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Scouting - Lakeside Doe Bedding

Great video. Your hunting ground looks awesome. And you seem to have a solid handle on everything. I mean everything hunting and bow related. I've learned a crap ton of stuff here mostly different perspectives and ways of accomplishing things or looking at things differently than i did before and I use a bunch of your ideas. Thanks for doing videos.

Shaun
 
Dave, Thanks for posting that video! I scouted some very similar terrain and features about a month ago that I'm working out how I'm going to hunt next year. I found a couple spots that were obvious doe bedding, and then I have found a bunch of obvious buck beds, with a few of them clearly being used more than others.

You said you were going to go in there in the morning. This was what I was planning as well because a few of the spots I found would be impossible to get close enough too during the day. I figured I would have to get in super early. You talked about the buck traveling downwind of the does in that spot. Do you think that buck bed is only rut bedding? What time of year do you plan on hunting that spot? Some of the spots I found are so similar with all the thick stuff that I can't get through coming right up to within 20 yards of the shore and then no trees that I could get in within sight. The lake was down so I was easily able to walk the shoreline to find all of this sign.
 
redsquirrel said:
Dave, Thanks for posting that video! I scouted some very similar terrain and features about a month ago that I'm working out how I'm going to hunt next year. I found a couple spots that were obvious doe bedding, and then I have found a bunch of obvious buck beds, with a few of them clearly being used more than others.

You said you were going to go in there in the morning. This was what I was planning as well because a few of the spots I found would be impossible to get close enough too during the day. I figured I would have to get in super early. You talked about the buck traveling downwind of the does in that spot. Do you think that buck bed is only rut bedding? What time of year do you plan on hunting that spot? Some of the spots I found are so similar with all the thick stuff that I can't get through coming right up to within 20 yards of the shore and then no trees that I could get in within sight. The lake was down so I was easily able to walk the shoreline to find all of this sign.

I plan on hunting spots like these from 25 Oct - 10 Nov (cruising/seeking phase here in N. TX) and then perhaps later during the rut (3rd week of Nov). If I don't tag out I will definitively watch these areas during first two weeks in Dec. I use my kayak to get in early. I typically set up in areas like these about 2 hours before first day light and I usually set up further down the lake shore from the direction I anticipate the bucks to come from. What I typically see happen is the bucks will actually show up first in what I call morning staging areas to wait for the does to pass through. They scent check them as they pass by. Then they will often get up after first light and scent check bedding areas up and down the shore line. Of course it intensified as the rut gets closer. Don't forget the second rut. What I find is that bucks often find does easily during the peak but the first two weeks of Dec they are hungry again and there just are not as many "in" does to be found so they cruise a lot more.
 
essdub said:
Nice. That does look like a great spot. And you've got a solid plan as always. Your videos are always really good

Shaun

Thanks Shaun - I sometimes feel like a dweeb posting those as I don't communicate all I want to or very effectively. I hope that seeing some of my set ups, mistakes, and how I approach things may help a few young folks with their set ups. I assure you I make far more mistakes (created learning opportunities as I like to call them). Anyways I plan or recording more soon as I have scouted every Saturday, and most Sundays, this year so far..... I made a commitment over on the Beast Hunter to journal my efforts this year so I am trying :)
 
Keep up the good work Dave. I'll be watching this one tomorrow morning for sure.
 
Thanks again Dave!

Since that area provides such good cover and escape routes do you think the buck might be bedding there all season? Obviously you're saving it for the rut to maximize your chances. I'm just bouncing these ideas of you to compare to what I'm thinking about my spots.
 
redsquirrel said:
Thanks again Dave!

Since that area provides such good cover and escape routes do you think the buck might be bedding there all season? Obviously you're saving it for the rut to maximize your chances. I'm just bouncing these ideas of you to compare to what I'm thinking about my spots.

I typically find older age class bucks bed in different areas until late Oct. Now depending on the amount of cover then that might be as close as 50-100 yards. But typically, where I hunt, the does bed closer to food sources and the older bucks bed in more remote areas. I do believe in the area I posted the videos about the bucks are bedded on that peninsula but my guess is it is further down and quite some distance from the ladies. Where I hunt bucks in early Oct is pretty different then where I hunt them in Nov. On my tree stand data sheets (I have one for every tree I prep in a big binder at home and in my truck) - I actually list if it is an Oct, Cruising/chasing, Rut or Post rut stand - crazy I know :)
 
I need to start being as diligent about record keeping as you are. I think that is what has allowed you to maintain and utilize the knowledge learned from past mistakes/observations so well. I will have to go back in your Beast Journal and look over those stand sheets for ideas. Aside from individual stand sheets, what other record keeping do you focus on. Is all this info written after the fact, or do you carry and fill it out in the field?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
:shock: i always carry a small pocket notebook and a pen everything i hunt or scout..... Just wish i had a way to compare year to year.... Most of it is stuck in my hair covered computer and that's scary
 
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