Buck bedding in CRP

[The Silence]

Last year I came across a mature buck that was using a small (2-4 acre) secluded CRP field as his bedding area. I went up to that area once earlier this year to see what details I could see. Do you guys any experience with how bucks bed in these areas as well as how they enter and exit them. This particular CRP patch has a strip of green grass on 2 opposite ends that are 10-15 yards deep that have annual rubs. The other 2 opposite sides include a fence line and the other backs up to the woods. It's a sanctuary so I want to handle this place carefully.

 

[Hardwood11]

Sounds like a sweet spot. I bet he will be there again. I’d try to hunt close and call him in? Rut time frame.

 

[The Silence]

Do you guys know people here on the forum that have a lot of experience hunting CRP?

 

[Hardwood11]

I think a lot of guys do, I can’t get real specific without knowing your layout better. I sit near edges of CRP fields with good success.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

My muzzleloader buck last year was a CRP deer. I swear he seemed allergic to trees. Very very hard to bow hunt. Best chance I had with a bow was out of a mobile wagon blind, but just out of range. Eventually got him with the Muzzy.

 

[Sligh1]

I’ve done it. Super early in am’s Not saying this is how but I’ve got in during PITCH BLACK - well before most deer back. Tried staying on upwind side of anything that could come & not go by any feeding. I am usually, hmmm, 30-200 yards away from where they can be. If I’m more “going on a whim” - I may go farther so don’t risk much. Bring lots of calls for various times of season, etc. can move as needed if I figure something out. Called em in plenty of times when visual.
I’ve also played the reverse & done pm’s or even all day during rut. If I can sneak into my tree from point where I am counting on deer bedded 50-500 yards away- but do quiet with little to no detection going in - can be done. All has to make sense. For example - clearly can’t be walking to close to it. Or walking past feeding area or blowing wind into it. Or, let’s say it’s a decline down a hill to the spot & every deer can see u- stuff like that needs solutions. But depending on situation- absolutely. If u know he’s there- get in super early & carefully & make adjustments without pushing him outta there. Some terrain makes it pretty tough but in MOST cases seems pretty doable.

 

[Tmayer13]

I believe CRP deer to be alot more predictable. Depending on how thick this CRP really is, i bet you find a couple trails going to and from this particular spot. Deer tend to walk these trails because well its the only way they can see where they are going. Also what time frame was he there? Rut? Was he there with a doe to get away from all the other deer? use this intel to your advantage. If its pure CRP without trees around, then maybe a platform and blind is the way to go? Lots of options but id bet if he was mature and he was there then he will be back, just figure out a way to hunt close to it. You may not see a ton of deer in these spots but you may see the right deer. Also as others have mentioned callined can be very effective in thick CRP as they have to search for the sounds as they cannot easily see the deer from long distances.

 

[The Silence]

Hey Tmayer. It was crazy about when and how I found him. I was actually walking in to put a trail cam near that area last year on September 29th (2 days before bow opener) because I wanted to let it soak in that area for 3-4 months because I had very limited intel from that specific spot. I wasn't in total stealth mode as I approached that small patch but there is lots of woods surrounding that little area. As I took a couple steps around the last corner I stopped dead in my tracks. There he was, at 3:45 pm in broad daylight, his head was down eating green grass out at about 50-70 yards. I about died, I could see he was preoccupied so I slowly backed up and got behind some trees and took a couple shots with my phone. Couldn't get a total bead on his rack but it looked like a lot of bone and his body size looked like he was a tank. Thankfully, I had the wind in my face but I learned a big lesson from that day. I checked the wind before heading in and it was blowing from the SE. He was standing directly north of me but the wind was blowing directly into my face, coming from the north. I believe when the SE wind that was blowing over the tops of trees hit that small CRP parcel the wind would dive down into the area of the CRP and create a whirlpool effect. That SE wind would hit another wall on the north side of the CRP and force it to go west and then when it hit the NW corner of the CRP it forced the wind to turn to the south. I believe he was set up on that NW corner of the field so he could take advantage of that whirlpool effect to his back and he had a good visual out in front of him. I came into the corner of that area after the wind had turned to the south. Having a small open area in the middle of trees sure did create a whirlpool effect with the wind. Amazing intel for later use. As it turned out, I shot my buck very early so I'll be heading up there this year.

 

[bkcrrtnps]

Hey Tmayer. It was crazy about when and how I found him. I was actually walking in to put a trail cam near that area last year on September 29th (2 days before bow opener) because I wanted to let it soak in that area for 3-4 months because I had very limited intel from that specific spot. I wasn't in total stealth mode as I approached that small patch but there is lots of woods surrounding that little area. As I took a couple steps around the last corner I stopped dead in my tracks. There he was, at 3:45 pm in broad daylight, his head was down eating green grass out at about 50-70 yards. I about died, I could see he was preoccupied so I slowly backed up and got behind some trees and took a couple shots with my phone. Couldn't get a total bead on his rack but it looked like a lot of bone and his body size looked like he was a tank. Thankfully, I had the wind in my face but I learned a big lesson from that day. I checked the wind before heading in and it was blowing from the SE. He was standing directly north of me but the wind was blowing directly into my face, coming from the north. I believe when the SE wind that was blowing over the tops of trees hit that small CRP parcel the wind would dive down into the area of the CRP and create a whirlpool effect. That SE wind would hit another wall on the north side of the CRP and force it to go west and then when it hit the NW corner of the CRP it forced the wind to turn to the south. I believe he was set up on that NW corner of the field so he could take advantage of that whirlpool effect to his back and he had a good visual out in front of him. I came into the corner of that area after the wind had turned to the south. Having a small open area in the middle of trees sure did create a whirlpool effect with the wind. Amazing intel for later use. As it turned out, I shot my buck very early so I'll be heading up there this year.

So you saw him standing and feeding their one time with no other intel? Is that correct?


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[The Silence]

That's a great question bkcrrtnps. I can't say for 100% certainty that big boys are bedding there but I have been very reluctant to set up any kind of observation stands since it's also secondary bedding for other deer that could easily pick you off from quite a distance. Also, I didn't want to set up a trail cam that close to the actual bedding though I am planning on setting up a couple trail cams on what I believe are secluded exit routes out of the CRP to see if I can get any more hard intel. Here is the other evidence that leads me to believe that larger bucks may be using this as a bedding area:

1) What struck me to start with had to do with the time I saw him at 3:45 in the afternoon completely calm and relaxed. I believe he had to be very, very close to his core area.
2) On both sides of the small CRP field there are lots of rubs that have showed up the last several years that are located very close to the CRP so it may indicate (not for certain) that as soon as they get up from his/their bed they get up and hit these rubs. There's also evidence that they are being hit several times during one season and hard.
3) I do have one trail cam pic of a very large buck that was traveling to the CRP field but that was taken at night
4) This is very secure and out of the way part of the property which rarely sees any human activity at all.

Great question. I wish I had more direct observations or trail cam pics from that specific area but I have been reluctant to bugger the place up.