Finding Bedding Areas

OK, how do I find bedding areas? This seems to be a question I see in forums, emails and a large amount of search queries on the net. As my Bowhunting season is about to kick off here in Wisconsin, I have been out looking for those bedding areas myself.

First off, if you spend enough time hunting a piece of property, you will no doubt come across bedding areas. Deer will often year after year use these same areas. They continue to use these areas because the feel safe there. Once you know where they are your hunting will be a little easier. Most educated or experienced hunters know where the bedding Areas are or know how to find them. For most new to the hunting world this can be a daunting task or at least seem that way.

As with any aspect of hunting, no one piece of deer sign means you are in the right spot. You need a few things to go off of. In order for me to find bedding areas I first need to locate and identify the major food sources on the property. This can be a new article all of it's own. However to touch on it briefly, crop fields are one place to start looking. Oak trees dropping acorns is another. You need to do a little homework and some scouting to see what the deer are feeding on. Keep in mind you are not looking for places where the just nibble here and there. The food sources we need to find will look like they are being used often.

Now we have targeted a few major food sources, next up find the major trails leading to and from those food sources. I mention to and from, because the direction they lead will play a big role in placing a stand when we are ready to hunt. There are a few ways to determine the direction of travel. Tracks on the trails is one such way. The trail may be through a grassy area sowing no tracks. In this case generally the grass will be bent of padded down pointing to the direction the deer are moving.

Now we know where they are coming to and leaving the food source. Time to find the bedding areas. The simple task of following the trails will often lead you to the bedding areas. Yep, that's the big secret to finding the beds. Keep in mind though, trails intersect and meander all over so you need to be diligent in your scouting to find the beds. You might want to limit your scouting the bedding areas to well before hunting season. In the case that you spook deer it will they will have time to get back to the normal routine before hunting.

Once you have found the bedding areas, look to the trails leading to and from them to the food sources again. These should be the areas you want to look for spots to place a stand. Trails leading to the food often make a better evening stand, as trails leading away usually make a better morning stand.

Finding the bedding areas where you hunt is a big part to knowing where the deer travel. Once you find them it becomes a little easier to plan a strategy to hunt them.