Bedded deer

[Stephengiles]

Hey guys if you jump a deer out of bed around lunch time do you think a buck or doe would come back the same day or no? Happened to me twice this week know they didn't smell me but busted by movement. I left the area but just wondering. And now that you know there there would you try to sneak into that area given a favorable wind. I was within 25 feet of both of them before they seen me( different areas). Just let my guard down I guess didn't see them till they bolted. I know I know.  

[Michael Arnette]

Stephen,

I have found that most deer bed in areas they feel safest. This has alot to do with wind

Next time you see bedding patterns like this, pay attention to the prevailing wind in the same area and the wind at the moment you jump the deer. The next time the wind is the same (speed and direction) try hunting the down wind side of the area and try to be on the down wind side of the deer's most likely direction of entry (morning) or exit (evening). You never want to hunt directly on a bedding area, always 100 or more yards away from the area in any funnel you can find that deer might be using to enter.

We also push deer out of their known bedding areas  to other bowhunters who are waiting along normal escape routes. You would be surprised how predictable deer are when they are pushed out of bedding areas. Again, wind is very important in this case as well.

Happy Hunting

[Michael Arnette]

I guess I didn't answer your question    deer bed according to the wind patterns mostly. They want to see on their downwind side and feel smell where they can't see. So if they are bedding in one place one day, chances are, they will be in a similar location when the conditions are similar.

[Stumpkiller]

No.  

They may come back the next day, or more likely days later.  As Mike noted - they seem to choose beds based on wind conditions, time of day, etc.  If you spooked them out they will more likely find an alternate bedding site for the rest of that day.  Unless it is very dense cover.  I have played cat-and-mouse with doe in super heavy covere - I think because they knew they were already in stuff I couldn't get at them through.

They may hook around and try to get downwind of you to see what spooked them if they didn't get a scent of you initially.  If I jump deer I retrace my steps 50 yards and move down wind 200 yards and then continue.

Deer are curious about movement and sound - they'll stomp and try to get you to move or turn and look back after a spurt of 30 yards if a sound startled them - but they never question their noses and just leave if they scent you.

[Stephengiles]

Ok I think I have a plan. The place I hunt seems to have more lone deer than groups. At least thats what I've seen. Both were on ridge tops so the wind is fairly consistent. It's public land but I don't think too many people are hunting the area especially with limited gun hunts. Lots of deadfall as well,had to belly crawl once or twice. Now if I can just learn to sit still

[59Alaskan]

One of the most memorable hunts I had was stalking a bedded buck.  I spent an hour getting within 25 yards.  I wanted to make two more steps. I got hasty and took a step when the wind wasn't blowing to cover the sound of any crunching leaves or twigs .  Game over.

[damascusdave]

What I found this year hunting mule deer in a similar situation is that they would bed in the same general area, not in the same bed...as you learned by getting busted is, as you imply, you have to be on the alert all the time...on the days when I was not feeling like that I stayed away from those areas

DDave

[onewhohasfun]

Sometimes. The buck in my avatar was killed that way. I was tracking him on a muddy Timberjack trail from a logging area when I jumped him and a doe bedded in the tops the loggers left. They were in lockdown. I never moved. They ran about a 100 yds. and then stopped and stayed there for about an hour. Guess they decided all was clear and they came right back to the same spot. I put a Zwickey delta thru him.

My nephew knows a guy that hunts this way on purpose and has killed two big bucks using this method. He stalks bedding areas with a climbing stand on his back. If he jumps a buck he goes back downwind about 70-100 yds. and climbs a tree. Both big bucks returned within an hour or two, game over.

I'm sure it depends on how bad they are spooked, but you never  know. If its one of their favorite spots they may come right back.

[Stephengiles]

Well I may stick around next time depending on how they act. Those two are basically the only two I've seen so far. I don't quite understand what's different this year where I live. The management area I hunt is supposed to have a November rut. I hunted about six times in November and been having a hard time even finding sign. Last year it was completely different. I don't depend on the rut to hunt and I'm beginning to think I have to find them instead of having them come to me. May just be one of those years. At least I have till the end of January. That's when the native deer rut as opposed to the transplanted ones.