Awesome video! I went out for the first time scouting the other week. Found a few beds. Hiked up the mountain and i found what looked like a bed, exactly the situation what you called the military crest. Stumbled on it twice bit thought that theres no way a buck would bed there. Looks like i’ll be setting up my camera up there
Awesome! Yeah, a lot of times they will bed in a spot that offers a lot of visibility and the military crest does that, while simultaneously giving them a wind advantage. That can be a tough hunt. Getting in on them close enough for a daylight shot and not get busted can be hard.
I have a large queue of videos coming (most likely in March based on my current schedule) on the physical scouting side. They will show actual on the ground footage and what you can expect to see. Thanks!
Actually, my next video covers a bunch of scenarios. When I replied the first time I was thinking strictly about showing you videos of buck bedding I have found and physical scouting. My next video is about digital scouting, but I go through a bunch of scenarios I have hunted and actually close the video with a very specific digital scout and then a physical hunt.
love your videos man! I hunt the pa mountains also, been after the same buck going on 3 years now! Hopefully this will help me locate his bedding area better and get him on the ground this year!
Good luck! Look for food sources close by they can feed on close to potential bedding too. They get up and move around throughout the day but usually within 200 yards of their beds. I’ve often found a rub or two close by as well.
I do, but not all in one place if that’s what you’re looking for. You could browse ArcheryHunting.com and this channel to see. I guess I should put something together.
Great vid! Just want to see if my thinking is right on your specific white board scenario. How would you approach trying to hunt this specific area where you think the buck bed shown is located. Based on winds and thermals you would get up on the bench from the north or south point I guess whichever offers best cover to approach and hope you beat him to bed so when he gets up you're in range, or not that close and hope he walks the bench towards you based on trail sign?
Yes, that’s a pretty good analysis. I literally did something similar yesterday morning and saw my target buck at 70 yards. Unfortunately he didn’t care about the grunting I was doing lol.
Always wondered why they bed up high..... hmmmm. I only hunt for the first week of rifle in PA. Got to the point I'm loosing interest not seeing deer. This video helps understand how to locate these deer but I live 6 hours away. One spot in particular on the way up is relatively easy but the end of point on the way down wasn't... a guy gave me a ride part way up the draw, and I walked the rest to the top. Afterwards he met me to ride down a pretty steep trail back down. This particular ridge to me, from your standpoint of ins and outs, wouldn't be the most ideal hunt. This year it was cloudy all day from dawn to dusk, so thermals to me were non existent.
After chasing mature bucks for over 30 years.... Ive found them bedded high, low, along a hedgerow , along a fenceline, in the middle of a clover field, in the middle of a crp field, in the middle of a a swamp, in the middle of an oak flat, behind an old building or barn , on a pond damn and noticed the beds can face in any direction at either spot. No one property is the same and you never know where a buck may choose to bed at any given time on a given property. Ive watched bucks bed away from pressure and bed right along side it under your nose...
Thanks for the very educational information! Would you please consider providing your viewers Intell on stand placement based on where buck bedding is located. Also, are winter beds different than summer, fall, or rut? Also, in hill country, what type of stand do you prefer, tree stand or blind. Thanks much!!
Thanks for the great comment! Yes, buck bedding changes in the different times of year, depending on the area. Smaller parcels of land that restrict their movement will have consistent bedding while areas that are more wide open will see bedding change as food sources change during the year, from their summer patterns into their fall range, the rut, etc. If they have a rock solid bedding area on a point for example, they may stay in the same general area with beds only shifting a few hundred yards throughout the year. It is very situational. For stand placement near bedding, I try not to get closer than 100 yards, but terrain can drive you to being as close as 50 or as far away as 200 yards when hunting it. I go through a setup like this in my Plan Your Hunt video if you haven't seen it. Check it out here: ruclips.net/video/POq2bExThXY/видео.html As for stands in Hill Country, I have hunted with a climbing tree stand for years, but have switched to using hang and hunt stands and I did quite a bit of saddle hunting this year so I have more options when trying to hunt closer to bedding. I haven't used a blind myself, but my brother and Dad both took down nice bucks this year in the mountains of PA hunting tree seats with small mobile blind setups on the ground. I have more videos coming that goes into more detail on this stuff. My how to find buck bedding on a map video is being edited right now. I am almost done. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for the rapid response, detailed answers, and a link to one of your videos that discusses this topic. It’s so helpful! Could you please provide a link to the blind your dad and bro use around their tree seat? Thanks again for sharing your great tactics!
