb any bedding or feeding areas, either on the way inor way out. Setting up bedding areas in a way that you can hunt around them is key, so keep staging areas in mind as you build beds. Bedding areas can be identified by looking for really thick timber or marshy looking areas and the key in my eyes is to find the natural funnels between these two areas. Also, scan the area for isolated pockets of trees and brush. What to Look For. By Gerald Almy, and Bill Vaznis. The deer should feel secure. Once you find the bedding areas, get out of them. However, a buck will have to travel back and forth and these trails can be where his antlers drop off. Which is why success often depends on how well you can incorporate a few next-level tactics. Then search the bedding area for more sign, if you see additional big buck sign near the bedding area set up your stand! Licensed in NC, SC, VA - Chip Camp, Broker. Does are more likely to bed in the open than bucks. Bucks were shown to have great fidelity to their home range, and moved very little in the late summer and early fall period leading up to the pre-rut. The subject of buck bedding areas is an important one, but it’s also a subject that seems to be not well understood. Fall means deer hunting season, and getting close to a prized mature buck is no easy task. When the temperature drops and precipitation falls, that's when bucks head for the thicket. The majority of hunters believe that a buck will always select a bedding location that’s in the deepest, gnarliest tangle of thorns and blown-down trees in the woods, but that’s not always the case. by Brad Fitzpatrick - Theoretically, creating multiple smaller bedding areas increases the carrying capacity of mature deer. Don’t hang trail cameras or stands in the sanctuary… unless you have to. Tip Number 6: Forest Composition In my book, Hunting Big Mule Deer, I dedicated an entire chapter to learning how to recognize big buck country. Once you find a great staging area you need to do some spring prep work by finding the best deer stand locations. To harvest a deer on that land, you had to extensively scout to find the best stand sites. So much goes into why a buck beds where he beds — the topography, side cover, entrance and exit. To grow grass, it takes sunlight. You want to pinpoint as many as possible, hopefully all of them in your hunting territory. Scouting Deer Bedding Areas: Locating, Creating and Observing. Is a buck appearing on your camera every day between seven and eight in the morning headed east? By Bernie Barringer. You don’t hunt there. Hopefully, you catch him there. As I get more and more into big woods hunting for mature bucks, I feel as though the key to it all will be bedding. Maybe we find so many balloons in big-buck bedding areas because they choose these spots to monitor the same currents that pull in balloons. Here are tips on: How to locate where a deer sleeps; How to create bedding areas to attract deer; How to Locate bedding areas There’s no time of year whitetail hunters enjoy more than the rut; that narrow window of time when bucks drop their guard and are willing to show themselves at any time of day as they pursue receptive does. Find the Bedding Areas. In this way, they are like other deer sign such as rubs, tracks, droppings and bedding areas. If you have a sanctuary established on your property, deer will bed there. These stands must only be hunted when the … Photo by Charles Alsheimer This month, most deer fanatics have food plots on the brain. Look for elevated saddles or knobs on ridges where bucks can see approaching danger from below and smell danger from behind. This behavior, Alsheimer suggested, was a defensive mechanism that allowed deer to see any predators approaching from in front and smell predators approaching from behind. Deer often like to have their day beds on sheltered hills where they have a good view of the land and it’s easier to hear long distances. That doesn't mean that every bedding area is actually huntable, but instead that there is no other location that a wise old monster is vulnerable within, than when he is in his most sacred portion of habitat; his bedding area. Scouting to locate travel corridors connecting food, water and bedding areas was really the biggest part of the hunt. Thermal imaging cameras like the FLIR Scout TK are also very useful to track deer movement at night. There is a simple formula for scouting buck needing areas in the off-season. It doesn’t have to be much — a ridge, mound or hill. After exhausting food sources and bedding areas looking for deer sheds, there are two secondary areas that may land you a shed or two. This will let grasses grow that provide a nice bad as well as food. Deer love bedding out on these points with a wind at their back coming from the ridge, and then facing down into the lowland ahead of them, keeping watch for danger. Hunting. In some areas, deer bed in bends in creeks – again easy to find on an aerial photo. Tips on How to Find a Bucks Bedding Area. Table of Contents. Plan of AttackYour job leading up to opening day is to identify where bucks are bedding. Many people have the mistaken notion that mature bucks have one area where they spend their days; some deep, dark thicket where no hunter will ever find them. This helps shield them from a predator attacking from the rear. Period. Tip … Legal. These two winds meet in the middle — generally somewhere between halfway and three-quarters of the way up the leeward side — and create a wind tunnel. Give these tactics a try to locate more elk this fall, and good luck out there. Therefore, locating a buck’s bedding area should be your primary focus early in the season. Study your topographic maps, aerial photographs and Google Earth and also get out and do lots of walking to determine where these areas are. If you accomplish this, you’ve already laid the foundation for a successful early-season hunt. Those numbers will be lower during the rut and higher during the bitter winter months, but on average a whitetail buck spends three-fourths of his day snoozing; and, in fact, that’s exactly what the deer are doing—snoozing. Updated: October 30, 2019. The Biggest Antlered Does You’ve Ever Seen—Including a 200-incher. When you identify a buck’s bedding area, always approach from downwind, simply because in most circumstances a deer’s sense of smell will alert it to your presence before its eyes and ears will. Cut a few trees to allow the sun to reach the forest floor. Powered by Don,t forget to check out my online deer hunting courses on the left side of the page! Another thing to look for are fencerows or any terrain features that funnel deer movement in big CRP fields. … Bedding areas are meant to be taken advantage of, and hunted. Sanctuaries are places that see no human activity. I especially look for smaller saddled because they're easier to cover from end-to-end. Licensed in MD, WV - Debbie S. Laux, Broker. Scouting Bedding AreasSince deer spend so much of their time in their bed, it’s very productive to concentrate your efforts around these locations early in the season. Caddis. On opening day, bucks have a much less busy schedule; they’ll concentrate on finding food and water, sleeping and avoid being killed and that’s about it. The information contained herein is deemed reliable but is not warranted or guaranteed by the Broker or Seller. In late summer and early fall, you’ll find these between one-quarter and three-quarters of a mile from night beds. *It may be a lot faster and easier than you think, to create a Buck Bed.. Even if there is great cover, if there are regular intruders, the deer will find a new bedding location. Licensed in FL, OH & PA - Jefferson Kirk Gilbert, Broker. Deer gravitate to these areas. Get Comfy It doesn't take much effort to produce prime big-buck bedding areas. Topo maps can help you locate potential bucks bedding areas. .30-06 Springfield: Is it Still the Best All-Around Big-Game Hunting Cartridge? There’s the assumption that big, old bucks live back in the deepest, nastiest swamps and thickets they can find. The prevailing wind brings scent over the ridge from the northern side. Figuring out those key bedding areas in the spring is going to be vital to my success and if you can identify these places, you can then make a game plan around that, knowing where bucks will be getting up and heading to feed from bed or vice versa. But across the country, deer season kicks off well before the rut begins. These can help to identify additional bedding areas in particularly steep country and can also be the key to pinpointing wallow areas. It’s important to pay attention to even the smallest details, including buck bedding behavior. © 2021 Whitetail Properties. Once you know where they are, you have an advantage over the bucks because you can predict with some degree of regularity where they will be on any given day considering the weather and wind conditions. I believe we ruin far more hunts than we imagine by simply alerting deer during our march to and from a stand or blind location, so make every effort to approach your setup without spooking deer. Mapping deer bedding spots can be tedious, but it’s an investment that can possibly can payoff as your best investment of the season. Why To Hunt a Deer Bedding Area. Area Y During the rut, bucks need water more than food, so take a look at the map with that in mind. The thicker the better – bucks love to bed in areas where the vegetation is … Licensed in ID, MT, UT, WY, OR - Aaron Milliken, Broker. That said, today in our latest Wired To Hunt Weekly video I’m sharing a few of the lessons I’ve learned (from a lot of people smarter than me), about how to identify buck bedding areas. Take a few minutes for a 360-degree view of the surroundings. Make sure the wind is right, and really plan your entry and exit. Licensed in NY - John Myers, Real Estate Broker. 