Buck bedding areas in the mountains

[lildorris00]

I know this is a loaded question but in general, where have you found buck bedding areas in the mountains? I have some good land and good bucks but with mostly big mountainous woods the bedding areas seem to be limited.

Ridges, draws, creek bottoms? What say you?

 

[Whit90]

Most that come a long will know better than me, but I have found beds on the points of finger ridges as well as benches. That being said, I have not spent any time actually trying to kill a deer in the mountains. Just see them while turkey hunting and while bear hunting a few times the last two seasons.

 

[westcobbdog]

Sometimes in the thick stuff. I have observed many bucks bedded on a ridge with a commanding view of their surroundings and an easy escape route. Nearly impossible to sneak up on em'.

 

[Long Cut]

Reading “Mapping Trophy Bucks” by Brad Herndon helped me tremendously in Hill Country.
Dan Infalt of The Hunting Beast is another Hill Country, big buck killer

Buck bedding is a lot more predictable in mountainous terrain. Catch is, their home range and the overall deer density is a to lower. Think “Here today, gone tomorrow”

Think Compounding Features. For example, a Bench or Point that’s surrounded by Mountain Laurel thicket. Feature 1 is favorable topography, and Feature 2 is the thick foliage. Now let’s say all this takes place on a South facing slope, with prevailing N/NW winds. Favorable wind direction, topography and cover for a mature animal in November.

Down here, Mountains “make” their own wind. Our wind speeds (outside cold fronts) aren’t strong enough to overpower thermals. I.E. hot air rises, cool air drops. Bigger the mountain, steeper the slope means stronger the thermal.
-I bring wind & thermals up, because mature bucks bed with a visual and scent advantage. Especially in more open hill country.

Hope my ranting helps. Mr. Herndon & Mr. Infalt do a better job at explaining this all.

 

[WOODIE13]

Reading “Mapping Trophy Bucks” by Brad Herndon helped me tremendously in Hill Country.
Dan Infalt of The Hunting Beast is another Hill Country, big buck killer

Buck bedding is a lot more predictable in mountainous terrain. Catch is, their home range and the overall deer density is a to lower. Think “Here today, gone tomorrow”

Think Compounding Features. For example, a Bench or Point that’s surrounded by Mountain Laurel thicket. Feature 1 is favorable topography, and Feature 2 is the thick foliage. Now let’s say all this takes place on a South facing slope, with prevailing N/NW winds. Favorable wind direction, topography and cover for a mature animal in November.

Down here, Mountains “make” their own wind. Our wind speeds (outside cold fronts) aren’t strong enough to overpower thermals. I.E. hot air rises, cool air drops. Bigger the mountain, steeper the slope means stronger the thermal.
-I bring wind & thermals up, because mature bucks bed with a visual and scent advantage. Especially in more open hill country.

Hope my ranting helps. Mr. Herndon & Mr. Infalt do a better job at explaining this all.

Pretty much spot on, laurel/rhododendron thickets on points or around cliffs here. They usually bed where the can see one direction and use the wind from the other.

They do like old tram roads to travel

 

[tree cutter 08]

Bucks will always be in a place where they will see or smell you long before you see them. More often than not they will lay and watch you walk by. That brown camo they wear is better than most we have. I've not found many bucks that bed in the same spot for any length of time. They may use a area a day up to a few weeks then will move. They will move from bed to bed through out the day and night. Also other bucks will use the same beds. I've found beds that have been cold for years then all of a sudden a new buck will start using it.