deer bedding area

[ChumpMcgee]

#3091

Here is a question for you more experienced whitetail deer hunters out there. I am hunting on public land for the second year in a row after coming up empty handed last year. I have done all my preseason scouting and have set up a natural ground blind in a area that looks promising. I have looked at a couple other areas that also look good but have enough cover around that I didn’t set up any blinds in that area….until this past weekend.

During my evening hunt I try to get out in my blind at least 2 hours prior to sunset. I was walking out to my blind the first evening when I spooked a deer out of a small wooded area roughly 70 yards away from my blind (the area with lots of cover). The next evening I spooked 2 more deer out of the same area. Thats when I decided “ok I need to put a blind in this area”. I hunted my current blind but with no luck and ended up leaving early to set up a blind in the area where I have been spooking the deer. I am guessing they are bedding down in this area. I spooked them the first day about 5:15-5:30 and the second day was between 4-4:15.

My question is since I have spooked them 2 days in a row do deer typically move away from that area? I am fairly certain that they are bedding down in this area during the day. Both days as soon as I heard them running I stopped and waited for several minutes before continuing on to my blind. I hope it was not a waste of time for me to set up this new blind in the location that I did but it is hard to say. What are your thoughts?

[grumpy]

#16341

Food water, and shelter.

Now that you know where they are bedding, try to figure out where they are feeding, and drinking, and set up your blind on the route they take going to and from. If you set up the blind where they are bedding, you will spook them on the way to the blind.

[ChumpMcgee]

#16382

I understand all that and where I thought that my blind was located between the feeding and bedding area. Now I have found out that the bedding area is much closer to the feeding area. I am just curious if they will move the bedding area somewhere new now that I have kicked them up 2 days in a row?

[mhay]

#16412

I would suggest picking a different route into your blind to avoid spooking the deer out of bed.

Furthermore , you may consider having more than one blind . One where you are presently hunting and one at least a half mile away . Could be less or more depending on cover and terrain and of course deer movement patterns .

Avoid day after day use of any one blind or stand unless you are 100% certain you are leaving NO scent . The deer will return during the night to the spot they were spooked during the day and track you around the woods till they end up PEGGING your hiding spot , which they will soon shy away from completely .

Best of hunts to ya

[Doc Nock]

#16467

Figured I’d just wait and see what smarter than me had to say. Sure sounds like a day bedding area. Is it true they use that soon after daylight till they decide to go feed or water, yes???

I never heard what mhay said, but makes sense… that when they’re spooked they’ll start nosing around after dark to see where you came from and went. I often heard that deer will patten every hunter in their woods way quicker than the hunters pattern them! So that makes some sense.

then again, I’ve found deer, especially young of the year, to just bed down where ever they wanted that gave access to heavy escape cover. Busted some like that once– ONE TIME…ONE, on a buddy’s small plot… He’s hunted it carefully for years and never knew ANY deer to bed on his place, but at 2pm, I busted them—ONCE!

[mhay]

#16500

Last fall I set some traps in my buddy’s pond to hopefully remove all the muskrats. The perimeter of the pond is thick , mowed fescue. I wore knee high rubber boots to check the traps . Every day there was fresh deer sign where they had tracked me from one trap to the next .

Years ago I watched a deer track my steps from the previous day right to the treestand .

They are not on a schedule like we are and they have all night to investigate any scent left by us , be it one hair or a drop of snot , they’ll find it .

[Doc Nock]

#16503

What do we read: a Deer has a smeller 10,000X better than us?

Those are great stories, Mhay.

I once watched a deer react to my trail into a stand wearing rubber boots! I thought they were “fool proof”.

FWIW, here is an observation. Rubber boots, when walking, act like bellows and apparently PUMP foot odor up and over the top with each step. I took to pulling the tops tight and “blousing” my boots with my pants, airborne style.

Only time since I saw a deer track my trail since I started blousing my pants and tightening the tops, was when I sprayed a “dirt scent” spray on my boots and ended up walking thru 3″ of wet snow. That “dirt” smell made those 2 deer very inquisitive… scent pooled and dropped down in a cone around my tree and the buck finally hit that cone and freaked…

Can’t prove the boot blousing theory or the “pump” effect, but watch them when you walk…

Every little bit of scent control helps!

