I was looking for turkeys in a place where normal people don't go. Walked up on a bedding area of a Bachelor group of bucks. 3 dry beds (it was raining). Several wet beds. Saw the deer on another ridge, they were mature to say the least. Is it likely they will still be bedding there early bow season. I know not to go back in there anymore. What would your strategy be? North Georgia.
Not a deer expert but I have killed one or two. I would say that this time next year one or more will be back there. It's been my experience that they change bedding according to many factors. Food, water, pressure, and does during the rut are key. Not a lot of mature buck bedding areas are used year round.
Great find! Post season/early spring patterns will differ from fall, or in our case(GA), late summer when the season starts. Calendar says fall, thermometer says summer. That group of bucks will split up, but likely still use that area. Is there a post season food source there now that could be less attractive in the fall? Water nearby? What you did find is a place where mature deer travel and feel comfortable bedding. Those safe spots may not change and have a chance to hold deer year round. Inevitably, the rut will call deer away, and also invite new bucks to the area. The most important thing though, is that you are close enough to invite me to turkey hunt! Kidding. Strategy wise, I'd not pound it during the off season. Lightly scout surrounds before season. A mock scrape or two will help take inventory. Stick a stand there this fall and see what happens. Good luck this season.
I don't know much about your area but I've never seen bachelor groups real late in the season like this but it's surely possible maybe they've already gotten back together. Couple things you say really confuse me. For one they still have horns right now? The mature bucks as you've stated seeing typically shed quicker. I've never seen one big mature buck w horns past Jan never mind a group. Next thing is down south when is your rut? Remember unbred does come back in, chances are any mature bucks wouldn't be associating w each other anywhere near this time frame.
Ok so to address your question. The answer is very unlikely. The food, cover, water, etc is all likely to be vastly dif so will preferred areas
Several factors will dictate where they're bedding in early bow season. First, how early in the season is it? Not uncommon to still see bachelor groups together in early season. Maybe not the whole gang but if their age structure is pretty close, they'll generally tolerate each other a bit longer. This past January we had a late heritage hunt. Middle of January I saw 5 bucks hanging out solo. Next day, saw them again. Once the rut competition is over, the adrenaline levels drop and they'll again tolerate one another.
Food will be the big thing that time of year. They'll bed as close to it as they feel comfortable. Soon as hunters start to show up, they'll leave and go deeper into cover.
Not uncommon to have antlers now either. Still seeing bucks with antlers here. Milder the weather, longer they'll hold them. Especially if they've got a good food supply. I've seen bucks not shed until just before they were gonna start new growth.
Big thing to keep in mind, if they feel
Safe there, that's where they'll go when they get pressured.
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I'm from north central Ga and have killed a few deer over the years. I'd say no, the bucks will not be there at the start of the season BUT, if you know where they are bedded now, you can plan where you want to be next year starting in late December. I've saw over the years that deer, especially bucks will go to certain areas late in the year and they will go there year after year unless something major happens to the landscape.
I've seen bucks around here still holding onto their antlers in early turkey season. Also saw some that have already started growing them back during turkey season.
Just like humans, no 2 are alike. Some are small bodied, some are fat pigs, some grow large racks early in life, some never have large antlers.
I've been feeding the deer behind my house every day for 26 years and I get to see quite a bit of their behavior. I obviously don't see as many mature bucks post-rut as I do during the rut, but usually when I see one buck in winter, there are more with him. Deer go through a yarding effect through the winter where they group up for protection. I normally have a core group of one dozen does/fawns that visit daily, though in the middle of winter that number doubles. The most deer I had here was 27 at once. In mid-winter, the bucks show up as a group to eat if the doe group is here or not. During the rut, bucks come here on their own, always alone to chase does.
I've seen bucks with a full set antlers as late as the second week of March and the latest I found a shed here was the 3rd week of March. The bigger bucks shad their antlers ahead of the younger bucks regularly.
The bedding area you found is likely a safe place they don't get pressured much. Guarantee it is close to a feeding area like wvmntnhick said. Check out the trees in that area and look for rubs. Bucks don't tend to rub much post-rut, so if there are a lot of rubs around that bedding area, that place also matters in Fall and would be worth hunting.
Jim
I didn't see any antlers, just very large deer. And the beds were longer than I'm used to seeing. I have saw antlers on smaller deer in late April. They are usually back together here. And will be in early bow season (mid September) and will still have velvet. Big creek at the bottom, very steep and thick on both sides. Found lots of white oak acorns but they had worms. Takes an hour to walk there. I've found places like this before but I can never hang a stand in bow range without them changing their address. Maybe they left for some other reasons (food supply, close to rut etc.) but I always do it after season opens and feel like I invaded there privacy and they moved. Maybe I'll try to hang it in August. But for now I'll concentrate on the few and far between turkey. Which I haven't found Hush, ;D YET!!!
Study the wind and how to get in undetected. Mature bucks pick there bedding putting everything to their advantage. Around here in the mountains they typically bed on points or the sides of ridges with the wind at their backs and a good vantage below. Getting in tight to the bedding undetected is the hard part. It usually doesn't take long for them to catch on either.
If you saw no antlers you could have jumped a few big does so non of it matters. Like said previously the vegetation and food sources will be completely different during early season. The best case you found a bedding area of "deer" late winter.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on February 12, 2019, 09:16:24 AM
If you saw no antlers you could have jumped a few big does so non of it matters. Like said previously the vegetation and food sources will be completely different during early season. The best case you found a bedding area of "deer" late winter.
