How to Build Buck Bedding Areas

[@Sandwichking-hikes]

I’m already excited for habitat improvements for 2023

[@naamanpratt]

Hi Jeff - I'll be retrieving my 1st trailcam video today after placing it near a "community" mock scrape setup with a White Oak licking branch I created 2 weeks ago on the backside of my 10 acre wedge that borders a river here in the backwoods of central Maine and off-grid. Everything I've done was based on knowledge gained after binge-watching your entire playlists of 'mock scrapes' & 'trailcam tips', and then some. I'm psyched for what I might discover! Love all of your videos, and thank you! 💫📷🦌

[@ryansharpe6320]

Love the content and it has been very helpful in transforming my property! I would love to see a video detailing how to create bedding on flat ag land with only 30% of the property having wooded cover in pockets of 10-40 acres. Thanks for all the free content you produce and keep up the good work!

[@JoeJohnson-ii7ww]

I can't believe the info you just shared in this video was free. I have been contemplating what to do with the huge greenbrier thickets close to the 30 acre ag field on my property. You answered that for me in this video. Gonna have some " stress relief" time on my bobcat with my front chopper this winter. Thanks Jeff

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I love to hear it Joe...Happy New Year and stay safe!

[@coreyk5536]

Jeff, you're the man. I'm completely glued to your channel and is increasingly changing the ways I'm seeing the properties I hunt. Cheers from Central Ontario, CAN

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I appreciate that Corey...I really hope it helps you out greatly! Really appreciate the feedback from all the way up there!

[@johnknorr1140]

All these years we’ve done that and had no idea we were doing the right thing lol it’s good to hear someone tell us what we’re doing is right thanks

[@noahwilliamson8433]

Mr jeff as always thank you for the free videos. I think everyone is very grateful. This 8 to 9 year journey of just pounding your videos and knowledge into my head, practicing it on my own land and helping friends and family on their land. I just wanted you too know I see the pie and the slices. Hopefully for a Christmas gift from my wife I can came come too camp kicking bear when you hold the event🤞🏼 the journey and experience has been incredible over the years! Maybe one day we can sit down have a cold one, eat some fried fish and talk about it and I can explore and pick apart your mind on a deeper conversation 😅…. Also with the books is there some how we can put a reader on it. I’m a welder and like too listen to you when I’m welding. I’d be grateful! -Alabama

[@joshuahammond4452]

I love your videos and my hunting has improved every year over the past 5 years… from seeing one nub buck on my land to identifying 15+ different bucks this year with most being during daylight!!!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Man I love to hear that Joshua...so happy for you!! Lots of fun?! 😊👍

[@joshuahammond4452]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I harvested a nice 8 pointer… first buck I’ve harvested on my property in like 20 years!! And my 7 yr old son is chomping at the bit to go!!!

[@mikemellon80]

Lol. I love the sarcasm about the raking. It’s funny because you know there are some guys that didn’t get you were joking and are going to rake their woods. Thanks for the video

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, woops...man I hope they don't 😬

[@matright]

While it is extreme, I have had deer bed where I cleared them a bed. Raking dead branches and getting rid of lumps so they have somewhere to lay down.

[@myronlaidler8034]

The trail through the brush at 3:04looks like a Bow,maybe a Mathews?LOL

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It sure does Tex...MUST be a Mathews 😊

[@buydirtlife]

This was way more interesting than I thought it was going to be! Great Video!!!

[@bowman8316]

Love the half hour in depth videos 👍🏼 Thank you ☃️🔫

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That's great to hear, ha! For some reason the 7 vids we shot on Tuesday averaged over 20 minutes. Just too much stuff to go over!

[@joelh3303]

I love your information, Jeff. I’m looking forward to start some buck beds and diversity pockets this year to enhance the improvements I got started last year with the food plots. I’ve ordered a bunch of white pine and spruce to plant in the tops this spring.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That sounds great Joel...lots of fun stuff to do 😁 Got to love it!

[@thepracticalrifleman]

Thank you for sharing your years of hard-earned knowledge with us, Jeff! One thing I’d love to see you cover is building deer habitat on a cattle farm if you have any special considerations.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot! That is really tough with the cattle...you have to have fenced off food plots and fenced off bedding areas. So when we have someone that has a cattle ranch those two ingredients are most of the time s must...before ever even working with them. The cattle destroy all deer habitat so a fairly difficult process if there aren't non-cattle areas...

