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