Don't believe does. Deer too big and beds too long. It is possible though. I wouldn't shoot a doe there. Take half a day of hard labor to get it out. LOL
Quote from: Sixes on February 12, 2019, 07:49:29 AM
I've seen bucks around here still holding onto their antlers in early turkey season. Also saw some that have already started growing them back during turkey season.
Just like humans, no 2 are alike. Some are small bodied, some are fat pigs, some grow large racks early in life, some never have large antlers.
Sixes I've seen a deer or two as well. Matter or fact a 5 pt was in yard last nt. Pituitary glands start the growth but lowering testosterone supposedly causes antler drop quicker. A mature buck this would reason drops quicker. I've never seen a large buck this late and never even heard of a group. I have no idea how southern deer act horn drop wise but I'd assume it pretty late already
Here's a pic of buck last night. I'm pretty opposed to cameras for scouting but just to see what's around after season I don't care too much. Anyway this is northern NJ. It's not real common
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I passed on a buck that was missing a side in mid January. I didn't pass because of that though. I was done with meat collecting for the year and he wasn't the one I was after.
Quote from: Happy on February 12, 2019, 09:05:32 AM
Study the wind and how to get in undetected. Mature bucks pick there bedding putting everything to their advantage. Around here in the mountains they typically bed on points or the sides of ridges with the wind at their backs and a good vantage below. Getting in tight to the bedding undetected is the hard part. It usually doesn't take long for them to catch on either.
That's the place. End of point overlooking everything. Wind would have to be out of the south and have to slip in when they weren't there. Tough order. There are some rubs so they at least come by in the fall.
I've been told the round beds are does and bucks make long beds. Is this always the case? I was told lots of things growing up that weren't so.
Never heard that before. When looking at beds there are a few giveaways. 1: is it the best bedding location possible for that area in reference to security and wind direction? Mature bucks take the best locations. 2: Are there any small beds located there? If so that would signify does and fawn bedding not bucks. 3: Tracks? Big bucks make big tracks that usually sink in pretty good. Also if there is snow down (not likely in Georgia) then you can get an idea of it sex by the width of its chest as well as travel pattern. Mature bucks don't tend to wander aimlessly like does. And they tend to travel through the thicker areas in regards to cover and wind direction. These are just some of the things I look at when trying to figure out what I am looking at.
How close together were the beds. Does will bed in small groups bucks usually bed further from each other. As far as the beds being long, if you've ever watched bedded deer they get up from time to time and mill around then lay back down not in the exact same spot which will make a bed look bigger or longer.
Quote from: LaLongbeard on February 12, 2019, 02:35:40 PM
How close together were the beds. Does will bed in small groups bucks usually bed further from each other. As far as the beds being long, if you've ever watched bedded deer they get up from time to time and mill around then lay back down not in the exact same spot which will make a bed look bigger or longer.
The dry beds were about 8-10yds apart. Some of the wet ones were closer to dry ones. They were all about the same size. The rubs were not big trees, about 2" dia. You couldn't get near them without them knowing it.
Quote from: longspur on February 12, 2019, 10:48:09 AM
I've been told the round beds are does and bucks make long beds. Is this always the case? I was told lots of things growing up that weren't so.
Not necessarily. Does can bed down, stand up, lay back down in nearly the same spot but wallow the bed out. Can be very deceiving honestly. I've seen some huge beds that would lead one to believe it was a big buck only to follow the tracks and find it's a doe. Just par for the course. Big thing is, don't rely on the size of a bed to determine the gender of a deer. If those deer are there late season, hang your stand in August as you'd planned. Stay out of there until late season. Slip in there with the wind in your favor and plan to stay all day. I've been hunting a small farm locally for the past 5 years. I've found that if you're not playing the wind, you're not really hunting. Because the property is smaller than I'm used to and my time has become more limited (valuable), I'm not hunting a stand unless the wind is perfect. No sense ruining a good setup just because it seems "okay." And a mature doe is often times more alert than a cagey buck. You need to do your HW before getting near a bedding area. Honestly, my opinion only, stay out of there. Find the food and intercept them going to it. That is hands down your best bet.
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I wish I had read all the responses prior to responding. I see the bed thing was already discussed. My bad for making it redundant.
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Quote from: wvmntnhick on February 12, 2019, 08:47:52 PM
I wish I had read all the responses prior to responding. I see the bed thing was already discussed. My bad for making it redundant.
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It's all good. I think it was a myth some folk believed back in the day. Like don't pee in the woods and dew claws mean bucks. I've never really concerned myself with the beds or I would have known. I hunt meat not horns. But a mature buck on public land with a bow would produce a tremendous achievement high. Like a big ole high pressure Tom. They are my favorite ones to shoot. Thanks for your input.
Quote from: longspur on February 12, 2019, 05:15:51 AM
I was looking for turkeys in a place where normal people don't go. Walked up on a bedding area of a Bachelor group of bucks. 3 dry beds (it was raining). Several wet beds. Saw the deer on another ridge, they were mature to say the least. Is it likely they will still be bedding there early bow season. I know not to go back in there anymore. What would your strategy be? North Georgia.
I'd not get your hopes up. Food sources change throughout the year, and they're utilizing whatever is there now, and shortly after winter ends, they'll be out somewhere else eating whatever they can find. Late summer/early fall will have another whole assortment of food. Remember these guys have an urge to bulk up the later it gets in the year. They'll outstrip any food source and them move on. Their range heading will expand to many square miles.
That being said, I'd think it wouldn't hurt to put up a camera at a choke point and see what happens.