Slippin’ In
Bed With A Buck
By Denny Sharrone
Baaah, baaah. A couple of short grunts stopped the buck right where
I needed him. The vitals hovered in a volleyball-sized hole through
a tangle of honeysuckle at twenty-five yards. I picked a hair on the
crease of his shoulder and settled the pin. The plan was coming together…
My wife Missy and I just grinned at each other when we found this spot.
It was during one of our annual post-season scouting days and it would
turn out to be just the sort of location we were looking for. The farm
we hunt in southern Ohio has it all: food plots, big timber, funnels
and thick bedding areas. These bedding areas were a key piece of real
estate we needed to access if we wanted a chance at an early season
buck. What you have to figure out is which ones you should and shouldn’t
hunt. With good scouting and some discipline, you can put yourself
in position for a shot at a big whitetail buck right when the season
kicks off. I was telling Doc from Doc’s Deer Scents of my bedding
area plans during this year’s open house and he was eager to
see how they would turn out, and so were we.
Priority number one when looking for a bedding area to hunt is the
access point. If you can’t slip in without spooking the deer,
you might as well forget it. Your entry must be silent, invisible and
scent free. If he hears, sees or smells your approach, the buck you’re
after is likely to slip away without your even knowing he was there.
If that happens, you’ll probably have a very tough time getting
another chance at him.
The preparations for hunting a bedding area must be made well in advance
of the hunting season. My favorite time for these preparations is March.
There are usually some nice days available and it’s a great way
to get rid of cabin fever. The deer sign from the past season should
still be easy to spot and you’ll be able to get a better lay
of the land without all the leaves on the trees. If there’s still
cover available this time of year, it’s certain to be even thicker
and offer a haven for the bucks when the season gets under way the
coming fall. Find out what the predominant wind direction is for that
spot and begin to plot your course into the area. Take some sort of
wind checker with you to visually verify what you think you’re
feeling. Even if you have to go out of your way to stay downwind of
the bedding area, do it; it will pay off. You may find out that the
path you need to create will not be easy or short in distance. Making
your trail will most likely take a good bit of time, but it’s
really the only way to be able to slip in undetected. Clear all the
branches and dead leaves you may step on and trim every piece of brush
that might touch your clothing. Be sure to trim the brush back farther
then you may think necessary to allow for growth during the spring
and summer.
The next step is to find a tree from which to hunt. If you use a Tree
Saddle like I do, this won’t be difficult. Just pick a tree on
the downwind side of the bedding area that will allow you to shoot
the spots you think the buck will move through when he enters or exits
his bedroom. If this is a spot you intend to hunt after the leaves
fall be sure to pick a tree that will offer as much concealment as
possible. Put up your climbing sticks or steps and ascend to your hunting
height. Always remember to wear a safety harness anytime you’re
in a tree. If you have to hang a stand, do this now. Try to position
the stand so the tree is between you and where you think the deer will
be, allowing just enough room to slip around the side for a shot. Finish
your preparations by installing any bow holders and hooks for your
gear, and then have a buddy trim your shooting lanes for you while
you’re still in the tree. Be sure to have at least two on each
route you think the deer will take. This will allow a second opportunity
for a shot if the deer gets past the first lane. I really wouldn’t
suggest trying to hunt this way with a climbing treestand, as they’re
just way too noisy upon entry and while going up the tree. The buck
will likely get up and leave before you even finish putting your climber
on at the base of the tree.
The last thing you will have to do is come back in late summer to check
on things. I usually do this Labor Day weekend. Be sure to make a bit
of noise when you approach to give any bucks that may be bedded a chance
to leave without startling them. Bring some pruning equipment to remove
any brush that may have grown beyond the earlier trimmings along your
entrance and in your shooting lanes. Remove all sticks and as much
green vegetation from the ground as possible. This will keep your noise
and scent to a minimum. Speaking of scent elimination, I highly recommend
Doc’s Evade spray. It’s what I use and it works awesome!
When deer season comes, only hunt this spot when the wind is right
and don’t hunt it very often. Pick and choose your times wisely
and err on the side of caution to give yourself the best chance. Finally,
always get into these bedding areas well before daylight. It’s
imperative in the mornings that you beat the buck to his bed. In the
afternoons, get in early; I like three o’clock.
A little pressure to the trigger on my release silently launched the
arrow from my Whisper Creek bow; it reached its mark perfectly. The
buck bounded off and expired within 80 yards. It was 4:20 in the afternoon
on the second day of Ohio’s 2006 archery season and I was done.
Missy caught the action on camera from her Tree Saddle just above me
as the celebrations began. Hunting bedding areas is truly an awesome
way to harvest big bucks. Just be smart, put in the early season work,
and you can have some early season success yourself.
Good luck!
|