Making a deer Bed

[dakids]

Has anybody ever made a deer bed?  Not a bedding area but a deer bed.  From what I have read and heard they are several hinge cut trees that form a shaded hiding spot for the deer to hide in.  Similar to a deadfall.

[deadeye]

Not me, I say let them make there own beds!
What's the plan here dakids?  Make the beds and they will come.  Just kidding.  However, I have looked at quite a few beds and don't remember anything specific about them.  It seems they just circle and plop down, sometimes in the strangest places.

[dakids]

I've read about a guy named Tony LaPratt who makes beds for just bucks and other ones for the does.  I have researched it a little bit and they look like 2 or 3 trees hinge cut about 3-4 feet up and crossed over each other.  It does seem like "if you build it they will come" but the key seems to be build it in the right place to allow you to get the upper hand in killing them.

It seems a little bit of a reach and a lot of work but if it works why not try it.

[HD]

I've heard of that....
But what you are making is a place that is more "enticing" for the deer to bed and have thier fawns. From what I have read, it is very effective...

I have not seen any further articals if they continue to use it, but for fawning purposes, they work well.


Hunter

[T.R. Michels]

Boy is this a bunch of hooey.

Deer bed in different areas on different days, based on the weather.

If it is hot they want to bed in the shade, or in the open - where the wind blows on them if they can. Or they bed in damp area or areas near water, for its cooling effect.

If it is cold they want to bed where there is thermal cover, out of the wind if they can.

If it is windy and cold they want to bed out of the wind, often on the donwind side of a hill or woods.   

How is one bed, in one area, going to provide them with what they need and want? 

This guy needs to use some common sense.

God bless,

T.R.

[HD]

I think you are confused with "a safe zone" and "a deer bed"
What he is talking about is basically a dead fall area, that is man made.
You cut the trees (not all of the way through) and hinge them down to make a covered area.
Like I said, for fawning purposes, it works well...if un-disturbed and un-touched after it is made.

Yes, deer will "bed" anywhere they please.

I, myself, wouldn't make one...cause I like to leave it natural. But, other folks have.

[stevejedlenski]

i have been looking at doing this this spring. yes deer bed in different places as they please. but if you had the choice of a tent or a beer box in the rain what would you choose? this doesnt mean that deer will move in bed there all the time, but if you create the bedding areas for heat, wind, precip... the deer will likely spend more time bedding on your property than your neighbors who has a forest that hasnt been touched in 100 years and offers nothing but cover from airplanes and a few acorns or nuts in the fall.

anyone else had any experience with this?

[dew2]

Place I lived for a number of years south of Duluth.It seemed the deer bedded in the same type areas.While tromping the woods I would look for simular areas as the one 1/4 mile from my house.It was tall grasses,over my head tall,swampie on one side woods the other.The tall grass area was dry.I could count on jumping deer there 70% of the time I walked into it.It was only 40-50 ft wide and 100-150 ft long.That was private ground.When I would walk the Nemadji state forest east of Holyoak,Nickerson,Duquette and Kerrick,I looked for the same tall grasses and they were there also.
 I'm sure most have seem beds while walking the woods especially after the first snows,They were scattered and 2-4 deer laied down together.These grassy areas were different,They almost always had deer in them.