No problem. Here is the link for the portable blind they use: amzn.to/3USZwLC Here is the tree seat they are using too: amzn.to/3YoZga9 I hope that helps!
A lot of the same things apply. This deserves a video by itself as this is a general description of how bucks choose their bedding areas. The concepts stay the same though. You need to look at the prevailing winds and find areas where a buck will have a wind and thermal advantage. Where they can see well and where they can escape and evade quickly if approached. Right now, I would look at transitions and edges that are near food, but especially near water this time of year and into the early season in those locations. Find those small changes in topography where you have a small increase or decrease in elevation that are different than the rest of the landscape and provide a lot of cover. Scout those areas and look for trails tunneling through the thick stuff that would fit antlers. Drainages where a buck can be concealed near water. Oxbows on rivers and large streams are hot spots. But, all of this is really specific to the area you are hunting. The first thing I always do it look at where there is definitely no buck bedding. Create sectors on a map, see what doesn't fit the buck bedding model, and start looking at what does. Sometimes it can be a really small spot in a very large area. This post only covers it a little, but it might help: archeryhunting.com/how-to-find-buck-bedding-areas-using-maps-and-apps/
@@theeverydaybowhunter Well see thats the problem. I see beds that are all over the place but never consistently there. One year they’re there, the next year they aren’t. Most have no wind advantages and others do. No thermals here as its all flat. Its almost as if these deer randomly do whatever they want, where ever they want and whenever they feel like it or not. There’s no consistent pattern to any of it. I call em Rambo deer. You never know where they gonna be.
@@MyVisualRomance Yeah. That's why I would focus on food and water sources. There is always a reason for where they are bedding. Are there access routes that are used more during hunting season and not as much during the summer for example? Is it pressure related? These are the things I would be asking myself first.
Once u ID a buck bedding area how do u determine which trail(s) he is using to leave the bedding? Thx Ps what was your MOS in the Army? I was a Grunt in the Marines and Army 29yrs 🇺🇸
This is where you need to try to cut a track or look at the way the leaves are turned. Sometimes this requires some tracking well away from the beds. I was 11B, then 18C, and finally 18Z when I retired. Thanks for your service!
That's great for mountains, but I live in Ohio. If you can find a hill higher than 4 feet you have found a huge hill. Usually I see on average 2 feet of elevation change in my hunting area and it is a gradual transition. I have yet to have someone tell me where bucks like to bed except in islands in cattails. We also do not have any of that around my area either... It's mostly ag land with sections of woods in the middle of the mile squares. So what is the 101 for that type of scenario? Any ideas???
Yes, in this case the first thing you need to do is identify the area where they are not bedding. If you have a lot of terrain that looks the same and is open, write that off. In AG country, those swaths of land in between fields are the only places they can bed (outside of bedding right in the standing corn or bean fields). A lot of times while corn is still standing they will bed right in the middle of things, but close to an escape route with the wind at their back and then relying on their vision and hearing for security. Look at the travel routes and trails they are using, setup observation hunts where you can scan the area they are coming from in the evenings. This is a big indicator, especially if there is limited bedding terrain. The same things apply though. They will look for a wind advantage where they can see and hear predator's and they will be close to escape routes into thick brush. Where is the thickest, nastiest cover in the area you are hunting? Track the edges and transitions of that and see where the trails lead in and out of it. They will bed in these locations because it is very hard for anyone to sneak in on them. If there are areas like this where there is a subtle elevation increase or decrease, then I would look there first. Anything that can give them the slightest thermal advantage is something to look for. Creek bottoms and oxbows if you have that type of terrain too. Sometimes it can be very simple. A location where they sit just inside of a fence row and can see out but you can't see in. With the wind in their face or behind them. If they can see out, then the wind will be behind them and if they can't, they will have it in their face. This is a general rule as all deer have different personalities. Does that help?