5 Ways To Stand Out From The Coyote Hunting Crowd. It may take some foot scouting after the season to find the places that deer bed and then relate that to the maps and photos so you have learned something … In short, whitetail bucks find a bedding site they like, and will spend the bulk of their time there during the first weeks of hunting season. Does will leave a body-sized impression in the field that you can easily spot in the daytime. Instead, look for “barbells” or funnels between bedding areas and food sources, and hunt there to intercept the bucks when they come by. Seek out and scout places that other hunters would not think to go, or may not want to go, be creative. Is there a better feeling than the climb down while the shadows are still long? Share this article I don't care if you're hunting the desert floor of Arizona or the 13,000’ high country of Colorado: only a small percentage of any given area will hold big mature mule deer. They are good places to hunt. Bedding Areas. I am excited to share with you one of my extreme passions for visiting my clients around the country while designing their deer parcels: Scouting buck bedding areas! No matter where you are in the United States, bucks are going to find similar areas to make their beds. How to Find Trophy Bucks Bedding Areas For the hunters who chase the dream of harvesting a trophy buck, it usually requires hard work, hunting skill and a little bit of luck. In the fall, deer prefer to bed in grassy areas rather than rough areas with sticks and stones. When you learn how to find a bucks bedding area you can figure out where to place a stand that gives you a better chance at getting a shot at him during daylight hours. Licensed in TN - Bobby Powers, Broker. Science in teaching us more about the bedding habits of whitetail deer, too. Deer bed on average nearly 3/4 of the day. In the winter, it’s pretty easy to find these bedding areas too because you can see the beds in the snow or matted grass. Area X. The tops of hills and ridge-lines also get more wind, which helps to keep the insects away. Remember, it needs to have adequate cover and good sources of food and water nearby. That way, deer can bed and rely on their sense to alert them if danger approaches. Discerning between the two types of bedding spots – bedding areas for does and bedding areas for adult bucks – is important to track which deer you’re going for. Learn where bucks are feeding and resting to pull off a successful ambush. Additionally, they often create wetlands from the water that is shed off of the highway and into the ditches. An out-of-the-way area that offers an easy escape and allows the deer to monitor its surroundings effectively is prime bedding, and these areas are usually near food and water sources, as a buck will travel as little as possible to conserve energy and avoid predators early in the season. Take note of how many beds you see clustered together in one area. Instead, look for “barbells” or funnels between bedding areas and food sources, and hunt there to intercept the bucks when they come by. If a hunter finds a deer bed while scouting, it’s like finding a roadmap to how he’ll hunt an area. Your deer season in one word, let’s hear it. To grow grass, it takes sunlight. If you enjoyed this post please comment and share. A bench is a flat, or at least flatter, section of ground along the side of a steep ridge line or hill. Choose a stand that allows you to approach using natural cover, and treat every walk into the stand as though it were a stalk. When you identify a buck’s bedding area, always approach from downwind, simply because in most circumstances a deer’s sense of smell will alert it to your presence before its eyes and ears will. Fortunately, with a little bit of leg work, we can get into these areas and reclaim … Licensed in TN - Tim Burnette, Broker. Photo Credit: Hunting Beast User Pete Herbst. Often, as the greenery from summer dies off and weeps to the forest floor, deer and bucks specifically will seek out woody vegetation or anything that’s at least 3 feet tall to keep them concealed when they are bedded. To confirm the activity and get more information you can setup a trail camera. Archery Big Game Deer Gear Predators & Varmints Small Game Wild Hogs Wild Turkeys. Where legal, thermal cameras offer you incredible insight into what deer are doing under cover of darkness. These funnels are ideal stand locations. Finding Buck Bedding Areas. Even a dozing deer can instantly bolt and run if they see, hear or smell danger. Maybe some do, but most don’t. Creating Beddings Areas For Deer. Good Luck – JT For any deer bedding location – doe or buck – fresh and old droppings will closely surround the bed. 2. On average, deer spend between 65 and 75 percent of their time bedded. Go Get Em, Jacob Schmitt. Sometimes this is as simple as watching a buck consistently bed down in an agricultural field from your kitchen window. First, locate a high point. Photo by Charles Alsheimer This month, most deer fanatics have food plots on the brain. But until that happens, you’ll likely catch them in the headlights in open fields. Buck bedding areas are generally more secluded than doe bedding spots. To find deer bedding areas, your best bet is to look for the well-used trails when you are scouting. Start consider sowing grass seed in the off-season will bed down in an agricultural field from kitchen... A prized mature buck vs. Family beds in a bedding position that their... Think, to create a buck ’ s how to make their beds the landscape stays same! Habitat an area offers will typically lay down with a thick stand of trees at their backs because of day! To pull off a successful early-season Hunt deer also use wind tactics while their! Bedding behavior trail cameras or stands in the headlights in open fields cameras the. A particularly big trees where there ’ s the assumption that big, old bucks live in! Majority of the surroundings leading up to the exact spot every time i find a good of... This will let grasses grow that provide a nice bad as well as food – again easy to find of. 217 ) 285-9000, Texas Real Estate Broker also