Is there such thing as "Day Beds" vs "Nightime Beds"

[Northcountryman]

Last night, reading more from  " The Still hunter", i came across a part where Van Dyke describes different types of deer beds; more specifically, he refers to Nightime Beds as being distinctly different from Daytime Beds in their location and time invested by the deer in finding/procuring them.  Basically, , he suggests that nightime beds can kind of be "anywhere the deer decides tolay down and rest for awhile", whereas the daytime bed is more thought intensive in terms of conceleament/protection, etc.  Is this true? Never really heard of this although it seems to make sense.

[YFKI1983]

Last night, reading more from  " The Still hunter", i came across a part where Van Dyke describes different types of deer beds; more specifically, he refers to Nightime Beds as being distinctly different from Daytime Beds in their location and time invested by the deer in finding/procuring them.  Basically, , he suggests that nightime beds can kind of be "anywhere the deer decides tolay down and rest for awhile", whereas the daytime bed is more thought intensive in terms of conceleament/protection, etc.  Is this true? Never really heard of this although it seems to make sense.

Makes sense to me but unless someone speaks directly to a deer, I'm not sure how we can ever really confirm this.

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[NonTypical]

I have cams that pick up deer bedding at night and I also have other cams that only have deer bedding during the day. I didn’t set them up that way, it’s just the way it worked out. At night, they bed in the corner of a green field near a barn and cattails out in the open. During the day I have 2 cams in some really thick stuff and they bed there often. But I’ve never seen them bed there at night. 

[Trial153]

Absolutely agree with that premise.

[wolc123]

19 minutes ago, blackbeltbill said:

Wolc- Give. 

I cant recall ever killing a deer in its bed, so I can’t help much with this one.  
 

My preferred technique is to ambush them, after they leave their day or night beds, and are on their hoofs and out looking  for some lovin.  
 

I believe this old boy’s day bed was in a swamp last Friday, so I’d have needed hip boots to catch him there:

 

 

 

damned good eating though.

Edited December 3, 2021 by wolc123

[Whitetailhobo]

I see a lot of open area bedding under cover of darkness . more brushy bedding during daylight .  

[Jeremy K]

16 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

I cant recall ever killing a deer in its bed, so I can’t help much with this one.  
 

My preferred technique is to ambush them, after they leave their day or night beds, and are on their hoofs and out looking  for some lovin.  
 

I believe this old boy’s day bed was in a swamp last Friday, so I’d have needed hip boots to catch him there:

 

 

 

damned good eating though.

His legs look pretty clean for a swamp buck

[Greg van Splunder]

Absolutely a difference in locations a d placement , there are also bedding areas for.specific winds.  I have one spot for a sw wind with snow that will always be loaded with deer but inly.if those 2 factors are in effect and only in afternoon

[doebuck1234]

1 hour ago, Whitetailhobo said:

I see a lot of open area bedding under cover of darkness . more brushy bedding during daylight .  

I'll 2nd this.being that I have a big field to cross to get into the woods I've found many deer beds right in the open field on my way in,including one last weekend right along hedgerow (melted snow).any deer I've bumped accidentally during daytime has been thick cover

[Swamp_bucks]

I would agree that's why if you spotlight a field you will see bucks of all ages laying in them. 

[DoubleDose]

10 hours ago, Whitetailhobo said:

I see a lot of open area bedding under cover of darkness . more brushy bedding during daylight .  

 

8 hours ago, doebuck1234 said:

I'll 2nd this.being that I have a big field to cross to get into the woods I've found many deer beds right in the open field on my way in,including one last weekend right along hedgerow (melted snow).any deer I've bumped accidentally during daytime has been thick cover

I'll third this!!! In fact, I have seen deer beds in "more open" cover that I was hunting that were not there the day before!

[Whitetailhobo]

Pre rut and post rut buck bedding is definitely different. Post rut I look for thicker cover close to food fringe areas . Try to catch him traveling to and from eats . There is a lot of corn field in my area that the farmers are harvesting now . That first 100-150 yards of crippling brush cover off the edge of theses fields is a favorite area of mine with the muzzleloader.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Whitetailhobo
Ok

[Northcountryman]

40 minutes ago, DoubleDose said:

 

I'll third this!!! In fact, I have seen deer beds in "more open" cover that I was hunting that were not there the day before!

I belive you, but deer haveb more predators than just people and they know it- and they need cover at night too to for concealment.  Wouldnt they still be worried about detection at night from nocturnal preds like coyotes?

[Four Seasons]

11 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

His legs look pretty clean for a swamp buck

Exactly.

[Robhuntandfish]

i would say that during the season there are many factors to determine this, and others rather than dark and light, that lead deer to whatever bedding area they are at.  Deer are going to bed more according to the the changes in food availability - which changes as plants die, cover - which changes as leaves drop, hunting pressure - which changes significantly from bow to gun, etc.  I dont believe its a pick of dark vs light all that much as it is due to the rest of the environment.  If deer are laying in fields at night it is prob mostly cause they are noctural and feeding there and then lay there.  Not because it is dark out and seek out a field, its the food/does that brought them there.  During light they tend not to be in the fields anyway and will most often be in thicker areas beded for the day- not considering rut activity.  Also bucks get run down over the rut and might tend to bed closer to food for the rest of the season as its available at the end of season. Do deer bed more often in a field at night?  yes probably because of feeding and checking does during the hunting season at night.   

[Whitetailhobo]

Coyotes aren’t very effective against deer unless it’s a fawn or they are running them  down in the snow . .  Years ago when I was a predator caller we would see deer fox and coyotes all in the same field at the same time in the evening on the spotlight .  Deer will stomp the crap out of coyotes and domestic dogs .  The same way that a donkey does if left in the field to protect your live  stock .  Couple feet of snow on the ground and the coyotes will have an advantage if hunting in pac . 

[TreeGuy]

100% true. I watch a herd come from the thickets at dusk, feed, then end up a few hundred yards away bedded down in a field, almost every single night. By morning they are back in the thickets.

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[DoubleDose]

3 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

I belive you, but deer haveb more predators than just people and they know it- and they need cover at night too to for concealment.  Wouldnt they still be worried about detection at night from nocturnal preds like coyotes?

Of course, but they use their nose, hearing, and sight 24/7.  Just because they are bedded does not mean they put their guard down.  In fact, I believe they choose their bedding spot (day or night) based on ability to rest and be on guard with all their senses.

[Northcountryman]

28 minutes ago, DoubleDose said:

Of course, but they use their nose, hearing, and sight 24/7.  Just because they are bedded does not mean they put their guard down.  In fact, I believe they choose their bedding spot (day or night) based on ability to rest and be on guard with all their senses.

I agree , but why wouldn’t they just go back to the thickets then? I guess concealment isn’t as impt cuz it’s dark maybe ? 

[Four Seasons]

2 hours ago, TreeGuy said:

100% true. I watch a herd come from the thickets at dusk, feed, then end up a few hundred yards away bedded down in a field, almost every single night. By morning they are back in the thickets.

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Spot On!! Hunt Letchworth Park a few years and you will see the best in the business make their living.   Up top on fields bedding and feeding by night and to the Bowles of hell to spend their day.           And they do this in the full hunting zone, Archery only zone and on the no hunting zone.  It’s bred in the animal. 

[DoubleDose]

9 hours ago, Northcountryman said:

I agree , but why wouldn’t they just go back to the thickets then? I guess concealment isn’t as impt cuz it’s dark maybe ? 

I suspect because they know the human animal is only in there during daylight.  This is there house and thye know what is going on.

[Daveboone]

I have often found/seen deer on cold clear days in relatively open areas sunning themselves.