@@theeverydaybowhunter I think that might help. Thank you for the information. I'm used to my comments being ignored. It's refreshing to have someone take pride in their channel... I subscribed...
@@cray-z7404 Oxbows area great example of that. They do it in the mountains too, but primarily when all the hunting pressure is high. In a flat area, they are looking for anything to give them a security advantage. Great post! Thanks!
They can be very hard to spot. After a light rain they really stand out. I have some good video of some beds I found a few weeks ago. I might have to create a short with them in it.
One thing that throws a monkey wrench into this school of thought In hill county is Overlooked areas. I hunted a mature buck for three years on a 100 acre piece of private. I had 30 cameras running at one point and could not piece together where he was bedding. There are multiple points, knobs and military crest benches available,,he used none of them. I ended up finding his bed on a quarter acre knob of thickets behind a gas well overlooking the neighbors house. Probably less than a hundred yards from his back door. The knob allows the buck to move throughout the day to any wind other than east. He has four different escape trails. He is totally invulnerable. Needless to say he still lives on…
That's the one thing about small parcels like that, that have habitual hunting spots. If a mature buck has made it through a few seasons and is still alive, he has found the optimal place to escape hunting pressure and still enjoy cover, concealment, and a wind advantage. For every rule, there is a specific situation that drives them to a unique spot and that spot is the reason they are still alive. Great comment! Thanks.
Awesome video! I went out for the first time scouting the other week. Found a few beds. Hiked up the mountain and i found what looked like a bed, exactly the situation what you called the military crest. Stumbled on it twice bit thought that theres no way a buck would bed there. Looks like i’ll be setting up my camera up there
Awesome! Yeah, a lot of times they will bed in a spot that offers a lot of visibility and the military crest does that, while simultaneously giving them a wind advantage. That can be a tough hunt. Getting in on them close enough for a daylight shot and not get busted can be hard.
Good video very to the point and no filler words. Would like to see some real life scenarios/ videos / pictures of your experience with buck bedding.
I have a large queue of videos coming (most likely in March based on my current schedule) on the physical scouting side. They will show actual on the ground footage and what you can expect to see. Thanks!
Actually, my next video covers a bunch of scenarios. When I replied the first time I was thinking strictly about showing you videos of buck bedding I have found and physical scouting. My next video is about digital scouting, but I go through a bunch of scenarios I have hunted and actually close the video with a very specific digital scout and then a physical hunt.
Great info.U hit it right on the money.Thank U
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
love your videos man! I hunt the pa mountains also, been after the same buck going on 3 years now! Hopefully this will help me locate his bedding area better and get him on the ground this year!
Good luck! Look for food sources close by they can feed on close to potential bedding too. They get up and move around throughout the day but usually within 200 yards of their beds. I’ve often found a rub or two close by as well.
Very good video helps me out a lot
Glad I could help! Thanks!
I love your videos! Super formative!
Thank you so much!
Do u have a video or pictures of the bucks you’ve harvested?… if so link? Thx
I do, but not all in one place if that’s what you’re looking for. You could browse ArcheryHunting.com and this channel to see. I guess I should put something together.
Great vid! Just want to see if my thinking is right on your specific white board scenario. How would you approach trying to hunt this specific area where you think the buck bed shown is located. Based on winds and thermals you would get up on the bench from the north or south point I guess whichever offers best cover to approach and hope you beat him to bed so when he gets up you're in range, or not that close and hope he walks the bench towards you based on trail sign?
Yes, that’s a pretty good analysis. I literally did something similar yesterday morning and saw my target buck at 70 yards. Unfortunately he didn’t care about the grunting I was doing lol.
