How much food is too much in bedding area?

[Joe7296]

I’ve been reading and watching some videos that mention depth of cover being important to bucks, and how a food source resets that. I was wondering if folks find this to be generally true, and if there’s an amount of food that holds a doe group and resets the depth of cover?

I’m trying to decide if planting some shooting lanes in a bedding area about 300 yards back from my main food source would be a good idea (this is for a rifle stand). The lanes are a v shape about 200yds long each and 15ft wide. The v is perpendicular to the line of travel so I need the deer to pause for a moment so I can get a shot. The area had always been early successional because it floods during snowmelt in the spring, which keeps trees and stuff from establishing, so all I had to do was mow a strip - it’s dry in the summer and fall. All in all, it comes to .4 acres of food if I plant the shooting lanes. If I do, I was thinking clover or rye.

 

[BenA]

I'm pretty sure I know the guy you're talking about with the depth of cover and bucks bedding behind the does and all that. While I won't argue that what he's saying can't work, because it will; I'd be careful when people push rules like that when it comes to deer. I've personally witnessed mature and immature bucks bedding closer to food than does. I've seen a couple mature bucks stand up from a bedding position just yards off of the food. I've seen bucks getting to food before does enough to prove to myself that bucks bedding behind the does is just a marketing ploy. Take what he says with a grain of salt. He is changing his tune when it comes to a few things. Heck, he even puts ryegrass in one of his seed blends now. He had a video talking about not trusting seed companies that do that.

With all that said, if you're mowing lanes through cover like that now, and it's working, I wouldn't plant food in it. I've seen them nibble around on what's there or walk down them a bit without the food. I've seen a bunch of these hub and spoke type setups and they do work great. Some were planted and some weren't. It wouldn't hurt to plant them, but might not be needed. I wouldn't want that going through my prime bedding areas either though. If it's your only bedding available, I would take more of a stay out approach.

 

[Turkish]

I’ve been reading and watching some videos that mention depth of cover being important to bucks, and how a food source resets that. I was wondering if folks find this to be generally true, and if there’s an amount of food that holds a doe group and resets the depth of cover?

I’m trying to decide if planting some shooting lanes in a bedding area about 300 yards back from my main food source would be a good idea (this is for a rifle stand). The lanes are a v shape about 200yds long each and 15ft wide. The v is perpendicular to the line of travel so I need the deer to pause for a moment so I can get a shot. The area had always been early successional because it floods during snowmelt in the spring, which keeps trees and stuff from establishing, so all I had to do was mow a strip - it’s dry in the summer and fall. All in all, it comes to .4 acres of food if I plant the shooting lanes. If I do, I was thinking clover or rye.

In my area, I believe that woody browse is a huge component of the winter time diet. I have no idea how you create bedding without enhancing the amount of woody browse.

 

[Brian662]

Depth of cover depends more on the quality of cover, IMO. Does, fawns, immature bucks, and mature bucks all want to find their space to exist within quality cover. That's why edge feathering and screening play such an important role with food plots. Terrain also effects where deer will bed in relation to a plot.
Placing food in bedding isn't a strategy I'll employ but a lot of habitat guys do it, many of them I respect.

I shot my 6.5 year old WI archery buck this year on Oct 14 on a cold front day, he was the first deer to step into the plot that afternoon at 3:30PM, so with almost 3.5 hours of shooting light left he was on his feet on the plot. I'd guess he was bedded within 50 yards from the edge of food. There aren't any hard and fast rules for deer bedding.

 

[Joe7296]

I'm pretty sure I know the guy you're talking about with the depth of cover and bucks bedding behind the does and all that. While I won't argue that what he's saying can't work, because it will; I'd be careful when people push rules like that when it comes to deer. I've personally witnessed mature and immature bucks bedding closer to food than does. I've seen a couple mature bucks stand up from a bedding position just yards off of the food. I've seen bucks getting to food before does enough to prove to myself that bucks bedding behind the does is just a marketing ploy. Take what he says with a grain of salt. He is changing his tune when it comes to a few things. Heck, he even puts ryegrass in one of his seed blends now. He had a video talking about not trusting seed companies that do that.

With all that said, if you're mowing lanes through cover like that now, and it's working, I wouldn't plant food in it. I've seen them nibble around on what's there or walk down them a bit without the food. I've seen a bunch of these hub and spoke type setups and they do work great. Some were planted and some weren't. It wouldn't hurt to plant them, but might not be needed. I wouldn't want that going through my prime bedding areas either though. If it's your only bedding available, I would take more of a stay out approach.

That's good to hear - I haven't really seen bedding set up as layers very much, but I thought that I might just be because I was doing things wrong.. Every place I've ever hunted seems to have bedding based off of pressure and wind/terrain features. I've jumped bucks in weird spots, though I will admit most of my stomping grounds have been high pressure, younger age class. The property I own now and am working on is the first place I've hunted with managed habitat and hunting pressure.. 70 acres all to myself :D

 

[Joe7296]

In my area, I believe that woody browse is a huge component of the winter time diet. I have no idea how you create bedding without enhancing the amount of woody browse.

On that note - I did some edge feathering yesterday into that brushy wet strip and I have 50 of both ROD and hazelnut cuttings potted up right now to go in there as well

 

[gjs4]

I would agree with the basic premise that doe groups bed closest to a large food source, and bucks are back more. Everything beyond that varies. In high pressure hunting areas its defense using other deer for alarm, in low food areas its resource allocation......but in realty if there are al sorts of food sources, there were would never be enough remaining area(s) for the bucks, right? Switchgrass is the same...some areas its a must-gamechanger-super tool.......and in others, just cover replacing cover.