[@thepracticalrifleman]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 that’s what I’m thinking. There are a couple hundred yards where we have the cattle fenced off from the woods with national forest on the other side. Thanks for the tip!

[@BBD-350L]

@@thepracticalrifleman I've hunted a 3000 acre cattle farm my entire life. I've been very successful with a longbow. There's absolutely no need for any type of food plot. Hunt the cover where there's good sign, also hunt the benches and funnels that show fresh sign. Always use the wind and have a good entry and exit route. It's literally that simple to put yourself in the position to shoot a mature buck on a cattle farm. I literally made a post this season about the cattle pasture stand that my 9 yr old shot his buck from We read the sign and hunted smart and put 0 effort into fancy food plots, feeders or anything like that. We hunt natural deer in their natural undisturbed habitat and we are very successful. :)

[@thepracticalrifleman]

@@BBD-350L I hunt the funnels between pastures and the national forest land. It’s been successful, but with more hunters in the family, I want to help my young children see more deer.

[@BBD-350L]

@@thepracticalrifleman man that's awesome, sounds like your off to a good start. There's just something special about shooting mature deer in a natural habitat that's not highly modified by man. I love the natural setting, hunting natural movement and using my wits , not my wallet, to get crazy close for the shot. But I totally get some guys like hunting those food plots , highly modify the land and force the movement to their setup. It's definitely a proven tactic. Best of luck and I sure hope y'all punch your tags on a good one :)

[@Yatsys_Fishing]

Jeff, thanks for all the informative videos. I have been using your techniques on my small parcel around my house for a couple years now with success. I loved the shout out to the Benoit’s. My dad was from Vermont and we always heard stories of them at our deer camp in Michigan. I learned a lot about hunting by following deer tracks. Also, I always love how you relate your tactics to public land. Thank you!

[@dylanmorin4770]

I've enjoyed your videos and just started watching a month ago learned a lot and hoping to apply the knowledge fairly soon. I have thick hardwoods but with open areas and small lake/swamp areas. Planning on making food plots and doe bedding areas.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

That's a lot to do Dylan! Enjoy the process 😊

[@bowman8316]

Watch tons of past videos... priceless 👍🏼🦌

[@ajkelley20]

Great video. I will take my son hunting next week, and I already excited to start improving our land.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Thank you. This makes sense with the property I hunt. The property is in center of the block with houses on outside of it. So the doe will bed there but the bucks are across street in out of business closed golf course 82 acres. Which is why I only bow hunt it. The deer are more like pets. They look in the windows of the house. I hate the Autumn olives. They make it hard to bow hunt. But electric company clears a shoot lane under the power lines for me. I don't mind hinge cutting leaning box elders at all. I like making natural fences. It has worked too well. Buck was 15 feet away and couldn't pull bow back.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Sounds like a fun place to hunt!

[@alexcatalano301]

Going to implement many of these tactics this spring. Have a big planting of trees the next couple years due to lack of regeneration from Ash Borer killing off all the Ash trees.

[@janitorialguy4436]

Thanks Jeff, good info, makes my head spin, easy to overthink it. Just need to walk the woods and have a good look.

[@beachralph]

Hello Jeff I got cedar, pine, popular, hardwood some areas are really thick. Do need to opening it up and create better deer bedding area and trails and create better food plots and better travels ways. Excellent information lots of knowledge

[@DairylandLegends]

Jeff, another great video. Quick question regarding clear cutting aspen. Do you cut them off right at the ground or do you cut them off waist high? Thank you and keep the great videos coming!

[@DanKies-lo2bx]

Thank you for the video - you mentioned fences, do you recommend removing barbed wire that is on the border of your property or keeping it for edge? My parcel is 20 acres next to big ag in Nebraska, trying to thicken it up and follow your plans.

[@stevedenoyer5956]

If you use your concept Jeff, food,doe bedding buck bedding on a small parcel. How will that relate to neighbors property and possibly Ag land around you. What’s going to keep those deer on my parcel as opposed to going to say a hot food source nearby?

[@JoeMama-yv9lv]

Another great and informative video Jeff. Thank you for sharing. Would love to get you or someone from your group to come out to the 500 acre private property we're currently hunting in Central New York. It has immense potential but I don't believe it's set up right as it is right now. I've watched you for several years now. Maybe someday...