BTW, I NEVER wear my knee high rubber boots anywhere but IN the field…off at truck, rolled down and deodorizing spray on the inside, dry and spray the felt insoles. FWIW. I have a 2nd pair for next day to let them dry and air out.

[ChumpMcgee]

#16505

I do have a couple of blinds set up, this blind that I went to this past weekend was the blind that I set up earlier this year and wanted to see what sort of action I would see. Basically what I have learned is this blind will be my morning blind and I also know another blind I have has had luck only evening time and nothing really comes around in the morning.

It does make sense that deer try to figure out who is in the woods with them during the night and try to stay away from that area, at the same time I hope that I do not smell as bad as the other public land hunters that I share the woods with. I do go to the extreme on trying to prevent laying any sent down. I do not use scent lock clothing or use the spray because I feel that is more of a modern hunters mind set. To me it sounds silly to spray on a bunch of foreign chemicals to not smell. I wash my clothes in baking soda then once they are dry I toss them in a vacuum sealed bag which I have a dirt leaves small branches from the woods I hunt in to try to get as close to smelling like the woods as possible. I keep it all sealed up all the way until I get to the woods then I change my clothes and get prepared once I arrive.

I wish I could take a different route to this blind but in order to do that I would either have to walk thru the woods and make more noise plus it would be mostly uphill and I really do not want to get to warm while walking out to it. I think I will just have to try this blind out in the AM this weekend and see what happens.

[Doc Nock]

#16508

I have used the scent sprays. I studied them and most are merely perioxide that bonds with the odor. Some are more sophisticated and neutralize the scent odors and prevent them from becoming airborne.

I admire that tact that you wish to avoid “modern” methods. Unfortunately, deer are as modern as they come… having learned to adapt better then we learn to hunt.

I try to remain odorless. Do the line dry and bundle in airtight tubs… shower before goin out even at 3am…but even my breath smells like death to a deer!

I’ve not hunted Texas deer, but read they are so wired, they’ll swap ends at 20 yards at the sound of the shot. Ours aren’t quite that facile, but they sure enough can pick up man smell and avoid us at all costs! Only stupid deer end up in my freezer.

But when push comes to shove, I’ll use some of the more “modern” things to at least make me THINK I’m being less odoriferous!:D

[ChumpMcgee]

#16523

I did have luck with my method last year I did have several deer walk within 10 feet of me but was only able to pull back once. I did have 1 buck that did bust me but only jumped back 10 yards or so then proceeded to walk out of my shooting window but still within 20 yards of me. Another small buck which I would have taken the shot but it was not a legal deer for me to shoot that was I kid you not 5 feet away from me.

I do the whole shower routine every time as well, but I have always laughed cause I don’t know what to do about my “death breath”. Typically I just brush my teeth with no toothpaste or I will use baking soda which is not very enjoyable.

Also regarding your rubber boots what do you recommend using to get the nasty smell of rubber out of them? I want to get a pair but have no clue on how to get that smell out.

[Doc Nock]

#16532

LIked that “death breath” eh? 😀

As for the rubber smell… are you sure they’re RUBBER?? the last ones I got from Cabellas smelled like a basketball or those plastic shower curtains!

My older true Rubber boots by the old style green rubber boot people, never had that odor. I’ve scrubbed those other stinky types with baking soda… and nothing worked. I finally put them upside down with grocery bags stuffed in the open ends to keep out critters and set them outside upside (soles up) down for a few weeks to air. In the end, keeping them in the back of my truck in the heat with a cap on, seemed to “bake” the smell out quicker than anything I did.

Now if I open the box at the store and it stinks like those modern made “whatever” fake rubber boots, I just back on out! I don’t know if they lay DOWN a scent, but I go to too much trouble to be as near odorless as I can to wear boots that smell like a brand new shower curtain or basketball!

[ChumpMcgee]

#16540

That is the EXACT smell that I am thinking of too! I have looked at several different rubber boots and they all smell the same way….least I am not the only one that has that concern about them.

[Doc Nock]

#16553

I think we’re stealing our boy’s thread here, so this is my last post…regarding boots.