That guy is a very smart salesman more than anythingelse......

 

[TreeDaddy]

I'm pretty sure I know the guy you're talking about with the depth of cover and bucks bedding behind the does and all that. While I won't argue that what he's saying can't work, because it will; I'd be careful when people push rules like that when it comes to deer. I've personally witnessed mature and immature bucks bedding closer to food than does. I've seen a couple mature bucks stand up from a bedding position just yards off of the food. I've seen bucks getting to food before does enough to prove to myself that bucks bedding behind the does is just a marketing ploy. Take what he says with a grain of salt. He is changing his tune when it comes to a few things. Heck, he even puts ryegrass in one of his seed blends now. He had a video talking about not trusting seed companies that do that.

With all that said, if you're mowing lanes through cover like that now, and it's working, I wouldn't plant food in it. I've seen them nibble around on what's there or walk down them a bit without the food. I've seen a bunch of these hub and spoke type setups and they do work great. Some were planted and some weren't. It wouldn't hurt to plant them, but might not be needed. I wouldn't want that going through my prime bedding areas either though. If it's your only bedding available, I would take more of a stay out approach.

Please.....

.......no doe factories

bill

 

[bigboreblr]

A little clover n rye wouldn't hurt. Making sure the browse is of good quality would be a bit higher up my list than the lanes themselves. Too much disturbance is bad for the beds though.

I'd say go for it as long as its done in 1 day or weekend.

Doe factories can be buck magnets. That barometer drop before a storm late season whether it be morning of afternoon, that when doe factories make special production runs.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

On that note - I did some edge feathering yesterday into that brushy wet strip and I have 50 of both ROD and hazelnut cuttings potted up right now to go in there as well

I've never seen someone do cuttings with hazelnuts. Have you had success with them before?

I am a huge fan of hazelnuts and other shrubs for bedding areas. I have been direct seeding and growing seedlings in tubes and cages because I am such a believer.

American plums and other dogwoods are all great for making thickets.

 

[Lee Haakenson]

I would agree with the basic premise that doe groups bed closest to a large food source, and bucks are back more. Everything beyond that varies. In high pressure hunting areas its defense using other deer for alarm, in low food areas its resource allocation......but in realty if there are al sorts of food sources, there were would never be enough remaining area(s) for the bucks, right? Switchgrass is the same...some areas its a must-gamechanger-super tool.......and in others, just cover replacing cover.

That guy is a very smart salesman more than anythingelse......

He sure has a lot of big bucks on his wall...

Sent from my SM-S916U1 using Tapatalk

 

[PatinPA]

That's good to hear - I haven't really seen bedding set up as layers very much, but I thought that I might just be because I was doing things wrong.. Every place I've ever hunted seems to have bedding based off of pressure and wind/terrain features. I've jumped bucks in weird spots, though I will admit most of my stomping grounds have been high pressure, younger age class. The property I own now and am working on is the first place I've hunted with managed habitat and hunting pressure.. 70 acres all to myself :D

Two of the biggest bucks I've seen live on my property were both bedded alone in two of the strangest spots. One was along the driveway in the wide open. The other was 20 yards from my camp. Never would've thought a deer would bed there, let alone a big buck. Also never saw another deer bed in either spot since.

 

[Joe7296]

I've never seen someone do cuttings with hazelnuts. Have you had success with them before?

I am a huge fan of hazelnuts and other shrubs for bedding areas. I have been direct seeding and growing seedlings in tubes and cages because I am such a believer.

American plums and other dogwoods are all great for making thickets.

Sorry I didn’t word that right - the cuttings are ROD, the hazelnut are bareroot. I pot them for a season so they don’t have to be protected in the woods for as long, plus I can guarantee good conditions for the plants when they’re young

 

[gjs4]

He sure has a lot of big bucks on his wall...

Sent from my SM-S916U1 using Tapatalk

Im not refuting his hunting ability, or stating he is not knowledgeable on deer layout...Do some research on his client reviews and his farms. Its out there.

I WILL quickly say this, in general, "dont ever judge a guy's ability or ground based his mounts (you never know the story).

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Two of the biggest bucks I've seen live on my property were both bedded alone in two of the strangest spots. One was along the driveway in the wide open. The other was 20 yards from my camp. Never would've thought a deer would bed there, let alone a big buck. Also never saw another deer bed in either spot since.

Big bucks are much smarter then we give them credit for. The buck in my profile pic was shot within 150yds southwest of my front door. He lived on a little peninsula around a creek bend. He could see me come and go down the driveway, mow, work in the yard, every day. He never left that little core area his whole life. I waited 5 years, snuck in one day with a rare east wind and a stand I saved just for the occasion. He was there with his doe, I snort wheezed and he came in on a string.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Big bucks are much smarter then we give them credit for. The buck in my profile pic was shot within 150yds southwest of my front door. He lived on a little peninsula around a creek bend. He could see me come and go down the driveway, mow, work in the yard, every day. He never left that little core area his whole life. I waited 5 years, snuck in one day with a rare east wind and a stand I saved just for the occasion. He was there with his doe, I snort wheezed and he came in on a string.

I'll also add, I made a small bean plot right outside that area and it became his own personal dining room. He didn't have to travel more then 50yds for food, water and cover, ever.