4 Ingredients for Highly Attractive Deer Bedding Areas

Whitetails need 4 varieties of habitat for highly attractive deer bedding areas. These ingredients combine to meet the needs of whitetail bedding areas on a daily basis. However, these whitetail habitat features don't merely combine to meet the needs of deer bedding areas, they produce the most attractive deer beds that you can scout for, create or locate. The most attractive deer bedding areas can't be purchased in a bag. Instead, make sure to seek the most attractive deer bedding areas that can be naturally found, within some of the best whitetail habitats across the country.

[@gunsandgear1479]

I just want to say that’s for the plethora of knowledge you are sharing with the general public. This is my first year hunting on public land and a federal base where I live in the south. Up until now I had hunted my families land that’s terribly managed and pretty much just meat hunting. Never really bow hunted either because their property is mostly pasture land. You have helped me skip over a lot of the newbie blues and allowed me to focus on the high value areas that I can hunt. Still have a lot to work on, like entering the woods more quietly etc. but again thank you!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That is great to hear... really appreciate the feedback. Thank you! I have a lot more vids to come very soon...and I truly hope that they help!

[@backcountrysurvivalists]

Haven’t watched your videos in a few months! I agree with all these tips!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That's great to hear...thanks for coming back!

[@davidhickenbottom6574]

I agree absolutely especially up here in New England it's all about the edge lots of Big Woods

[@ryanhasse6507]

Another great video!!!👍👍

[@rongarofalo3482]

I remember back in the day rabbit hunting. We we're always jumping deer. I started coordinating with my uncle about where he would be rabbit hunting. I would slip in a couple of hours earlier, get set up in my climber and wait for the deer to start moving. It worked out a few times. Small game hunters helped me out sometimes. Deer love the heavy cover for sure.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Great points Ron...pretty cool strategy! Somebody the best deer cover is also rabbit cover...for sure! Not always, but very, very often!

[@yogibear6271]

Ron Garofalo sure your talking about fall an winter sense your talking about hunting but bucks don't like thick bedding in the spring an summer.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@yogibear6271 oh man for sure...they definitely do not!

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

Great, Great info Jeff, Thanks again.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Many you are very welcome, really appreciate it!

[@mark7116]

Love the videos , Jeff! If I plant a patch of conifers, how many years would it take to be beneficial for whitetail habitat?

[@notinacorner592]

Right on Jeff! I can't bring myself to hav my mature pines (60% of my property) logged with timber prices as low as they are. I have been cutting post oaks and hickory out of an area for firewood every yr trying to open it up some. If I'm not mistaken this is the first ad I've saw in your vids. I will gladly let em play through to help support this channel! Thanks Jeff!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Jimi...thank you very much! Man I wish you could just take out 1/8th to 1/4 acre pockets to help your herd and hunt...even just to drop them and clean them up so deer can move through them...hope you can do something soon! And thanks for the support too...yes, I finally took the plunge. Really tough choice...can't tell you how much money I left on the table last year! I hope folks do not mind. This is my best way to bring even more videos to you guys this year! We already shot 15 this month...hoping for about the same every month. The money matters and I really appreciate you letting me know you will still watch them!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Oh btw, feel free to skip the ad if you can! Lol...I do

[@notinacorner592]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I will after 30 secs lol

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@notinacorner592 haha, too funny! I saw a red lobster ad...what the heck? Crazy ...

[@danplanck4058]

More good info Jeff thanks for the vid!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Dan, you are very welcome! Have about 7 more to publish over the next couple of weeks...hope that you like them!

[@radamrussell]

Have you ever made recommendations on a property that included hundreds of acres pastureland for cattle that was broken up by tree lines along fencerows that included briars, cedar and shrubs; small groves of hardwood trees and conifers inside those fencelines; a few larger (4-8 acres) pockets of timber that include conifers, and that was surrounded by similar parcels on two sides and heavy timber and timber/regeneration mix on the other sides? I don't know if there is hunting stress on those parcels. It's in East Texas. My concern is how effective switchgrass and big bluestem could possibly be if cattle are present. Do cedars make effective shields to give deer a sense of protection. Maybe cedars accompanied by tall grasses and shrubs was my thought after watching your videos? An episode focused on a parcel used primarily for beef cattle production would be interesting for a lot of landowners I am betting. But it might be a 3 second video...'Whitetails and cattle production? Doesn't work. Next." Lol. Anyways, I really enjoy the videos and habitat concepts. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@coryb4483]

When looking for or creating the diversity like you’re talking about, is it better to have a defined hard edge or the different types of vegetation to be mixed together?