I just checked cabellas.

If you read the actual tech description on varied boots under the heading of “rubber boots” here is what I found:

ONE: a revolutionary liquid polyurethane that’s shaped over 7mm

Second: With a high-grade rubber, we increased the durability

My point then and now is that there are true RUBBER boots out there that loose any odor quicly and do NOT HOLD odors.

Then there are the “NEW & IMPROVED” with the “revolutionary” polyurethane boot wrapped around some other lining…

I believe you’ll find the poly wanna cracker stuff to smell like the basketball.

The one said “RUBBER” actually was only $89 while the other was considerably MORE.

Make a good thread if you choose to start one. I have high insteps and am very cautious about “ankle fit” after tearing a ham string trying to force off an ankle fit older style in cold weather. That hampers me yet today!

NOw…back to the regular article about bedding areas.

I sympathize. I have access to land surrounded by posted property. I have one way in…period. And one whole ridge is off limits in the AM as I have to go up thru fields and push all the deer up the ridge and over onto posted ground… PM ONLY… sucks, huh?! :roll::lol:

[jmsmithy]

#16762

Hey tko

I agree with much of what’s been said (not all 😆 ) but one thing I haven’t seen mentioned is regarding the time you going in/moving around. Based on what I think I’m reading regarding the time you’re spooking the deer, it seems to me you’re going in way too late. Even though the time hasn’t changed yet (DST), by 4pm and later you should be in your hide/blind/stand, sitting quietly, for AT LEAST 2 hours already IMHO 😀

[Charles Ek]

#16796

Forgive me if you’ve heard me say this here before. As a former SAR dog handler, I had this advice for people:

“If you’re breathing, the dog will find you. And if you’re not breathing, the dog will find you.”

Every organism that inhales and exhales gives off a scent trail from the exhalations that can be detected by dogs,coyotes, wolves, deer, bear, elk, moose, etc. All the scent-blocking (sic) clothing and all the scent-disguising sprays in the world cannot alter this fact. Unless you can hold your breath for several hours or you hunt in a recirculating air apparatus, you WILL leave a scent trail that a deer can detect. Whether the deer will react to that is another question.

And if you should stop breathing permanently, the gases produced by decomposition of your flesh and bones are what the dog will use to find your remains …

[Doc Nock]

#16817

To get back to the poster’s original question, it does seem that timing is essential… all our good discussion on scent is important regardless of timing to avoid tipping off the critters you’re around, so manage it well.

Since it was posted that there are few other ways in… then it seems learning the timing of when deer use that heavy brush are and IF they’re using it for bedding, is rather important.

Bit late to start trying to use trail camera or anything… but something to file away for late winter forays in the snow to better diagnose the area for another season.

As for the Dog/Scent/Breath CAN FIND YOU thing, no doubt to any of that… never hunted wilderness, but most of the areas around here deer smell people all the time. What keeps me trying to hunt close is the belief if ANYTHING that you do can REDUCE your scent trail so they think you were there either longer ago than you were or that you’re farther away than you are, the less you will freak their tawny li’l hides out and might—MIGHT get a shot.

[jason samkowiak]

#16899

I hunt big expanses of public land with lots of thick cover all over. I have done the same thing as you. I thought they would be bedding fdeeper in and bumped them from little thickets on the way to my stand.

I have tried to hunt it a few different ways. the only 2 ways that worked for me (out of the many times trying) are these.

1. i remmebered where they were headed when i bumped them and went back after dark (midnight) so i knew they were not in the bedding area and hung a stand where i last saw them when they exited. I waited a week and went in and hunted all day with getting on stand well before daylight. I only had to hunt until 10:15am and had a doe on the ground.

2. same situation different area. bumped deer bedding in a small creek bottom i thought they would just use as cover traveling from a big swamp to the oak flats. but i realized i had not seen deer go in or out of that area in the mornings or evnings i had hunted. So i decided to hunt midday next time i was in that spot. about 2pm i watched 6 does go into that creek bottom patch from the otherside. i mentally marked a tree over there that seemed to be in the right spot. I got the that tree the next morning well before first light and hung a stand and hunted. killed a doe at 1pm.

