Should you hunt deer bedding areas?

Hunting a Buck's Core Area Can Be Highly Productive

Over the years, I have been fortunate to kill mature bucks by hunting food sources, rutting hotspots and bedding areas, and what I've learned is that a buck's bedding area — where he spends most of his time — is the best place to kill him.

How close should you hunt to a bedding area?

Keep moving closer, but do it slowly and methodically, or you'll spook the deer. “Don't rush it,” he said. “It's important not to jump right in to where they're at. I like to hunt 100 yards off the fringes (of the bedding area).

Do deer come back to the same bedding areas?

1 | Time Spent Bedding

Deer are creatures of habit and may bed in the same location repeatedly. One exception is during periods of the rut when bucks are on the move searching for estrus does and defending their hierarchy.

What do deer look for in a bedding area?

A buck's bedding area represents the hub of the wheel for his movement—the central location that all other paths radiate out from. Food sources, funnels, trails, scrapes, and rubs are all important, but buck bedding is the sun which all of these other factors orbit.

How far do Bucks travel from bedding?

They have to get up to hydrate themselves, eat, and use the bathroom. However, once mature bucks feed when the sun is up, it is typically only within 100 to 150 yards from the bedding area. With that being said, if you can locate a solid food source to a bedding area, you are almost guaranteed to spot a buck.

WHEN To Hunt BUCK Bedding Areas

Should deer bed be high or low?

Just like it's ridiculous to think deer always walk into the wind, it's also ridiculous to say that deer ALWAYS do No. 5 and 6 above. That said, most of the time they do practice those two things. But even when they don't, bucks almost always seem to bed down and watch their back trail for predators.

Where do big bucks go during the day?

However, it is much more common to see a big deer on its feet in daylight feeding in a staging area. These can be small food plots, pockets of dropped acorns, etc. Find these locations between bedding areas and major food sources. That's the best way to kill a mature buck while it's eating.

How do you get a bedded buck up?

When you get near the point, resist the urge to pick up the pace, even though if the buck is there, he's most likely close—just down the hill a bit. Get low, on your hands and knees if there's not much cover, and peer over. If you're lucky, you'll see the back of a rack. Or a buck just standing up from his bed.

Where do mature bucks bed down?

Mature bucks will typically lay down with a thick stand of trees at their backs. This helps shield them from a predator attacking from the rear. It's also harder for a hunter to see them when approaching downhill.

How far do deer bed from food?

They get up to feed. They get up to drink. They get up to relieve themselves. However, when mature deer do feed during the day, it's generally within 100 to 150 yards of their bedding area.

Is my hunt over when a deer blows?

Definitely not. Sometimes it will make other deer nervous, sometimes they don't even seem to care. But it can get annoying when you get the one doe that likes to just stand there and blow for like 10 minutes instead of just leaving.

How long can deer smell where you walked?

Estimates state that a whitetail deer can detect human scent for up to 10 days after it's left.

How long will deer avoid an area?

Hunt a stand one time and, on average, bucks will avoid it for three days. Bucks also changed their behavior relative to food plot use in the stand area. At the onset of hunting season, bucks visited the food plots one of every three times the stand was hunted during legal shooting hours.

How can I improve my deer bedding area?

Hinge cutting and feather edging is a great habitat improvement project if you have the right area to hunt. Cutting trees in the right placement makes the bedding area desirable to bucks. “I cut a log at ground level for them to lay up against,” he said. “Then everything else I cut at head high.

What time do bucks come out in the evening?

Deer are highly active during the hours just before dark. When they wake up between 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, their first priority is food. They will venture out to the food source closest to their bedding area with reckless abandon. This is the prime time to catch the deer unaware because of their lowered defenses.

How far do Bucks travel at night?

There have been studies to show that bucks truly are nocturnal for the most part. These bucks still move in daylight, but the distance in which they travel from their beds is minimal. They do well to move more than 100 yards from their beds before nightfall.

Do deer travel the creek beds and why?

Streams and creeks allow bucks to quench their thirst while finding cooler temperatures and thick cover. This makes them terrific early season hotspots—ones that are neglected by many deer hunters. Creeks act as natural funnels for buck travel which gives you the perfect opportunity to set up along them.

Do deer bed on ridges or valleys?

Deer love bedding with a wind at their back coming from the ridge, and then facing down into the lowland ahead of them, keeping watch for danger.

Do Bucks bed in the same spot?

The quick answer is, “anywhere they want.” Deer sleep anywhere they bed and may do so singly or in groups. However, during daylight it's far more common for deer to sleep in heavy cover where they feel secure.

Where do you shoot a deer bedded?

Most guys, will end up aiming, and hitting, too high, and too far back. A bedded shot is doable, if the angles are right. And on a broadside bedded deer, the window is small. You greatly increase your odds with a quartering away angle.

How often should you grunt call?

GRUNT CALL

You should look to only grunt periodically, every 15 minutes to 20 minutes. 'Blind calling' can work but it is best to make the calls subtle and sparingly because you don't know how close a deer might be to you. Grunt calls usually work best when a buck has been spotted.

How far do deer run when spooked?

Deer in open areas may run a half-mile. In dense cover, a buck might only bound 150 yards and hunker down.

Why do I never see bucks?

The more time you or other hunters spend on the property, the less likely you are to see deer, especially older deer. Studies have shown that as hunting pressure increases, mature bucks move less during daylight. They also spend more time in thick cover, where you're less likely to see them even if they do move.

What time of day are most big bucks killed?

Most of them are specifically between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning to be exact. It's a proven time, and it could have a lot to do with the common perception among deer hunters that things slow down once early morning is through.

Will a big buck come back after being spooked?

Spooked deer will return to their bedding area, but when they return depends on how much the intrusion frightened them. If they can't pinpoint the threat, they'll likely return sooner than if they saw or smelled you.