[@Buterflycatcher7]

Long time watcher and student of your content and practices. Thank you so much for the free stuff! I also plan to take your web classes as well! One question that may make for a good video if you haven't one already; how do you hunt small game on your deer parcels without over pressuring the deer? Or are you dependant on the food attractions to bring them back no matter the pressure? Thanks again!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot for watching and considering the web classes! We don't hunt small game during the deer season...so that helps 😊 But we do turkey hunt, will likely squirrel and deer hunt this year outside of the season too. The deer won't come back...at least the older ones...in particular bucks.

[@dennisb1224]

I remember a hunting forum site where a group would try to block anyone from talking about creating habitat or bedding areas.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

It is crazy...for sure!

[@clemnewcamp4384]

Thank you Jeff and Dylan for the great advice! I love watching the videos and I have read 4 of the books. My brother and I are big fans. I hunt western Pennsylvania in high pressure areas and I was able to shoot a nice buck this year following your principles. My brother and a friend each shot a nice buck on public land! I’m interested in taking the how to design your deer hunting parcel class. I was curious if after the class do most of your clients feel confident in there own design? On the fb group do people share there property designs? Im nervous making lasting changes without someone looking over my plan. Thanks!

[@juantovar4861]

Thanks for the info., great video.

[@arichfootball]

Where can we watch your hunting videos?

[@Zenan10]

These videos have been so informing and I am constantly watching to learn more of the process. I did have a question regarding a strategy for a completely cut property? This will be my 2nd year leasing a private property that was fully cut. They're planting new trees this summer but of course will be years before they're grown up taller. It has some areas of thick cover that's grown from the cut but my thoughts are to plant some switchgrass along the perimeter and a couple small food plots to hopefully keep does bedded in the grass near the food and then behind that will be the big woods neighbors hopefully to draw out bucks.. Wasn't sure if you had any other thoughts on a fully cut property strategy? for reference: 100 acres cut, south central NC near SC, big woods on 3 sides and roads on other side

[@austinbjorge5771]

Do you ever post your hunts? Love to see lucky and 45 interaction!

[@tyberringer4339]

If the food is on top, and the doe bed on top. Then why would the bucks bed in the bottom further from the food source? On the property I hunt it seems like 90% of the bucks bed on top, so I'm curious as to the reasoning in the theory?

[@harrisonnelson1064]

Thank you Jeff for all that you do. Our property is long and skinny and can only access it from one of the skinny sides. Makes implementing these thing quite difficult because we can’t access the back of our property with scaring deer. Any tips?

[@poplardeer]

We'd all love to know who the sue-happy keepers of buck bed secrets are!

[@patrickanderson5727]

Tony lapratt

[@KyleMast12]

With the 60 acre scenario you drew up, what if you shrunk that to 15 total acres with 10 wooded and 5 is field. How big of a food source in that 5 acre field should you make for those deer to feel comfortable enough to use it? Or is it better to make more security cover because the area is largely agricultural with small wood lots and security cover is at a premium (NW Ohio)?

[@isaak4798]

Thanks for sharing Jeff….question, on a small acreage property, would you change tactics for improving bedding when the timber is uniform across the entire area? I have a 1 acre food plot in the middle of a property completely wooded with Ash, Aspen, and cedar trees. Thanks for any input, I love the channel!

[@mikehenthorn976]

Could you talk about the good or bad of Honeysuckle within your habitat? We have a farm, 130 acres in central Ohio and multiple sections use this property used to be pasture land that is now grown up, with hay fields all around. The woods have a few hardwoods but the underbelly is lots of Honeysuckle. Does it feed deer, should it be cleared out to allow other species? any general guidance would be a great topic. Thanks for all the videos and education you put out.

[@lucasbush6528]

When you cut aspen patches are you just cutting and leaving them on the ground and then just let the greenery come up?

[@kenmaurer4743]

Nice if you can use the wood ,but not necessary to remove the trees,once fallen ,cut trails through the fallen logs to make easier passage for the deer..make several travel routes ,gives the deer feeling of not being hemmed in

[@jodycuneo9373]

What do you recommend for an all year food source for a plot? I live in south eastern Indiana

[@jamesgillies3710]

Your comments are the best. keep us laughing.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Ha, I appreciate that James!