Hopefully that helps you a little with trying new things to make it work for you. But keep in mind many more times than that the stuff i tried, including similar above tactics failed to result in anything other than watching acorns fall.

[mhay]

#16907

I know it is possible to get into the woods without leaving a scent trail on the ground . With clean rubber boots it can be done . Have seen deer cross my trail and never spook or stop to sniff on really dry days and I was wearing leather boots .

Bottom line is keep the wind in your favour. What does the horse do when it’s breezy ? Point his butt to the wind and watch downwind . Everything with hair on it does that,,,in the wild anyway.

[jmsmithy]

#17322

eidsvolling wrote: Forgive me if you’ve heard me say this here before. As a former SAR dog handler, I had this advice for people:

“If you’re breathing, the dog will find you. And if you’re not breathing, the dog will find you.”

Every organism that inhales and exhales gives off a scent trail from the exhalations that can be detected by dogs,coyotes, wolves, deer, bear, elk, moose, etc. All the scent-blocking (sic) clothing and all the scent-disguising sprays in the world cannot alter this fact. Unless you can hold your breath for several hours or you hunt in a recirculating air apparatus, you WILL leave a scent trail that a deer can detect. Whether the deer will react to that is another question.

And if you should stop breathing permanently, the gases produced by decomposition of your flesh and bones are what the dog will use to find your remains …

Uh oh !!

Now you know some dope will invent a portable air chamber scent suppressor for hunters and it’ll be all over the Outhouse Channel and every hook and bullet magazine across the land !!! :lol::lol:

[ChumpMcgee]

#17415

This is all very good information. I am picking apart what people have said in this forum and going to try to explain a little more too about this situation.

After the first night of kicking up the deer that was roughly 2 hours prior to sunset. I understand that this could be considered getting into the woods late since it does not give much time for the woods to quiet down. I understand that part, this was the first time hunting a new blind and walking out to this new blind is when I discovered this bedding area which was not there 3-5 months ago. This is a new in season discovery that I found and I am just worried that if I am walking to this blind once or twice a week that I will end up spooking the deer away from me.

I am also going to try this weekend to hunt this spot in the morning hours and be in my blind a couple of hours before sunrise and hope that the deer are still partying it up out in the fields before they come home to sleep off the night 🙂

The first time hunting a morning blind I always try to stay as long as I can in hope to see if the deer are bedding down later in the morning. I have not had much luck with this but got to keep trying until something works.

I think I have a good game plan set up in my head for this weekend. I appreciate all the feedback that everyone is giving lots of good information on this thread. I am pretty darn excited to get back out there Saturday morning and if all goes well I will be showing off picture of my first harvest….and if I am really lucky I will also get it on video!!!

[jason samkowiak]

#17502

Sounds to me like you have a great plan!

The one rule with deer is there are no rules. They always surpise me and do something i didnt expect or plan for.

The key is to have confiendce is your game plan, but be readt to adapt if needed.

the benifit from the failures is more valuable that the successes. Look at what you have learned already from this situation. So keep that in mind when you get stumped again. The lessons are worth everything.

Most important have fun!

Im looking forward to hearing how it all goes for you this weekend! be safe, hunt hard, and have fun!

[ChumpMcgee]

#17511

jasonsamko wrote: Sounds to me like you have a great plan!

The one rule with deer is there are no rules. They always surpise me and do something i didnt expect or plan for.

The key is to have confiendce is your game plan, but be readt to adapt if needed.

the benifit from the failures is more valuable that the successes. Look at what you have learned already from this situation. So keep that in mind when you get stumped again. The lessons are worth everything.

Most important have fun!

Im looking forward to hearing how it all goes for you this weekend! be safe, hunt hard, and have fun!

Much appreciated!! I could not agree with you more, last year was my first year hunting and I had an absolute blast last year and never even took an animal. I had some rough times with other hunters but that was due to me opening my mouth so lesson learned there 😀

I have been thinking about this ever since Sunday night and am so excited to get out there this weekend. I will have my video camera out there and maybe, just MAYBE I will be able to record some action.

