Deer University Episode 075 - Pulling the Covers Off Buck Beds

In this episode we visit with Luke Resop to discuss buck beds and bedding areas. How often are they bedding? What’s their affinity to certain bedding areas? What’s the circuit time for returning to a bedding area? Day beds and night beds are all discussed. We also introduce our newest member to the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Natasha Ellison. She is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping us dig deeper in the buck movement dataset to answer questions about buck behavior relevant to hunters and managers.
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[@benbearkiller]

I think I’ve watched most of y’all’s videos on here twice. I know with the time and recourses y’all have put into deer research biology is tremendous and without a doubt can be trusted and used in the field.

[@Ben_Allgood]

That's a treasure trove of data waiting to be analyzed and put into practical use. I'm excited every time new information is put out from this dataset. Kudus or Kudos to each member of the team. Although 24 hour net displacement intervals are good, I believe that mark should be at a time when there is the longest lapse between movements. So, instead of 12am, maybe 12pm? Luke has a great way of extending this data to the public. Keep it coming.

[@tompeplinski]

Great stuff as usual. I have always said, you can manipulate the landscape to increase the odds deer will use your land, or bucks will use or bed on your land. Deer select where they want to be...give them what they want and that gives you the best or highest potential that you can have that buck spend more time on your property. Thanks for this information.

[@fisherman_of_navarone]

These studies are so key. I'd love for my young kids to get involved in this when they mature.

[@JBearTrades]

Regarding the deer movement in daylight hours - You’re not factoring in the total number of daylight hours declining during the hunting season. Deer are obviously going to start feeding more at night as there are simply increasing dark hours. Look at the chart Afternoon vs Morning in October vs December and change the colors to one color and you’ll see almost the exact same distribution over both months. Show the same chart as a time scale and you’ll see it’s a total # of daylight hours scenario vs pressure. Love the vid!

[@danielcrawford9872]

I would suggest that 15 minutes of difference between day and night bedding bouts IS biologically significant in the context of risk exposure and the average amount of time a hunter is in the stand. Also, did y'all assess how many bedding areas vs bedding sites were utilized during day vs. night? I would expect time spent in a bedding area to be greater during day than night due to shorter NSD between daytime bedding sites.

[@paulwakefield1015]

At the 13 minute mark you mentioned you excluded sites in ag fields. I’m fine with that unless the ag is tall enough cover to provide bedding ie 5 feet high beans, standing corn , etc

[@bobbyhamlett3348]

This is fantastic. So much of hunting media and industry seems to be focused on Midwest/farm country and just isn’t really applicable to where I hunt in southside Virginia. Your study area seems very similar to where I hunt, and your data is consistent with what I observe. It is very difficult to pin down a bucks location where cover is abundant.

[@MrFishguy60]

While the moon may not have an effect on the bedding data. I have solid data that the moon has an effect on when they show to eat. I would be glad to share. It's deep. You know, if we put our data together, we may really learn something.

[@JB-JB-JB-JB]

Thanks for all your help Natasha (sp?) and these gentlemen will get a firm talking to from their wives and daughters believe you..me..! 😆😉

[@MrChiumiento]

My question would be what are the types of areas where you did not see your deer? where there types of landscapes or areas where you clearly saw them less than others?

[@jordanfournier1719]

You need to talk to Dan Infault. He is the bedding buck master. He’s been out in the field his whole life hunting buck beds. He knows and has seen it all!

[@davidjoy1846]

Is there a way to quantify bedding relationship with sunrise and sunset, and particularly how the timing of that bedding might shift with pressure at the onset of hunting seasons? Are bucks more consistently choosing to bed before sunrise and/or remain in beds after sunset as pressure increases?

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

Great Video! You have started killing off a lot of old assumptions, that I have been told over and over for 30 years.

[@paulwakefield1015]

Which ones?

[@ukjw2]

Why? Half these people have never hunted. The others have never encountered a buck bedroom in the woods. It’s beds to listen to the actual hunters and these guys and meet in the middle.

[@ronbonofiglio7654]

Are any doe studies being done? I'm wondering if any overlaying of buck and doe bedding times and sites would correlate with one another?

[@chrisgoodwin8146]

One hour in, buck 297.. which way did the river flow?

[@davidhodge2009]

It would have been interesting to look closer at the data behind the bucks that had fewer bedding areas.

[@stevedemarais]

Thanks, We’ll work on fulfilling your suggestion.

[@Ben_Allgood]

or subset the data into 5 year olds and older. Does age cause a behavior change, and if so, which age is it?@@stevedemarais

[@tacticalwhitetailmappingso5118]

Those 3 percent beds on the ones to focus on for mature deer… I’m sorry but I don’t like averages to me it throws things off… u can see it scouting for beds… there are certain areas mature deer prefer… they don’t all look the same… but have similar characteristics… if cover is too thick specially in hills the won’t be there bc they can’t escape… if wind currents arent consistent they won’t be there… just enough cover to break them up with good escape and consistent wind currents whether that’s thermals or the actual wind… also the more diverse the more beds they can have… don’t mean they will

[@ukjw2]

These people have never found a bucks bedroom in the big woods. At least one of them has never even hunted. Just a bunch of data that is helpful as long as you have the actual experience.

[@tacticalwhitetailmappingso5118]

@@ukjw2 I agree… when u actually go look there are only so many places that work for what a big buck want it need to feel safe and have food close by for day time use

[@benbearkiller]

??Y’all have talked about bucks not involving himself in the breeding cuddle for the year? I have photos of a 3.5 YO healthy loooking buck his glands are white!?!? And I’ve only had my camera out since January. FYI He is the largest most mature buck in the area.