[@huntwarbukz4117]

👍👍Awsome bro ..ive also been thinning a damp woods area moslty ash - it’s drying out in summer Way better ..with sunlight coming in .for now I left stumps in andbunch of new shoots came up making it brushy. .. my house is 10 acres mostly my hobby spot maybe someday it will holds big buck I’m setting it up lil at a time 👍👍🦌🦌

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Man that sounds perfect! Something to keep in mind with those ash is that they hinge very, very well...great side cover bushes grow on the trunks then. Good stuff...bet you love living there besides your playground 😎

[@huntwarbukz4117]

Awsome website ! Thanks brother

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

John Walton is the owner...great resource for questions too! My favorite way to recommend shrub plantings

[@aaronjohnson49]

What is your take on buckthorn in SW WI? Do you have trouble with it when you take out large gaps in the canopy or do you treat the understory before hinge cutting big hardwoods?

[@robhagenow1982]

What can I plant in swampy woods for deer beds and browse? Most of the time is has standing water in small pockets, and is in between conifers

[@jimallen1176]

Jeff, I enjoy learning from your videos. What kind of binoculars is that you've got. I'm wanting to upgrade to a better pair. I let a couple bucks walk this season because I couldn't tell what they were at dusk.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Jim...and good question! Those are Vortex Razor HD 10x42s. OUTSTANDING glass and Vortex Optics is located right here in SW WI. Great customer service...great company! My wife uses the Viper HD 10 x 42s...she loves them. One thing I have tried very hard to do is to not skimp on optics. For example I always spend more on a scope, than a rifle. I hunted a camp in PA for many years, where some of the guys literally took their scopes off and baked them in the oven to get moisture out after a rainy day. Not a recommended practice, lol. If you try them out let me know what you think...I love those binos!! Money well spent...

[@randlerichardson5826]

Great info brother. I’m doin this on my lease this year.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks Randle that sounds great, have fun!

[@randlerichardson5826]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions thank you brother for helping me. GOD BLESS.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@randlerichardson5826 man you are so welcome Randle! Have a great weekend!

[@huntwarbukz4117]

I have a open lil Feild section also ..so I’m gunna plant edge with shrub - grasses to block neighbors edge so deer starts to feel Secluded and then it will be a food plot. Thx for you help man

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Sounds really good...best of luck! Make sure to use a solid variety of switch for that grass...also, check out www.bigrocktrees.com for shrubs...pretty dang cool!

[@ThirdLawPair]

How close together do these ingredients have to be to be in "the same spot"?

[@randlerichardson5826]

That’s why I’m putting a good plot at my stand this spring and a patch of corn in the field in front of my stand.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Good luck Randle!

[@randlerichardson5826]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions thanks brother. The past 8 years I’ve hunted it I’ve killed one good deer there bout every year. I try not to over hunt it.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@randlerichardson5826 sounds like you have a great strategy there Randle! Love those spots...

[@randlerichardson5826]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions I’m hoping it will work out. I’m goin to put some effort into it this year. Thank you for the advice brother. You gave me the ideas for it all I appreciate you taking time out of your day to share GOD BLESS.

[@micahjhanson]

Thanks for yet another great video! I’m in the process of ordering trees and shrubs for spring planting. What do you suggest is best re: conifers? I’m thinking white spruce or white cedar. FYI Over the years I’ve adjusted my strategy so I plant fewer but protect them better - tree tubes, tree cages, etc.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Micah and you are very welcome! Where are you located? Very smart strategy you have there...plant less protect more!

[@micahjhanson]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions SE MN Do you think the white cedar and white spruce best conifer options?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@micahjhanson there are so many variables to consider! For full sun though, I am a big fan of red cedar and Norway spruce...in shade, white sprue or white pine. Red cedar because deer relate to it better all season long, and white cedar is nearly impossible to grow.... extremely finicky. Also, make sure to not plant in rows...rows are bad for all wildlife specific. Staggered clusters and broken rows are best, combined with the other 3 components of great deer bedding areas I mention in the video. Thanks for the questions and I hope that it helps! Just talking in general terms...all sites are so different!

[@randlerichardson5826]

I’ve not got much woods prob 10-12 acres mostly fields on my lease. That’s the prob I have here. The woods are located around my lease but there’s big white oaks where my main stand is. The fields are mainly sage grass prob 3-4 foot tall.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hopefully places deer can hide?

[@randlerichardson5826]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions oh yeah there’s one hillside that’s grown up in honey suckle and saplings prob 2 plus acres maybe more they hide in. I never go on the hillside I leave it alone.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@randlerichardson5826 good day time forage too! Real nice Randle...