Always wondered why they bed up high..... hmmmm. I only hunt for the first week of rifle in PA. Got to the point I'm loosing interest not seeing deer. This video helps understand how to locate these deer but I live 6 hours away. One spot in particular on the way up is relatively easy but the end of point on the way down wasn't... a guy gave me a ride part way up the draw, and I walked the rest to the top. Afterwards he met me to ride down a pretty steep trail back down. This particular ridge to me, from your standpoint of ins and outs, wouldn't be the most ideal hunt. This year it was cloudy all day from dawn to dusk, so thermals to me were non existent.
They can be pretty bulletproof in some of these locations. If they don’t smell you, they hear you.
After chasing mature bucks for over 30 years.... Ive found them bedded high, low, along a hedgerow , along a fenceline, in the middle of a clover field, in the middle of a crp field, in the middle of a a swamp, in the middle of an oak flat, behind an old building or barn , on a pond damn and noticed the beds can face in any direction at either spot.
No one property is the same and you never know where a buck may choose to bed at any given time on a given property.
Ive watched bucks bed away from pressure and bed right along side it under your nose...
@@Stickbow1980 yeah. Me too. The specific area dictates a lot, but then you have seasonal changes, etc. Thanks.
Thanks for the very educational information! Would you please consider providing your viewers Intell on stand placement based on where buck bedding is located. Also, are winter beds different than summer, fall, or rut? Also, in hill country, what type of stand do you prefer, tree stand or blind. Thanks much!!
Thanks for the great comment! Yes, buck bedding changes in the different times of year, depending on the area. Smaller parcels of land that restrict their movement will have consistent bedding while areas that are more wide open will see bedding change as food sources change during the year, from their summer patterns into their fall range, the rut, etc. If they have a rock solid bedding area on a point for example, they may stay in the same general area with beds only shifting a few hundred yards throughout the year. It is very situational.
For stand placement near bedding, I try not to get closer than 100 yards, but terrain can drive you to being as close as 50 or as far away as 200 yards when hunting it. I go through a setup like this in my Plan Your Hunt video if you haven't seen it. Check it out here: ruclips.net/video/POq2bExThXY/видео.html
As for stands in Hill Country, I have hunted with a climbing tree stand for years, but have switched to using hang and hunt stands and I did quite a bit of saddle hunting this year so I have more options when trying to hunt closer to bedding. I haven't used a blind myself, but my brother and Dad both took down nice bucks this year in the mountains of PA hunting tree seats with small mobile blind setups on the ground.
I have more videos coming that goes into more detail on this stuff. My how to find buck bedding on a map video is being edited right now. I am almost done.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much for the rapid response, detailed answers, and a link to one of your videos that discusses this topic. It’s so helpful! Could you please provide a link to the blind your dad and bro use around their tree seat? Thanks again for sharing your great tactics!
No problem. Here is the link for the portable blind they use: amzn.to/3USZwLC
Here is the tree seat they are using too: amzn.to/3YoZga9
I hope that helps!
Well I see how this applies in hill country but what about mostly flat land in LA, AL or say south MS?
A lot of the same things apply. This deserves a video by itself as this is a general description of how bucks choose their bedding areas. The concepts stay the same though. You need to look at the prevailing winds and find areas where a buck will have a wind and thermal advantage. Where they can see well and where they can escape and evade quickly if approached.
Right now, I would look at transitions and edges that are near food, but especially near water this time of year and into the early season in those locations. Find those small changes in topography where you have a small increase or decrease in elevation that are different than the rest of the landscape and provide a lot of cover. Scout those areas and look for trails tunneling through the thick stuff that would fit antlers. Drainages where a buck can be concealed near water. Oxbows on rivers and large streams are hot spots.
But, all of this is really specific to the area you are hunting. The first thing I always do it look at where there is definitely no buck bedding. Create sectors on a map, see what doesn't fit the buck bedding model, and start looking at what does. Sometimes it can be a really small spot in a very large area.
This post only covers it a little, but it might help:
archeryhunting.com/how-to-find-buck-bedding-areas-using-maps-and-apps/
@@theeverydaybowhunter Well see thats the problem. I see beds that are all over the place but never consistently there. One year they’re there, the next year they aren’t. Most have no wind advantages and others do. No thermals here as its all flat. Its almost as if these deer randomly do whatever they want, where ever they want and whenever they feel like it or not. There’s no consistent pattern to any of it. I call em Rambo deer. You never know where they gonna be.
