deer beds

[Big C]

I have been watching the site for a while now. With all the knowledge here I decided to join and ask a question I saw on another board discussion. I just wanted to see what you guys thought about it and what your experience has been.

"I was reading an article about deer movement and the article mentioned buck beds and doe beds.

First question what do I need to create deer beds?
Second, how do I create them?
And third, what is the difference between a buck bed and a doe bed?

We are starting to do some land management for our deer herd and am I trying to come up with some long range goals."

 

[Critter]

Sounds to me like they're referring to the "spot" that a buck or doe creates while resting or sleeping in heavy cover. No different than if you were to go out and lay in some switchgrass, beat down a small area and lay down in it, thus creating your own "bed". Find any heavy cover with food sources halfway close by, and you're bound to find a few "beds" in it. Around here, you can also find melted patches of snow on ridges and south facing slopes where deer haved bedded down for a period of time. To answer the last part of your question, as far as I know there is no positive way of identifying a buck or doe bed, other than the fact that the bucks bed will be a little larger, and sometimes by itself more than a doe's.

 

[Daver]

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First question what do I need to create deer beds?

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Answer - some blankets and pillows and stuff like that.

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Second, how do I create them?

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Answer - Find a place in the timber where it is really dark and quiet and throw those blankets and pillows down and back out slowly. Shhhhh!

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And third, what is the difference between a buck bed and a doe bed?

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Answer - This is an easy one, buck beds have bucks in them and doe beds have does in them.

Now be sure to ask if there are any more questions!

OK, OK... I couldn't resist a little humor there!

You really won't create deer beds proper, but you can manipulate your habitat though to create areas that the deer are then likely to make beds in. There are a variety of ways to go about this and it is hard to give one answer that fits all situations. In the timber you can cut a bunch of undesirable trees or "hinge" them and let them fall over. This creates cover in the form of brushy tops on the ground and also lets more sunlight reach the floor and creates more low level growth.

In a field/CRP section... tall graases such switchgrass will be certain to have deer bedding in them.

 

[Gladiator]

From what I've seen scouting the timber, the deer have been bedding where there is a slight slope and LOTS of down trees and brush...tons of beds and tracks and poo everywhere. There were probably a hundred marks where the deer have bedded down melting the snow in the fallen trees. Must keep them out of the wind. There's also a new tree planting in some CRP in which the deer have been stacked up in as well...nice and thick for them. That's just what I observed.

 

[Iowabowtech]

Agree with much of what's already been said. Just because you "create" a bed it doesn't mean a deer is actually going to use it. If anything, the scent you leave behind while trying to do so would act as a deterent. I like the idea of trying to create a "bedding area" instead. Since you're talking about long term plans, a good bedding area idea might be the planting of a group of pines on a south facing hill that is out of the wind. Even better, plant a native grass throughout the newly formed pine stand to make the cover multi-dimensional. If you're really getting serious, a well protected food plot fairly nearby would really round out the whole works. I'm just shooting from the hip with all of this but the basic premise is to create the type of cover to make deer feel protected from dangers and the elements. Those are the types of areas they'll tend to bed down in.

 

[Liv4Rut]

When you are walking through the woods you can easily tell if it is a buck bed or doe bed by looking where they urinated at. If it is in the center of the bed, its a buck, if it is on the end it is a doe. That is assuming they like to sit in there pee

 

[Big C]

I should have clarified "bed" as in bedding areas. I plan to create a long term management plan for a newly aquired 40 acres which butts up to my existing 60. I plan to plant some trees, shrubs, grasses, plots everything basically. Im just get some ideas on creating areas that might attract deer to bed down on my property. Although I can never be assured the deer will use the area for bedding down I want to increase my chances. I do believe that there is a diffrence between areas where bucks bed and where does bed. I know it differs thoughout the year but my observations have been in the fall bucks like to be by themselves being bedded down in smaller areas where other deer are not. Does being more social will bed down in larger cover areas that can accomodate a group of deer instead of the single buck. Also, I think bucks like to bed downwind of a group of social does. Also I have seen more than one buck bedded down on the edge of thick cover behind him and open field in front of him with the wind to his back. These are just a few ideas I want to keep in mind when developing a "game plan". Just curious what others observations or experiences have been.

 

[Shredder]

I would rather plant plots for them to use rather than an area for them to sleep. Best of both worlds would be to have both areas available in close proxy. Nice food plots and dense surrounding areas will keep them close. With 100 acres tho, you have to realize you are not going to be able to keep them there year round or even during one season.

If fields are on your place, plant highly desireable plots to attract them during the fall, annual or perenial. Take your mature timber down to only desireable trees by the deer.

Sounds like you need a habitat consultant to visit your ground and make some recommendations for you. Good Luck

 

[Benny]

I would plant some thermal cover.

White pine, cedars etc. provide excellent deer bedding cover and thremal refuge in the winter months. Not sure what is native to your part, but red cedar is everywhere and its a staple for thermal cover. Plant the evergreen in an area that will get hit by the sun during the day (usually a south facing slope). Deer will bed in this area soakin up the rays from the sun during the fall and winter months.

Also planting some of the fields into native praire such as switchgrass, big bluestem etc would be an added bonus, makes good pheasant hunting too.

 

[bjkpharmd]

I think it would be hard on less than a few hundred acres although I think I was reading the same thread on the other board. Guy claims he will get bucks to bed where you want them and stay on as little as 40 acres. He wants your $$$ to tell you how to do it. The secrets are really secret- no one seems to talk about it.

 

[Big C]

I realize the importance of having food plots, my plots have been doing pretty well. I do have a timber program where I hinge and clear cut to promote new growth in certain areas. I have 200 acres in all although there is a 60 piece that seperates the 60 and the new 40. The 60 is in a CRP program and the owner might sell it to me in a few years. I have to get the 40 paid for first. I may be new to the board but hopefully we can get past the pillows and blankets and put our heads together and learn something. Yes Pharmer there is a guy in Michigan who claims to be able to create bedding areas for deer and even goes as far as claiming there are diffrences between doe and buck beds. He gets big money and his clients rave about his techniques and are very tight lipped about his techniques. With the knowledge of this board I thought we might be able to share our experiences and learn from each other. I thought it was interesting that there is a diffrence between buck beds and doe beds. I shared some of my thoughts and ideas about it. What do others think?

 

[dbltree]

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I decided to join and ask a question

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and welcome!

Bedding area's are something I'm always interested in and woking on...but deer have a mind of their own and don't always "appreciate" my efforts

The only place that has made a huge difference on my place was planting prairie grasses...and over the years I have often jumped bucks (more often then does curiously) from my switchgrass stands.

Overall I have noticed that bucks tend to be found...alone, in some little finger of brush or small outlook under some red cedar...especially mature bucks.

All of these were found by accident just tramping around.

To me...a doe bedding area is more important...in the rut, bucks are going to spend little time eating or sleeping...they have one thing on their minds

In my area the quickest way to create a bedding area is to clear cut and area large enough to allow new sprouts to come up.

Here, I do everthing I can to encourage red cedars including planting thousands of them...and still planting.

In your area it might be someting different like spruces...which unlike pines will provide a lifetime of cover close to the ground.

The hinge cutting you are doing is ideal IMO...you just need to do a large enough area to make a real difference.

Light will encourage browse like blackberries for starters and then eventually enough thick cover for bedding.

Doing an area every few years will keep an on going process of new bedding areas as the first one matures.

Let us know if you find out that "secret weapon"