[@stlgoon8775]

Just some content ideas for yea but I think a detailed video on forage trees and shrubs..sometimes it's hard to follow u when I dont understand what type of tree or foreage ur talking about(show us what some of these look like)

[@dmouse522]

Prickly Ash....grrrr!! I'm beginning to take some banks out. Trying to get Aspen, sumach, cherry, ninebark in there. Keeping Menards in the garden fence business. Seems deer bed under the prickly Ash during fawning, not too much otherwise.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

While prickly ash isn't a great food...it is really good side cover. It also grows in shade. Make sure to have full southerly exposure if you try to replace it with what varieties that you have mentioned. M prickly ash is growing in shade. I'm not real fond of it, but if removed prickly ash in most areas that it grows...I would be left with very little cover.

[@dmouse522]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Exactly. I'm old pasture so no hardwood regeneration. Prickly Ash, buckthorn and red cedar hide me for the most part. Plenty of thorns to draw blood even with my clearing.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@dmouse522 ha, good luck...switchgrass pockets can be incredible in that type of setting! Instant, quality cover that is better screening and hiding power than anything else...other than thick red cedar. Sounds like a fun project!

[@dmouse522]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Retired nursery man, not much else to do. Have pockets of natives. Have had trouble with switch grass. Definitely will try it again. Your enthusiasm is contagious.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@dmouse522 nice...bet you love doing this stuff! Switch needs total weed control...the death of most switchgrass is weed competition. As you can probably tell...I love this stuff too!

[@andrewjacobson7802]

Any tips for hunting an area like northern Wisconsin? Big woods, minimal agriculture, and lots of water.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi Andrew, I have quite a few bog woods and swamp scouting and hunting tips in my public land hunting playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLmV8Ilexgmhfhq31_lulJiD0mh-OmGtd0 Let me know what you think! Lots to watch though...

[@aidanrobbins1619]

Is a super thick growed up field full of briars and young pines good bedding

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Generally it is very good!

[@bbrilmyer]

What do you suggest, or do you believe that it can even happen, when briars become too thick for deer? Knocking them back and letting them regrow, or killing them with a herbicide?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Very good question Ben! They certainly can be too thick. Creating trails with a DR brush mower or hand held mower is perfect, and then following up with a herbicide. If it is easy for us to walk through it is very easy for them. Although, with the hair in deer it is very easy for them to slither through unscathed. But at some point it is too hard to walk through or even too talk. Definitely balance is key...open pockets, passage ways, and even planting shrubs or conifers within... protected from the briars.

[@richardhuebner4144]

The thicker the better where there are heavy pressured deer drives . I remember having to go backwards through the thick briers on the steep bluffs. If we kicked a deer out it would make a uturn right back in. It was amazing to watch. I think Jeff is right, just now a trail through the center and let the deer decide. I love crazy thick cover.

[@richardhuebner4144]

Deer will literally get on their bellys and crawl into that stuff. I watched a nice buck do that as did my hunting partner. It wasn't a shooter in our book but we were definitely educated at how cunning these animals are. Once in there you have to step on them to get them out. How many times have hunters said, where do all the big bucks disappear to during hunting season.

[@KingJonXVII]

Any tips for southern states like Florida?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Yes...in supper thick southern areas, openings, grinded down travel corridors and creating patchwork maze and pocket bedding areas work extremely well. The more openings that you make...trails of openings, bedding areas with a maze and pocket approach...I have experienced through hunters in those areas, that deer gravitate to. I hope that helps!

[@chrisgoodwin5857]

don't plant palm trees lol

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

@@chrisgoodwin5857 bad for browse? 🙂

[@mattdorholt7527]

Great Video! We are in the process of purchasing a property in which the bedding area appears to be a 15 acre poplar slash next to a swamp. (Monoculture) We want to maintain that to be our bedding area through continuous cutting and regeneration, along with planting some spruce. How do I do that without destroying the bedding area for a full year. A couple acres at a time in a 5 year rotation? Thanks!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Congrats on the land! It really depends in the age of the poplar and your resources. Mowing small 1/4 to 1/2 acre pockets with a forestry head on a bobcat is a great option. Chainsawing small pockets is a good thing too. I would make pocket clearcuts evenly distributed throughout the stand...it isn't a good idea to cut in just one spot. If it is all true bedding, then your cuttings should be spread across the entire piece, even if just a couple of acres every few years.

[@jeffsaxton2847]

Lol thanks jeff

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, for sure Jeff!

[@huntwarbukz4117]

👍yes I’m cutting out in wet spot but then gunna go around perimeter and hinge yes ahah love if wife’s still asks where i am ahaha I say I’

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hey bottom line...on the land is a GREAT answer!