@@MyVisualRomance Yeah. That's why I would focus on food and water sources. There is always a reason for where they are bedding. Are there access routes that are used more during hunting season and not as much during the summer for example? Is it pressure related? These are the things I would be asking myself first.
Once u ID a buck bedding area how do u determine which trail(s) he is using to leave the bedding? Thx
Ps what was your MOS in the Army? I was a Grunt in the Marines and Army 29yrs 🇺🇸
This is where you need to try to cut a track or look at the way the leaves are turned. Sometimes this requires some tracking well away from the beds.
I was 11B, then 18C, and finally 18Z when I retired. Thanks for your service!
That's great for mountains, but I live in Ohio. If you can find a hill higher than 4 feet you have found a huge hill. Usually I see on average 2 feet of elevation change in my hunting area and it is a gradual transition. I have yet to have someone tell me where bucks like to bed except in islands in cattails. We also do not have any of that around my area either... It's mostly ag land with sections of woods in the middle of the mile squares. So what is the 101 for that type of scenario? Any ideas???
Yes, in this case the first thing you need to do is identify the area where they are not bedding. If you have a lot of terrain that looks the same and is open, write that off. In AG country, those swaths of land in between fields are the only places they can bed (outside of bedding right in the standing corn or bean fields). A lot of times while corn is still standing they will bed right in the middle of things, but close to an escape route with the wind at their back and then relying on their vision and hearing for security.
Look at the travel routes and trails they are using, setup observation hunts where you can scan the area they are coming from in the evenings. This is a big indicator, especially if there is limited bedding terrain.
The same things apply though. They will look for a wind advantage where they can see and hear predator's and they will be close to escape routes into thick brush. Where is the thickest, nastiest cover in the area you are hunting? Track the edges and transitions of that and see where the trails lead in and out of it. They will bed in these locations because it is very hard for anyone to sneak in on them.
If there are areas like this where there is a subtle elevation increase or decrease, then I would look there first. Anything that can give them the slightest thermal advantage is something to look for. Creek bottoms and oxbows if you have that type of terrain too.
Sometimes it can be very simple. A location where they sit just inside of a fence row and can see out but you can't see in. With the wind in their face or behind them. If they can see out, then the wind will be behind them and if they can't, they will have it in their face. This is a general rule as all deer have different personalities.
Does that help?
@@theeverydaybowhunter I think that might help. Thank you for the information. I'm used to my comments being ignored. It's refreshing to have someone take pride in their channel... I subscribed...
@@route-249 No problem. I appreciate it. Thanks.
A lot of times here in central North Carolina flat lands mature bucks bed with water behind them and usually at a vantage point !
@@cray-z7404 Oxbows area great example of that. They do it in the mountains too, but primarily when all the hunting pressure is high. In a flat area, they are looking for anything to give them a security advantage. Great post! Thanks!
This is one thing I struggle with I've never found a buck bed that I know of, found plenty of beds but I don't think they were buck beds
They can be very hard to spot. After a light rain they really stand out. I have some good video of some beds I found a few weeks ago. I might have to create a short with them in it.
One thing that throws a monkey wrench into this school of thought In hill county is Overlooked areas. I hunted a mature buck for three years on a 100 acre piece of private. I had 30 cameras running at one point and could not piece together where he was bedding. There are multiple points, knobs and military crest benches available,,he used none of them. I ended up finding his bed on a quarter acre knob of thickets behind a gas well overlooking the neighbors house. Probably less than a hundred yards from his back door. The knob allows the buck to move throughout the day to any wind other than east. He has four different escape trails. He is totally invulnerable. Needless to say he still lives on…
That's the one thing about small parcels like that, that have habitual hunting spots. If a mature buck has made it through a few seasons and is still alive, he has found the optimal place to escape hunting pressure and still enjoy cover, concealment, and a wind advantage. For every rule, there is a specific situation that drives them to a unique spot and that spot is the reason they are still alive.
Great comment! Thanks.