[Doc Nock]

#17673

Good luck this weekend!! 😀

Deer do make up their own rules most often… just to keep us confounded! 😆

Stick er out in that stand…they might not get into that thicket till toward mid day

[ChumpMcgee]

#17676

Thats my plan hopefully I will be able to stick it out that long. Sitting on a tripod seat for 7-8 hours might get alittle hard to handle

[Doc Nock]

#17680

If they’re not back by 9:30 or so, you can sneak out and scout a wee bit beyond…then ease back like molasses in january and finish out the tour just to see… even lay down on the ground and wait…you’re big thing now it would seem is to pinpoint if/when they use it and is it regular and mature doe or just yearlings…

Of course, YMMV

[David Fudala]

#19818

You guys are right on about deer following you and their curiosity. Last season during the late season I was hunting a big 9 pointer across the road from my house. One particular evening I returned after dark to my house, went and stowed my gear and as I walked thru my living room I glanced out my window and there he was following my tracks thru the yard!?!? I had a good laugh and watched him until he satisfied his curiosity and headed back into the darkness. Never did win that game! To throw my 2 cents into the ring on the original question, I have learned over the years that there seams to be a buffer zone with whitetails. If I can properly identify their favorite bedding areas, I NEVER go into them, trusting they will continue to use them as long as they feel safe. What I look for are the travel zones to and from these bedding areas keeping in mind that the further they get from their safe zones, the more they get their guard up. Whitetails are traditionally nervous creatures when they have to let their guard down, like feeding and watering, but they seem to be a bit more relaxed and prone to make mistakes when traveling through these buffer zones. I use my trail cameras heavily to identify these zones and they become increasingly important as the season progresses and the rut nears. Bucks will quite regularly compete for control of these areas.

Hope that helps!

Good luck!

[ChumpMcgee]

#22433

Well folks it happened….I got my very first Traditional Harvest today at 7:45AM. I have it all on video which I will be loading onto the interwebs here shortly. It was by far the best morning I have ever had hunting and not just because I shot a deer but the amount of action that I saw today!!! I got into my blind roughly at 5:30AM and as I was getting my gear situated I went to pull my bow back to make sure I had enough clearance around me and felt the top limb his a twig. I reached up and snapped the twig and a deer took off roughly 20-30 yards away. I had no clue that it was there mostly because it has pitch black out. At first light I then watched a small 4 pointer walk 40 yards away from me and then walked into the woods just opposite of me…no biggy he was not of legal size for me to shoot anyways.

At 7:45 I had 4 doe walk from behind me and to my right. I got to pick which one I wanted to take and hope that they would walk in my shooting lane. Sure enough they walked roughly 17 yards away from me and it was at my max distance that I feel comfortable shooting. The big girl stopped right in my window and I let my arrow fly. I did hit her pretty high. I ended up waiting about an hour and a half before I started to track her. For the first 30-40 yards there was no blood then a drop here and a drop there….I new I hit her high and was not to surprised by the lack of blood. I found my broken arrow about 50 yards from where I shot her and got roughly 10 inches of penetration. After about a 45 minute and having 2 more deer walk in on me as I was tracking her, I found her laying peaceful next to a fallen tree right around the 100 yard mark. I was not very pleased by my shot but in the long run the deer did not suffer to much and her cavity was filled with blood.

I will add the link once I am able to. Thank you to everyone for the tips and tricks!!!

OH and one more thing….I did not use any scent masks minus baking soda which I washed my clothes in the night before and tossed them into a vaccum bag and changed into them once I parked my car. I literally walked right over the patch which the deer came on and not one caught my scent!!!

[Doc Nock]

#22803

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Sometimes, that first one trad comes along so unexpectedly…then the next ones you have to fight for. You will have that memory a long, long time! And on Video! Wow!

Surely that ole deer in the dark knew you were there and where, but that twig snap just put it over the edge! 😀

Even deer need their heart started occasionally!

As for scent, deer smell everything we do…best we strive for, me thinks, is to lessen the concentration of scent so they think it was left long ago or we’re farther away!

Regardless, it worked out just fine for you! Again, Congratulations!!!

[mhay]

#22992

Yes sir ,,,CONGRATS!!

[Author]

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