You are being watched.

[NMSbowhunter]

I found this the other day while out scouting. I think the first time I heard about this was from Dan Infalt. He commented that deer, especially bucks, will bed in locations where they can watch for hunters entering the woods. This spot is just that. There is a main access lane leading off a gravel road down a hill and across a deep creek. Along one side of the hill overlooking the lane and creek is a huge red oak. At the base of this tree is a tangle of blow down logs and brush and tucked up under this tangle is a little bench worn down flat and smooth from use. In this spot were some very large deer turds. The bed is not 20 yards off that lane, but it is situated where anyone walking down the path to enter the woods would be visible to the buck as they walked by, but the buck would remain unseen due to the tangle of brush and the fact that the hunter is walking away. If the buck felt he needed to escape he could bound up and out and be gone down that hillside along that creek and be gone. It's just the perfect spot to monitor hunter access to that big block of timber and I bet 99% of the folks accessing that block use that trail to go in.

 

[Horn]

So what's your plan? You found him! Go get him!

Could you explain a little more about your thought process here. Were you looking for such a location? Just interested in the red oak acorns as the season progresses? Thanks for sharing

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I found it checking the oak for acorns, but I was also sort of looking at the spot as a buck lookout spot since it set up so well for that. My though on how to hunt it would be to go in very, very early and set up where I could cover the bed without being seen or smelled and wait for daylight. Hopefully he would come in predawn and set up to monitor the trail. I'd have to beat him in there and then wait for him to get up and move around a little, probably midday.

I will say that when I am going somewhere blind, somewhere I have never been before, I will look for spots that most hunters will be accessing and then work it back to where would I be if I wanted to watch that trail for danger.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Here is an example map of the types of spots I would check for a buck lookout spot. Any place where they can sit and watch the access and not be seen would be a good place to start. If I were scouting property that I had never been to I would check these locations. Sorry for the quality of the map.

 

[TommyDee]

I found a similar bed by accident last week, it was empty at the time. Often they are in the sight/hearing line of the deer, but upwind of the hunter entry….so if you park elsewhere and sneak around 180, they wind you. Or it’s too thick to flank/no tree, etc…I know of 3 of these in 3 locations, and just can’t find a way to hunt any of them with a bow. I guess that’s why they are there, lol!

 

[NMSbowhunter]

You are right, they are there because it is basically a bullet proof location for them. This is why I was thinking get in there super early while they are out roaming at night and be waiting for them to return predawn and bed. That's about the only way I can see to do it.

 

[Horn]

I ended up mostly scouting yesterday. I bumped a small buck out of bed in some swampy cattail type stuff, I think he was facing a couple scrapes I found later about 115 yards away. Is it possible bucks would do a similar Lookout thing over their scrapes? Pretty sure he's a fork I'd seen in the area earlier this year

 

[NMSbowhunter]

It's possible. Their scrapes are sort of their message boards so it makes sense that they would be interested to see if anyone was "posting", lol. Were the scrapes on higher ground than the beds or lower?

 

[Horn]

Monitoring is the word I needed. Someday I'll figure words out lol.

I would say he was bedded slightly lower, he was in wetland and they're on solid ground, it was pretty flat if I remember right. Fairly good size hills to the north, mostly more wet or lake to the south. He was looking to the west

 

[Tknapp]

I found a similar situation. there's a big swamp on public that boarders private. in that swamp there are several open grass flats. right up the middle of the swamp is a high line of mature trees about 30 yards wide. I found a buck bed on the far edge of a grass flat that he can see any hunter that enters thru this line of trees. also, the rest of the swamp is typically up wind of him. I have sole access to this private property and i can back door him. Which I did and missed him my first night of doing this. So now i have to re-figure him out.

 

[ThumbsMcGee]

Just be aware that many bucks J-hook around their bedding before going to it. This is a scent-check of the bed to ensure it’s safe.

 

[Lowg08]

I have one jerk that’s the same way.

 

[131north]

I lol'd when I saw "bed with poops". I hope you get em! I've found these after the fact and knew in fact that I had probably walked by that deer. I once found one of these and when I laid in the bed there was only one vector the buck couldn't see, and it would have been very challenging to approach from that 9 o'clock direction. Those bucks are pretty smart when not thinking with their other heads.

 

[Robert loper]

Barry wensel and Andrae D.
Been saying this simce the 90’s.
i see it a ton where i hunt.
the problem is other hunters dont and never realize coming in a certain way is ruining your hunt before you get to your spot.
I will try to enter an area using this tactic but if one other hunter comes in the wrong way basically he has probably spoiled your setup.
i call what i do alot ( backdooring).
its very wind specific.
its very hard way of hunting and its at times days without seeing a buck but when youdo and your timing is right it’s probably the one your after.
thats why public is so tough to hunt.
noone can dictate or control what happens

 

[Lowg08]

Barry wensel and Andrae D.
Been saying this simce the 90’s.
i see it a ton where i hunt.
the problem is other hunters dont and never realize coming in a certain way is ruining your hunt before you get to your spot.
I will try to enter an area using this tactic but if one other hunter comes in the wrong way basically he has probably spoiled your setup.
i call what i do alot ( backdooring).
its very wind specific.
its very hard way of hunting and its at times days without seeing a buck but when youdo and your timing is right it’s probably the one your after.
thats why public is so tough to hunt.
noone can dictate or control what happens

I will also go around the long way to get into a spot. These bigger deer ain’t dumb. I know where a scrape and rub line is with beds over looking a four lane

 

[MIPublic]

You are right, they are there because it is basically a bullet proof location for them. This is why I was thinking get in there super early while they are out roaming at night and be waiting for them to return predawn and bed. That's about the only way I can see to do it.

This is one of the main tactics John Eberhardt uses. Get in super early, like set up in the tree 3 hours before shooting time.

 

[Robert loper]

This is one of the main tactics John Eberhardt uses. Get in super early, like set up in the tree 3 hours before shooting time.

Oh lord lol like 3am in tree. Lmao. No thanks lol

 

[Horn]

Oh lord lol like 3am in tree. Lmao. No thanks lol

That's what the drey is for my man! Zzzzzz

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Oh lord lol like 3am in tree. Lmao. No thanks lol

Not so bad if you're dragging him out by 9 am, lol.

 

[Robert loper]

Not so bad if you're dragging him out by 9 am, lol.

True true lol