| Approaching the bedding from unexpected | | | | stalk should be made along the top of the |
| direction could help the hunter. Some favored | | | | ridge if wind or other conditions make the |
| bedding area is in the low land near rivers, | | | | former approach undesirable. It is always |
| ponds and swamps besides the low ridges. | | | | best to try to approach any bedding area from |
| | | | an unexpected direction. |
| Unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule, | | | | |
| which the hunter can use in order to locate | | | | Another favored bedding area is in the low |
| these resting and bedding places. There is | | | | land near rivers, ponds and swamps. Deer |
| nothing to prevent deer from lying down | | | | often pick wood land meadows where the swamp |
| anywhere they happen to be and they do this | | | | grass gives them concealment. These places |
| very thing during the night after feeding. | | | | are difficult for the hunter to approach |
| During the daytime rest period, they seek | | | | because of the grass and underbrush which |
| seclusion where they will be safe from | | | | cover such areas. |
| enemies and, to some extent, be protected | | | | |
| from the weather. This being so, there is a | | | | I have found quite a few deer which were |
| large part of a herd's range, which the | | | | bedded down on points of land that jut out |
| hunter may disregard when looking for bedding | | | | into lakes and ponds. The hunter is often |
| areas. Open fields, feeding areas, trails | | | | tempted to save steps by crossing the base of |
| that are used by men, and even game trails | | | | these points instead of hunting them. By |
| are seldom used by deer as bedding places, | | | | doing so, he is very apt to pass up a good |
| but they may be used by the hunter as | | | | chance for a shot at a deer. Deer in these |
| starting points in his search. Tracks found | | | | places will seldom take to the water when |
| at these places will often indicate the | | | | disturbed by man, but will try to run past |
| general direction taken by deer on their way | | | | the hunter in an attempt to reach the main |
| to their resting places. It is seldom | | | | land. |
| possible to stalk a resting deer by following | | | | |
| its track to its bed, for it invariably | | | | Points of woods which extend into fields and |
| watches its back trail. The hunter should use | | | | cuttings, similar to the points of land which |
| his knowledge of the area to which the deer | | | | extend into water, are often used as bedding |
| seems to be heading, in order to judge where | | | | places, but deer which are in these places |
| the animal might be located and then stalk | | | | are not restricted in their choice of an |
| that area or the most promising locations in | | | | escape route. Deer in these places are |
| that area. | | | | difficult to stalk and are a real challenge |
| | | | to an experienced stalker. |
| Deer seem to be partial to low ridges when | | | | |
| choosing bedding grounds and will often use | | | | Therefore it is very important for the hunter |
| them even when they are near well-traveled | | | | to know from which direction of the bedding |
| roads. Such places are almost impossible to | | | | place he has to approach and make the hunter |
| approach from the road without detection by | | | | more successful without much stalking and |
| the deer. These locations should be | | | | disturbance to the deer before shooting. |
| approached from the opposite side, or the | | | | |