[@jsnb6489]

Jeff, I'm not having any luck getting a logger in to my woods. I have some pockets of aspen, I'm happy to cut them down myself, just wondering if the large logs left laying would hinder deer? Thanks

[@kenmaurer4743]

Generally they wont,but deer will usually take the easiest route when possible..just cut trails through the downed logs..but be sure to have lots of exit trails,escape routes..deer,but especially bucks,don't like to be hemmed in,they feel safer knowing they can go in lots of directions

[@brandonyoung7760]

I have a lot of red maple im wanting to hinge cut for beds. Can i cut them now in May?

[@kenmaurer4743]

Most logging of trees is best done in winter months,then come first green up ,the energy trees normally put into leaves,goes into shooting up new shoots..maples are great for hinge cutting, but do nice if a stump is left,new growth will sprout up from that..deer love maple leafs

[@joshuaclark5796]

Do you have any content relative to Texas?

[@seldomseen_outdoors]

I wish the guys that would hunt my property would actually listen and understand all of this you put out. Old timers that don't think 4wheelers blow deer off our 150 acres. Don't think there's a way to hold deer on our property instead of the neighbors.. I need help!

[@johntuset7917]

on a downhill slopping area, is it best to drop directly downhill or to try and drop parallel with the slope, ?

[@kenmaurer4743]

Safer to drop a tree in the direction it leans,be that parallel or perpendicular to the slope..then you can cut openings in those fallen trees to allow easier deer travel..deer will generally take the easiest route available..have lots of escape routes,so the bucks won't feel trapped

[@dylanmorin4770]

My land has a lot of aspen So i guess I'm clear cutting alot haha

[@butleroutdoors2188]

Raking out beds have never made sense to me, especially later in the season. Just from a survival standpoint, a small layer of leafs or grasses help insulate and reduce heat loss. That is one reason why switchgrass is so attractive to deer to bed in!

[@Pwrcritter]

Cut down several saplings to create shooting lanes, and my bil accused me of cutting down $trees, smh.

[@LimitlessStudios1]

Can't thank you enough for your videos! Been watching them for years now! What are your thoughts on property that borders a Cedar swamp? I have a very small piece of land (20 acres) that is pretty much all Cedar and Beech trees, and my back property line goes right into a massive Cedar swamp. Been getting lots of pics on trail cams of decent to big bucks over the years that all stay pretty close to that Cedar swamp.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

You definitely need to create high stem count Regen on your land...and that will become the actual daytime food source for the deer in that swamp

[@richardhuebner4144]

Hi Jeff, I posted a very telling deer bedding video. I'm not a utuber, I just do random videos for my kids to watch. You'll like it and you'll learn something. We never stop learning right? Search for Branch Art/ Richard Huebner. I'm a wildlife carver so Branch Art is just a random name I used to post it. Enjoy and please give me some feedback. Thx....

[@TheeRiverGoat]

Man, I’m sorry, but why can’t you hinge cut aspens?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

They break and often die. . very brittle!

[@TheeRiverGoat]

@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 okay. Who cares? I don’t mean that to be rude. Who cares if it dies. The floor is getting more light and they decay fast.

[@kenmaurer4743]

​@ericmetz4179 you want the aspen to generate sapling sprouts from its root system..often times ,if you leave a stump it doest do that..Aspen needs to be cut at ground level for best results

[@underdogoutdoors]

It's like the banjo minnow, so effective, it was banned in 36 states 🤣

[@bowman8316]

👍🏼😂😂😂

[@smokeeater8387]

How in the hell can someone sue you for talking about buck bedding?

[@kenmaurer4743]

There probably a liberal dumbacrat..😅

[@jamesfarrow2130]

??

[@bowman8316]

?

[@kurtpearson2793]

Enjoy your day knowing the harvest is yours!!! Well done-Bow Man!

[@bowman8316]

@@kurtpearson2793 thanks Kurt lol

[@Knotrockets]

You seem more irritated more and more.

[@jameslindenthal840]

Hey Jeff, i have 3 or 4 pockets of ash in the upper that are on their way out cause of the ash bore, been cutting for fire wood would you leave the rest standing for firewood or hinge. Great content as always.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Hi James I would just cut it completely...either for firewood or to let lay. That way you can get whatever life is left in the roots to explode in growth and be viable for several years or more...