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Bucksnbears

Bucksnbears

Well-Known Member
I've ever posted this before? Some (MOST) will find this ridiculous but ....
Just something I started doing quite a few years ago for fun. The idea was fun but the work involved kinda sucked.

I got some small wheat straw bales (guessing) about 12_15 years ago and just for kicks, I wondered if I could get deer to bed in a very specific spot.
I'd haul in a bale back into areas I already knew deer liked to bed but I wanted to see if I could actually get them to bed in a " bed" made of straw. It actually worked and worked very well.
Over the years, I've found several sheds in them.
Yesterday, for the first time since last spring, I went into my " sanctuary " looking for sheds.
There were 6 spots I had made straw beds and every one was used Heavily. Like almost no straw visible. Pounded into the dirt.

The buck in my avatar pic, I actually watched him get out of a straw bed I'd made in the spring, stand up, shake off and made his way to bow range.

I enjoy hunting super tight cover cuz I'm not a great bowshot ( like em within 15 yards) so setting these beds up is alot of work. Mostly in Buckthorn/ Prickly Ash thickets.

I did not take pics yesterday but here are a few pics I took after setting them up.

No, I'm not posting this this as a

new tactic to kill big bucks but just a fun thing I liked to do and it does work.

Ive got one about 45 yards behind my cabin that deer bed almost daily. I can see it from my back window.

the ones in the pics are way back into nasty cover and im done hauling bales back there. Too much work.


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Pretty cool and good idea. I see those areas up against blowdowns and brush etc that have a lot of grass etc get bedded in heavily in the winter often.
 
Very cool...I had never thought of doing this with straw only, but I could definitely see it working. Great thinking.

I used to have an old barn on my place that deer, even big bucks, would often bed in. They would always be laying on the old hay FWIW. The more severe the weather, hot or cold, the more they would be in there.

Based on those observations I had thought about making some lean-to's out in the timber for them to use as shade, etc. I never followed through with that, but maybe all I really needed was some straw...huh! :)
 
Sep0667, yes, finding natural spots like these probably gave me the idea to try and make artificial ones.
I think I tried the first time about 2009ish and have done it most every year since. It's been a fun project but it's getting to hard to do as the years go by.
( I ain't 50 anymore) lol.
Bucking those bales 100s of yards through nasty thickets can really wear me out.
And yes, having a good solid log as a backing is a key attraction.
Glad to see some here think it is a fun project.:cool:
Oh, forgot to say, 1 small bale will do 3 beds. 1/3 per.
 
Oh well. It's not a tactic for "big bucks" only , however they DO use them.
Just a fun project, nothing more.
Everything we see on T.V. had to start somewhere.
 
I wonder if it’s to keep there belly’s a little warmer and drier especially when there’s snow on the ground?

Down here in the south, you find beds made out of palmetto bushes when you’re in the swamps. Hogs build them. When they’re bedding, they like to have their bellies dry.
 
NV, I don't think so, at least for a primary reason.
Deer seem to use them year round.

The straw does (melt) over time so some I've had going for years does need to be replenished but I think they'd bed there even if I didn't add any.

Some perennial spots I'll visit once a year and clean out any sticks that have accumulated.
Again, not a " big buck" bed strategy and really not much help as to actually hu ting, just has been a fun project.
 
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