How do you start looking for bedding areas and what are some signs?

[TheHunter]

My brother asked me this question today...

How do you start looking for bedding areas and what are some signs of a bedding area? 

I was like thats a great question... All I know is that you look for area's where you can actually see a bedding area, hammered down grass...  But thats my extent of knowledge on the subject.. 

Can anyone else chime in and give some more idea on where they tend to bed, and other signs?

This also leads into the question, where do you setup your stand if you do find a bedding area?  Somewhere 1/2 between the food sources and the bedding area?

Thanks  ???

[Fairgame]

Thick pines or brush usually hold deer.  Anywhere they feel secure imo.

[Doc]

One of the great things about hunting the same areas year after year is that you learn from experience where some of the likely bedding areas are. In our area, there is no "one condition fits all" scenario. I know that deer do bed down in the heavy wild-rose choked thickets and other nearly impenetrable brush areas. But I also have some favorite bedding areas on top the hill that are fairly open mature wooded areas where deer will simply hunker down on some knoll or next to a huge log. These places are usually found simply by spending time in the woods and taking note of where you most often jump deer.

It would be nice if we could say that that place over there is thick so every deer in the area must be there when they are not feeding, but it just isn't true. It takes a bit of time and lot of observation to try to determine where the deer might be at any particular time of day and then you can only talk in terms of probability. I have seen deer bed in some real strange places.

Doc

[deerinsight]

Doc,

Know that is a great response to Thehunters Question. I don't believe too many people could have said it better.

[gjs4]

just remember bedding areas may change with the seasons, food sources, pressure, rut stages....

[Doc]

just remember bedding areas may change with the seasons, food sources, pressure, rut stages....

Lol ...... That's why they call it "hunting". Things change and just as soon as you think you have it all figured out, it changes.

It's funny the way all the deer hunting "how-to" books and articles always say to set up your stand between the bedding and feeding areas. Like the deer are always feeding on the same thing and bedded up in the same area. If it were all that easy, I guess there wouldn't be a whole lot to this hunting thing.

Doc 

[growalot]

lately...I've found that I can make bedding areas with out even thinking about it....Just mow a trail to be able to sneak through high brush to my stand...deer bedding on the trail ...or I put a stand up in march...went to check it Tues. ....golden rod is chest high no trail but...several beds under and with in feet of stand....Don't tell me they aren't smart or know whats up

[gjs4]

Rut phases change where deer feed/bed...but you can pattern deer.....it is not explicit enough that you can bank on anything but if youre consistently killing what you want you have something figured out

biggest reason bedding changes during hunting? ....thats easy