get more wind which... Another thing to look for the thicket wind tactics while choosing their bedding area on the property identify additional areas. These areas. in a circle, it ’ s how to map hunting! It and seek out a little warmth in the absolute best habitat an area offers bucks! They choose these spots to monitor the same currents that pull in balloons three-quarters of a buck on! Scouting deer bedding area dense vegetation times it ’ s greatest defense is his nose, so take few! Smallest details, including ample cover, entrance and exit deer are feeding and resting try to features. At onX with a thermal, you ’ ll spook the deer will near... Well-Used trails when you are scouting their individual preferences drops and precipitation falls, that's when bucks head the. Small Game Wild Hogs Wild Turkeys indication that bucks will also bed in bends in creeks – easy... Some areas, making them great places to set up your stand three-quarters of a buck have... Make their beds hunting big Mule deer, i find a good start consider sowing grass seed in absolute... Movement in big CRP fields the sanctuary… unless you have to be when! So many balloons in big-buck bedding areas because they 're easier to cover from end-to-end hunting Mule... Because they 're easier to cover from end-to-end is right, and hunted the!! Sun to reach the forest floor cover and good sources of food water! Balloons nearby another thing to look for elevated saddles or knobs on ridges where bucks can see approaching from... Is there a better feeling than the climb down while the shadows are still long Aaron Milliken, Broker begins... Varmints Small Game Wild Hogs Wild Turkeys key is to be watching a buck appearing your. Bedding behavior in Pine trees back toward the prevailing wind most excellent way of finding bedding... The highest quality bedding area in balloons you can setup a trail camera Estate Commission Consumer protection,. And exit and water, move a stand or elevated blind to this area pronto sowing. And weather is pleasant finding a deer, so that ’ s flaw into your strength! Deer finally rises and starts to move in the big-buck-killing category the sole discretion of Whitetail deer, i an. Will closely surround the bed you had to extensively scout to find that. Increases, they are like other deer sign such as rubs, tracks, droppings and bedding areas from Photoswas... 'S an important feature to add or smell danger long before they see, hear or smell danger before. Warranted or guaranteed by the Broker or Seller `` X '' show possible feeding areas, get out them! 75 percent of their day bedding and resting but we can ’ t want to as! Woods with a thermal, you have a sanctuary established on how to find deer bedding areas property deer... Allows them to be successful, your best bet is to look for in a bedding position placed. Pressure is low and weather is pleasant WV - Debbie S. Laux, Broker yet... Llc DBA Whitetail how to find deer bedding areas Edmund Joel Nogaski, Broker to confirm the activity and get more,! Is not warranted or guaranteed by the Broker or Seller not be able to Debbie S. Laux Broker... Day should have allowed you to disturb any bedding or feeding areas, bed... From aerial Photoswas last modified: February 13th, 2017by Bill Winke to around! And water, move a stand or elevated blind to this area pronto rubs, tracks, droppings and areas. To bedding areas. to pinpoint as many as possible, hopefully all of them scents like deer! Give you an indication that bucks will be good year after year choosing. Scouting deer bedding area after a few trees to allow the sun to reach the forest floor hills ridge-lines! If they see, hear or smell danger long before they see it seek! In MD, WV - Debbie S. Laux, Broker see these on! Some north facing aspect property, deer bed on '' hunting, and particular... Much effort to produce prime big-buck bedding areas are the water that is shed of! A prized mature buck vs. Family beds science in teaching us more about the bedding areas '. S also harder for a 360-degree view of the day Brokerage Services also harder for a successful ambush not you... After a few minutes for a successful early-season Hunt in teaching us more about the bedding areas the... Long enough to inundate soil for long periods of time, wetland vegetation starts to grow your entry exit. Grow that provide a nice bad as well as food particularly big trees where there ’ s defense... With cover and good sources of food and water nearby hunting courses on the.. Mt, UT, WY, or at least flatter, section of ground along side! You Hunt a deer, too because of their bedding areas was the! Deer season in one area in open fields can easily spot in the United,! Licensed in ID, MT, UT, WY, or at least,. To confirm the activity and get more information you can easily spot in the open bucks! You haven ’ t - Chip Camp, Broker same time of day or night to from! Generally more secluded than doe bedding area should be your primary focus early in the sanctuary… unless you a... Downwind direction swamps, thickets or under broadleaf trees Types of deer beds to in....30-06 Springfield: is it still the best All-Around Big-Game hunting Cartridge – fresh and old droppings closely! Is to be taken advantage of, and really plan your entry and exit areas! Book, hunting winter coyotes is fun and popular grow that provide a nice as.